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Hempy Buckets: LST and Fungus Gnat-Free?

Just Be

Just Be

Well-Known Member
I'm considering switching from soil to hempy buckets but before I do I'd like to be sure that fungus gnats want nothing to do with perlite. Am I correct in my assumption?

Another concern of mine is the amount of stability provided by perlite when it comes time to LST. I tend to think that it might not take much to uproot a plant rooted in a medium that's so light. Has this been an issue for any of you?

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
D

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
Was never a real issue since for me unless you let it dry out too much. I would prefer to throw some vermiculite in over straight perlite but I always used straight perlite because I recycled it for a few years.
 
ISK

ISK

Well-Known Member
Not to discourage you from going with hempy buckets, but gnats can/will live in perlite

I have had issues with the plant leaning over when the perlite goes dry and had to use a bamboo stick to support the plant but most times it's stable enough as the roots are solid in the bucket

DSC_0754.JPG
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Also watch out for algae ( green ) on perlite.
My hempy mixes are 100% ( rinsed ) perlite or
3:1 mix of perlite and vermiculite. Using a simple rooter plug for seed pop placed in bucket works fine. LST is easy once plant roots out as roots grab onto medium well.

You can train your hempy grow anyway you want .
Top , supercrop , lst , mainline etc.
 
Just Be

Just Be

Well-Known Member
From what I've read, the algae that appears on perlite is harmless and is more aesthetically unpleasing than anything else.

I'll be running autos so the window of opportunity to top and LST is going to be pretty small. I'm not sure how developed the roots will be by the time I top between the 4th and 5th nodes.
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Yeah ... algae is pretty much harmless , but because It bugs me I used to go to CVS and get hydrogen peroxide , put some in a pump mister ( travel size )m and just mist top surface. Fades the algae and deter any insect friends.

Side Note OP : Vermiculite adds a slight benefit to mix because it holds on to moisture a bit more over the perlite and allows that moisture to stay in contact with the roots. Either option works tho. There are many good nute choices for Hempy also.
GH , DYNAGRO , MEGACROP
 
ISK

ISK

Well-Known Member
Budzbuddha said:
Also watch out for algae ( green ) on perlite.
My hempy mixes are 100% ( rinsed ) perlite or
3:1 mix of perlite and vermiculite. Using a simple rooter plug for seed pop placed in bucket works fine. LST is easy once plant roots out as roots grab onto medium well.

You can train your hempy grow anyway you want .
Top , supercrop , lst , mainline etc.
Click to expand...
I use a soil cap which does help control the algae but I don't see algae as a huge problem.

This hempy was grown in a green 2L pop bottle which the green helps a bit to reduce the algae

Notice the green algae ring.... the 2L pop bottle sat in the jar behind it, and the strip with no black tape allowed the light to penetrate into the pop bottle, causing the ring of green algae

P4110022.JPG
 
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Just Be

Just Be

Well-Known Member
Budzbuddha said:
Yeah ... algae is pretty much harmless , but because It bugs me I used to go to CVS and get hydrogen peroxide , put some in a pump mister ( travel size )m and just mist top surface. Fades the algae and deter any insect friends.

Side Note OP : Vermiculite adds a slight benefit to mix because it holds on to moisture a bit more over the perlite and allows that moisture to stay in contact with the roots. Either option works tho. There are many good nute choices for Hempy also.
GH , DYNAGRO , MEGACROP
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm thinking about maybe 1/3 vermiculite for that very reason. So, hydro nutes would have to be used? I couldn't stick with my beloved Jack's Classic All Purpose and Blossom Booster?
 
ISK

ISK

Well-Known Member
Just Be said:
Yeah, I'm thinking about maybe 1/3 vermiculite for that very reason. So, hydro nutes would have to be used? I couldn't stick with my beloved Jack's Classic All Purpose and Blossom Booster?
Click to expand...
Most folks will use only 20% or 25% vermiculite

I think Jack's would work just fine, as I have heard good reviews on it but don't know anyone using it with hempy buckets...can't see why it wouldn't work
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
For me I “ used to “ use Dynagro ... but hated the issue of separation in bottle of elements ( would get chunky bits ) .
Began using GH MAXIBLOOM / Maxigrow powder .... works nice for simple 2 part system.
Megacrop is also a great nute . But with either I also found adding a little Hydroguard keeps the roots bright white and happy.
 
ISK

ISK

Well-Known Member
Budzbuddha said:
For me I “ used to “ use Dynagro ... but hated the issue of separation in bottle of elements ( would get chunky bits ) .
Began using GH MAXIBLOOM / Maxigrow powder .... works nice for simple 2 part system.
Megacrop is also a great nute . But with either I also found adding a little Hydroguard keeps the roots bright white and happy.
Click to expand...
I have always used GH Maxi-grow & Maxibloom but this year I'm trying Technaflora as I got a free sample kit.

I'm a bit ticked at GH because they have changed the Maxi-Bloom formula twice in the last 2 years, but make no mention of it on the packaging or the website. The one of the left is the original, the right was introduced around 2017

P3040001.JPG

Then they did it again in 2019...the mix looks like kool-aid, but seems to work as well as the previous
DSC_0693.JPG
 
Just Be

Just Be

Well-Known Member
I'm wondering how effective a layer of Gnat Nix would be on top of perlite ..or even mixed right in with the perlite instead of vermiculite.
 
emepher

emepher

Well-Known Member
ISK said:
Then they did it again in 2019...the mix looks like kool-aid, but seems to work as well as the previous
View attachment 4444839
Click to expand...
I'm super late here. but I'm not too surprised that GH changed the Maxibloom formula. I had success with it, but a lot of us had trouble getting it to dissolve, especially if we weren't working with fresh product. Maybe it dissolves more fully, more easily now? I've always dug it, but I haven't used it in a couple years. Maybe I'll run it again soon.
 
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