The Official Hempy Bucket Thread

[blunt toker]

I'm going with straight perlite. Does it work to start seeds and clones in that as well?

I need to find non-transparent cups here in europre... ><

Straight perlite works if your humidity is high enough. I have cloned in straight perlite, straight verm and both mixed.
I've been using straight verm because I have low humidity and my perlite would dry up too fast.

Is the algae bad in hempy? I've seen pics of people cloneing in perlite and was covered in algae. I think i've read that its only bad in straight hydro.

anyone have issues with mold?
I was having issues with black mold, not sure what it was exactly but it looked like black fuzzy mold. I ended up cooking my verm in the oven. haven't had any problems since then.
I think the warm humid temps needed for cloning is making some bad shit grow.

 

[Lathund]

Thanks for the replies, great help.

How often would you say one need to feed in perlite only? The reservoar will be just as big so the container itself will keep just as much water. I'm not doubting you guys, just new at this and want to know

I did start my seeds in rockwool, and alot of people seem to do it like that. But I'm a bit worried as they grow bigger that the cubes will dry out too fast? I started in 1x1's and as soon as they sprouted I moved them up a size though...

My humidity is very low... Maybe I should consider mixing with vermiculite after all. What ratio seems to be the best? Do you re-use any of it after a cycle or do you throw it out?

Thanks for the help

 

[Jellyfish]

What ratio seems to be the best?

See page one of this thread.

Do you re-use any of it after a cycle or do you throw it out?

Use for two cycles, then use more new.

 

[bmaster]

Thanks for the replies, great help.

How often would you say one need to feed in perlite only? The reservoar will be just as big so the container itself will keep just as much water. I'm not doubting you guys, just new at this and want to know

I did start my seeds in rockwool, and alot of people seem to do it like that. But I'm a bit worried as they grow bigger that the cubes will dry out too fast? I started in 1x1's and as soon as they sprouted I moved them up a size though...

My humidity is very low... Maybe I should consider mixing with vermiculite after all. What ratio seems to be the best? Do you re-use any of it after a cycle or do you throw it out?

Thanks for the help

I use 75/25% perlite/vermiculite
Straight perlite up to the drain hole, then the mix to the top.
Water with low nute solution every day until you see more rapid growth. Then you can water every 1-2 days depending how thirsty she is.

Good luck

 

[xeno83]

trying my first hempy/airpot, I copied somones idea with 2 10 litre buckets drilled a hole 2 inches up from the bottom, then lined the bucket with black land scaping cloth and filled that with perlite. I had some issues growing in coco, so was trying this method out. They have been in a week as of today. They seem to be doing better than they were. I hope to see some reall improvement of the next week and hoepfully flip them to 12/12 after that.

 

[Jellyfish]

Why did you line the bucket?

 

[Warped1]

Why did you line the bucket?

Yep this system is as close to plug and play as you'll find anywhere. I grow in coco hempy's and I doubt I'll ever change.

 

[noyd666]

why did you line the bucket?

 

[RetroGrow]

Hey hempy-users!

What are you starting your seeds/clones in? I went with rockwool, but seeing some potential problems down the line since I'm not using an automated watering system.

I use either Miracle Grow seed starter mix, or Foxfarms seed starter mix in regular(not hempy) 16 oz clear cups, then transplant to coco hempys in 2 gallon pots. You can see root development in the clear cups, and when they fill up and roots begin circling the bottom, time to transplant. Don't like to drown my seedlings in "hempy" cups, and don't see any advantage to it. I have found non-hempy cups to work better. You might want to put the clear cups inside other dark color solo cups to keep light tight, although I have never had algae problems in clear cups in the short time period it takes for good root system to develop. Coco outperforms perlite, and it is perfect for transplanting the cups of seed starter mix into. Coco is what Hempy uses now. Much better than perlite/vermiculite, IMO, and I have used both. Much easier for transplanting too. The other thing about Hempys that I can't emphasize enough:water with your nutrient solution EVERY day to runoff once they have been transplanted into bigger pots from their starter cups. You will get hydro roots, and much more explosive growth than watering every 3 days in 5 gallon pots, although that works if you are too lazy to water daily. You just will not get the same growth rate, and plants will not develop hydro root system if watered every third day. Hempy is a hydro system, and should be treated as such, IMO.

 

[grassott's dad]

I agree with Retro. We don't start off in small hempy cups anymore. Small cup of coco with a drop of perlite out performs baby hempy cups.

Hempy buckets are best in 1 - 5 gal buckets. Hempy says this himself.

Also, we have been guilty of not bothering to water till run off now and again. Easily done, especially if you're running lots of 2 gal buckets at the same time. On the next run we're gonna take some of Retro's advice onboard and feed full strength till run off (canna nutes) every 1 - 2 days once the roots are established in the rez (about a week after xplant). We wanna aim for hydro results in our buckets. When feeding full strength certain strains might show signs of overfeed. If this is the case then just feed a weaker strength. I love the simplicity of hempy buckets. Thanks Hempy for showing us this grow method

 

[bmaster]

Drowning in hempy

Drowning in hempy

I'm not sure how you're 'drowning' your seedling in hempy cups.
They have great drainage. Please explain how a regular cup is better.
I'm missing something.

I've never had an issue with mini hempys, but always open to better methods.

Thanks

 

[RetroGrow]

I agree with Retro. We don't start off in small hempy cups anymore. Small cup of coco with a drop of perlite out performs baby hempy cups.

Hempy buckets are best in 1 - 5 gal buckets. Hempy says this himself.

Also, we have been guilty of not bothering to water till run off now and again. Easily done, especially if you're running lots of 2 gal buckets at the same time. On the next run we're gonna take Retro's advice onboard and feed full strength till run off (canna nutes) every 1 - 2 days once the roots are established in the rez. We wanna aim for hydro results in our buckets.

Every day for hydro roots and increased oxygenation. Just works better if you want maximum growth. I got bigger plants in 2 gallon buckets watering daily than I did in 5 gallon buckets watering less frequently. It's more work, but worth it. Or you can set up drip rings (not blumats). That will be my next project. You can make your own drip rings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT3CafIju-M
Or you can purchase pre-fabbed:
http://www.hydroponics.net/i/134070
I saw some cool looking ones in recent issue of High Times but can't recall the name of them. I think they are from Australia though. I will post them when I find them. But the daily watering/oxygenation makes the difference between good growth and explosive growth.
Found the new, improved drip rings:
http://www.hydrowholesale.com/VIAGROW-Viagrow-Drip-Ring-9-x-8-tall-5489

 

[RetroGrow]

I'm not sure how you're 'drowning' your seedling in hempy cups.
They have great drainage. Please explain how a regular cup is better.
I'm missing something.

I've never had an issue with mini hempys, but always open to better methods.

Thanks

I've just found it works better for me. That's in cups that are going to be transplanted into bigger pots. I understand some peeps do the entire grow in cups, so may be different in that case. Not knocking it, and I didn't personally have that problem, but other posters have. I tried "Hempy" cups, and didn't see any advantage, as they are just seedlings and only going to be in there for a very short time, and more difficult to transplant if medium is "soggy". Hydro roots will develop in the bigger pots after transplant if watered daily.

 

[Twisted pleasur]

Re: The Official Hempy Bucket Thread

Cool thread. Love reading these old long threads.

T~P

 

[dubwise]

SO.....guess what I figured out today? It is very, very difficult, when growing perpetually to remove the center plant along a wall if it finishes before the other plants on the same wall. DOH!
Here's another odd thing....If the medium, feed, water, mother, container, environment were the exact same, then why would two identical rooted cuts perform/behave differently? I have two cuts from a mother (that has produced 50 or so cuttings with consistent results) yet on these two particular cuttings, one is doing the "normal" thing and the other has many undissolved salts on the top of the medium?.? Any suggestions?

 

[Jellyfish]

why did you line the bucket?

We will never know, lol.

 

[MeLikesPCs]

Greetings Hempy Bucket Enthusiasts!

Question for you: How far from the bottom should I make the drainage hole?

I'm doing a micro grow in a small cab with mini hempy buckets with 220 watts of PLLs. I don't want to use 2 liter (68 ounce) soda bottles, and instead am going to using 2.5 quart (80 ounce) Leaktite plastic pails. The pails measures 5.25 inches high, with a 7.5 inch diameter.

If I put the drainage hole 2 inches from the bottom (as recommended for bigger buckets), that seems like a mighty big reservoir for this container---basically 2 inches of res and 3 inches of non-res. My containers are slightly larger (volume-wise), shorter, and wider than 2 liter bottles.

Should I still make the hole 2 inches from the bottom, or instead make it like 1 inch from bottom?

What do you think?

 

[Bobbo4200]

Yes, adjust the height as ncessary. I have a 1 gallon Hempy with a hole about an inch from the bottom. Happy Hempy-in'!!!

 

[MeLikesPCs]

Thanks for the quick reply Bobbo. My bucket is a little more than a half gallon, so I guess I'll drill at a little less than 1 inch. How big is your hole on that one gallon? 1/2 inch? 7/16? 3/8?

 

[Bobbo4200]

Small lol... Not sure, bout a 1/4"