An Idiot's Guide to Hempy
- Thread starter Japanfreak
- Start date
smokinfool
Member
I'm using 6 liter Airpots with a 60/40 perlite/vermiculite mix, sitting in buckets just a slightly larger diameter than the Airpots. The larger containers have been cut down to 3" tall.
When I water from the top, I just fill until there is 2" of water in the bottoom of the larger bucket. I'm only needing to water every 6-7 days.
So far, 3 weeks in, the stuff I'm growing like this is looking just as great as the straight aero stuff. Is there any drawback to this? Does anyone know of problems using Airpots with Hempy method?
When I water from the top, I just fill until there is 2" of water in the bottoom of the larger bucket. I'm only needing to water every 6-7 days.
So far, 3 weeks in, the stuff I'm growing like this is looking just as great as the straight aero stuff. Is there any drawback to this? Does anyone know of problems using Airpots with Hempy method?
TMG Genetics
New Member
Here is a very good recipe for hempy using the GH three part series. This recipe is not mine, it is curtosey uf a breeder named useless. You use this and you'll get killer results every time. Hempy rules, I'll never grow in soil again.
OK, I figured I would post this here, since some folks are asking about the GH 3 part.
This is my feed schedule -
Here is the nutrient regimen I use and how I control PH with little or no ph up or down...
So OK - feeding schedule week by week. This is the GH weekly feeding program, slightly tweaked. I will only call out the volume of each part per gallon of water in the following manner: grow, micro, bloom, ppm range. Example - 5-2.5-2.5-400/800 would mean 5 ml grow, 2.5 ml micro, 2.5 ml bloom and a ppm of 400-880. Remember it's per gallon. You Euro's can easily convert to liters. 4 liters is just a little bit over 1 gallon. It should also be noted that I use the hardwater micro due to my tapwater. I suggest using the hardwater micro in place of the regular micro if your tap water is over 200 ppm total or you have over 70 ppm Ca. RO water users should use the regular micro.
Veg -
week 1 5-2.5-2.5-400/600
week 2 10-5-3- 600/800
week 3 12-6-3 800/1000 (continue week 3 formula if additional veg time is required.)
Bloom
week 1 6-6-10- 800/1200
week 2 3-7-12 - 1000/1400
week 3 3-8-14 - 1000/1400
week 4 3-8-16 - 1000/1400
week 5 (discussed in detail below*)
week 6 0-7-20 - 1000/1400
week 7 0-6-20 (see below**)
* During week 5 if not using a booster like Superbud, Bushmaster Kabloom etc. run 2.5-7-18. I use MOAB (Mother of All Blooms) or BushMaster at 50% of recommended strength, and use 1.25-3.5-9 for the fert base.
**If running an 8 week strain you should only run the ferts during week 7 for a maximum of 3-4 days. This gives you 10 days for flushing. I should note that if I use ferts for a few days in week 7, I take the plants over the 8 week mark. Personally I flush for a min of 14 days. But 10 is bare minimum imo/ime.
The ppms work out almost exactly. I tend to lean toward the lower side of the range, unless I have a really heavy feeder that I know can handle it.
At every ressy change out I add in 5 drops per gallon of 35% food grade H2O2. During flush use ph adjusted water at 5.5-6.0
I will add epsom salt at week 1 of bloom if the plants are heavy feeders AND I see signs of an Mg def. Otherwise I won't use it. The only time I have ever had Mg def is during transition. The GH 3 part is a little low on Mg, but the PBP and Canna nutes are way lower.
Now- how to control your PH...
There are a couple factors that cause your PH to drift. The most common is running the nute solution too strong or too weak. If it's too strong, your PH drops. If it's too weak the PH rises. You have to find the balance point. If you find that the formula above is say, a little strong, and say you have a 20 gallon ressy, mix the nutes for 18 gallons. If it's a little weak, mix it for 22 gallons. You follow?
The other common mistake is mixing your nutrient solution and trying to adjust the PH right away. You have to allow time for the ph buffers in the nutrient solution to do their job. Mix the nutes up, and bubble or circulate for 12 hours before even looking at your PH. You will find the PH to be almost right on target.
I use little or no ph adjusters. (Except during flush). I use tap water, with a starting PPM of 300-400 and a starting PH of 7.4-9.0 (Thats crazy you say! The water is too hard, you will never get stable PH and you will have too much Ca, causing a lockout of Mg!) Bollocks I say.
Every week, on Friday I drain the ressy and fill with plain water. I let that run overnight giving the plants a little flush. This also allows the chlorine and ammonia to evap. On Saturday morning, I mix the nutes into the ressy. I DO NOT adjust ph at this time. Let that run as is overnight. On Sunday morning, I check ph and adjust if needed. Usually don't have to.
Doing things this way has saved me from constant PH drifts, and using about 150 ml of ph down every ressy change, and a little here and there throughout the week to keep it in the desired range. Now, the most I ever have to use is about 30 ml.if any at all. (I have a 35 gallon ressy btw) My Ph stays at a constant 5.5-5.8.
If you are still having PH issues using the above method, an alternative is to PH adjust the plain water to 5.5 BEFORE you add nutes.
OK, I figured I would post this here, since some folks are asking about the GH 3 part.
This is my feed schedule -
Here is the nutrient regimen I use and how I control PH with little or no ph up or down...
So OK - feeding schedule week by week. This is the GH weekly feeding program, slightly tweaked. I will only call out the volume of each part per gallon of water in the following manner: grow, micro, bloom, ppm range. Example - 5-2.5-2.5-400/800 would mean 5 ml grow, 2.5 ml micro, 2.5 ml bloom and a ppm of 400-880. Remember it's per gallon. You Euro's can easily convert to liters. 4 liters is just a little bit over 1 gallon. It should also be noted that I use the hardwater micro due to my tapwater. I suggest using the hardwater micro in place of the regular micro if your tap water is over 200 ppm total or you have over 70 ppm Ca. RO water users should use the regular micro.
Veg -
week 1 5-2.5-2.5-400/600
week 2 10-5-3- 600/800
week 3 12-6-3 800/1000 (continue week 3 formula if additional veg time is required.)
Bloom
week 1 6-6-10- 800/1200
week 2 3-7-12 - 1000/1400
week 3 3-8-14 - 1000/1400
week 4 3-8-16 - 1000/1400
week 5 (discussed in detail below*)
week 6 0-7-20 - 1000/1400
week 7 0-6-20 (see below**)
* During week 5 if not using a booster like Superbud, Bushmaster Kabloom etc. run 2.5-7-18. I use MOAB (Mother of All Blooms) or BushMaster at 50% of recommended strength, and use 1.25-3.5-9 for the fert base.
**If running an 8 week strain you should only run the ferts during week 7 for a maximum of 3-4 days. This gives you 10 days for flushing. I should note that if I use ferts for a few days in week 7, I take the plants over the 8 week mark. Personally I flush for a min of 14 days. But 10 is bare minimum imo/ime.
The ppms work out almost exactly. I tend to lean toward the lower side of the range, unless I have a really heavy feeder that I know can handle it.
At every ressy change out I add in 5 drops per gallon of 35% food grade H2O2. During flush use ph adjusted water at 5.5-6.0
I will add epsom salt at week 1 of bloom if the plants are heavy feeders AND I see signs of an Mg def. Otherwise I won't use it. The only time I have ever had Mg def is during transition. The GH 3 part is a little low on Mg, but the PBP and Canna nutes are way lower.
Now- how to control your PH...
There are a couple factors that cause your PH to drift. The most common is running the nute solution too strong or too weak. If it's too strong, your PH drops. If it's too weak the PH rises. You have to find the balance point. If you find that the formula above is say, a little strong, and say you have a 20 gallon ressy, mix the nutes for 18 gallons. If it's a little weak, mix it for 22 gallons. You follow?
The other common mistake is mixing your nutrient solution and trying to adjust the PH right away. You have to allow time for the ph buffers in the nutrient solution to do their job. Mix the nutes up, and bubble or circulate for 12 hours before even looking at your PH. You will find the PH to be almost right on target.
I use little or no ph adjusters. (Except during flush). I use tap water, with a starting PPM of 300-400 and a starting PH of 7.4-9.0 (Thats crazy you say! The water is too hard, you will never get stable PH and you will have too much Ca, causing a lockout of Mg!) Bollocks I say.
Every week, on Friday I drain the ressy and fill with plain water. I let that run overnight giving the plants a little flush. This also allows the chlorine and ammonia to evap. On Saturday morning, I mix the nutes into the ressy. I DO NOT adjust ph at this time. Let that run as is overnight. On Sunday morning, I check ph and adjust if needed. Usually don't have to.
Doing things this way has saved me from constant PH drifts, and using about 150 ml of ph down every ressy change, and a little here and there throughout the week to keep it in the desired range. Now, the most I ever have to use is about 30 ml.if any at all. (I have a 35 gallon ressy btw) My Ph stays at a constant 5.5-5.8.
If you are still having PH issues using the above method, an alternative is to PH adjust the plain water to 5.5 BEFORE you add nutes.
faller200
Well-Known Member
I also am growing in 3lb coffee cans. Can you tell me how high you put your holes? I keep hearing 2" I don't understand what the importance of that is. I have some started in 5gal buckets too and put the holes at 7" so I could put a catch can under a spout I put in the side of the bucket.
Grampa
Active Member
two inches is enough for a small water reservoir for the roots to collect water from. This leaves the rest of the medium dry and full of air for your roots. 7" is too much. doing this will leave your pots with 7" of standing water that will drown the root system and kill the plants. I suggest getting a shallower catch pan and moving your hole closer to the bottom of your coffee can.
Be kind.
faller200
Well-Known Member
Thank you for your help. I guess what I was getting at was that 2" from the bottom of a 3lb coffee can is almost half the height of the can and that's where I put them in the coffee cans. On a 5gal bucket 7" is about half the height too. That's where I'm getting confused
Grampa
Active Member
dont worry about half the height. All you need is a small space at the bottom of your container no matter what size it is that will retain water. Anything below your hole in the side should be full of water when you are finished watering. Different containers may have different heights for the holes but much more than 2" from the bottom is not going to work as well.
faller200
Well-Known Member
Again thanks for your help. to late for this batch but I'll try that on future grows. I have another question for ya. I have heard of some people putting an air stone in the bottom of their buckets. Do you think that this is an advantage or a waste of time?
Grampa
Active Member
Youre welcome. Anytime.
Airs tones in hempy are done by a few people though Ive never done it myself. But i have heard that hempy works great with them or without air stones. It could be something you try all on your own. Experimenting is always good imo.
Personally I would save the stones for a bubbleponic system or something with a little more hydro.
Airs tones in hempy are done by a few people though Ive never done it myself. But i have heard that hempy works great with them or without air stones. It could be something you try all on your own. Experimenting is always good imo.
Personally I would save the stones for a bubbleponic system or something with a little more hydro.
faller200
Well-Known Member
That's what I want to hear.
BigBuddahCheese
New Member
I am running a hempy PermaFrost now along side of my DWC buckets. It IS easy, pretty much water every other day and it comes out nicely, but DWC beats it hands down for size and speed. I might run one here and there from now on, but I can't see wasting few months when I can do the same in DWC for twice or more the size.
Theophilus
Well-Known Member
I switched everything from Promix that was doing great, over to Hempy Buckets. Within only a couple of days the plants color has begun to lighten up quite a bit. Not sure what's going on. I almost regret switching it all over but I know that it just needs to be dialed in right. Suggestions?
Moebius
Well-Known Member
WOHYou are not the first one "tweaking" the GHE formula. I ask why?
I had some people say they had the best results just using the original what's on the bottle/chart.
You're mentioning "changing rezy"....we're talking hempies here, if you use a rezy it's an entirely different story. (Ok, sort-of).
I understand that Bato buckets (dutch pots) are basically like Hempies but with a recirculating system. I am actually looking into such a system right now.
BUT: As I look at it and play this over in my head, I actually see MORE hassles and inconveniences with a system with a tank (like this dutch pot system with a 150L tank)....because you (obviously) need to fill the tank and then CHANGE the water every 7-10 days. On my balcony without a proper drain and hose, this would be a MAJOR pain in the ass. Just the idea running a hose from the bathroom to the tank and fill up 100-150L of water every week, let alone the hassles of emptying it totally *negates* (in my opinion) the simplicity of hempies.
(In my case there is an additional problem: It gets SUPER hot in summer, talking 105-110F degrees, which would probably be very bad when the water in the tank gets so warm since warm water diminishes the nutes from what I read...plus of course the fact that a recirculating system gradually changes ph and PPM.)
Short: At first, an automated system (to me) appears like something convenient, but the more I look at it, the more convenient classic simple hand-watering hempies actually are, as they're intended!
*
If I wouldn't see dealing with a 150L tank a problem, rest assured I'd had long ordered me this 8 or 10 pot dutch bato bucket system. But dealing with 150L water in/out every week? No thanks.
BlackD.O.G
Active Member
I know this is a super old thread but what does everyone think about using jacks 321 with this method? Ive heard people say that jacks is the same idea as lucas and the OP says to not bother with lucas for this. Any thoughts?
yankeetransplant
Well-Known Member
Bazzerelly
New Member
Hey guys am just starting out. I Just wondering what would be the best thing to start my seed of am using the Hempy bucket with 100% perlite
yankeetransplant
Well-Known Member
Grab a little reading...Like Growweedeasy.com online to SEE Options and HOW-TO's when it comes to growing.... not sure if you ALREADY have done that and looking for help with comments on which techniques experienced growers are doing?, OR, your looking to be WALKED thru the hempy bucket growing process....PPL are way more apt to help If you've done the research/reading and looking to wade thru the options most efficiently, to avoid pitfalls or techniques that are 'THE BEST' option.....
Anyways....BY FAR, the best way for cracking your seeds is btwn wet paper towels....
ANY HEALTHY, and fresh seeds will germinate that way......Reputable supplier, Will get you.off on the right foot.....Now I will tell you MY TECHNIQUE, based on growing for over 40yrs, which of course includes cracking seeds....
Pick up a cheapo tupperware container, or similar, that has a lid...something the size that would fit a sandwich is fine, Unless your starting a bunch....Put 3 layers of WHITE paper towels in the bottom....If you want to be neat, trim them to fit the container...Wet those with A few tbsp of PLAIN TAP WATER (no pHoning of water is needed)....tip the container to let excess water drain that not being held by the paper towels...Put down your seeds with some spacing btwn them....put 2 layers of paper towels on top of the seeds...pat it down to make them STICK to the wet P. towels under them...DRIZZLE some more tap water over the top of everything, and again, tip the container to drain excess water...If there is no draining, add more water, and tip AGAIN....The tipping thing is a PERFECT WAY to know when you have the correct WETNESS going on....When the draining goes to a SLOW DRIP, THATS THE PERFECT MOISTURE LEVEL...careful tipping it, that you don't dump everything out...Use the tips of your fingers on one hand to HOLD the Wet Paper towels from dropping out of the container.....
Anyways, now sit the lid in place on the container, but DONT snap it on...this allows some venting it cant get if the lid is snapped on....Keep them in a warmish spot that room temp and they will do well....TYPICALLY, within 24 hr (sometimes less), they start cranking....
Here a good hack to get them REALLY DOING WHAT YOU WANT....soon as they crack and have TINY TAILS (soon as you can see them), REMOVE THE LID and start letting the p.towels dry...What this does, is makes that tail (TAP ROOT) SEEK A WATER SOURCE....NOT UNTIL.the P. towels start getting drier will they do that....DONT LET IT GO BONE DRY THOUGH, That will damage the tap.root......They are in a PRETTY WET environment when cracking, but that is too wet ONCE THEY DO....A tap root 'tail' really has NO reason to grow much at all when there is plenty of water RIGHT THERE....BUT just sitting in excessively wet p.towels CAN CAUSE the tap root to rot....Thats where many ppl get lost cracking seeds....The root tail isn't growing fast, so they leave them too long, OR WORSE, add more water, which will surely cause issues.....
getting that lid off them allows a nice slowing of moisture levels and you will be amazed how the tap roots start elongating....I plant mine when the tap root is ABOUT 3/8 to a half inch long....Thay usually gets that length within ANOTHER day after cracking and getting the lid off them....I plant mine in 8oz styro coffee cups with a 50/50 mix of perlite/verm.....pit under higher Kelvin Fluoro fixture or equivalent of led.. higher Kelvin being OVER 4000....want the white light/day light spectrum.....keep a Fluoro about 6inches over those....USING a totally inert medium (perlite/verm). requires you to PREWET it with about 200ppms of BLOOM FORMULA....the phosphorous promotes root growth and THEY DONT need anything with higher nitrogen....That will burn them...some don't add any nuts the 1st week-10 days but 200 ppms of bloom will.make them MUCH HAPPIER!!!.......
THATS MY METHOD ANYWAYS, and it STILL serves me well over all the decades.....Pick of current crop 6.5 weeks into flower...Do-si-dos and Gelato, in this one....I keep a few strains in my nursery....
Anyways....BY FAR, the best way for cracking your seeds is btwn wet paper towels....
ANY HEALTHY, and fresh seeds will germinate that way......Reputable supplier, Will get you.off on the right foot.....Now I will tell you MY TECHNIQUE, based on growing for over 40yrs, which of course includes cracking seeds....
Pick up a cheapo tupperware container, or similar, that has a lid...something the size that would fit a sandwich is fine, Unless your starting a bunch....Put 3 layers of WHITE paper towels in the bottom....If you want to be neat, trim them to fit the container...Wet those with A few tbsp of PLAIN TAP WATER (no pHoning of water is needed)....tip the container to let excess water drain that not being held by the paper towels...Put down your seeds with some spacing btwn them....put 2 layers of paper towels on top of the seeds...pat it down to make them STICK to the wet P. towels under them...DRIZZLE some more tap water over the top of everything, and again, tip the container to drain excess water...If there is no draining, add more water, and tip AGAIN....The tipping thing is a PERFECT WAY to know when you have the correct WETNESS going on....When the draining goes to a SLOW DRIP, THATS THE PERFECT MOISTURE LEVEL...careful tipping it, that you don't dump everything out...Use the tips of your fingers on one hand to HOLD the Wet Paper towels from dropping out of the container.....
Anyways, now sit the lid in place on the container, but DONT snap it on...this allows some venting it cant get if the lid is snapped on....Keep them in a warmish spot that room temp and they will do well....TYPICALLY, within 24 hr (sometimes less), they start cranking....
Here a good hack to get them REALLY DOING WHAT YOU WANT....soon as they crack and have TINY TAILS (soon as you can see them), REMOVE THE LID and start letting the p.towels dry...What this does, is makes that tail (TAP ROOT) SEEK A WATER SOURCE....NOT UNTIL.the P. towels start getting drier will they do that....DONT LET IT GO BONE DRY THOUGH, That will damage the tap.root......They are in a PRETTY WET environment when cracking, but that is too wet ONCE THEY DO....A tap root 'tail' really has NO reason to grow much at all when there is plenty of water RIGHT THERE....BUT just sitting in excessively wet p.towels CAN CAUSE the tap root to rot....Thats where many ppl get lost cracking seeds....The root tail isn't growing fast, so they leave them too long, OR WORSE, add more water, which will surely cause issues.....
getting that lid off them allows a nice slowing of moisture levels and you will be amazed how the tap roots start elongating....I plant mine when the tap root is ABOUT 3/8 to a half inch long....Thay usually gets that length within ANOTHER day after cracking and getting the lid off them....I plant mine in 8oz styro coffee cups with a 50/50 mix of perlite/verm.....pit under higher Kelvin Fluoro fixture or equivalent of led.. higher Kelvin being OVER 4000....want the white light/day light spectrum.....keep a Fluoro about 6inches over those....USING a totally inert medium (perlite/verm). requires you to PREWET it with about 200ppms of BLOOM FORMULA....the phosphorous promotes root growth and THEY DONT need anything with higher nitrogen....That will burn them...some don't add any nuts the 1st week-10 days but 200 ppms of bloom will.make them MUCH HAPPIER!!!.......
THATS MY METHOD ANYWAYS, and it STILL serves me well over all the decades.....Pick of current crop 6.5 weeks into flower...Do-si-dos and Gelato, in this one....I keep a few strains in my nursery....