Blue Dream In Hempy Buckets With Modified Light Schedule

[Billyjack]

Great job

 

[Gorgar]

Great job

Thanks Billyjack! I think that I'm starting to get a handle on this. Let's see how long it lasts.

 

[Gorgar]

Ya know... every drop of water I use, and every drop I tested my drift with, has set at least 48hrs to off-gas things like chlorine.

Hey Tead, when I saw that I thought that you were just letting your water sit to dechlorinate. But did you mean your batch of mixed nutes?

What I've done this past week was to mix several containers of nutes. I was going to feed one of the containers today that probably sat for 4 or 5 days and I pHed at least once or twice, and the pH read 6.2 so I took it down to 5.5 and fed. Is this pretty much what you do and I just failed to understand it?

 

[Tead]

Hey Tead, when I saw that I thought that you were just letting your water sit to dechlorinate. But did you mean your batch of mixed nutes?

What I've done this past week was to mix several containers of nutes. I was going to feed one of the containers today that probably sat for 4 or 5 days and I pHed at least once or twice, and the pH read 6.2 so I took it down to 5.5 and fed. Is this pretty much what you do and I just failed to understand it?

No, your initial understanding was correct.... just the water.
I don't allow mixed nutes to hang around at all. I mix what I need, use it immediately and dump any little remainders in my outdoor veggie garden. I don't recall the science behind it, but I do recall that nutes need to be used quickly. Plus, I'm dumping the mix in a hempy pot, so it's gonna sit for 4 days anyway... adding to that seems bad juju.

 

[Gorgar]

I don't allow mixed nutes to hang around at all. I mix what I need, use it immediately and dump any little remainders in my outdoor veggie garden. I don't recall the science behind it, but I do recall that nutes need to be used quickly.

I like the way that you think...and I've been thinking the same thing. I mean, the base nutes (Parts A/B) are packaged in different bottles for a reason. I would guess that it could be due to a reaction between the two parts. But I don't know. Maybe it's something that develops at the higher concentrations in the packaged bottles. Again, I don't know.

I'm going to finish out with the AN nutes, although at this point I really don't think it makes a difference. But they replied to a question I asked a little while ago, so I'll see what they have to say about premixing their nutes.

Plus, I'm dumping the mix in a hempy pot, so it's gonna sit for 4 days anyway... adding to that seems bad juju.

I wish I had some of that juju! This is where I think that my primary problem lies with the pH rising.

 

[Gorgar]

AN's response:

"You can let the nutrients sit, cover them for evaporation and keep them stirred. No need to adjust pH throughout the week.

The key with coco hempy buckets, is ample runoff and daily feedings."

I was a bit surprised that they had no problem with their nutes sitting premixed, but I'm finding that there is a need to adjust the pH.

Their coco hempy advice looks good IF you want to grow in a straight coco run to waste system, but then the hempy loses one of its' advantages.

But my plants look good right now and for that fact alone I'm just going to continue what seems to be working.

 

[Billyjack]

Yeah man, like you said, keep doing what you are doing. They look good. Post some more pics in a few days.

I saw on your previous post that you did not do any LST. I think that was a good call to focus on other stuff. I topped mine too and started LST but realized I just dont have the growth time to do LST right so I will stop and follow the same plan you are on. Just top and grow

 

[Billyjack]

I forgot to add that I also have to watch my runoff PH, it can creep up to 6.8 if I do not watch it. Not sure why, the water going in is 5.6 to 5.8 but everything is green so I wont worry too much.

 

[Gorgar]

I forgot to add that I also have to watch my runoff PH, it can creep up to 6.8 if I do not watch it. Not sure why, the water going in is 5.6 to 5.8 but everything is green so I wont worry too much.

Yea, I was checking my runoff and worrying about it until I found that the mixed nutes themselves resulted in a higher pH after a couple of days. Like Tead said, that appears to just be something that happens. I used tap water and distilled water, and got the elevated pH numbers for both.

My work-around is to let the mixed nutes sit for four or five days before I feed. I switched over from Canna to Advanced Nutrients, but I'd be surprised if the difference in nutes amounts to much. After four or five days, the pH seems to stabilize. I had the remainder of some nutes that I fed two days ago when I pHed it to 5.5. I checked the pH today before feeding and it was still at 5.5...so I raised it a couple of tenths.

Tead seems to have his pH under control with the nutes that he's using and I think that I'm starting to get a handle on my situation. I'm pretty happy with where I'm now at. I'm also fairly convinced that my earlier grow issues were pH related. Good luck!!!

 

[Mars Hydro]

 

[Gorgar]

Flower/Day 1

The Blue Dreams vegged for 57 days and the light schedule is changed today and I began feeding the bloom nutes. Lights will be on a 12/12 schedule for two weeks and then the dark period will gradually increase (see first post for link to light schedule). Lately growth has been strong and steady and the biggest issue is getting rid of fan leaves that are blocking light.

Since I've switched to the AN nutes I've been feeding at their prescribed dosage. There is some very minor tip burn on one of the plants, so I'll back down a little bit.

The plants are drinking well and I'm watering when the coco starts to dry out. It seems, at least to me, that my Hempy grow likes this cycling...as opposed to my other coco grows in an air pot that liked a daily watering. Currently, they are being watered every 3 days and I'd estimate that each plant is drinking a little over a quart a day.

 

[Tead]

It seems, at least to me, that my Hempy grow likes this cycling...as opposed to my other coco grows in an air pot that liked a daily watering.

Golden nuggets of words my friend.

 

[Gorgar]

Golden nuggets of words my friend.

Thanks Tead! I'm kinda learning this through trial, error and observation.

I've got what is currently a minor problem that is potentially pest related. If you or anybody else could look at my post in the FAQ problems section I'd appreciate it:

Is Something Eating My Plants?

 

[veinz]

a creature that eats such chunks out of leaf you should notice that....
i mean find it and kill it
for the nice journal...

 

[Gorgar]

a creature that eats such chunks out of leaf you should notice that....
i mean find it and kill it
for the nice journal...

Thanks veinz, I've been looking but haven't seen anything other than some more suspect evidence. Maybe there's something there...and maybe there's not. But I've long lived by the slogan "better living through chemistry" so earlier today I sprayed some BT just in case. I'll take more of an observatory role for the next couple of days to see if I need to be concerned.

But other than a few gnaw marks and leaf holes, everything in the tent is looking good!

 

[veinz]

Looking

 

[Gorgar]

Flower/Day 9

Relatively uneventful week, other than a couple of chewed leaves. They were treated yesterday with BT just in case it was caused by caterpillars. It was the first time that I had to spray inside the tent for anything and I was a little nervous about mixing a spray with some of the electrical sources, but I did not fry anything so all is well.

The AN nutes are being applied at pretty near the recommended feeding dosages, along with some CaMg. Watering is being done about every three days to let the coco cycle between wet and dry (or pretty close to dry).

I've been pruning fan leaves a couple of times a week at this point. It looks like I need to do a better job with the plant on the right, especially in the middle of the plant.

At this point I'm now feeling relatively comfortable with the Hempy way of life, but it's too early to say that I'm a convert.

edit: In hindsight, although I mention the current use of AN nutes, I'd probably have a similar grow if I had continued the use of my CANNA nutes. I basically continued with the AN nutes because I did not want to jinx anything with the bloom phase approaching.

 

[veinz]

 

[BedroomFarmer]

Hey Gorgar your plants look great! I'm using AN too. It's my second grow with it and it's been so easy. The strength they recommend is ridiculous and I use a lot less. As far as PH what the rep says is it won't change your ph to 5.5-6.0 but the nutes are chelated and can be used by the plant at a larger range. 4-8 I think he said. I just put the nutes in RO and let them do their thing. In my current grow I haven't checked ph once.

Edit: I actually just mixed 5gal RO with AN PH perfect sensi bloom and AN big bud. 21ml of A+B bloom 9ml big bud. The recommended 4ml per liter would be somewhere around 80ml? Crazy

 

[Gorgar]

Hey Gorgar your plants look great! I'm using AN too. It's my second grow with it and it's been so easy. The strength they recommend is ridiculous and I use a lot less. As far as PH what the rep says is it won't change your ph to 5.5-6.0 but the nutes are chelated and can be used by the plant at a larger range. 4-8 I think he said. I just put the nutes in RO and let them do their thing. In my current grow I haven't checked ph once.

Haha, thanks BedroomFarmer! Got your PM and asked that you post the info in here. I should have checked here first!