The Official Hempy Bucket Thread

[Xare]

I like to keep my hempy reservoirs @ around 6.0-6.5 PH

Watering with 6.5 PH nutes I think the PH swings down as the water is used and evaporated.

I found that if I water with 6.0 nutes every time it starts to get too acidic and I get lockouts.

To check the PH of a Hempy rez I just give it nutes like I normally would so the pot is fresh and full.

Then I tip out a bit of water for testing. If the media is too acidic the test will show below 6.0

I stopped using PH down with my nutes all together and it seems to be balanced. After I mix up nutes with my water its spot on 6.5 every time. For a couple grows I was bringing it down to 6.0 with acid each watering but ive found its unnecessary with my water and nute combo.

I have been feeding with every watering once the plants get established and under HPS lighting. In my Two Liter Hempys they need water every other day. On really hot days maybe every day and a half. We are talking SOG clones here.

When I water them I used a measured amount every time that I know will fill up the rez but not cause overflow.

They have been very happy this grow and I will continue to water this way generating zero runoff.

The way I see it is if you feed the plants what they eat then nothing will build up to toxic levels. At least not in two months.

I put clones in two liter hempys with very short veg times then flower 9 weeks.

 

[osecretgardeno]

They have been very happy this grow and I will continue to water this way generating zero runoff.

The way I see it is if you feed the plants what they eat then nothing will build up to toxic levels. At least not in two months.

Great in theory, not exactly practical. Unless you are working in a lab, it would be VERY difficult to feed them EXACTLY what they are eating. For the most part I think you will always get salt build up as well as other build ups.

I wish you luck with this approach but I've done similar and I will always get a salt build up by the end.

Keep on growin!
-sg

 

[Lowman]

Yeah, run-off is so complicated.

I only have to water a little less than once a week.

Then you really aren't using the hempy method...cause if I didn't water by the 2nd day they would dry up and die.

I didn't mean run-off is complicated. Doing all these extra steps which starts with the wasteful method of run-off makes the hempy method more complicated than it is meant to be.

I also don't get a high salt build up...and I use GH nutes. I grow in 2G bins w/coco which even binds nutes...yet I don't have a build up. Maybe you should review your technique.

And yes...I have read where Hempy said to not have run-off. He says that AS SOON as the water strats to come out the drain hole.....STOP WATERING!

It's a damn annual weed! I don't want to spend any more time than I have to in my garden. I am trying to have a life other than being a gardener. I also don't like watching my hard earned money going down the drain with over priced nutes, either.

 

[jump117]

why "going down the drain"? I use reversive feeding/watering.

 

[dubwise]

I like for it all to be super complicated, I enjoy wasting money and I actually pour my nutes right down the drain. It's a great new method!

Just kidding! Happy 4th! Hope everyone enjoys this wonderfull day.

 

[Rukind]

Then you really aren't using the hempy method...cause if I didn't water by the 2nd day they would dry up and die.

I didn't mean run-off is complicated. Doing all these extra steps which starts with the wasteful method of run-off makes the hempy method more complicated than it is meant to be.

I also don't get a high salt build up...and I use GH nutes. I grow in 2G bins w/coco which even binds nutes...yet I don't have a build up. Maybe you should review your technique.

And yes...I have read where Hempy said to not have run-off. He says that AS SOON as the water strats to come out the drain hole.....STOP WATERING!

It's a damn annual weed! I don't want to spend any more time than I have to in my garden. I am trying to have a life other than being a gardener. I also don't like watching my hard earned money going down the drain with over priced nutes, either.

japan uses a tub instead of a bucket, so he doesn't have to water as frequently. he is certainly using the hempy method. its not that wasteful to get run off compared to a ebb and flow setup. so i dont see what the problem with it is. salt build up does happen, so why not prevent it? especially if you are feeding with full strength nutes. i think it makes a difference. is everyone here talking about using there nutes full strength, like hempy suggest?

i will always make sure my hempy's are getting run off. unless hempy himself says it doesn't matter.

 

[Rukind]

I like for it all to be super complicated, I enjoy wasting money and I actually pour my nutes right down the drain. It's a great new method!

Just kidding! Happy 4th! Hope everyone enjoys this wonderfull day.

how does getting run off make things super complicated? i know, you are kidding... seems more like sarcasm to me. happy 4th!

 

[Japanfreakier]

Then you really aren't using the hempy method...cause if I didn't water by the 2nd day they would dry up and die.

lol, and yet they are alive.

Maybe you should review your technique.

I generally don't take advice from somebody who tells me my plants should be dead. Just saying.

I don't want to spend any more time than I have to in my garden. I am trying to have a life other than being a gardener. I also don't like watching my hard earned money going down the drain with over priced nutes, either.

I once kept track of how much time I spent on one cycle. 10 hours. That includes setting up, harvesting and cleaning the perlite for reuse.

 

[Japanfreakier]

Ok I just figured out how much of my hard earned money is going down the drain.

Sometimes as much as 3 liters goes down the drain!!!!

So that's about 3.9ml of grow, 7.8ml of micro and about 12ml of bloom during the flower cycle so a total of about 23.7 ml out of a $10 quart bottle means I'm wasting 25 cents.

25 cents of my hard earned money

Can we please stop this silliness now?

 

[Rukind]

haha im glad you did the math.

there is nothing wrong with getting run off, it can only help.

if you think run off isn't a big deal then save 25 cents.

 

[dancer]

What is preferable Ph in hempys? Please.

 

[smoke1sun]

And yes...I have read where Hempy said to not have run-off. He says that AS SOON as the water strats to come out the drain hole.....STOP WATERING!

Wouldn't that be runoff? "water starts to come out the drain hole"

But I do have 1 serious ? for you. What is the point of the hole drilled 2's from the bottom of the pot?

Im not being sarcastic its just that i thought it was a drain hole on the side of the pot instead of the bottom.

 

[redspaghetti]

Wouldn't that be runoff? "water starts to come out the drain hole"

But I do have 1 serious ? for you. What is the point of the hole drilled 2's from the bottom of the pot?

Im not being sarcastic its just that i thought it was a drain hole on the side of the pot instead of the bottom.

For the pot to act like as a rez, and wont drown the plant.
This is still hydro after all
cheers,
red.

 

[badbudz]

What is preferable Ph in hempys? Please.

think hempy prefers 6.2 ph..my tap water is 6.4 and my plants are loving it....

 

[smoke1sun]

For the pot to act like as a rez, and wont drown the plant.
This is still hydro after all
cheers,
red.

Thats what I thought I read but i wasnt sure.

Does anybody have the original thread? I remember he would get so pissed when someone started talking about modifications to his system.

I really liked hempy buckets, the only draw back for me was at the time i didnt have a place to get rid of the used media, and finding verc in the winter in my area was a pain to.

Its an awesome way to grow.

 

[Japanfreakier]

I believe he said it was to mimic the natural water table

 

[midgethorse]

Jesus, im on page 22 of this thread, looks like I need another day or two to finish all the great reads. This method is got me excited for the near future. Thanks Hempy and everyone that put their time in on this thread.
MidgetHorse

 

[Rukind]

Thats what I thought I read but i wasnt sure.

Does anybody have the original thread? I remember he would get so pissed when someone started talking about modifications to his system.

I really liked hempy buckets, the only draw back for me was at the time i didnt have a place to get rid of the used media, and finding verc in the winter in my area was a pain to.

Its an awesome way to grow.

you can use just perlite

 

[messn'n'gommin']

What is preferable Ph in hempys? Please.

I think it mostly depends on what a particular plant wants. I saw someone mention 6.2 to 6.4 and have read of similar numbers for other grows. But, for the plants I have been growing, that would cause me some serious issues (and did, even at 6.0). I drop mine to about 5.8 (and I may be better off taking it to 5.6) to avoid lockout problems. But, like I said, that's just for the plants I have been growing.

lol...But, that's for another thread.

 

[Lowman]

What is preferable Ph in hempys? Please.

Hempy doesn't measure the ph. I like to use between 5.4 and 6...but I use coco. I think anywhere between 5.4 - 6.4 will be fine no matter which soiless media you use. I like it on the low side so the calcium gets absorbed better in coco.