Has anyone used the HEMPY bucket method?

[MourningGlory]

I was wondering if anyone has tried the hempy method. I want to try but im not sure wat it is, dtw, dwc,etc. i found the hempy method on icmag forums.
any help would be much appreciated first time indoor grow with cfls and uvb, fox farm nutes, and scrog just trying to keep it simple.

 

[Brokeoldbloke]

Welcome, Hempys are easy and basically DTW with a small reservoir. I did a few grows with 3/1 perlite/vermiculite which worked well and now in the middle of a coco/perlite grow. I haven't noticed much difference. I don't have much input on your other questions. I use cfls for veg only and haven't scrog'd or used uvb. Check out the DTW sub forum for lots of hempy posts. Good luck!

 

[MourningGlory]

thnx Brokeoldbloke will check it out asap.

 

[spek9]

I do currently. All of my flower-from-clone plants go into 2L Coke bottles. Half are soil, the other half Hempy with either 100% Perlite or 100% Hydroton. I prefer the Hydroton method, as it is super easy to reuse that medium.

Essentially, drill a 3/8" hole about 2" up from the bottom of the bucket, and the bottom becomes a DTW res. After the roots hit the res, you water every 2-3 days to replenish the res. Once you get the hang of it, you might waste 2-3 drops of water per feeding.

Now I'm all set up with Claber 8053 auto-drip systems with two droppers for the largest 8 plans on one system, and another system feeds my 16 smaller plants with a single dripper each.

-spek

 

[Wilksey]

I found the hempy bucket approach to be very forgiving, and effective, as a first time grower.

I used coco with perlite on the bottom for the resevoir, and didn't have any major issues that couldn't be easily adjusted. I grew peppers in hempy buckets as well, and still have some in my back yard.

It's easy, doesn't require a lot of kit, and produces lovely plants. The hempy approach is a great option for new growers, or ANY growers that prefer a "low maintenance" approach to cultivation.

Best of luck to you, regardless.

 

[qwizoking]

What's up with the half and half?
I like straight perlite

 

[spek9]

I found the hempy bucket approach to be very forgiving, and effective, as a first time grower.

I used coco with perlite on the bottom for the resevoir, and didn't have any major issues that couldn't be easily adjusted. I grew peppers in hempy buckets as well, and still have some in my back yard.

It's easy, doesn't require a lot of kit, and produces lovely plants. The hempy approach is a great option for new growers, or ANY growers that prefer a "low maintenance" approach to cultivation.

Best of luck to you, regardless.

I agree with your assessment. Also to note for a newbie is that it is impossible to over-water a Hempy bucket

Perfect intro to hydro plus can't over water = successful win!

-spek

 

[MourningGlory]

definitely gonna start with hempy sounds like i might stay with hempy for a couple plants

 

[AimAim]

I have been considering this as well, currently grow in soil, but might try a bucket next grow.

Questions: I like to keep my nutes simple and cost effective. Currently use DynaGrow Foliage Pro (liq), Jacks Citrus (water sol powder), Cal-Mag, Liquid Silica, and thats about it. Can you use high quality water sol powders? Am I gonna need much more in the way of nutes? Do you really have to get that anal about measuring pH and ppm and all that stuff? I'm kind of spoiled as a soil grower.

Anyway thought I might throw a hempy amongst my soil buckets next grow and see what happens.

Thanks

 

[qwizoking]

I use all miracle grow products...
I treat it exactly like my soil grows next to em, I don't have much if any runoff..
They grow faster then my soil mix..which is green sand (or some shit) bone meal and a touch of garden lime in 50:50 perlite African violet miracle grow...
My perlite is straight mg perlite and I use mg bloom booster and a touch of Epson..provides 16 nutes in a good enough ratio for veg and flower. ..yes any nutes will work

It dries faster and needs watered daily to every other day based on how filled the roots are..
I don't ph or anything....I water with nutes every time...uses sane amount of nutes as another inert/hydro

 

[Brokeoldbloke]

I have been considering this as well, currently grow in soil, but might try a bucket next grow.

Questions: I like to keep my nutes simple and cost effective. Currently use DynaGrow Foliage Pro (liq), Jacks Citrus (water sol powder), Cal-Mag, Liquid Silica, and thats about it. Can you use high quality water sol powders? Am I gonna need much more in the way of nutes? Do you really have to get that anal about measuring pH and ppm and all that stuff? I'm kind of spoiled as a soil grower.

Anyway thought I might throw a hempy amongst my soil buckets next grow and see what happens.

Thanks

You should be fine with what you have. I used a mixture of a cheap powdered grow and bloom nutes in my 3/1 perlite/vermiculite buckets. I would have to add a little cal/mag once in a while. You need to feed every time and the PH should be in 5.8-6.2 range. The amount of powdered nutes I used would bring my tap water to that level without adjustment so I never really worried about it.

 

[Nizza]

hey aim aim, yes, pH is very important but ppm's its somewhat the same rules. You gradually work your way up on strengths. With hydro however, you need to start feeding much earlier because it's inert and has no base nutrients in it.

All mediums bought should be rinsed off thoroughly, then let to soak in water and pH adjusted over 3 days.
if you want you can throw an airstone in the water or change it daily.

by the 3rd day the pH should stop shifting. I dump the water out and fill it 1 more time and pH adjust it, and then it's ready to be used. This is how we leech any extra salts out of the medium and also buffer it to our target pH

ph for both water being added to and the medium is 5.8, i go anywhere from 5.6-6.0 though, and just try to get 5.8 as best i can with the water going into it.

i start at a low ppm and then work my way up. If i burn the plant i back off.
i use coco and coco will lock out cal-mag so i add some with every watering

there is a method of doing 10% runoff and after you do a higher dose of nutrient, next watering you do 1/2 dose, and watering after you do 1/4 dose. after this you go a little stronger than the full dose, and keep repeating this until you max out. sometimes I will repeat my full dose, but I always do the runoff because it is key in preventing salt buildup. If you don't like the runoff method a leeching is recommended once a month. You just do 3x the medium size worth of water through it, to help decrease salinity.

so yes it's important to monitor pH and PPM's , but if you understand what to do it can be really easy, considering when i add my base nutes i add a teeny bit of pH down and i'm all set. Since i got the formula down it takes me about 5 minutes to get the water ready

almost forgot to add. I'm very suprised noone mentioned this thread https://www.rollitup.org/drain-waste-hydro/546006-world-hempy.html

 

[JohnDee]

What's up with the half and half?
I like straight perlite

Because that's what Hempy used. The vermiculite wicks better. Hempy was an ornery old dude...sorta like Uncle Ben. He didn't like people meddling with his idea. He was on Planet Ganja about 5 years ago...
JD