Coco Hempy Buckets

[stuckinabeat]

I just started 5 of them and so far its incredible. Much easier than soil IMO and the growth rates are outstanding! I have been using hydro nutes, but you can use soil or hydro. For anyone not aware of these, they are probably the easiest way to grow hydroponically and from what I've read the taste rivals soil when using coco as a medium.

 

To make a hempy bucket all you do is find a bucket and drill a hole in the side about 2 inches up. The hole doesnt need to be very big, about a 1/4 inch will be plenty big enough. After this you fill the bottom 2 inches of the bucket with perlite (chunky if possible). Once this is complete your ready to add your coco. I am using a fine coco and also doing some with chunkier coco, a mix of the two would be ideal and if you go with fine coco its good to add 20-30% perlite.

 

With coco one of the most important things is to make sure you give it a good rinse. I like to use hot water and then after that i charge my coco with a light dose of nutes. Coco is much more forgiving than other hydro mediums and is not too ph sensitive. You can run anywhere from 5.8 to about 6.8, but i like to keep mine at about 6.3. All you have to do is add your nutes to water and check the ph before you feed, its that easy. Also you will feed everytime time with this method as it is hydro not soil-less. The reason for this is because by adding the hole 2" from bottom and filling it with perlite, this acts as a water table. This type of hydro has been done for 100's of years.

 

 

This is not my method by any means, its called a hempy bucket and was created by hempy. He is on a few different forums. He 1st did this with all perlite, but now uses coco for a medium with better results. Also the coco can be reused and you dont need big buckets to grow straight trees. I mean 2-3 gallons and you can yield close to a pound if done right. I put this out here just in case people havent came across this method before and also because its so easy. I was hesitant to try hydro as a newer grower because it seemed way more complicated, but this is just too easy. Just feed like you normally would but everday and check your ph before feeding.

 

Hope some of you give this a try and happy gardening!

Stuck

[engineered_excellence]

I have been curious about this method... How much water/nutes do you pour in everyday? Where does the run-off go?... does it just drain in a tray and evaporate?

[garyfisher]

Why do you like to keep your pH at 6.3?

[stuckinabeat]

I keep it at 6.3 because thats how hempy does it and he has no problems. I have read that its also good to start around 5.8 and then gradually let the ph float to about 6.8 through the flowering stage as the plant takes different nutes at different ph levels.

 

 

As far as watering and feeding. You feed everytime with a hempy bucket, treat it just like hydro. you can use whatever nutes you like, but still feed everytime. For run off I just use a small tray, but you really dont need too much drain off with hempys. Growing coco in pots its good to have some runoff 20-30%, but with a hempy not as big a deal. Some people still do it though.

[engineered_excellence]

I keep it at 6.3 because thats how hempy does it and he has no problems. I have read that its also good to start around 5.8 and then gradually let the ph float to about 6.8 through the flowering stage as the plant takes different nutes at different ph levels.

 

 

As far as watering and feeding. You feed everytime with a hempy bucket, treat it just like hydro. you can use whatever nutes you like, but still feed everytime. For run off I just use a small tray, but you really dont need too much drain off with hempys. Growing coco in pots its good to have some runoff 20-30%, but with a hempy not as big a deal. Some people still do it though.

 

 

Thanks.. I understand that you feed nutes every day, I was asking for the quantity of nutrient/water solution that you pour in every day, like half gallon? gallon? do you just pour in until you get some run-off coming out of the hole?

[stuckinabeat]

Exactly! It just depends on size, but normally just till water starts coming out. I poor it pretty slow. Some people like 20-30% runoff, but I haven't and don't think hempy does. If it were just regular pots then u Would want some runoff.

[MichiganMan]

I tried hempy before and had decent results. I used perlite and the lucas formula for a couple grows, I like the idea of using Coco. Very simple way to get into hydro IMO.

[garyfisher]

I don't like the logic for pHing to 6.3. If hempy grew hermies, would you?

 

 

Check out this pH nutrient lockout chart. Pay attention to hydro.

 

[Guest Mr_smith]

Thats a sweet chart! Never saw that one, thanks!

[Eggybuddy]

Man,,am i ever glad that i keep my ph between 5.5.& 6.0.

But then, I'm runnin hydro. What's coco? Is that like that hair on a coconut?

 

I used to run plants in perlite and vermiculite before hempy was around i bet. i called it 'hobo hydro'. But it worked really great. It takes some time each day to water by hand but it works real good.

 

I wouldn't mind trying some of the coco. Heard raves about the taste.

 

But I think most of my strains like a 5.6 ph most ALL of their plant lives?

[garyfisher]

Coco is the coconut husks.

 

I'm running 5 plants in 5 gallon buckets using Coco mixed with 2parts perlite. It is a soiless medium and requires water daily.

 

Using Botainicare's Readygro media.

 

 

[Friendofphotons]

Hi all

 

I was a dwc guy primarily but loved trying new things and the coco hempy buckets are on short list for sure.

 

Many may be aware of this already, but check out the Tropf Blumat watering system. This looks like it would be perfect for the coco bucket system! Set up a reservoir on a stand, adjust sensor, and no more scrog screen limbo a few times a week, which isn't a lot of fun for folks with back problems.

[budpuffer]

hello kids, i've been running Hempy Buckets for a couple of years now,,i use 3 gallon buckets,with a 3/4 inch drain hole two inches from bottom,the 3/4 inch hole has a screen in it to keep the grow medium back,i've found that the larger hole makes for faster flush times.the grow medium i use is per/vert with a ratio of 3 to 1.i use fox farm nurts, hydo schedule and water daily by the cup until the plants are established,usually a week or two if started from seed,then twice a week after that..i keep the ph between 5.8 and 6.1.

now i tell you all this because it is truly the easiest,best way i've found to grow very nice meds..some of the reasons i'm saying this is because..its pretty much fool proof,you can't over water,fox farm has a feeding schedule and as long as you follow it most plants will do great,and if you do have a trouble maker you can adjust the nurts to just that plant.i grow several stains at one time,in most hydro sys.you grow one stain at a time or if you do grow more than one stain you can't adjust for one plant stain or another..each plant is self contained in hempy buckets..it gets just what i give it and you can adjust that every third day if you want or flush and start from scratch.. in dirt the soil changes every day and there isn't a easy way to check where things are at nurt.wise.i've never tried coco core never had to,the perlite and vermiculite is light,clean,and bugs don't seem to like it much..i stopped posting pic's a while back but i still have a few in my gallery if you'd like to see them,i also have some in photo bucket under photos from zipbanger..so for folks just starting out or for folks looking for a better way,you should give it a try..i'd be hard pressed to change to something else...good luck..budpuffer/zipbanger

ps i have a new unopened package of coco core for swap if any are interested,holland area

[Cap'N Kush]

I don't like the logic for pHing to 6.3. If hempy grew hermies, would you?

 

 

Check out this pH nutrient lockout chart. Pay attention to hydro.

 

 

LMFAO, I grow extreme super fire, and I don't even bother checking my ph bro, don't check my ppm either. I just dump the nutes in, and let it do what it do. I don't really need to check cuz I'm so G I just know what its gonna be. Feel free to peep my gallery.

 

Little info for you though the plants does absorb nutes at differnt ph, hydro in 5.6 to 6.5, soil should be ran 6.5 to 7.0. Also a little more info for you is that buy going with a higher ph like 7.0 to maybe 8 you can get some killer fades buy locking out certain nutes.

 

Even more info, you should have a ph drift, if your ph doesn't drift your not letting your plants get all the bennifts of the nutes you add.

So let's say we start with a ph of 5.6 and through out the week we let the res drift to a 6.5. Through out the week the plants absorb all the nutes.

 

But hay what do I know you got that snazy chart.

[CaffeineForAll]

I don't like the logic for pHing to 6.3. If hempy grew hermies, would you?

 

 

Check out this pH nutrient lockout chart. Pay attention to hydro.

 

 

Also remember these charts are for NON-CHELATED nutrients.

 

Most synthetics contain chelated N, Ca, Fe, etc. Chelation forces absorption regardless of PH or plants needs.