The Hempy Bucket

Thanks again pro77..... i have everything on there except liquid koolbloom..... will probably be a week or so till i can swing it...... is there something I can use instead, maybe more flora bloom?..... thanks again
 
Welcome Shmance. I haven't experimented with different brands, but I've had good yields using 7 grams per gallon of GH Maxi-Gro in veg, and Maxi-Bloom in flower. I use coco with perlite in the bottom. My tap water is hard, so I get a little extra cal-mag there. I use 5.5 grams for my hazes because they seem to burn at higher levels. My water has a high PH, so I always have to use a little PH down. I usually have a dozen plants in flower, and half dozen in a veg closet for a perpetual harvest.
 
Be Good, P77
Thanks music buzz have been thinking about switching over to coco, but that will be in a few harvests.... still trying to dial in the supernatural well doing a side with general hydro both seem to be doing ok..... but maybe lacking in something.....
 
Good article for Hempy Bucket growers:

"Run-To-Waste: a Basic Primer

By Geary Coogler, BSc Horticulture

The definition requires that water moves into a root system then flow out of the root system, usually on saturation. Crops in the fields are watered from above and the water moves into and through the root zone, and then exits the root zone once the root zone is saturated. It works the same in potting mix and containers watered from above. It can also be argued to include aquatic plants grown in moving waters such as streams, rivers and shore lines.

Run-To-Waste is an irrigation system or style of watering, nothing else, but meaning more. It also implies that nutritive elements are delivered to the plant in the water flow and picked up by the root system, deposited in the root system, or passes through the root system.

Mass Flow

Even where dry fertilizer is used in the mix, the water would dissolve it and deliver it to the next step: a process known as Mass Flow. It applies because in reality the system is named after the way water (irrigation) is applied to a root system and dealt with afterwards. It flows through the medium (peat, rock wool, clay, even air), delivers its load of nutrients while collecting the excess and passes out of the system to never return.

Even if no nutrients are put in the water, unless the water is pure, whatever is in it will stay behind the same as the nutrients might have. The other system is recirculating where the drainage from the root zone is collected and sent back into a storage tank for re-application.

This is all there is to it, simple and effective, but as a growing concept it usually means much more.

Understanding of irrigation and fertigation

Irrigation is the provision of water to a crop. There are many ways to do this such as by hand, through an automatic system, or by natural rainfall. Which method is used depends on needs and budget, as automatic systems can be expensive and allowing nature to do the watering is a big risk. All of this, however, amounts to the same thing, delivering water to the root system.

Fertigation is the application of fertility or nutrients in the irrigation water. This is an easy and cost effective way of accurately applying fertilizer to the crop. It combines both watering and fertilizer applications and is done on the normal schedule. There are two methods that can be used here: one is intermittent feeding and the other is constant feeding.

Intermittent feeding is where fertilizer is applied through the irrigation system once then only water is applied for a specific number of times after. This method can only be used in systems where there is the ability for elements to be stored and gradually released back to the medium’s soil solution (water present in the medium); thus an affecting medium. An affecting medium is a medium with a buffering ability (it binds nutrients and releases them). This method leaves a longer period of time where the levels of available nutrients in the medium are gradually used up. The concentration of nutrients applied has to be stronger than optimal levels to get through the period of time where no additional nutrients are applied. A period of time exists where the level of nutrients is less than optimal.

Constant feeding is where fertility is applied with every watering cycle. This method can be used on any system and any medium. Concentrations applied are done at lower levels than intermittent applications and the amount of time medium fertility levels are below optimal is greatly reduced. Plant growth is less affected by decreased availability of optimal levels of nutrients.

All plants are grown as a Run-to-Waste system or recirculating system.
There is no other way to do it short of beaming the water and nutrients into the plant directly. There are hybrid systems out there that have a hard time falling into one or the other but, in the end they are hybrids of the same two systems. These hybrids include Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain), Aeroponics (air based), and Aquaponics (deep water culture). Air Based would be recirculating if the run off where re-pumped to the plant or RTW if not. Deep Water would tend to be recirculated depending on the size and type of the system and the number of plants in it. Flood and Drain is more of a Run-But-No-Waste system as the water moves up into the column of medium carrying its nutrient load and excess salts left over to the top of the column then leaves it there while it drains back down into the tank to be applied again and partially redistributing the salts as it retreats.

Growing hydroponically requires that the fertility is supplied in a water solution either directly in the solution or in an inert medium that exhibits no effect on the nutrients or the plant.

Run-To-Waste is the most used system in cultivation and nature. There are two basic means of growing plants, the first is in a soil or soil-less organic medium, the other is hydroponically. Just because the fertility is applied in a liquid solution does not make it hydroponic. Growing hydroponically requires that the fertility is supplied in a water solution either directly in the solution itself or in an inert medium such as clay, gravel, perlite, sand, mineral wool, or other materials that exhibit no effect on the nutrients or the plants. Inside of the hydroponic method of growing, the system can be either recirculating or run-to-waste. Where the plants are in an organic soil substitute or mineral soil, it can no longer be considered hydroponic.

Mediums that are capable of acting on the solution or plants, such as mineral soil or soil-less growth mediums, have multiple layers of influence where hydroponic only has one, the solution. These mediums will affect different aspects of what the plant ‘sees’, including pH changes, nutrient storage and release, water retention, and plant support.

These variables can be difficult to predict, change, or mediate because even the smallest thing can affect them such as temperature, irrigation frequency, time, and a host of other variables.

Controlling hydroponics

Hydroponics depends on exact control to achieve its results where variables like solution temperature, selective uptake of particular elements, and others have to be monitored for optimal results. In an affecting medium, these things are controlled (buffered)more by the medium including pH buffering, slower temperature deviations, porosity for air and moisture control, and a continuous supply of nutrients.

A big influence is on the structure of the root itself with hydroponic roots developing differently than medium based roots. Even though both roots may grow in a medium, inert mediums do not, by definition affect anything and show the roots only the solution. Plant roots that develop in mineral (soil) mediums or organic substitutes (soil-less) generally tend to allow greater uptake of water and nutrients where inert medium based roots develop the ability to restrict this uptake.

In the end, research has repeatedly shown that there is no appreciable increase in the size or quality of yields in hydroponics over growing in an affecting medium, it just serves different needs. Hydroponics is for specific situations where growing in typical systems is difficult, the grower has a good deal of knowledge on application of the principles, and has a great deal of time or the specialized equipment to monitor the system.

When the plants are in an organic soil substitute it can no longer be considered hydroponic.

Both systems use the principle of Mass Flow to provide a nutrient load. In order for an available nutritive element to be taken up by a plant, it has to be suspended in liquid; water. When an element is released from the natural breakdown or given off a Cation Exchange Site, it does so into a fluid matrix and becomes available to the plant in solution.

In a hydroponic system, they are only supplied and available in solution. In an affecting medium such as mineral soil or a soil-less peat mix, it moves into the soil solution in response to concentration equilibrium where an equal amount moves onto the medium particle as remains in solution, or vice versa.

As this solution moves to the root surface, in either system, it becomes available to the plant, a concept known as Mass Flow.

With any method, the principle remains the same: nutrients have to be in solution to be taken up. They have to be in the correct amounts in relation to themselves as individual elements and to the needs of the plant. They also have to be in the correct form (ion) which is why pH is so important.

Which is the best system for growing; recirculating or Run-To-Waste?

There really is no right or wrong answer here; it is more a matter of convenience. Run-To-Waste systems require much less effort but do generate a disposal problem.

In any system, plants work with ratios of all the nutrients to themselves. If one nutrient, even a trace element like Molybdenum, is less than the plant needs, it becomes the limiting element and all the remaining elements are in excess and will cause accumulation issues within the plant because they cannot be used. The plant will also develop slower because, while the amount of fertilizer may be at optimal levels overall, the limiter reduces what the plant can use and enters a deprived state. This results in a deficiency usually seen in the plant overall, but not always if it is a part of a process. (Chlorine, a critical component in the splitting of a water molecule for photosynthesis will show in an overall reduced energy state of the plant showing slower development.)

Any elements left behind, good or bad, remain to affect this ratio the plant will see and thus can change the overall ratio of the plant. It is important that these excesses are removed from the medium through the drainage process. The drainage now has a different ratio in total so should not be re-applied to the plant to avoid the previous issues.

Concerns for drainage

Recirculating systems have the same drainage concerns but are sent to a tank then re-applied. On passing through the root zone, the plant selectively removes the elements they are looking for while depositing other non-needed products and waste in the flow, and removes as much or as little water as it requires. This results in the nutrients becoming imbalanced and either weaker or stronger than is optimal.

Recirculating tanks have to have both the pH and the concentration monitored on an ongoing basis. Optimal growing requires that the grower test the solution every so many hours and replace those elements that are used to maintain optimal balance in the solution. Then there is still a disposal issue since the storage tanks have to be drained periodically to remove the progressively higher waste products problem otherwise the concentration remains high but of no value to the plant.

In the end, it should be apparent that a plant responds to optimal conditions. The system should match the way a plant evolved with aquatic plants in a water medium and dry plants in a dry condition. Systems are different mostly for the grower’s ease or needs. The needs of the plant in all aspects of growth must be maintained. The ideal method for growing is a marriage between what the plant needs and the grower can offer."
 
So i was wondering how long you guys flush for i have been trying to do it longer and longer but my plants look really sad come day 5 of plain water
 
So i was wondering how long you guys flush for i have been trying to do it longer and longer but my plants look really sad come day 5 of plain water

Hi Shmance

I've flushed 2 weeks + in Hempy Buckets

Had some real nice results , I love soil / organics , but Hempys are easy to use & pretty much foolproof . Thanks Hempy for sharing :)

I never check ph or ec , never got round to getting some pens , one day , just for the fun :)

Coco again is ok if you like that type of growing , hope you find best to your needs , any Q's fire them up :) lots of great growers on this site to help you

Grow log some diff plants in diff mediums & run with it , see what you like & see what works for you
 
Great thread!!!
I may try hempty bucket.

A few questions.
Are the roots able to suck the resivior dry?
Also,when you set up or reuse medium how do you set ph?
 
Bump down Spamylon.

cbdfan, hempys will suck dry their container once they size it. Hempy bukkits make the plants restrict themselves. I've never had one in anything bigger than a half-gallon container that needed water more than 1x per day. Like hempy recco's, lil bit of light fertigation every other day till you see growth (plant getting bigger or root poking thru the hempy-hole) then fertigate to runoff every day. I use ~0.1ec tap water (ph mid-upper 7's) & dynagrow or maxi grow at ~1.0ec total for veg & if I bloom in them I bump it up. Never had a ph problem & I recycle my hempy medium back into my big recycled soil pile. I do run them pretty clean towards the end, though.

I've been dutchpotting my hempys lately by cutting the bottom off the old/small container, plopping into a larger hempy & supporting with lil pieces of broken bamboo stakes. I've also been adding a bit of peat to the top half of the perlite hempies & inoculating with great white. Both of those have been winning moves for me.
 
Persistent low pH in effluent

I hope someone can help me with acidic runoff from coco hempy buckets in my Angel's Breathe grow. Due to a bad pH pen I was feeding some of my plants nutes at pH 4.3 when I was intending pH 5.9. This resulted in yellow and brown spotting and drying out of older fan leaves as macronutrients were locked out. I flushed everything and monitored EC and pH of the effluent...two plants continue to have very acidic drainage of around 4.2 - 4.6 even after flushing, a lot, and then feeding with pH 6.2 solution. The other plantso are doing great and effluent pH is similar to what I'm feeding them but these two plants take pH 6.2 at the top and drain out pH 4.3 at the bottom. These plants also are showing yellow brown spotting and drying of fan leaves again. I've flushed with pH 6.2 tap water, pH 6.2 CaMg solution, and pH 6.2 nutes and the drainage remains acidic. I don't understand what's happening in the root zone but I don't think it's good.

Any suggestions?
 
first off, dont know much of cocos but here are some thoughts

flushing with plain tap water with even higher Ph
also thinking if the cocos is soaked with ph4.3 the moment you start flushing maybe they wont release all moist out of the cocos?

maybe a transplant? or replacing (some) cocos?


hope you find the solution
 
What stage are plants at, still in veg? Veg, try cal-mag roots and silica around .7ec 50% runoff.. if flower and continuing, you could always turn it into dtw, drill some holes and feed the plants.. did you let them dry out at some point?
Edit,I saw broken pen.. i can't recommend the drops enough. Once you start them, it's an easier reading.. pens break but we still try and add mls of ph down, lol..
 
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The way i understand it....there is standing water left in the bottom 2 inches and this wicks up through the soil? Water just once a week? Or as needed....
 
Can I use rockwool in a hempty bucket?
Does rockwool or mapito hold more or less water than coco?
I have rockwool chips and made mapito and I tried hand watering drain to waste but roots just didn’t make it to bottom but I had no Rez like a hempty.
 
I hope someone can help me with acidic runoff from coco hempy buckets in my Angel's Breathe grow. Due to a bad pH pen I was feeding some of my plants nutes at pH 4.3 when I was intending pH 5.9. This resulted in yellow and brown spotting and drying out of older fan leaves as macronutrients were locked out. I flushed everything and monitored EC and pH of the effluent...two plants continue to have very acidic drainage of around 4.2 - 4.6 even after flushing, a lot, and then feeding with pH 6.2 solution. The other plantso are doing great and effluent pH is similar to what I'm feeding them but these two plants take pH 6.2 at the top and drain out pH 4.3 at the bottom. These plants also are showing yellow brown spotting and drying of fan leaves again. I've flushed with pH 6.2 tap water, pH 6.2 CaMg solution, and pH 6.2 nutes and the drainage remains acidic. I don't understand what's happening in the root zone but I don't think it's good.

Any suggestions?

Flush coco with a low nutrient mix like the one you did to charge coco blocks.
Coco needs to be buffered or stayed charged to hold a ph.
Water only will make it worse because you are washing out everything that buffers and stabilizes ph.
I use 150ppm of calmag and add 300-350ppm of nutrients and run it through coco several times with a 10-25% runoff and it works.
I have washed used coco with water only then used the above and transplanted or put seedlings with no problems.
In a few days go back to original strength.
 
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