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bobman
Member
Yea i am always surprised its not brought up more. I read it in a few threads and I think its some of the best advice I have gotten. The buffer takes a day to fully work. if mixing in gallon jugs I would just let it sit. I like to mix in a 30 gallon tote and bubble them. I dont think you have to bubble if you use them in a few days but it makes me feel better. Before I read that piece of advice I was mixing then adjusting then feeding. Well when I tested the left over nutes I was noticing that the ph was changing for the next 3-5 days. Once I started doing that everything stayed very stable. I usually let it sit for a day after mixing then adjust then let it sit for a little and take readings. Usually it stays balls on doing that and does not drift.
@bob- I've got a few gallon jugs I can work with and see what I can find out. I've never heard of that. How much of the water source matters? Would allowing the mix to sit for a day (bubbled) matter more or less depending on the water source (RO,City,Spring,etc)?
bobman
Member
I use both ro and tap. Its the same except tap already has a buffer in it so it will start higher and end higher. Here is a link to where I first read about it but I have seen it other places.
http://www.420genetics.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-3681.html
http://www.420genetics.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-3681.html
Ok guys thanks alot for all the info, it's kinda funny I do almost all of the stuff everyone is telling me to do. Flushing is my next course of action, since I'm pretty sure I have salt build up, I have no run off, the hole is too high. So I'm gonna cut a lower hole, flush, transplant to 5 gal, flush again, then I should be good correct? Btw, I'm using straight r/o, I read where some were using a mixture of tap and r/o. Is that so ph will be dead on if I get mix right, and won't have to use ph down? I let them dry out before each watering/feeding, and I do feed them almost everytime, but was with average strength feed.
So I have atleast another month of veg, according to you guys, which is fine, but every other time I've used perlite, I'm done veg by now. It's almost been 3 months from seed, and I would have a massive amount of branches and leaves. Right now I barely even have enough to take off clones, the two problem plants there is no way I could even think of a clone yet, i jus didn't want to wait another month that's all.
If someone can help me get pix up, that might help you all to see what is going on rather than me telling you, pic is worth a thousand words, right!!! So on to flushing and cutting lower holes, so I can see what my run off even is, thanks again, and if I left something out let me know.
So I have atleast another month of veg, according to you guys, which is fine, but every other time I've used perlite, I'm done veg by now. It's almost been 3 months from seed, and I would have a massive amount of branches and leaves. Right now I barely even have enough to take off clones, the two problem plants there is no way I could even think of a clone yet, i jus didn't want to wait another month that's all.
If someone can help me get pix up, that might help you all to see what is going on rather than me telling you, pic is worth a thousand words, right!!! So on to flushing and cutting lower holes, so I can see what my run off even is, thanks again, and if I left something out let me know.
bobman
Member
pictures
pictures
go to post reply bottom left hand corner or top left hand corner. not post quick reply. it opens a new window. scroll down and you will see manage attachments. open that then find your pictures. follow the directions from there if you are still having problems let us know. I would save the pictures to your desktop then they will be easier to find.
pictures
go to post reply bottom left hand corner or top left hand corner. not post quick reply. it opens a new window. scroll down and you will see manage attachments. open that then find your pictures. follow the directions from there if you are still having problems let us know. I would save the pictures to your desktop then they will be easier to find.
bobman
Member
yea i think you will be all right after doing that. You are correct about using the ro and tap. Gets my ph good without having to use ph up or down also gives the plants some minerals they need. To be honest I am probably going to stop using ro for hempy. I just do not think its worth it because when leafs start doing funny things you are not sure if you need cal/mag or you have a lockout happening. Tap water you know they are getting their micro elements. Plus gh has that hard water line of nutes that are supposed to work great.
So bobman, you think that I could jus go back to tap water? My tap is really pretty good, ppm 70, ph 7.1. I think that if I had a mix of both I could get the ph correct without any up or down.
I only have about 5 ft of height to use, my point is that if I go up to 5 gal, instead of the current 3 gal they r all in now, won't they want to grow taller as well. That was the reason why I use 3 gal to keep them from growing too tall, but now I do want taller plants, not much though. So if I stay in 3 gal, they should be able to grow a bit bigger, right? If this will work then I will jus stay in 3 gal, any input on going bigger or staying with the 3 gal, will be great. Thanks to all.
I only have about 5 ft of height to use, my point is that if I go up to 5 gal, instead of the current 3 gal they r all in now, won't they want to grow taller as well. That was the reason why I use 3 gal to keep them from growing too tall, but now I do want taller plants, not much though. So if I stay in 3 gal, they should be able to grow a bit bigger, right? If this will work then I will jus stay in 3 gal, any input on going bigger or staying with the 3 gal, will be great. Thanks to all.
Update on the 16oz hempy for cloning:
interestingly enough, the cup with 50 /50 perlite and FFOF has done the best and has roots as of today, which would make it 10 days old. The next runner up with just a small nub of a root is the 60 / 40 perlite/FFOF mix. The all perlite has nothing, and looks as if she wont make it, and the the others with either too much perlite, or too much soil also will be lucky to make it.
forgot to take pics as i was checking the roots d'oh.. i'll keep an eye on em for the next couple days
interestingly enough, the cup with 50 /50 perlite and FFOF has done the best and has roots as of today, which would make it 10 days old. The next runner up with just a small nub of a root is the 60 / 40 perlite/FFOF mix. The all perlite has nothing, and looks as if she wont make it, and the the others with either too much perlite, or too much soil also will be lucky to make it.
forgot to take pics as i was checking the roots d'oh.. i'll keep an eye on em for the next couple days
marywanna2
Member
deviant: if you don't want your plants taller than 5 feet then there isn't any need for a bigger hempy container than 3 gal.
depending on your strains growing characteristics, plants can grow at least 7-8 feet tall in 3 gal hempies...
that said, i believe a larger container would ultimately be able to create more roots (and more fruits also) with more veg time plus topping to create a bushier plant that was still 5 feet tall or so.
depending on your strains growing characteristics, plants can grow at least 7-8 feet tall in 3 gal hempies...
that said, i believe a larger container would ultimately be able to create more roots (and more fruits also) with more veg time plus topping to create a bushier plant that was still 5 feet tall or so.
Yes I was thinking that a larger bucket would/should help produce more fruit, so if that is what happens to be the case, then a transplant is coming.
What does everyone think about topping, really topping every plant, should you top all plants or jus certain strains? I really am asking, cuz I had a strain, first Time around I had good yields, next time around, and it was a clone from the first that had good yields. Well I topped this one, and yes it had more branches and more sites, but in the end it was less yield overall. Per plant it was like almost an ounce less with using topping. So how do you know which plants to top? Are tall plants better, or is it a guessing game, basically trial and error? If so, that sucks, but I guess experience is the best teacher.
What does everyone think about topping, really topping every plant, should you top all plants or jus certain strains? I really am asking, cuz I had a strain, first Time around I had good yields, next time around, and it was a clone from the first that had good yields. Well I topped this one, and yes it had more branches and more sites, but in the end it was less yield overall. Per plant it was like almost an ounce less with using topping. So how do you know which plants to top? Are tall plants better, or is it a guessing game, basically trial and error? If so, that sucks, but I guess experience is the best teacher.
i prefer to "supercrop" or "pinching". Do this from the 4th node on. It saves a nice big main cola, but focuses energy and nutes below the pinch which gives the lower nodes all time to catch up to the main branch. Plants tend to pay more attention to the tallest "branch" IMO, so if you have 5, 10, 15 etc etc tops, they tend to use up the same amount of energy, plus you have your main cola still.
but i do this from the very early. By flower time, they really do look beat up from all the wounds, but the yield has been upped with so many more tops, so well worth it IMO. My pinched plants all are normally bushier and better yielders then my topped plants.
Ill see if i can find some comparison shots of my latest grow of pinching vs topping. i pinched some up too high too early and so a couple popped off, essentially topping it. The ones pinched are way bushier then the topped ones and outgrowing them.
Lack
Member
I'm a huge fan of supercropping my clones too. Good times and good yields, just make sure you veg it out after all the pinching so it can recover a bit before sticking it in to flower. I never pinch after the flip.
@deviant1, With Hempy's a bigger pot for a bigger yield doesn't necessarly apply. It's different than soil groing. I have been pulling real big harvests in 1 and two gallon containers. After many many hempy harvests, I've got to where I flower all my clones in 1 gallon pitchers. My veg times vary depending on which strain I'm flowering, but my veg times are usually less than a month and I pull 3 zips or more on my strains that aren't low yielders by nature. Like the Kandy Kush I grow in 1 gallon containers consistantly cranks out huge harvests growing in small containers. So with hempy buckets a smaller container will still give killer results. I actually recommend using a small bucket to restrict the roots if you grow big sativas in limited space, works really well. You can grow some super monsters in big hempys though, I've seen some real beauties in 5gal ones.
Also works great for keeping bonsai mothers. Restricting the roots in a rocky medium like hydroton or perlite even coco dan, that allows easy drainage is perfect for keeping them real small and real happy. I have one that's over a year old in a tiny container and it's thriving, haven't had to do any root maintenance on it either.
Here's a pic of my 1yr old bonsai mother in a hempy, the 1gal pitchers with a couple clones and also a quick pic of one of my OG Kush phenos I had in a 1gal hempy.
Happy growing fellas!
@deviant1, With Hempy's a bigger pot for a bigger yield doesn't necessarly apply. It's different than soil groing. I have been pulling real big harvests in 1 and two gallon containers. After many many hempy harvests, I've got to where I flower all my clones in 1 gallon pitchers. My veg times vary depending on which strain I'm flowering, but my veg times are usually less than a month and I pull 3 zips or more on my strains that aren't low yielders by nature. Like the Kandy Kush I grow in 1 gallon containers consistantly cranks out huge harvests growing in small containers. So with hempy buckets a smaller container will still give killer results. I actually recommend using a small bucket to restrict the roots if you grow big sativas in limited space, works really well. You can grow some super monsters in big hempys though, I've seen some real beauties in 5gal ones.
Also works great for keeping bonsai mothers. Restricting the roots in a rocky medium like hydroton or perlite even coco dan, that allows easy drainage is perfect for keeping them real small and real happy. I have one that's over a year old in a tiny container and it's thriving, haven't had to do any root maintenance on it either.
Here's a pic of my 1yr old bonsai mother in a hempy, the 1gal pitchers with a couple clones and also a quick pic of one of my OG Kush phenos I had in a 1gal hempy.
Happy growing fellas!
bobman
Member
Hey Lack do you trim your roots or just let them go for bonzai? Never seen one in hempy before. One addition to this pot size discussion. If you have a strain in a smaller pot be careful and watch it especially if it has autoflower tendencies. I had an ak47 in a 2.5 gallon hempy, it was only about 3 feet tall and it auto'd on me. If your plant starts throwing a lot of hairs and leaves change the number of fingers transplant it quickly.
@lack-bonsai hempy mama! that's terrific. I'd like to do that. What's the medium make up and what do you feed her?
@deviant1-As the above posters advised, the container size does not matter so much. From what I've seen, the longer you let 'em go, the more top heavy they become and there comes a time...the point of diminished returns, occurs where it costs too much to gain what you'll gain out of a plant. We vegged a plant for 6-8 months, and pulled a decent amount of smoke from her, but she took up soooo much space, nutirents and time, that it really wasn't worth doing another one like that again.
@deviant1-As the above posters advised, the container size does not matter so much. From what I've seen, the longer you let 'em go, the more top heavy they become and there comes a time...the point of diminished returns, occurs where it costs too much to gain what you'll gain out of a plant. We vegged a plant for 6-8 months, and pulled a decent amount of smoke from her, but she took up soooo much space, nutirents and time, that it really wasn't worth doing another one like that again.
ive run a side by side with a strain im familiar with and found the 5 gallon dwc outyielded a 2.5 gallon hempy bucket. Not really a true comparision. In any case, i suspect with a little more veg time, a 5 gallon hempy bucket could match the yield.
I'm not a DWC guy, but the ease of the hempy bucket seems like a breeze compaired to DWC and moving parts. I tried an ebb & flow system and a interconnected waterfarm system and once I had a problem, it effected everything. It was easier for me to switch into a system like this, but I bet one of those active hydro setups will yield more.
