Hempy Headquarters

[beez0404]

To that end here are a couple pictures of what I am growing my hempy plants in. I built a PVC frame which is covered with relective bubble wrap that I got for free from Pet Smart in their tropical fish department. The light is just a small 450w Viparspectra that will produce nice quality buds. Will they be rock hard? Nah.......Will they be dripping with resins? Nah.....will they taste good, get me high, make good medicine? You bet they will. I believe I can grow 4 plants in here at once and although cramped should work okay. I would of course only use this for vegging and autos as it is not light proof.

In total I invested $134.00 for the entire setup and it does what I need/want it to do.

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• beez0404
• Jun 24, 2018

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• beez0404
• Jun 24, 2018

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• beez0404
• Jun 24, 2018

 

[BTzGrow]

This is all great stuff. I started with a 4x4, 1000watt hps, tons of fans, bought an air conditioner, then I added some mars300s when nobody was doing cobs yet, clone bucket. what I got out of that was months of a huge electricity bill and I fried my gfi circuit. I was trying to keep up with my fellow growers and it wasn't the best fit for me.

Now I use about 650 watts. Maxibloom onIy. I have to run one a/c in the living room all summer and let my passive intake do its thing. The girls get warm still, but I turn different sets of lights off periodically throughout hotter days.
My stuff doesn't get very dense due to lighting but it is potent, tasty, and I grow it on the cheap. Apartment friendly...

Sorry I went on and on, dang blue dream kief.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I feel you might have touched well on what I was pointing out. This is supposed to be an awesome and fun experience. I feel a lot of growers use the example they see commercial growers using and try and fit it into a smaller space. It's apples and oranges. There is a lot of science that commercial growers actually use to effect their bottom line in dollars. Commercial growers also use large bulk containers of nutrients they mix and match to their needs each step along the way. In the end you can bet they are looking at the cost per gallon as well as the cost per watt of electricity compared to the yield they receive going out the door to dispensaries.

Even though I have the lowest heat producing lighting options working in my opinion, I still have temp issues but they are created by the ambient outside the tent conditions. As summer approached I modified my light periods opposite from my winter schedule to reduce heat during the day. During the winter I needed lights on at night to assist in keeping the grow space a little warmer and added a small reptile heater to augment also. I'm not using A/C and given the temperatures that some plants endure outdoors during the summer, I'm thinking I'll be as OK as can be.

 

[BTzGrow]

To that end here are a couple pictures of what I am growing my hempy plants in. I built a PVC frame which is covered with relective bubble wrap that I got for free from Pet Smart in their tropical fish department. The light is just a small 450w Viparspectra that will produce nice quality buds. Will they be rock hard? Nah.......Will they be dripping with resins? Nah.....will they taste good, get me high, make good medicine? You bet they will. I believe I can grow 4 plants in here at once and although cramped should work okay. I would of course only use this for vegging and autos as it is not light proof.

In total I invested $134.00 for the entire setup and it does what I need/want it to do.

Nice setup and I'm sure you will be very happy with the end result. For me in part it's really about making an effort to make the best bud I can for the least amount of expense. Otherwise I could just as easily go down and drop a couple hundred a month at the dispensary and go do other things with my time.

 

[Ganjagrowergu]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I feel you might have touched well on what I was pointing out. This is supposed to be an awesome and fun experience. I feel a lot of growers use the example they see commercial growers using and try and fit it into a smaller space. It's apples and oranges. There is a lot of science that commercial growers actually use to effect their bottom line in dollars. Commercial growers also use large bulk containers of nutrients they mix and match to their needs each step along the way. In the end you can bet they are looking at the cost per gallon as well as the cost per watt of electricity compared to the yield they receive going out the door to dispensaries.

Even though I have the lowest heat producing lighting options working in my opinion, I still have temp issues but they are created by the ambient outside the tent conditions. As summer approached I modified my light periods opposite from my winter schedule to reduce heat during the day. During the winter I needed lights on at night to assist in keeping the grow space a little warmer and added a small reptile heater to augment also. I'm not using A/C and given the temperatures that some plants endure outdoors during the summer, I'm thinking I'll be as OK as can be.

For sure this round is the most fun I have had growing. I used to always be stressed out, wondering what was going to happen next. Now that I have switched to hempy and a one part feed, I can really enjoy my time with the plants.

IF I do have a problem, a solution has so far been a flush and a feed away. I didn't have any stress at all this grow until I realized how big my 9 plants were going to get in my 10.6ft² tent.

Smoking a tester bud from a Durban bubble x red point this evening, excited as ever.

 

[FelipeBlu]

I didn't have any stress at all this grow until I realized how big my 9 plants were going to get in my 10.6ft² tent.

 

[beez0404]

It's a little disconcerting to have my entire summer auto grow in (hempy) what amounts to glass chunks. All my eggs in one basket so to speak. But I am putting my faith in @SweetSue to have steered me down the right path.

 

[BTzGrow]

It's a little disconcerting to have my entire summer auto grow in (hempy) what amounts to glass chunks. All my eggs in one basket so to speak. But I am putting my faith in @SweetSue to have steered me down the right path.

There is more than enough experience with Hempy/Dutch Buckets to expect excellent results. I don't feel you are putting all your eggs in one basket at risk. So far my experience with Hempy is relaxed, easy and fruitful.

 

[BTzGrow]

BTW, if you would like to see some separate opinions google Hempy Buckets and also Dutch Buckets. There is a lot of experience out there from the old school of Dutch Buckets using perlite and vermiculite. Tons of gardeners in Europe use it for confined space growing.

 

[beez0404]

Nah, I trust Sue's judgement. If I didn't I would have half of my autos in hempy and the other half in Pro Mix BX. I have one more auto to up-pot into perlite and then I'll have my four. I am also germinating my first photo period (Seedsman Blue Dream) plant in a hempy solo cup. Once she's up potted she will join the 4 autos until hopefully they overfill the tent and I have to move the photo period plant out.

 

[BTzGrow]

On a side note not related to Hempy, I have a question for all regarding during which part of your light schedule do you garden/attend/water your plants. Lights on or Lights off? Yesterday, I was informed that if I open my tent during lights on that I'm causing light leak and negatively impacting my plants. I have long considered this to be opposite from informed sources. I rather much feel this person is trying to sell me some LED headband mounted lighting in the green spectrum for $40-70 at my local Hydro store. Additionally, I wasn't ask what schedule I have my lights off or why for that matter. (10am-10pm) I currently have that schedule to reduce the temperature in the tents during the day and it seems to stay under 80 degrees at all times with my current schedule. Just wondering what others take is on the subject.
Thanks in Advance for your feedback.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Wait, this person (sales?) told you that ya can’t work in the tent during lights on because it will let the light leak out?

But if ya buy this green LED headband, you can see to work on them during lights off without disturbing them (this is actually true).

Hey, create the need...

 

[Ganjagrowergu]

On a side note not related to Hempy, I have a question for all regarding during which part of your light schedule do you garden/attend/water your plants. Lights on or Lights off? Yesterday, I was informed that if I open my tent during lights on that I'm causing light leak and negatively impacting my plants. I have long considered this to be opposite from informed sources. I rather much feel this person is trying to sell me some LED headband mounted lighting in the green spectrum for $40-70 at my local Hydro store. Additionally, I wasn't ask what schedule I have my lights off or why for that matter. (10am-10pm) I currently have that schedule to reduce the temperature in the tents during the day and it seems to stay under 80 degrees at all times with my current schedule. Just wondering what others take is on the subject.
Thanks in Advance for your feedback.

I like to work during lights on for safety. Always about an hour after lights on and an hour before lights out. It's always nice to know that my timer is working.

I have small containers so I sometimes have had to feed more often in hot weather/during stretch. A little visit here and there to top things off.

 

[beez0404]

In the summer I run my lights during the day since my A/C has to run pretty much non-stop just to keep the house cool. With regard to watering one question you have to ask yourself. Does your RH go up when your lights are out? What is your RH reading when your lights come on?

When my lights come on I pick up each and every pot to feel it's weight to determine if it needs to be watered. If it does I'll water ASAP after the lights come on in the morning. This gives the lights and fans the maximum amount of time to evaporate the moisture on top of the soil prior to lights out helping to reduce the RH in your tent/room.

Very important especially in flowering tents/rooms.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Excellent advice! After understanding the limits of lighting and nutrition, environment is the next parameter on my list to further explore.

Thanks for bringing up the importance of controlling humidity during flowering. And a suggested method for dealing with it!

 

[beez0404]

To be honest, I am not really sure there is a benefit when the medium is perlite. It's going to stay damp all the time if it's working right. But for soil and soil-less mediums you do want to water as early after lights on as you can.

 

[Ganjagrowergu]

In the summer I run my lights during the day since my A/C has to run pretty much non-stop just to keep the house cool. With regard to watering one question you have to ask yourself. Does your RH go up when your lights are out? What is your RH reading when your lights come on?

When my lights come on I pick up each and every pot to feel it's weight to determine if it needs to be watered. If it does I'll water ASAP after the lights come on in the morning. This gives the lights and fans the maximum amount of time to evaporate the moisture on top of the soil prior to lights out helping to reduce the RH in your tent/room.

Very important especially in flowering tents/rooms.

I water and leave SOME runoff in my trays. After a day or two i clean it up(if there is any left. This helps keep my rh up. 17%rh is not uncommon where i reside. I know this is not common practice and I understand why. Not recommended It is just another tweak that really helps in my individual environment.

I too run lights during the day, and my living room air conditioner pretty much passively cools and also dehumidifies the tent.

 

[DrDoob]

To be honest, I am not really sure there is a benefit when the medium is perlite. It's going to stay damp all the time if it's working right. But for soil and soil-less mediums you do want to water as early after lights on as you can.

I think perlite is a soil-less medium. I don’t really think it matters much when you water as long as your pots never go dry.

As for light leaking out when the tent doors are open, my refrigerator has the exact same problem I wonder if that sales guy has a solution that would work for it.

 

[BTzGrow]

As for light leaking out when the tent doors are open, my refrigerator has the exact same problem I wonder if that sales guy has a solution that would work for it.

I know there's a switch on the Frig that is supposed to turn off the light, but has anyone actually verified that it works when the door closes, or just when you push it with your finger. Asking for Friends!

 

[Tead]

Add into the equation the amount of marketing from the Hydro Store Community and the pressure is on. I feel you are correct about the keeping up with the Joneses. @FelipeBlu and I were both raised to shun that concept and strike out in our own direction with skeptical eye towards those who would wish to separate us from our hard earned monies. If you notice we both draw the line at large capital equipment cost. We also try to avoid excessive electrical bills resulting from the need to cool because of heat generated from certain inefficient lighting choices. Excessive heat is inefficient electricity at the very least. You'll may also find the hobby growing community is easily swayed to add more nutrients that are actually required to grow really decent smoke by labels on fancy expensive bottles that have really cool stoner pictures. The marketing also seems to like to separate things into part A and B and charge more for both than just buying a single bottle that has both.

The concept of evaluating CBA (cost benefit analysis) and evaluating the point where FelipeBlue has referred to as diminishing returns is very important. Your quote above really has a lot of value. I never started growing to try and impress any one but myself. Just my not so humble opinion, for all it's worth. I think you are on the right path.

I'm going to steal and save these words. Great for explaining why I do things I do.

that I got for free from Pet Smart in their tropical fish department.

WHAT WHAT WHAT?!?!?!
I've spent a minor fortune (well... more that $100) on Reflectix.... Dammit!

Thanks baby!

BTW, if you would like to see some separate opinions google Hempy Buckets and also Dutch Buckets. There is a lot of experience out there from the old school of Dutch Buckets using perlite and vermiculite. Tons of gardeners in Europe use it for confined space growing.

I thought dutch buckets were an active hydro system with a pump. Am I wrong.... I'm obviously too lazy to go look for myself... geez... hang on....
Looks like I'm right... tho I guess you could drain to waste the same system. The ones I'm seeing use an external res and pump.

I think perlite is a soil-less medium.

Indeed it is. I'm told (if my stoned brain recalls correctly) that it's mica that's been baked at a high temp. It expands out and created the white perlite. Might not be mica.... but you get the idea.... expanded rock. Totally devoid of organics.

 

[beez0404]

expanded rock

glass of some kind I think I read @Tead . And yes this time of year at Pet Smart they get their tropical fish delivered in Styrofoam coolers with the the silver/white bubble envelopes inside that. Here is a photo of the door of my autoflower grow box. It is comprised of 3 of the envelopes. So each section you see here measures approximately 34" wide x 24" tall. Two pieces that size are put together to make an envelope sealed on 3 sides. The top opening is 34" wide. Hope that made sense. The inside is white, the outside silver. Anyway, once they get the fish out they throw these away.

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• beez0404
• Jun 26, 2018