Jeff, welcome to WOH! You made a great decision in trying out this simplistic drain to waist hydro method that we all thrive on. You've also joined some of the coolest members of RIU.....you will note a lot of "likes" given as well as reps so enjoy the ride, we love to help.hey guys how are you all? for my second grow i have decided to go hempy style, i am about to purchase the buckets and perlite/vermiculite, i have some seeds already germinated in a 4x4x4 inch rockwool cube.
Is the rockwool going to disturb the perfect ph that hempy buckets supply, i know make sure the water i water with is the correct ph, but ive read that the ph of rockwool is 7.5, would this have to be calculated if transplanted into the mix?
For this grow i plan on doing 1 part vermiculite, 3 part perlite, is this optimal?
thank you
Jeff, welcome to WOH! You made a great decision in trying out this simplistic drain to waist hydro method that we all thrive on. You've also joined some of the coolest members of RIU.....you will note a lot of "likes" given as well as reps so enjoy the ride, we love to help.
To answer your questions:
1. If your rockwool already has has sprouts in it, it is probably already "rinsed" of the lime that drives up ph. Most of us soak rockwool in pH'ed water before using. I treat mine with a soak of plain RO water ≈5.8 and all is well from then on. Grodan, a large maker of rockwool says a soak of 30mins will get you there.
2. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the original hempy bucket was 4:1 perlite to vermiculite. I've seen a lot go without vermiculite at all.
If you are interested, years ago the original Dali Hempy on another forum made the hempy bucket popular with the perl/verm. He switched tracks suddenly and moved on to coco coir over perlite. The best part of the coco medium was the lack of daily attention needed till the roots hit rez. Coco needs a little extra Cal/mag outside your base nutes but really rocks the bucket.
OK i see what your saying, is there different types of coco that i should look into...all i see is the block type, is this what you are suggesting?FJG, I switched to co co and find it much better than straight perlite, the darkness is good for the roots, it's not like soil...so throw that out the window...but more like a coffee ground texture, that holds water better than soil, start you seed in rockwool, then into a solo cup of perlite or perlite coco mix, then transplant into final container, add nutes as usual, just the addition of cal/mag...
LOL - I think we buy the same stuff:I do mine 25% or less perlite and coco, and a all perlite reserve, helps to hold the water in the bottom and makes the roots reach for it...
get a block or a bag already ready to go, depending on your area, I bought a block of Coco from Amazon for 11.00, makes a whole tote full, I think I added 9 gallons of water, was fun watching it expand...
Yes, the 11 pound block I linked to expands massively!!! Make sure you PH set your water first, this is very important!! You can cut smaller pieces off that block and put it PH'd water if you want. Start by cutting about 10% of it off (you'll need a hack or wood saw), and put it in PH'd water and see how much it expands. That will give you a good idea how much you'll need.Oh i get it so in essence am i going to put some in a bucket water it and let it expand and mold to the bucket? Im sorry if im alien to coco, i just never dealt with it, and yes i was going to go the amazon route
Oh alright i got ya, and then when i expand the amount i want i tear it in shreds into the bucket mixed with the perlite? sorry if it isn't catching on im a little confused lolYes, the 11 pound block I linked to expands massively!!! Make sure you PH set your water first, this is very important!! You can cut smaller pieces off that block and put it PH'd water if you want. Start by cutting about 10% of it off (you'll need a hack or wood saw), and put it in PH'd water and see how much it expands. That will give you a good idea how much you'll need.
And also leave it in PH'd water over night. Usually I will run the coco through normal water to rinse it (it can be high in salt since most coconut trees grow near the ocean). After that I leave it soaking in PH'd water over night. Do the same with your perlite.
Good luck!!
i looked at this one also mate! lol thank you very muchI buy this kind, it was recommended and I have found it excellent.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004D441ZO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004D441ZO&linkCode=as2&tag=livingmoreonl-20