World Of Hempy

WattSaver

Well-Known Member
Hey GR very nice looking buds, looks like there was no hit on the quality. I do hate gnats also but compared to the deadly 3 "M"s mites mildew and mold gnats are just a pain in the ass. I do envy the extended vacation concept.
 

flexy123

Well-Known Member
Hey!

Glad here is a Hempy thread too! I switched to Hempies after one year experience with organic, I got so tired of problems like fungus gnats and what I believe way too high ph of my soil mix. (ph7.2). In my organic grows I always run into problems like yellowing at some point.

Now I am growing in 3:1 perlite/vermiculite and so far it's doing great., very thick/lush and green plants, FAST grow. The seedlings at the side are still very tiny, I made the mistake to transplant them into the large pots too early and also that I started nutes (GH flora) too early. Besides that, the recent two waterings I discovered I gave the seedlings way too much nutes. So yesterday I flushed with ph-ed water trying to get most of the nutes out again.

The black pots I am using are air pots that are available here in Spain, they are said to be (almost) as good as real air pots and cost only as much as normal square pots, like a couple bucks each. So I gave them a shot to see how it's going. You see I am using external reservoirs.

I am growing (vegging) in Southern Spain in a green house on the balcony, light is 4x CREE CXB3590. It is still sorta chilly plus I am using a heating mat to cover the colder nights. Unfortunately I don't have control over temperatures and let me tell you it gets BRUTAL hot in Summer...talking about 105. How this will work out with Hydro/Hempies I don't know.

Yesterday I discovered algae in the smaller (about 1gal) of my pots so I dumped the water and now I am adding 3ml H202 3% per L to my nutes, I can see algae becoming a big problem should it get really hot. So I hope the H202 will stop it.

 

flexy123

Well-Known Member
Some of you guys please give me some advice about the right amount/frequency of watering. There is a little confusion. Some say water every day, some say only when dry, each 2-3 days. It is my understanding that you WANT some 25-30% runoff to make sure the (internal) reservoir gets flushed and replaced with every watering. Then there are some folks who say they only water a little with almost no runoff.

Since I am using those external trays and "normal" pots with holes at the bottom, I will likely just water until there is 2" nute solution in the trays, and then see how long it takes them to drink.I could actually do bottom feeding too, just fill my trays up 2".
 

gr865

Well-Known Member
When they say you cannot overwater Hempy's they are mistaken. During root establishment keep the water to a minimum and let the roots fill the pot and reach the rez. After that go by the weight, you can feel when the pots are empty, they will be lite. I have tended to watering too much but catch myself and back off.
And yes you want to have around 30% runoff when you do water. Pay close attention to the pH and keep you nutes at the low end of the suggested rates.

Good luck,

GR
 

gr865

Well-Known Member
Well, I am not totally displeased with my overall plant weight. The plants, due to my over manipulations, were not as large as expected, The weight of 10 of the dried plants is 252 grams/9 zips, with two plants (WR's) still drying. So based on the previous weights the estimate should be some where around 11 zips. But I think the last two plants drying now have a bit more weight on them,so after these two finish drying I should be just under or right at 12 zips. They got an extra weeks growth and they really seem to pick up some weight after I got the FFG's problem taken care of, as did the Exodus Cheese. I hope so anyway.
I had hoped for 1/2 to 3/4 zips per plant, Just wonder what could have been if the Fucking fungal gnats had not reared their ugly heads.

Hey GR very nice looking buds, looks like there was no hit on the quality. I do hate gnats also but compared to the deadly 3 "M"s mites mildew and mold gnats are just a pain in the ass. I do envy the extended vacation concept.
I am not displeased with the quality at all.
The EC is just wonderful smoke, great fragrance, very nice stone, uplifting, lots of energy but smoke that extra bowl in the morning and you will take a nap that afternoon, LOL. bongsmilie I really love the dry they received (plyant and sticky yet burns very even and slow when smoked in a joint I hope that the cure exposes more fragrance and taste to the buds. My last few cures have gone well.
The WR, which I am smoking a fatty of as I write this, has a milder buz and is a sat you down for awhile smoke. Going to be a good evening smoke. Again the draw is smooth, not a lot of flavor with it, but it burns well. I did dry one batch a little to much, but after putting them in the curing jars with the Boveda packs they have become a bit more pliable.
I have been doing some blends of my smoke, mixing some WR/EC in various ratios. Also blending some of my older stashes with these two new strains. Different taste, both draw and exhale, can distinguish the difference in the buz and flavors.
White Rhino, on the drying rack.
20160319_095607.jpg

Final weights to come!

GR

I did notice that after I got the FFG's under control that both plants began putting on new pistils and began regrowth. You can see that in the above picture. The EC began Foxtailing heavily after the pest control.
 

flexy123

Well-Known Member
ONCE the root's are established and the plant has grown, am I right I should always look that the reservoir is filled up the entire 2"...or should I wait til they drink it? Or maybe, like today, fill it up with fresh solution once it's about 1/2 or so down?

>>After that go by the weight, you can feel when the pots are empty
>>

Which of course would mean I'd wait til they used everything up...
 

flexy123

Well-Known Member
My two furthest advanced in the Hempies (Jack Herer, Bubblegum Something) are REALLY taking off. It's clear they reached the water now. I have NEVER ever seen so massive, bushy, lush and green growth when I was growing organic in soil, EVER. Stem also MAJOR big for the small size of the plants. I am very impressed. What I am seeing here is probably the combo that I switched lights (I grew with some blurple lights last year, now I am using CREE COBs, the GH nutes and of course the Hempies). I have a feeling I will soon regret I didn't use larger pots, a feeling those plants will be MASSIVE.
 

SamsonsRiddle

Well-Known Member
My two furthest advanced in the Hempies (Jack Herer, Bubblegum Something) are REALLY taking off. It's clear they reached the water now. I have NEVER ever seen so massive, bushy, lush and green growth when I was growing organic in soil, EVER. Stem also MAJOR big for the small size of the plants. I am very impressed. What I am seeing here is probably the combo that I switched lights (I grew with some blurple lights last year, now I am using CREE COBs, the GH nutes and of course the Hempies). I have a feeling I will soon regret I didn't use larger pots, a feeling those plants will be MASSIVE.
hempys can grow massive in small pots as long as you keep something for them to drink the in reservoir. The only problem is you will be watering more often, considering some larger plants will drink a gallon of water a day. My first hempies were in 1 liter bottles, which led to watering 3 times a day.
 

outlier

Well-Known Member
I ran a few hempy tests outside this year. The best performer by far was this girl in a 1 gal bucket, perlite res and 100% coco. Have since placed her in a 2 gal hempy for the remainder of flower. She's a late bloomer so I'm not sure how she'll go before winter arrives.

Fed heavy, watered like soil (full wet/dry cycles) and doesn't get the best sun. It's more of a lab rat than anything. As you can see she's doing okay. Ignore the yellow leaves, that was caused by a few sun showers. And she's tipped over a fair amount of times. Slightly top heavy :bigjoint:

hempy.jpg
 

SamsonsRiddle

Well-Known Member
I ran a few hempy tests outside this year. The best performer by far was this girl in a 1 gal bucket, perlite res and 100% coco. Have since placed her in a 2 gal hempy for the remainder of flower. She's a late bloomer so I'm not sure how she'll go before winter arrives.

Fed heavy, watered like soil (full wet/dry cycles) and doesn't get the best sun. It's more of a lab rat than anything. As you can see she's doing okay. Ignore the yellow leaves, that was caused by a few sun showers. And she's tipped over a fair amount of times. Slightly top heavy :bigjoint:

View attachment 3640809
what strain is that?
 

gr865

Well-Known Member
Ok, final weight.

Total grow, two plants, Manifold/Mainline 5 gallon Hempy grow and a pseudo SOG that had the Fungal gnat issues and having the HPS go down at week 6 or so, had to replace with LED - 332 grams, 11.5 zips. I am sure that weight would have been better sans no issues, but it is what it is.
Until next grow this is GR signing out. Will keep an eye on you folks.
My next grow will be vertical screen, tied not SCrog, three plants, 400W hps in coco smart pots with drip. Lets see how it goes.

GR
 

WattSaver

Well-Known Member
ONCE the root's are established and the plant has grown, am I right I should always look that the reservoir is filled up the entire 2"...or should I wait til they drink it? Or maybe, like today, fill it up with fresh solution once it's about 1/2 or so down?

>>After that go by the weight, you can feel when the pots are empty>>
Which of course would mean I'd wait til they used everything up...
As mentioned it's best to use up the rez prior to watering again. (Straight perlite is different). And yes as you have noticed there is a major weight difference in a wet and dry bucket. As you get into flower you'll be able to see a slight drupe in the plant and you'll know the rez is dry and you have to water now. If you watch your plant you'll know when its time to water again. And as GR mentioned get a good runoff,
 

WattSaver

Well-Known Member
I ran a few hempy tests outside this year. The best performer by far was this girl in a 1 gal bucket, perlite res and 100% coco. Have since placed her in a 2 gal hempy for the remainder of flower. She's a late bloomer so I'm not sure how she'll go before winter arrives.

Fed heavy, watered like soil (full wet/dry cycles) and doesn't get the best sun. It's more of a lab rat than anything. As you can see she's doing okay. Ignore the yellow leaves, that was caused by a few sun showers. And she's tipped over a fair amount of times. Slightly top heavy :bigjoint:

View attachment 3640809
Great looking plant. It's definitely a Sativa dom, so it could go deep into your autumn. Even in the new 2gal she'll be top heavy, and it's too late to top, so find a way to keep her upright. I think you'll be amazed at what a little 2gal bucket will do.
 

flexy123

Well-Known Member
Well my totes there are sort of a middle between Hempie and a system with a tank...I figured I really want to SEE my water/nutes. Besides it enables me to use "normal" pots with holes in the bottom. (I am actually using some sort of air pots right now). I think key here is that the outside container is only a tiny bit larger than the pot's diameter so it doesn't take too much water to be 2" up inside the pot. As you mentioned already, standing water that cannot be taken in time, say in a max. 2 days, PLUS water that's not aerated == really bad. But I think in my case I got it just right with the size. I see right now that the larger plants drink the water, about 2" in the container, in about 2 days. And as you said with the smaller plants you can just water less, and then gradually increase.

Next step, later on will be that I plan to flower on the sunroof (nothing beats the insane sun here), so I got Promix soilless mix coming which I understand is sort of like a hybrid between soil/hydro. I didn't like the idea to transplant from Hempie into normal (fertilized) potting mix, besides my local "special potting mix" for Cannabis has a ph of 7.2 which seems WAY too high to me. With promix I should be able to continue the same nutes, but then outside and it should hold more water.

I am also having Floranova bloom coming and I will try to switch to Lucas formula, just out of curiosity..and then use this throughout the grow.

SO FAR, my grow runs beautifully, never run into any troubles like I did before in soil/organic where I always had problem with Cal or whatever, yellow leaves. Those take off WELL, almost too well so I am getting scared they'll take over my green house soon :)
 
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WattSaver

Well-Known Member
If they are drinking up the water in a short period of time you'll have no problem. I envy you being able to take all these outdoors and use the sun. No light can match the sun. Up potting into promix will serve you well. Treat it more like a soil grow, in watering except you'll have full control of the food.Now as a true Hempy enthusiast, I must push the power of using a hempy, proven best yielder per liter in container growing. Here's a shot of a butchered mother finished outdoors in a 3.5 gal bucket with several wks to go from several summers back.




.MWday35.004.jpg
 

WattSaver

Well-Known Member
Update for my grow. Sunday I cut clones from the Zamaldelica. Took 8 - four from each plant. And this morning I flipped the light cycle to flower. During veg I ran the old dual 400w cmh for only 15hrs a day. The flip went straight to 10hr with the single 1k bulb. At the end of stretch I'll most likely drop the lights to 9hr. This grow is different for me in that I'm not just coasting on the OC and having to measure nutes. I keep increasing feed levels but I haven't got there yet. During veg with the bigger buckets watering was every 4 to 5 days. With the open hood 1K I expect this to drop. I'll probably have to put the glass on the hood mid to late April as night temps increase.

Malawi on the right they've been topped twice, no extra trimming until sexed.
Zamaldelica on the left, again topped twice, the upper is the tripod and has been trimmed to a single node. The lower is running 2 nodes, lower node topped once, we'll see how even it stays.

16-03-28 M&Z flip riu 005.jpg

Clones - Once I started these it got my grow juices going again. And yes I do like the struggle of starting large clones

16-03-28 zam clones riu 002.jpg
16-03-28 zam clones riu 001.jpg
 

Javadog

Well-Known Member
Nice to see you working it Watt.

I am finding that larger clones, with plenty of light, might make for better, faster roots.
I have been checking out the clone of @BobBitchen and those are the two main
differences in our efforts. (that and the fact that I am a neglectful snob) He gets
crazy-white-beard roots in short order.

I look forward to the fruits of your labor. :0)

JD
 
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