What I did was by happenstance.....
I tried Hempy back some years with questionable results .... I overfed , overthought and pretty much stepped on my own feet.
So this what
Worked for me ...
( may vary with nute choices YOU USE )
Container: I use simple 1 - 3 pails or buckets ( Lowe’s small blue )
The “ drain to waste “ hole is about 2” from bottom or lip.
Use a dark bucket or paint / mask lower bottom to restrict light penetration.
Duct tape works and is pretty durable . I bucket has handles, remove them.
MIX :
Perlite / Vermiculite mix 3;1 part mix .... ( I chose vermiculite because it helps retain a little moisture ) .... you can use straight perlite too. Use NON INFUSED perlite meaning straight plain , not pre fertilized.
I prewash perlite ( dusty shit ) , til it runs clear with straight tap. Hand mix to wash dust out.
Leave bottom filled with PLAIN WATER .
PLANTS :
You can plant a number of different ways : All will work.
1. Moistened rooter plug WITH seed ( not germed yet or as a new seedling )
Mist ONLY to keep plug / seedling hydrated. It will throw a taproot quickly thru perlite as it SEEKS water .... the plain water at bottom. The you will see a burst in growth once it hits it. Then feeding will start ( see below ).
2.
Clone : super easy to plant a clone into a hollowed out center of perlite .
It will quickly spread out in bucket .
View attachment 4208560
Again plain water will be fine up to the point of obvious growth.
3.
CLONE part 2 :
Take a cutting , rooting plug and gel . Put cutting in plug , moisten it ... ( I take a small bit of gel mix in a little water to dilute it and soak entire plug with it. )
Place in hollowed out center . Cover plug lightly with perlite. Mist leaves only and cover with a simple zip baggie or similar to create a humid environment over cutting.
Believe it or not , I found MAKING a clone in perlite is superior and QUICKER in perlite .
Probably due being suspended in a more AIRY ( oxygenated ) perlite than in soil. Or trapped in a full propagation dome. Here you are only humidifying the exposed leaves not sweat boxing it.
Experiment.....
I made a micro hempy bucket and placed a clone cut as I explained above ... without the need for a warming tray. The fringe area of your grow space will give it a tempered amount of light so it will be fine , and not in the middle where it will be overwhelmed with too much light. You can also throw a cfl or similar and it will work too. You will see the zip FOG UP and know that it is the humidity building up and keeping your cutting hydrated and happy.
FEED :
I use powdered Nutes for better shelf life and not having Nutes separate in bottle ( Dynagro ).
I like dynagro and have been a user ... BUT ... it WILL SEPARATE and CLUMP at bottom over time.
That is why they say shake well. I now use GH MAXIGROW AND MAXIBLOOM only.
I add nothing else. However I do keep calmag / thrive Alive Red / silica ( summertime use ).
I use TAP WATER - left out in a container 24 hours prior to either watering or mixing a feed .
I helps vape off some chlorine but it’s still in there.
PH for most buckets are between 5.5 to 6.0 ... SOILESS medium pulls different than soil grows.
I like perlite mixes also because you can REUSE over and over by just re-rinsing with water and hydrogen peroxide to clean of algae if noted. I sometimes wash left over into large Tupperware and let it SOAK overnight in water / hydrogen peroxide ( then water rinse ) before scooping into new buckets.
Nute choices are subjective... some like this some like that. Just RESIST too many amendments.
Some products will slime up your shit and really wreck the grow. I do some simple Foliar in the beginning ... Optic Foliar Overdrive for example , ( good shit ) plants really like it. And I spray once a week til it gets its legs . Clone LIQUID can be used with a simple spray bottle mix ( 1 capful to a 1 quart of water ) and keep in spray bottle ...
Actually good to use on ANY vegging plant you are growing. Another is Thrive Alive RED ...
This shit has some B vitamins that really kick rooting up ... once I see growth has really stepped up I add 1 capful to gallon of water / ph to 5.9 and water bucket. I water til it “ begins “ to flow out.
The drain to waste will CLEAR old particles and salt out.
Veg Nutes up to 1 week past flip or Auto sexing ( pistils )
Flip ( regs ) at about a foot or foot and a half , but as stated it will grow big so your choice.
Bloom beginning when pistils are setting / about week 2 of flower then til end and or water only at last week or two before harvest.
Adjust feed according to strain , some are hungry little shits .
SCHEDULE :
I do a Feed / Water / Feed type schedule. Some feed all the way thru. I chose to break up feeding with water only times to keep Rez from salt buildup. You are actually clearing crap out every time you water or feed thru the waste hole. You will NEVER OVERWATER. BUT you can OVERFEED.
I feed at 1 tsp or capful per gallon regardless of nute line.
You will adjust frequency by checking how light the containers feel in weight. I am currently on a watering or feed every 2 days , so yours may be slightly different.
Salt buildup will be the ONLY obvious indication as it builds on drain hole.
I prefer hempy grows over DWC and other hydro. It’s simple , clean and perpetual without trying to BALANCE a soil mix. I buy and use less materials .
You can get big plants from smaller containers.
This Wookie Wonder Just got fed so she drooped , but you can see how she stretched in first week of flower. She is a sativa dom strain.
And these are the Peyote Blue ... Which are also week 1.
So I would think a 5 gallon bucket would really make a tree and would be good to make a mother with.
I hope I gave you some help ....
Keep it green.

