Hempy buckets

Hey growers I’m have some dramas/questions hopefully someone can help me out with. I had posted this on another forum but no answers so I’ll try on here.

growing 4x black dominos in 14L (3.5gal) buckets. %100 perlite. Buckets are draining into a catchment tote below. I have a automated watering setup next to my tent. It had 4x air stones in the bottom plus a recirculating pump that pumps from the bottom, around a ring then falls back into res (5mins every 1hr) a timer comes on for 35secs every night at 7pm.

NUTRIENTS PH/EC RES

45L (11.8gal) water ph 7.0 ec 200
(Lucas) maxibloom 30g = 1/2 rate
10ml calimagic
10ml armor Si
3ml Southern ag fungicide (hydrogaurd)
2ml Pondzyme
Ph down

PH to 5.8 and EC Is normally around 1.0 - 1.2(normally leave nutes until next day before watering re ph to 5.

so my dramas are. My plants always seem to have brown spots on leaves, weird curling leaves, stunted grow, yellowing tips or something frustrating going on with them. Not sure if it’s EC/PH too high or to low. Or ph being locked out.

The research I’ve found.
Some say yes some say no to checking runoff ph, some thing it’s pointless and not accurate and as long as you feed them correct PH it’s ok. Is this true? Cause feed mine at 5.8 and runoff is always higher 6.2-6.3
Checking EC runoff is this “inaccurate” as PH runoff?

When making my buckets I added a air stone to each bucket. Could the air stones be making the ph fluctuate in the buckets RES??

here’s some pics of my plants with lights on/off. Any information would be helpful before I go MAD! Lol
Edit* last pic lights off had a light on behind me that’s why half plant is brighter.
ADDED RECENT PICS AS OFF TODAY (last 2 pics)

PH to 5.8 and EC Is normally around 1.0 - 1.2(normally leave nutes until next day before watering re ph to 5
Is that a typo error.....?
Why would you re pH to 5 for?
Maybe set your pH levels a bit higher, ~6.1 pH and let it drift
Nice set up by the way. Good luck with your grow.

Yes,airstones will effect the ph of the solution. You have a hybrid hempy.They work,they are more complicated than the original hempy without them.

I hand-water/ed all my hempy grows. The idea is to refresh the hempy res(bottom of the pot beneath the hole)with fresh solution during every fertigation. Hempy run-off can be misleading don't chase it. Solution going in is what matters IMO & IME. 5.8-6.2ph is my solution range when making up batches. Ph drift is good throughout the root-space & perlite.
100% perlite hempy grows rock,until you run into CEC issues of the perlite. Make sure you rinse the perlite well,perlite dust sludge makes for a chaotic root zone and very unhappy plants.

They are not being feed enough and what you are seeing is a P shortage

How about nitrogen? Is that in the maxibloom? I'd try dropping the Si and magic, try a fert with some nitrogen if you're not trying to flower right now and see what happens.

I disagree on them not being fed enough, you can see the slightly burnt tips on all the leaves.
Which leads me to believe this is a pH fluctuation which usually happens with gen hydro products.

The spots are necrosis from a potassium lockout.
The damage that's there is done and chances are it's been there and has happened before already.


What are you using to measure your PH?
Has this problem persisted through multiple grows?

Maybe pick up some PH strips 5.0-8.0 range to double check your readings.

Sorry everyone I didn’t get any notifications for replies. I’ll reply now.

Moflow said:

PH to 5.8 and EC Is normally around 1.0 - 1.2(normally leave nutes until next day before watering re ph to 5
Is that a typo error.....?
Why would you re pH to 5 for?
Maybe set your pH levels a bit higher, ~6.1 pH and let it drift
Nice set up by the way. Good luck with your grow.

Click to expand...

Yeah that is a typo it’s ment to be re ph to 5.8 not 5. That’s mate.

CoB_nUt said:

Yes,airstones will effect the ph of the solution. You have a hybrid hempy.They work,they are more complicated than the original hempy without them.

I hand-water/ed all my hempy grows. The idea is to refresh the hempy res(bottom of the pot beneath the hole)with fresh solution during every fertigation. Hempy run-off can be misleading don't chase it. Solution going in is what matters IMO & IME. 5.8-6.2ph is my solution range when making up batches. Ph drift is good throughout the root-space & perlite.
100% perlite hempy grows rock,until you run into CEC issues of the perlite. Make sure you rinse the perlite well,perlite dust sludge makes for a chaotic root zone and very unhappy plants.

Click to expand...

I thought the air stone would mess with the ph. This grow is definitely getting complicated lol.

I work shift work some after work I don’t have time to hand water that’s why I made the auto watering I’m much rather hand water. The runoff is definitely misleading, but could you explain why at all? I had seen ph drift Is good for covering all nutrients.
CEC? I’ll have to look into it, but yes the dust off perlite is ridiculous!! I had never washed it before. Opened the bag of course on a windy day and that was the last time my eyes, lungs, mouth worked again thatday. I learnt after the first bucket to get a mask.

Innob said:

I disagree on them not being fed enough, you can see the slightly burnt tips on all the leaves.
Which leads me to believe this is a pH fluctuation which usually happens with gen hydro products.

The spots are necrosis from a potassium lockout.
The damage that's there is done and chances are it's been there and has happened before already.


What are you using to measure your PH?
Has this problem persisted through multiple grows?

Maybe pick up some PH strips 5.0-8.0 range to double check your readings.

Click to expand...

The whole grow I’ve seemed to have ph dramas and locking out my ph and burning the plants. I have only just this week bumped feeding up to 1/2 strength (3.5g per gal)

I’m using this bluelab 2-1 ph E.C. Meter
And have been calibrating it weekly just to make sure. (Manual says doesn’t need calibration)

I had some dramas growing in my last coco/perlite grow but only when using Lucas maxibloom, had no dramas with Lucas micro/bloom flora series.

.

reggie1387 said:

I thought the air stone would mess with the ph. This grow is definitely getting complicated lol.

I work shift work some after work I don’t have time to hand water that’s why I made the auto watering I’m much rather hand water. The runoff is definitely misleading, but could you explain why at all? I had seen ph drift Is good for covering all nutrients.
CEC? I’ll have to look into it, but yes the dust off perlite is ridiculous!! I had never washed it before. Opened the bag of course on a windy day and that was the last time my eyes, lungs, mouth worked again thatday. I learnt after the first bucket to get a mask.

Click to expand...

The automated watering isn't the issue.The airstone in your mixing res "could" be a culprit to the ph fluctuations

CEC= cation exchange capacity.. 100% perlites cec isn't great. Further compounded by all the additives.
Maxibloom by itself + 100%perlite hempys rock!(IMO) K.I.S.S.
Measuring runoff in pure perlite hempys is fruitless IME & IMO. You'll always get differing readings. Correctly ph'd feed going in is what matters.
Are you adding that silica to your water first....before any nutrients or the other stuff?
What is the grow environment like? Temps-ambient&canopy, RH etc.
Is your TDS on the 500 scale or 700?

The perlite needs to be rinsed thoroughly out of the bag.Some brands need to be screened for fine particles as well. That dust and fines once wet,compacted and in your root zone will have you chasing ghosts.

Since you are automated, perhaps It's something to do with how you're mixing the nutes,environment or a combo of both. You do fertigate quite a bit...5 mins every hour? Dark cycle as well?

Majority of issues arise from root issues i.e. ph and or environment,if the plants nutrional needs are being met.

In my experience with hempy you dont want to recirculate the waste water. Just water and let 10% of the total amount of water go to waste.
I believe if you stop recirculating you will see huge improvements

For autowatering I would start at full dose, then half dose next watering, then 1/4 dose, then back to full

the 10% runoff allows excess ferts to leech out of the perlite and be re charged with new ones. If your plants seem hungry, step up your full strength recipe.
You would think it is wasteful but it is actually less wasteful than dumping a reservoir for res changes.

and now you avoid root pathogens spreading between plants and mixing with your fresh water. Imagine getting a fresh drink every day instead of that recycled water

Great post Nizza,I didn't realize he was recirculating the nutes!!! Big no -no for hempys.

Nizza said:

In my experience with hempy you dont want to recirculate the waste water. Just water and let 10% of the total amount of water go to waste.
I believe if you stop recirculating you will see huge improvements

For autowatering I would start at full dose, then half dose next watering, then 1/4 dose, then back to full

the 10% runoff allows excess ferts to leech out of the perlite and be re charged with new ones. If your plants seem hungry, step up your full strength recipe.
You would think it is wasteful but it is actually less wasteful than dumping a reservoir for res changes.

and now you avoid root pathogens spreading between plants and mixing with your fresh water. Imagine getting a fresh drink every day instead of that recycled water

Click to expand...

I recirculate my my water I was having similar issues and I started feeding every 2 hr for 30 min (25 gallon pot) and it all went away perlite needs a ton of feedings they have to sit in a 1/4 inch of water the growth is so fast if you dont feed enough you get what looks like that but it is shortage from fast growth in my experience

Innob said:

I disagree on them not being fed enough, you can see the slightly burnt tips on all the leaves.
Which leads me to believe this is a pH fluctuation which usually happens with gen hydro products.

The spots are necrosis from a potassium lockout.
The damage that's there is done and chances are it's been there and has happened before already.


What are you using to measure your PH?
Has this problem persisted through multiple grows?

Maybe pick up some PH strips 5.0-8.0 range to double check your readings.

Click to expand...

burnt looking tips is the first sign usually seen as burn, but not burnt first signs of shortage from under feeding does not need more nutes just more feeding that has been my experience

reggie1387 said:

The whole grow I’ve seemed to have ph dramas and locking out my ph and burning the plants. I have only just this week bumped feeding up to 1/2 strength (3.5g per gal)

I’m using this bluelab 2-1 ph E.C. Meter
View attachment 4450757 And have been calibrating it weekly just to make sure. (Manual says doesn’t need calibration)

I had some dramas growing in my last coco/perlite grow but only when using Lucas maxibloom, had no dramas with Lucas micro/bloom flora series.

Click to expand...

Check my journal I grow in perlite and have so for the last six years and learned a lot, but dont know everything.... stop by my journal ask any questions you need or pm me perlite is very porous and you need to run your water for a few hours to get those pores full of the right water, you need to run the water until your ph comes out at 5.8.... then water frequently enough so it stays stable.......you can not over water perlite if you have a good air stone....keep res at temps around 68f (20C) It needs to be wet never let the perlite dry out......Its hydro and when you get it dialed in it is so easy you will love it

Before you take advise from anyone even me check out the grow journal section so you cans see who knows what they are talking about .....that is were a lot of good info is...happy growing

CoB_nUt said:

.

The automated watering isn't the issue.The airstone in your mixing res "could" be a culprit to the ph fluctuations

CEC= cation exchange capacity.. 100% perlites cec isn't great. Further compounded by all the additives.
Maxibloom by itself + 100%perlite hempys rock!(IMO) K.I.S.S.
Measuring runoff in pure perlite hempys is fruitless IME & IMO. You'll always get differing readings. Correctly ph'd feed going in is what matters.
Are you adding that silica to your water first....before any nutrients or the other stuff?
What is the grow environment like? Temps-ambient&canopy, RH etc.
Is your TDS on the 500 scale or 700?

The perlite needs to be rinsed thoroughly out of the bag.Some brands need to be screened for fine particles as well. That dust and fines once wet,compacted and in your root zone will have you chasing ghosts.

Since you are automated, perhaps It's something to do with how you're mixing the nutes,environment or a combo of both. You do fertigate quite a bit...5 mins every hour? Dark cycle as well?

Majority of issues arise from root issues i.e. ph and or environment,if the plants nutrional needs are being met.

Click to expand...

I found a post online about mixing nutes to try and stabilise my ph. In my last coco grow the fluctuations were crazy. So when mixing nutes it said mix the silica in a different bucket with 1 gal of water, ph the silica. Then mix up my main reservoir nutes starting with calmag, then maxibloom, additives. Then ph the nutes to 5.8 then add the gallon of 5.8 silica into the main reservoir and it will hold. I dunno if it’s the correct way of mixing nutes but the big fluctuations have gone and only creeps slightly.
I just brought a inkbird wireless hygrometer with 3 sensors, I put probes in 3 of my plants canopies and they are sitting around 22-23c the tent is 25C. with my meter I use E.C. but I think it has 500 and 700 tds on it.
This was the perlite I used and I had to give it a good rinsing

I only feed once a day at lights on when the timer comes on for 35-40 secs if I’m home then I’ll watch the buckets to make sure I get a good runoff to replace the hempy bucket reservoir nutes. Should I be feeding more often?

ditch the airstones in the feed res and keep the pump. i have some tubing on mine to make it a waterfall in my feed res.

and ALWAYS Silica first. always.

onegreenthumb said:

Check my journal I grow in perlite and have so for the last six years and learned a lot, but dont know everything.... stop by my journal ask any questions you need or pm me perlite is very porous and you need to run your water for a few hours to get those pores full of the right water, you need to run the water until your ph comes out at 5.8.... then water frequently enough so it stays stable.......you can not over water perlite if you have a good air stone....keep res at temps around 68f (20C) It needs to be wet never let the perlite dry out......Its hydro and when you get it dialed in it is so easy you will love it

Before you take advise from anyone even me check out the grow journal section so you cans see who knows what they are talking about .....that is were a lot of good info is...happy growing

Click to expand...

I’ll check out your Journal now mate. So your saying the ph on runoff does matter? do you think I should start flushing my plants with 5.8? I’ve been putting frozen water bottles in my reservoir lately making sure temps are down. But what about the temp of the nutes inside the hempy bucket does that matter?

I only water for 30-40 secs once a day at lights on. I’m sure my perlite being under 5 qb288 in a tent, in a brick garage, in an Australian summer would dry out somewhat between waterings. Maybe I should water twice a day for half the time? Thanks for your reply mate.

rkymtnman said:

ditch the airstones in the feed res and keep the pump. i have some tubing on mine to make it a waterfall in my feed res.

and ALWAYS Silica first. always.

Click to expand...

Here’s a photo of my reservoir with the tubing like yours?

above in a reply I wrote how I mix my nutes from something I found online. Do you think that’s wrong?

Nizza said:

In my experience with hempy you dont want to recirculate the waste water. Just water and let 10% of the total amount of water go to waste.
I believe if you stop recirculating you will see huge improvements

For autowatering I would start at full dose, then half dose next watering, then 1/4 dose, then back to full

the 10% runoff allows excess ferts to leech out of the perlite and be re charged with new ones. If your plants seem hungry, step up your full strength recipe.
You would think it is wasteful but it is actually less wasteful than dumping a reservoir for res changes.

and now you avoid root pathogens spreading between plants and mixing with your fresh water. Imagine getting a fresh drink every day instead of that recycled water

Click to expand...

I’m not recirculating my run off. I catch it the use it on my lawn. I water to %10-20 run off each watering.

My reservoir holds 45L and takes about 3-4 days To empty depending on if I’m home at watering time and give them more/less water. Do you mean change up each batch of nutes from full, half, quarter strength each time I refill it?