Hempy Bucket - improvement to my setup

[The Southpaw]

Peace to all!..
I have been using hempy buckets with pearlite/vermiculite (60/40).. in my last grow I set up a system to dump nutes 2 x's a day onto the buckets and I just let the runoff drain off.. simple and worked pretty well...

With this setup, I was flushing thru water every week but I still had a nute lockup.. and stressed one plant..this time I have changed and am now dumping plain water twice a day, and adding nutes once a week..

the girls seem to love it...

my question: how ofter should I be adding nutes? once a week? less? more oftern?

thanks for stopping in..

 

[*mistress*]

my question: how ofter should I be adding nutes? once a week? less? more oftern?

the amount that keeps your plants happy...

this time I have changed and am now dumping plain water twice a day, and adding nutes once a week..

the girls seem to love it...

which you have seemed to already find and take note of. do nothing else extra...

enjoy your garden!

 

[EvilTwin]

Southpaw,
Hempy's ideas on the bucket were the essence of smplicity and he felt modification of the technique would cause problems. Why do you feel the need to add nutes or water twice a day when once every two days is plenty? I'd say go back to the original Hempy idea. Nutes all the time and add just when you need to. You've got some sort of hybrid top feeding irrigation thingy and not really a Hempy bucket. I'm just saying what Hempy would say since he's my only source on Hempy buckets.

That's exactly what I did and I never had any problems. Plants grew great. Find one of Hempy's threads to re-aquaint yourself with the bucket concept.
ET

 

[GreenThumbBumb]

Yea the idea of the hempy is to only have to water every couple days. Thats what the res at the bottom of the bucket is for, so they get all the water they need.

 

[Punani JAck]

but plz keep in mind the roots need to be able to reach the res at the bottom...

 

[The Southpaw]

great replies all- much thanks..
*mistress* -- thanks I am learning to let the girls tell me how they feel...

Evil twin-- agree-- but I am a tinkerer..it is my nature to tinker and adjust.. so of course an automated irrigation system..

Green thumb bum- excellent point that I was neglecting..

Punai Jack- agree and understand.. they are in the 5th week since the 12/12 switch

this grow is 3 Barneys Farm Sweet tooth..in 5 gallon buckets...

Peace and many thanks!

 

[EvilTwin]

Southpaw,
I understand the urge to tinker, but you're having difficulties with feeding so it only makes sense to go back to the Hempy basics. Nutrients with every feeding and if you could adjust your outomated system to water/feed once every two days...well then you'll be back to where you should be on your system.
ET

 

[morrisgreenberg]

may i chime in? ilike they say you are watering too much, but i truly believe thats way too much with too much vermiculite mixed in, Vlite holds water all too well, personally i i dont mix Vlite at all anymore. if you insist on watering that much try 100% Plite...with all Plite you can go atleast 2-3 days between waterings

 

[The Southpaw]

all opinions welcome mo!..

I am not adverse to changing the watering plan.. I am just being careful and making one change at a time..this grow has been no problems ..

I am going to figure out just how get a pic in here... this is 51 days from 12/12 flip..

 

[Dalaihempy]

Well yes there is to much vermic in the mix 1 part vermic to 3 parts perlite or 1 part vermic to 4 parts perlites all id go max but on top of that what benifit does the plants have by being feed 2 x a day and on top of that by flushing out your nutrient rich water leveing only water what are the plants ment to feed off.

You only need to water them so they dont wilt and in summer in out side temps of 40c plus i water 7ft plants daily only as they suck the rez and medium dry of nutrient rich water the only time i feed them only water is if there sativas and are showing there not likeing feeding and only then will i drop to half strenth feeding or plain water.

Your plants need to feed and there not going to get any nutrients from perlite or vermic so why you add nutrients to your water.

 

[The Southpaw]

I am also in complete agreement about the vermiculite..In fact my next grow is going to be greenhouse super lemon haze..and I am thinking about going to coco/clay balls..going to research this a bit.. opinons are all welcome.. and thanks to all for the thoughts..

 

[jakeh]

I am also in complete agreement about the vermiculite..In fact my next grow is going to be greenhouse super lemon haze..and I am thinking about going to coco/clay balls..going to research this a bit.. opinons are all welcome.. and thanks to all for the thoughts..

coco with 3-4"s of perlite on the bottom works like a champ for me outside.

 

[EvilTwin]

Hi Southpaw,
I did a hempy bucket grow using hydroton. Just an experiment, and it turned out fine. Was an uneventful grow with decent yield. It was a Maroc/skunk cross. A fairly light feeder. I handwatered with about 3/4 strength nutes daily until roots reached the bottom...then every 2 or 3 days after that.
ET

PS: Just be careful that a single large ball doesn't block the hole. Had that happen.

 

[MickFoster]

I have been using hydroton as the medium in my hempy buckets for 2 years and have no problems.

 

[morrisgreenberg]

many of you who have used straight perlite and straight clay have success bcus those media do not hold water, with the water flowing straight down and not being absorbed closer to the roots is in essence training the root system to grow larger faster in search of water, roots are like scavengers, less watering means larger roots. if the roots are always drowned in water they have no insentive to grow they would have water coming to them instead of searching for it

 

[EvilTwin]

many of you who have used straight perlite and straight clay have success bcus those media do not hold water, with the water flowing straight down and not being absorbed closer to the roots is in essence training the root system to grow larger faster in search of water, roots are like scavengers, less watering means larger roots. if the roots are always drowned in water they have no insentive to grow they would have water coming to them instead of searching for it

So true Morris, though I wouldn't go so far as to say that perlite and hydroton hold NO water. They both have pores and irregular surfaces and actually hold quite a bit of water...just not nearly as much as vermiculite.

And the other issue with a high vermiculite media is less oxygen to the roots.
ET

 

[Dalaihempy]

You be suprised at how much coco can hold yet if you get it right meaning allow it to drain as it should it will work and work real well infact im likeing coco so much i have now started to use only coco.

At this point im useing 90% coco 10% perlite and the plants love it.

Coco has an ability to retain nutrient rich water yet allow airation wich in reality is what you want it acts like soil the only thing i feel coco needs before you use it is a good flush of plain water.

 

[Stond_Face]

You be suprised at how much coco can hold yet if you get it right meaning allow it to drain as it should it will work and work real well infact im likeing coco so much i have now started to use only coco.

At this point im useing 90% coco 10% perlite and the plants love it.

Coco has an ability to retain nutrient rich water yet allow airation wich in reality is what you want it acts like soil the only thing i feel coco needs before you use it is a good flush of plain water.

Hi Dalaihempy,

(sorry for the hi-jack Southpaw - I'll be out quick)

I been using your Hempy method for 2 years. I bought some coco to try and am nervous about making the switch. Do you have a thread around about how you use coco in Hempys??

P.S. - I only want to use straight coco so it will be easier for us to dispose of.

Cheers,
S_F

 

[one Q]

Hi Dalaihempy,

(sorry for the hi-jack Southpaw - I'll be out quick)

I been using your Hempy method for 2 years. I bought some coco to try and am nervous about making the switch. Do you have a thread around about how you use coco in Hempys??

P.S. - I only want to use straight coco so it will be easier for us to dispose of.

Cheers,
S_F

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=93983
http://www.icmag.com/ic/search.php?searchid=7784637

Get back to topic of thread.

 

[The Southpaw]

all is good with me Stond..

I think my basic problem was I "came up with" my process before I ever knew this site existed, go figure,, ( I combined some generic hydro system plans )
so 50/50 perlite/vermiculite, buckets with holes 1.5" from the bottom, water twice a day came from that.. I was really pleased to see the "Hempy Buckets" thread when I found this great forum.
anyway- I have changed the day to day on my current grow and the least it will do is same me a fortune on nutes..
but everyones advice makes good sense to me..


my motto is "live and learn" thanks and Peace!