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spunion
Member
I was thinking about growing in small hempy buckets in a SOG.
Will lateral sized buckets work, or do you need something with generally even height and width?
Any opinion on hydroton vs perlite?
I like that hydroton can be cleaned and continually re-used (I figure the hassle is worth it for not moving medium bags in and out every month), or at least I've heard it can be. Considered about the ease of use and final product taste.
What is the draining like for both mediums? Does runoff take hours?
Will lateral sized buckets work, or do you need something with generally even height and width?
Any opinion on hydroton vs perlite?
I like that hydroton can be cleaned and continually re-used (I figure the hassle is worth it for not moving medium bags in and out every month), or at least I've heard it can be. Considered about the ease of use and final product taste.
What is the draining like for both mediums? Does runoff take hours?
Runoff simply means that when you water/feed the plants, you do it until the water starts coming out of the drain hole. It takes only a short time, depending on size of bucket and how fast you dump new solution into it. A couple of minutes, not hours. Two gallon paint buckets from Home Depot/Lowes/Ace hardware, or any hardware/paint store work ideally. Can be any size you want. 2.5 gallons, 3 gallons, etc. I prefer 2 gallons, but it's a matter of personal preference. Read more of the thread. It's all spelled out.
spunion
Member
I didn't want to read 3700 posts is all 
Also was thinking certain mediums would take a longer time to drain. Coco, for instance, seems like one that might drain considerably longer than something like perlite.
I realize any size bucket will work, more concerned with shape.
I do have a vague understanding of the science behind hempy buckets. The lowest roots (including taproot) stay submerged while the roots closer to the top get more oxygen.
Also was thinking certain mediums would take a longer time to drain. Coco, for instance, seems like one that might drain considerably longer than something like perlite.
I realize any size bucket will work, more concerned with shape.
I do have a vague understanding of the science behind hempy buckets. The lowest roots (including taproot) stay submerged while the roots closer to the top get more oxygen.
N
noyd666
I wish they had computers in my bulldozer years ago, I would have read every page over and over lol.
I didn't want to read 3700 posts is all
Also was thinking certain mediums would take a longer time to drain. Coco, for instance, seems like one that might drain considerably longer than something like perlite.
I realize any size bucket will work, more concerned with shape.
I do have a vague understanding of the science behind hempy buckets. The lowest roots (including taproot) stay submerged while the roots closer to the top get more oxygen.
Read this thread by Hempy. Much shorter.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=147954
So... I just went to the hydro store today with intention of buying some rockwool growcubes (croutons), but the guy in the store talked me into going coco. He said that going with the croutons means I would have to irrigate more often, because the growcubes are a 50/50 mix of the water-retaining and water-repelling types of rockwool. He said that makes it great to use in 24/7 top-feed types of systems, and recirculating systems, but not for the style of grow I'm going for (with the hempy buckets). So, he said that coco is a good one to experiment with if I wanted to try something new.
I ended up buying a bag of Cyco Coco Pearl, which is pre-charged, pH-balanced coco mixed with perlite. I haven't opened the bag yet so I can't comment on what percentage the perlite equals. I told him I wanted to be able to just open a bag, dump it into my buckets, and then add my nutrient water. He said this brand was what he recommended. I also happened to notice there was another brand of the same thing that cost much more for the same volume, and he still recommended this cheaper brand. Having never used Cyco anything, much less their coco, can anyone comment on how good (or bad) of quality I'm working with here?
My guess is all I need to do is put hydroton in the bottom of the bucket, dump in the contents of this bag, and then call it a day. I hope so, because really I'm just getting tired of mixing vermiculite and perlite. I don't want to have to buy a cement mixer just so I can stop killing my back from rinsing and mixing media.
I ended up buying a bag of Cyco Coco Pearl, which is pre-charged, pH-balanced coco mixed with perlite. I haven't opened the bag yet so I can't comment on what percentage the perlite equals. I told him I wanted to be able to just open a bag, dump it into my buckets, and then add my nutrient water. He said this brand was what he recommended. I also happened to notice there was another brand of the same thing that cost much more for the same volume, and he still recommended this cheaper brand. Having never used Cyco anything, much less their coco, can anyone comment on how good (or bad) of quality I'm working with here?
My guess is all I need to do is put hydroton in the bottom of the bucket, dump in the contents of this bag, and then call it a day. I hope so, because really I'm just getting tired of mixing vermiculite and perlite. I don't want to have to buy a cement mixer just so I can stop killing my back from rinsing and mixing media.
You don't really need the perilite in the coco itself . straight canna , mother earth or black label coco right out of the bag is fine .but it will work for you now so you don't have to buy more stuff . you need the perilite or hydroton or even coco crutons in the bottoms of the bucket for the rez .theres a ton of things you can use in the rez . it just needs to drain well .
spunion
Member
I think I decided when I can start growing again, I'll use 2 gallon hempys (possibly 1 gl since I'm doing SOG). For medium, I'll likely start with perlite below the drain hole (considered the reservoir?) and coco as the top layer. Might use hydroton as the top layer if I end up in an apartment or somewhere I don't want my neighbors to see my carrying mediums in and out--since it can be cleaned and reused.
Need to look into easy to setup automated drain systems.
Need to look into easy to setup automated drain systems.
seeingthings
Member
Hush- You going to journal a grow with the new medium? I'm really interested in how it works out for you.
I've looked into coco, but everything I've read leans towards perlite being much easier.
Any idea what they use to prebuffer and stabilize ph? Perhaps just the mixture of both mediums promotes this?
Yeah I'll be doing a journal. I got clones rooting right now, should be ready in a week or so. I'll be reporting on how the new media works for me. I'm going to put hydroton in the bottoms, then dump the coco mix on top of that. Then I'll probably put a later of something else on top, maybe, if gnats appear or something.
I find perlite by itself, at least the extra chunky stuff, to be too light for my purposes... Plants can flop over sometimes. Also, my method of LST involves shoving stakes down into the substrate, which don't hold very well in straight perlite. Perlite mixed with vermiculite is awesome, I just hate mixing it all up, lol.
I find perlite by itself, at least the extra chunky stuff, to be too light for my purposes... Plants can flop over sometimes. Also, my method of LST involves shoving stakes down into the substrate, which don't hold very well in straight perlite. Perlite mixed with vermiculite is awesome, I just hate mixing it all up, lol.
If your worried about Gnats , just add a half cup Of powdered DE to every 1 gallon of coco . & mix it all in good . that'll kill off any soil bound larva , plus its 85% silica which the plants LOVE !! makes them stronger & pest resistant .
http://www.homedepot.com/p/St-Gabri..._-SearchPLPHorizontal1-1-_-NA-_-203595834-_-N
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http://www.homedepot.com/p/St-Gabri..._-SearchPLPHorizontal1-1-_-NA-_-203595834-_-N
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seeingthings
Member
I tried to LST one of my further along plants and ran into the same issue. The branches pulled the wire right out, nothing to hold onto down there.
Also- This is the first time I've re-used my perlite. I washed the shit out of it and rinsed it multiple times with ph'd water before transplanting. What a pain in the ass. I probably spent 4 hours getting 8 gallons prepped.
seeingthings
Member
Nice!
Would this be a good silica additive on its own? I'm using dynagro pro-tekt right now but don't need the ph up.. My water comes out of the tap at 8.5-9 as is!
Except that diatomaceous earth is NOT soluble in water. So don't throw away your Pro-tekt. Silica in DE CANNOT be absorbed by plants.
http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/jecfa-additives/specs/Monograph1/Additive-151.pdf
It's also ineffective when wet, and kills beneficial arthropods as well, when the medium is dry. The proper way to use it is to put a layer on TOP of the medium.
Plants do NOT absorb diatomaceous earth with their roots, but it can actually be used as a growing medium, much as perlite can. Don't know anyone who has tried it though. Inhalation of DE is harmful to the lungs, so probably not a good idea to use it as your medium without a breathing mask.
Food grade DE can be consumed, and helps with many intestinal, stomach problems, as it kills parasites. It has other health benefits.
http://morgellonsaid.wordpress.com/detox/diatomaceous-earth-cleanse/
More info:
http://scienceinhydroponics.com/201...on-is-good-for-and-how-it-should-be-used.html
http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/jecfa-additives/specs/Monograph1/Additive-151.pdf
It's also ineffective when wet, and kills beneficial arthropods as well, when the medium is dry. The proper way to use it is to put a layer on TOP of the medium.
Plants do NOT absorb diatomaceous earth with their roots, but it can actually be used as a growing medium, much as perlite can. Don't know anyone who has tried it though. Inhalation of DE is harmful to the lungs, so probably not a good idea to use it as your medium without a breathing mask.
Food grade DE can be consumed, and helps with many intestinal, stomach problems, as it kills parasites. It has other health benefits.
http://morgellonsaid.wordpress.com/detox/diatomaceous-earth-cleanse/
More info:
http://scienceinhydroponics.com/201...on-is-good-for-and-how-it-should-be-used.html
seeingthings
Member
Whelp - Fed yesterday evening, ec @ 1.2 ph'd to 5.0 to offset the rise. Just tipped a bucket and took a sample. Ph was 6.3 on all three of my buckets ec was up a bit too. Topped off each bucket with tap water ph'd to 5.0 again. Not a full flush, maybe 2 quarts each. Brought the runoff back down to 5.8 on most.
Normal?
Normal?
My best advice to you is to quit obsessing over your runoff composition. It just doesn't matter what's coming out.. it does matter what's going in.
mgk
My advice is mix your solution in advance. Wait 24 hours or more, then measure/adjust PH. If you mix and use right away, PH is going to rise. Tap water is all you need, but let it sit for 24 hours, if you are using bennies, to get the chlorine out. Then add nutrients and let that sit for 24 hours, adjust, and you are good to go without PH swings.
