Simple Bucket Question From A Newb

[Cannibal]

Hello All!

I apologize for asking what I'm sure is a stupid newb question, but I've tried the Search function without luck and I think I'm just a little overloaded with all the information I've been trying to absorb for the past few weeks. Growing is scheduled to begin tonight and I have a very important question left unanswered.

For our first grow, we are using a Bucket System (plans are here). Super easy build with just a few minor leaks. I decided to use 6" netted pots cut into the bucket lid instead of a separate drilled pot as the plans call for. We are using Hydroton balls as our medium and have 5" round airstones below. I've learned about lights, nutes, climate control, and ventilation. I've covered bugs, molds, and algae. I've studied-up on FIM techniques and harvest methods. Lots of really great information here and elsewhere, so thank you!

However, my question seems to be very basic, yet I can find nothing on it. Ready? At what level should I maintain the water? Should it be below the netted pot? Touching the bottom of the pot? Or, should the netted pot be submerged? We are starting with clones from a dispensary here in Denver if that helps any.

Thank you in advance for any information you can offer this very overloaded newbie.

 

[OldMedUser]

Hello All!

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However, my question seems to be very basic, yet I can find nothing on it. Ready? At what level should I maintain the water? Should it be below the netted pot? Touching the bottom of the pot? Or, should the netted pot be submerged? We are starting with clones from a dispensary here in Denver if that helps any.

Thank you in advance for any information you can offer this very overloaded newbie.

High Cannibal and Welcome to the forum.

I always start with the level about an inch below the bottom of the pot. For the first few days some manual watering may be required until the roots emerge from the pot into the nute solution. I use a 60cc syringe with tubing on the end or a fat needle to draw up some of the sol'n and squirt it around the roots in the pot. A turkey baster would work fine too.

Once the roots are hanging into the sol'n I let the level drop to a couple of inches below the pots. Sometimes a few inches below the pots. Just remember that as the level goes down the PPM goes up and if your running a high PPM in a small bucket you can get nute burn that could wipe out your plants in a few hours.

That's why I use tubs that hold 50 liters of sol'n. If I let the water level drop a few inches too much the PPM only rises 10-15%. Also, once the plants grow some big root balls they take up a lot of space that displaces room for sol'n effectively reducing your bucket's volume.

Don't forget the hydrogen peroxide once a week to help keep the roots healthy.

 

[Cannibal]

LabRat-

Thanks for the reply! I've been so busy trying to learn new stuff that I spaced coming back and checking this thread.

Well, paranoia kicked in before I even had plants in place. I got nervous about the grow (system) and aborted. This system made me nervous only because I don't really 'get' how it works. The buckets have become experiments for veggies around the house until I get comfortable with the concept. I know, I know I'm a big chicken, but I don't want to kill my first set of ladies.

Instead, I built a top-drip (top-feed) system using Bato Buckets. This thing makes sense to me! I'll be starting with 3 clones purchased from a local dispensary. I don't know what strains, as they are always changing what is available. I've got a 20 gal tub for the nute solution and the frame holding the Bato Buckets and return drain is PVC (Schedule 40). My grow medium is a mix of coco coir and perlite, topped with a couple of inches of expanded clay. I'm using a 400w HPS for this first grow. I'll be using a 4 bulb florescent T5 set-up for veg on the following grows, but figured it was important to get the pricey stuff out of the way first.

The clones should be waiting on me when I get home tonight. I am, to say the least, very excited. I've been lurking here for some time and can't begin to express how thankful I am for all the info. No doubt I'll be making some mistakes (that's what makes new things fun!), but I feel much better knowing there is such a friendly and knowledgeable group of people that I can fall back on when needed.

I'll be snapping some pictures tonight before the plants go in and fully intend on starting a journal. We have fantastic grow conditions; girlfriend got the medical card and made me caregiver, we live on 1.5 acres (smell not an issue), and we've got a 12x8x8 room to grow in. Plants will need to stay short and stubby, but otherwise life is grand.

Thanks again. Come tomorrow, I get to be officially a 'grower', so prepare for LOTS of questions. I'm very excited!

 

[OldMedUser]

I was wondering what happened to you.

Good luck with your choice of systems. It should work just fine. I've had such good results with my tubs that I'll just keep on keepin' on. I want to get into outdoor growing but I need some autoflowering seeds to make it work up here in the Great White North. -20C today and supposed to go down to -40 on Sat. That's the same temperature in either F or C and it's F'N COLD!

I posted some new pics a couple of days ago in my grow journal and will post more when the buds start filling out a bit. 27 girls out of 28 plants. All from seed. One can't seem to start showing sex and one may be a hermie and will die if it is. The buds are starting to look like popcorn and there's gonna be lots of them.

Good luck with your grow and I'll be keepin' an eye out for you.

 

[Cannibal]

Well call me "Giddy"!

For better or worse, I'm up and running. I arrived home to find 2 AK-47 clones and a Mango clone of unknown strain. The Mango one actually has two stalks; don't know if it matters one iota, but it's cool.

I'd love to post some pics, but I discovered that iPhones do not like the light from HPS bulbs. Every pic I took looked like I was taking the picture through window blinds; horizontal black lines. Very strange. Don't think the buckets won't go to use. I just want to test them on something that I don't care if it lives or dies. Veggies seem appropriate.

Now, off to go figure out how to start a journal. Thanks again for the bucket info LabRat. My girlfriend already has her seedlings ready to go into them, so the info will be put to use immediately.