My First Hempy Bucket Grow

[Rusty Shakelford]

THANKS FOR SHARING GYRO Great Little Hempy Idea!! Love the Pic of the Girls,, They look Great, Quite a lot going on in there!

I have completed one soil grow and two RDWC. I have been using AN's PH Perfect Nutes, but never did get a Perfect PH. My current RDWC is going into flush today and should harvest Most of it in a few days. It will be nice to get rid of the Reservoir, Pumps, Hoses, Through Hulls and Constant PH - PPM Monitoring, so I am hoping the Hempy's work for me. So far So good!

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

Today is exactly 2 Weeks since the 3 Girls popped through!!!

Auto is 8 Days Old Today!!

I watered today.. Even though I have been watering every other day, the Perlite/Verm still feels just a little moist, so I am concerned that I am not letting them dry out enough

Everyone was watered with the leftover 1/3 strength mix, and there are tiny leaves starting to form at the Nodes.

PH = 5.98
PPM = 259 (.5) EC 0.5

250 Watt fixture showed up yesterday, so I have to hit up Home Depot for a couple of items, and I can get that installed into the Veg Tent. The girls should love the higher wattage!

Today's Pics Attached

 

[WattSaver]

Your plants will really like the higher wattage, they should jump.

Best way to check when to water is to pick up the cup/bucket, when it's dry you'll know it. From what I've seen the dryer you can get the bucket without any wilting the more aggressive they seem to grow.

When you transplant into your big buckets, I'd recommend not using any vermiculite. I've tried just about every possible hempy option, even vermic only that one didn't work, it didn't drain correctly, even the lava rock way out preformed it.

I'm really interested in watching your Lucas grow, I tried it once and used the calculator to use bontanicare nutes with a micro supplement, and it went well. But that was the last liquid nute grow, and that was almost 2yrs ago. I want to lean something through your grow.

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

Holy Smokes the 250 watts sure did drive up the the tent temps. I have spent all day working to bring in fresh air, exhaust hot air, and well, with summer almost upon us, its WARM!!! Once i can harvest my current grow in the next week or so, i will be able to remove some heat creating devices and run shorter ducting lines, so hopefully i can get those temps back in line. Right now i am just bandaiding until i can move things into their positions. With the additional temps, i am sure my feedings will have to increase.

Being small solo cups, feeling their weight is not the easiest thing to do. Their res is definately dried up, but the perlite/verm mix is still slightly moist. I dont know about you, but this seems like it would be beneficial in a larger hempy, for a little less watering?

I am also curious about the Lucas mix,,, i have read alot about it, never used it, but What the Hell! Couldnt hurt, and its cheap and easy.. So far, So good

 

[Gyroscope]

I agree with watts. I would ditch the vermiculite. I could go 3 days without watering mine, but I water a little every other day. I have never had a wilt or root problem with hempies with perlite only.

I have some in solos too, a little older than yours. I give them 2 oz of nutrient mix every other day. The hole is about an inch from bottom and there is always a smidgen of run-off.

It was hot here today. 108* a new record.... I leave the air on 81* for the girls during the day and run my vented hps at night.

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

Well you guys make a pretty good argument for getting rid of the Vermiculite, so I guess when its time to transplant, I will go all perlite and keep track of the progress

I put my buckets together yesterday and attached pics. I wrapped the bottom with black duct tape and installed a 1/2" rubber grommet. I noticed with the little Hempys that after I water and then move them around, LOTS OF WATER sloshing out the hole. With the rubber grommet, I will be able to insert a plug so I wont necessarily need catch trays under my buckets. I plan to set up a watering station in my grow room, so I can pull them out of the tent, put them in the tray water station, water until good runoff, then plug the hole and put them back.

 

[Gyroscope]

Why the black tape ? Are you trying to block light ?

I have followed others in doing my 2L's and I shoot for minimal runoff if any. I am a cheapskate and don't like to waste any nutrients.

 

[Gyroscope]

LOL
I see you changed your avatar !

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

Why the black tape ? Are you trying to block light ?

I have followed others in doing my 2L's and I shoot for minimal runoff if any. I am a cheapskate and don't like to waste any nutrients.

Yes, Blocking light so I dont get algae. I battled it in my recent RDWC and it was not fun.

I understand you want a fair amount of runoff to basically just flush out the res a little with the Fresh Nutes.. Seems to make sense, but only time will tell.

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

LOL
I see you changed your avatar !

Better I hope

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

I placed my Attitude seed order yesterday. Supposedly they are going to credit me back 10% (barely enough to cover the cost of 1 seed), so I will let you know if they do actually give me the credit. This order was not immediately DISPATCHED like my last order. This one shows it will be dispatched in 1-3 days.

My order was for Barney's Acapulco Gold and Pineapple Chunk. Along with my 3 Freebies.

 

[WattSaver]

Hope your seed adventure works out well.

On the issue of dealing with overflow, you may want to reconsider having to take the buckets out of the tent to water, I've grown the NL BB a few times and I always ended up supporting the buds, which could become a real pain late in flower every other day. Some folks use large saucers or sterilite tubs and a shop vac. I have a small 4'x4' space, so I got a cheap drain table, shimmed it off the floor with a slight tilt to one corner, and have a 48 qt sterilite tub under a drain hole. I'm not sure what Gyro does but I'm betting he's not pulling all those 2L's out to water.

This is the only pic I could find in previous grows that shows it very well at all.

 

[Gyroscope]

I'm not sure what Gyro does but I'm betting he's not pulling all those 2L's out to water.

Heck no. The only time I pulled them out was to cut the fan leaves off, twice. When they were smaller I hand fed each one with a measuring cup. I mixed my nutes very weak in a 2 gallon sprayer. I took the sprayer end off of the wand for faster flow. The most I ever used was 6oz on the bigger faster ones- every other day. Less on the smaller ones. When I started getting a little run-off, I adjusted accordingly. It has been awhile since I have used the measuring cup, but I still use the 2 gallon sprayer every other day. I judge(eyeball) the amount by the size of the plant and strain. There are a couple that are light feeders and I give them less than the others or they run over. I have upped the strength a little at a time, but have never flushed and kept the run-off at bare minimum. I made my table higher on one side and have a gutter on one end with a bucket under it just in case, but have never caught a drop.

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

Hope your seed adventure works out well.


On the issue of dealing with overflow, you may want to reconsider having to take the buckets out of the tent to water, I've grown the NL BB a few times and I always ended up supporting the buds, which could become a real pain late in flower every other day. Some folks use large saucers or sterilite tubs and a shop vac. I have a small 4'x4' space, so I got a cheap drain table, shimmed it off the floor with a slight tilt to one corner, and have a 48 qt sterilite tub under a drain hole. I'm not sure what Gyro does but I'm betting he's not pulling all those 2L's out to water.

This is the only pic I could find in previous grows that shows it very well at all.

View attachment 2234970

Good point, i had not thought about buds and the weight they can pack on, considering i am holding a few up in my current grow now.

I had originally thought of the same type of system you have set up, with one large runoff tray that empties into a catch bucket. Probably need to get back in that direction.

Thanks for the heads up on that one

 

[Gyroscope]

If I decide to do the 2L/DWC run, I may get a flood tray to top up the 2L's reservoirs every 5 days or so.

 

[WattSaver]

Yes to all, the best growing method is the one that works within your personal conditions.

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

I mixed my nutes very weak in a 2 gallon sprayer. I took the sprayer end off of the wand for faster flow.

Great Idea!!

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

Fed 1/3rd strength again today. will probably go to half strength on the next feeding.

I am also going to go back to the CFL's in the veg room. The 250w MH is just getting WAY TOO HOT. It was 91 degrees when I opened up this morning. I am exhausting heat from the Lamp, pulling fresh air from outside into my Grow room, but the MH is just too much for the little tent. I am doing everything I can to keep from turning on the AC, so now I am in the market for a good 200w CFL or a few 65watts. Oh well, I will just return the 250 Fixture and recoup some funds.

 

[Rusty Shakelford]

Since this is my first grow from Seed, I am wondering how long to Veg I assume I should wait until they show PreFlowers. When should I transplant into the 3gallon buckets and Should I take clones before moving them into flower, or 1 week into flower

Opinions

 

[Gyroscope]

Since this is my first grow from Seed, I am wondering how long to Veg I assume I should wait until they show PreFlowers. When should I transplant into the 3gallon buckets and Should I take clones before moving them into flower, or 1 week into flower

Opinions

How long you veg is a personal choice usually dictated by the size of plant you want and or space limitations. Some folks wait for pre-flowers, but you don't have to. I grew mine 12/12 from the start. I have learned that not every strain is suited for this especially the feminized seeds it seems. All my big bang fems were the first to sprout, but are now small in comparison to the others. My Dinafem freebies are the same, but smaller !

Regarding the transplanting: I would want them to be over the shock before they were too far along in the 12/12 photo-period. This run that I am doing now I started in jiffy peat cups so I could put the whole thing into my hempy for less of a shock since they were 12/12 from seed.

As far as cloning goes you will have to decide if you want to clone the top and wait for it to recover a little before flowering the mother or waiting for her to get big enough to start making side shoots. If you do the Uncle Bens topping method you will get the top clone and the mother will have 4 main branches/colas. I have always heard that it is harder to get a cutting from a plant in flower to take root. In my situation(12/12) the side shoots grew out late and with pistils and would have never made good cuts. I hope to reveg a few of the Pure Power Plants. One over them is dripping with trichomes and looks like white velvet. The other one has an amazing smell like no other. I can't get enough of smelling her. I bet she wishes I would leave her the fuck alone, lol !

They are coming along nice Rusty ! Let us know what you decide....