Hempy Not as Easy as it Looks, Apparently

allencatskill · Mar 20, 2011

Transplanted six well rooted clones into hempy buckets after removing them from a bubbler. They were all doing great until the move. Initially I thought I over watered them but now I think there may be some nute lock out. All opinions are welcome.

MsBBB · Mar 20, 2011

allencatskill said:
Transplanted six well rooted clones into hempy buckets after removing them from a bubbler. They were all doing great until the move. Initially I thought I over watered them but now I think there may be some nute lock out. All opinions are welcome.

I plan to try growing in a Hempy Bucket as soon as I get a good enough cutting. I already have everything I need to get started, just waiting on the right cutting. I'll be lurking around to see what kind of responses you get. Hoping you have a turn around and your plants recover.

OoGaNomiX · Mar 20, 2011

im gonna be growing in hempy from start to finish, maybe during transplant root dmg was suffered? im starting in 16oz plastic cups hydroton on bottom coco for the rest. Suppose to water daily till they take off in growth (indicating the roots have hit the resevoir)

But best of luck to your plants hope you can nurse them back.

allencatskill · Mar 20, 2011

There wasn't any root damage as far as I could tell before I transplanted them, but you never know. The real bummer is that they were thriving before I moved them. I ph'd the water that was used for the hempy buckets, but I'm really starting to lean towards nute lock.

allencatskill · Mar 20, 2011

I'm hoping they can recover quickly. Hempy is supposed to be dummy-proof. What does that say about me?!

MsBBB · Mar 20, 2011

allencatskill said:
I'm hoping they can recover quickly. Hempy is supposed to be dummy-proof. What does that say about me?!

How strong was your nute mixture? You did not give them the full dose did you? Yeah, most experienced people say things are easy, but when someone who hasn't done it try it, then it become a little difficult. We will get the hang of it and then we will be telling others how easy it is to grow Hempy.

allencatskill · Mar 21, 2011

MsBBB said:
How strong was your nute mixture? You did not give them the full dose did you? Yeah, most experienced people say things are easy, but when someone who hasn't done it try it, then it become a little difficult. We will get the hang of it and then we will be telling others how easy it is to grow Hempy.

Nute mix was very weak, I didn't want to burn 'em. I'm waiting for my medium to dry out to make sure it's not an overwatering, then I'm going to flush them and hope that if it's a ph problem I can get them back on the right track.

Indicator · Mar 21, 2011

You did use the larger perlite?

MsBBB · Mar 21, 2011

allencatskill said:
Nute mix was very weak, I didn't want to burn 'em. I'm waiting for my medium to dry out to make sure it's not an overwatering, then I'm going to flush them and hope that if it's a ph problem I can get them back on the right track.

AllenCatskill - I am new at this so try and help me understand how you can overwater a Hempy Bucket? I thought that it was unlikely to over water, which is the good part of growing Hempy, having the reservoir that drains at a certain level. You do have the drain hole on the side don't you?

Indicator said:
You did use the larger perlite?

Indicator - I read and was told that it didn't matter if you use the large or small size perlite or vermiculite, have you heard or read differently?

Indicator · Mar 21, 2011

Yeah, like you, I am planning to try this so have been stalking hempy growers. FWIW, I have read that you can get nute lock-up with the smaller perlite. "Supposedly" it wicks too much water, essentially drowning the plants as the perlite compacts. I have no first-hand experience. I read a number of forums, if I am able to relocate the info, I will post. It also indicated that the smaller perlite doesn't allow enough oxygen to get in.
As a gardener, to me, this makes sense. I liken it to growing in sand. The larger perlite sounds better as the larger surface area will allow for more oxygen penetration. My sense is that it would give the roots a firmer foothold as well.
Perhaps some experienced hempy growers can confirm/deny this.

allencatskill · Mar 21, 2011

I do have drainage holes on the side and am using smaller perlite and vermiculite. After I watered though, I did feel as if the perlite was compacted, leading me to think that my roots were starved for oxygen. Kind of playing wait and see right now.

Indicator · Mar 21, 2011

I hate for my perlite to mold, so I usually sterilize it. Pop two dry cups in the microwave at about 60% power for 3-4 mins. You will see how much it can compact as it lets off steam! I have to be honest, if you have vermiculite in there as well, I bet they aren't getting any oxygen.... I shouldn't say ANY, I should say "enough" oxygen.

MsBBB · Mar 21, 2011

Indicator said:
I hate for my perlite to mold, so I usually sterilize it. Pop two dry cups in the microwave at about 60% power for 3-4 mins. You will see how much it can compact as it lets off steam! I have to be honest, if you have vermiculite in there as well, I bet they aren't getting any oxygen.

No one said before that perlite could possibly mold, or that it had to be sterilized. Isn't Hempy Bucket "supposed" to be super easy and less worrisome than other aero/hydro type of growing? Thanks for the information, send me a link when you start so that I can follow your Hempy grow.

AllenCatskill hang in there, I still want to see what happens with your OP too.

allencatskill · Mar 21, 2011

I've never heard anything about mold either. I'm a relatively experienced grower and have had great success with aero and dwc. I really thought it was going to be easier to grow hempy but I screwed it up right off the bat. Right now I'm wondering how I'm going to aerate my perlite, if in fact that's the problem. They haven't died on me yet so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

elfroggo · Mar 21, 2011

I've been doing alot of reading about Hempy and I'm gonna be transplanting a clone to my first hempy bucket today. If you are worried at all about enough oxygen getting to your roots, add some peroxide. It will help to ensure adequate oxygen gets to the roots, add it to your water/nutes. Also, its not unheard of for a green film to grow on top of the perlite, it isnt usually mold I believe its an algae like substance and it has never harmed my plants, which are currently in a soiless mix of peat moss, perlite and various other things, I increase the perlite to 60-70% so I feel like I'm already doing pseudo hempy already Peroxide will also help to prevent the green slime if it bothers you. As far as sterilizing the perlite, I've only read about doing that if you're going to reuse it.

Indicator · Mar 21, 2011

I am talking in general, with soil that is indoors, I have always done this (sterilized). I know nothing of growing hempy style. That was merely a suggestion of something one could do to get an idea of how much perlite can compact. I sterilize to avoid the rusty orange fungus I often get on my perlite. I always let it cool down prior to adding to my potting soil. I know some people run boiling water over their perlite, I just think microwaving is easier.
I have no idea if hempy grows are particularly susceptible to mold, I have not read that they are.
Sorry I said mold, I meant fungus. Girdweed's hempy grow is looking good. Need to ask him what size he is using. Just checked and noticed where MsBBB already inquired, it looks like he is using the large with large vermiculite? I think.

hillbilly okie · Mar 23, 2011

It takes 2 weeks for the roots to reach the nute's. If the plants aren't watered and feed daily until the root's reach the resivore, you get yellowing and curling at the tips. hope this helps

StickyMcGrass · Mar 24, 2011

My input might not be very great since im still on my first grow, but as a side project i started a hempy pot with a seed i had around...

my pot is a large cup with a hole drilled 2 inches from the bottom of the pot... I'm also using all perilite (not sure large or small)... i started my seed in jiffy block and trans planted after it had sprouted... I water it every other day and I've had nothing but positiv3e results... im not sure if the tranfer from your old system to this new one stressed your plants or if you got root damage, which can easily be the case do to the exposure of root in all hydro systems...

Also I noticed you said "HOLES" I read alot before doing this project and every where I checked stated you should only have one hole approx 2 inches from the bottom... I know when i germ'd and sprouted i left the lineing of the jiffy block on till i put it in the pot to make sure my roots where protected... as for mold there should be none as long as your resvior isn't clear... The way it was explained to me is the perilte blocks the light to the roots while also allowing air to penetrate... since light can't hit your resivoir there should be no mold at all...

hope this helps if your curious as to my hempy setup check my link I added the side project around page 5

allencatskill · Mar 28, 2011

StickyMcGrass said:
My input might not be very great since im still on my first grow, but as a side project i started a hempy pot with a seed i had around...

my pot is a large cup with a hole drilled 2 inches from the bottom of the pot... I'm also using all perilite (not sure large or small)... i started my seed in jiffy block and trans planted after it had sprouted... I water it every other day and I've had nothing but positiv3e results... im not sure if the tranfer from your old system to this new one stressed your plants or if you got root damage, which can easily be the case do to the exposure of root in all hydro systems...

Also I noticed you said "HOLES" I read alot before doing this project and every where I checked stated you should only have one hole approx 2 inches from the bottom... I know when i germ'd and sprouted i left the lineing of the jiffy block on till i put it in the pot to make sure my roots where protected... as for mold there should be none as long as your resvior isn't clear... The way it was explained to me is the perilte blocks the light to the roots while also allowing air to penetrate... since light can't hit your resivoir there should be no mold at all...

hope this helps if your curious as to my hempy setup check my link I added the side project around page 5

I only have one hole per bucket. Thanks though. I think what happened was my perlite wasn't rinsed enough so there was some dust that became kind of a thick muck. I believe this was why my roots were starved for oxygen. I went ahead and re-rinsed the perlite and my plants seem to be doing a little better, but still slow going. They are going to need some time to bounce back. THOROUGHLY RINSE YOUR PERLITE if you're planning on doing hempy. I learned a lesson!

elfroggo · Mar 28, 2011

I experienced the same thing, compacted perlite. I read somewhere in the forums to pour all the water into the bucket in one spot, the same spot every time, and it's not supposed to be a problem anymore, thats what I'm doing now we'll see how it goes. I am going through the exact same thing right now, pulled my girl last night cause she just looked like she was drowning, and discovered I hadn't rinsed the perlite good enough, there was a thin layer of powdered perlite at the bottom of the bucket. I went ahead and rerinsed it extra well on an old window screen over the bathtub, and replanted. I also ended up pretty much tearing the shit outta her roots to remove the old soilless mix she had been in because it was also wicking up tons of water and keeping the rootball soaked, and she doesn't look any worse today. Maybe a little better even. Crossing my fingers for your gals, and mine

Hempy Not as Easy as it Looks, Apparently

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