Tead's Indoor-ish, Winter, Hempy, OGK, SOG

[Tead]

Tead, correct me if I'm wrong. That's why the hempy system uses Perlite, with or without vermiculite.

Ya know... I would think that peat would just hold too much water and really limit the amount of oxygen available to the roots. Since we're not talking about a bubbler or re-circ system, there's nothing adding air to the water.

 

[lexort420]

Ya know... I would think that peat would just hold too much water and really limit the amount of oxygen available to the roots. Since we're not talking about a bubbler or re-circ system, there's nothing adding air to the water.

Before i switched to hempy i ran peat moss based soilless mix and i will say i think it would hold too much if it was used in a hempy. During my time with peat moss i added quite a bit of perlite to help make drainage better but even then i would only water my 2L container like every 4-5 days cause that's how long it took for the peat moss to dry out. I really do like the pure perlite hempys even with my brain farts lol.

 

[Tead]

Photos, feedings, and seed poppage.

2 OGK clones. One has obviously hit the res, while the other doesn't appear to have reached down yet.

Here's the first seed popped... and afgann reg. I totally knocked the pot over and had to replace a bunch of perlite... but it seems ok.

Here's Pineapple Chunk #2. She showed up this morning with a hat on, but it was easily removed.

And last but not least, I drilled a hole into a little jiffy tray to make it into a shallow hempy pot. Put an OGK clone into it.

Popping seeds in perlite seems to be the winner in my summer heat. The 2 seeds I originally put in peat pucks have been moved to perlite... but I hold little hope for them. The seed I put in a shot glass has not opened either.

 

[AKgramma]

I'm guessing that peat eventually breaks down and raises the PH too much? Tead, correct me if I'm wrong. That's why the hempy system uses Perlite, with or without vermiculite.

LOL! I got THAT backwards, didn't I? I knew the correct answer, but the fingers decided to record down instead of up.

 

[lexort420]

Is there a reason you avoid showing the 2L girl? Lol. Im glad you got some seeds to pop. Bet your excited to play with some new strains

 

[Tead]

Is there a reason you avoid showing the 2L girl? Lol. Im glad you got some seeds to pop. Bet your excited to play with some new strains

Yes... It's sure not much of a plant. I didn't let it recover from clipping clones and she's really tough looking from the previous damage. I'll include her on the next photo run.

I's so happy to get some seeds going. I've really had some bad luck with seeds in the past. I'm diggin the perlite method so far.

 

[Tead]

Banter on another grower's thread about PH has me pondering my OsmoPots.
I put a new bucket together to catch my afgann reg seedling after she grows a touch. I'm gonna run a test.

Loaded pot with 80g Osmo+ with about 1/3 in the bottom res area and the rest spread evenly thru.
Flushed her with some straight tap water. Probably about 5 gallons.
I'm gonna wait a day fro the little balls of Osmo+ to activate.
Tomorrow morning, I'll flush it again with PH'd water.
Then I'll sample for a few days and record the results.

Should give me a better handle on what the water is doing after it hits the bucket.

 

[SweetSue]

Banter on another grower's thread about PH has me pondering my OsmoPots.
I put a new bucket together to catch my afgann reg seedling after she grows a touch. I'm gonna run a test.

Loaded pot with 80g Osmo+ with about 1/3 in the bottom res area and the rest spread evenly thru.
Flushed her with some straight tap water. Probably about 5 gallons.
I'm gonna wait a day fro the little balls of Osmo+ to activate.
Tomorrow morning, I'll flush it again with PH'd water.
Then I'll sample for a few days and record the results.

Should give me a better handle on what the water is doing after it hits the bucket.

I'll be starting the Osmo + as the second pot, so I have plenty of time to watch you play with this experiment.

 

[ShiggityFlip]

Smokathon time Mr. Tead!

The Great July 4th Smok-a-thon of 2016!

 

[Tead]

Smokathon time Mr. Tead!

The Great July 4th Smok-a-thon of 2016!

I always feel a bit disconnected from these sorts of events really. When your world is full of good herb at all times, it's just hard to get excited about what you just did 1 hour ago.
Thanks for the invite Shigs... I'll have to visit and spread some love.

 

[Light Addict]

How's things with our resident Hempy king?

 

[Tead]

A shot of the top of the 2L. You can see the good new growth along with the older ugly stuff.
She's got 5 major tops. Not much underneath.
Betty's showin some leg.

I'm too lazy to look up what this is, but I'm not screwin with 'em... devil bugs!

The heat locally has been tough. Already seeing 90's in the area this morning. My old house exudes a slight 'toasting wood' kind of aroma when it gets really warm.

 

[Tead]

How's things with our resident Hempy king?

I'm having philosophical questions about my growing methods this morning. I sometimes wonder if I should espouse the kind of techniques that others have successfully used, or speak mostly of my own experience. It leads me to add a lot of disclaimers to posts that I'd rather not have to do.
I do like the fact that the folks dipping their toes into hempy seem to have brains between their ears that they're not afraid to exercise.

Then there's the never ending desire to pop tons of seeds or clones versus the reality of life in a small grow room.

So... yea... feeling odd this morning. Haven't made it over to your thread yet. I see the new grafting thread in your sig that has had me very curious for a while now.

Back to the long unread thread list.

 

[SweetSue]

You should espouse the techniques that work for you Tead. It's those successes that caught the eye of your students.

I need to drop a seed today. Can I do that in a hempy-style solo cup with just perlite, or do I need to add something to the perlite?

 

[Tead]

Can I do that in a hempy-style solo cup with just perlite, or do I need to add something to the perlite?

I use just perlite and water. Works well in the heat. I've been giving them water until I get runoff from the hole once a day.
I do use a small touch of grow nutes in my water. 1/4 tsp of my grow nutes per gallon.... tho I usually mix up 1/2 gal with 1/8th tsp.
I also PH all my water to something in the 5.5-5.8 range, but that's just habit really.

 

[SweetSue]

I use just perlite and water. Works well in the heat. I've been giving them water until I get runoff from the hole once a day.
I do use a small touch of grow nutes in my water. 1/4 tsp of my grow nutes per gallon.... tho I usually mix up 1/2 gal with 1/8th tsp.
I also PH all my water to something in the 5.5-5.8 range, but that's just habit really.

Can you mix up nutrients and keep them in reserve, or is this best done on demand and only what's needed? A light mix of nutrients in the water I use in the seedling cup? Would I be best to simply set up the pot and plant the seed right into that instead of going with a solo cup and transplanting?

I'm actually wondering if you're having better luck with germinating in perlite because of your temps. My weather has been much cooler than normal for this time of year. I've had to close the windows at night the past three days. I might be better off rooting in Rockwool. I'm going to try the perlite first. If it works it's simplicity itself, eh?

I keep forgetting about the meter. Ok, quick question here; I need the meter. What else do I need to have on hand to play the PH game? Please forgive my ignorance, but I grow in soil I can get away with doing nothing but water with chloramine-free water. All that takes is a drop of molasses per gallon of water and sit for ten minutes. This ph stuff gives me pause, so help me see it as a natural expression of gardening.

 

[Tead]

Can you mix up nutrients and keep them in reserve, or is this best done on demand and only what's needed? A light mix of nutrients in the water I use in the seedling cup? Would I be best to simply set up the pot and plant the seed right into that instead of going with a solo cup and transplanting?

As a rule of thumb, I mix and use immediately. I don't worry so much about my 1/4tsp water... tho I do replace with my 3 day feeding cycle.
I like to add a touch of nutes to all my water. I do the same with cloning water.
I prefer to start in smaller cups. It's just easier to keep it regularly hydrated. I have cloned direct in the end buckets before with fine results... it just uses more water.

I'm actually wondering if you're having better luck with germinating in perlite because of your temps. My weather has been much cooler than normal for this time of year. I've had to close the windows at night the past three days. I might be better off rooting in Rockwool. I'm going to try the perlite first. If it works it's simplicity itself, eh?

I'm sure it's heat/humidity related. In the cooler part of the year, cloning in perlite has been problematic and I've used rockwool or peat pucks. I'll be curious to see how it does in your cooler world.

I keep forgetting about the meter. Ok, quick question here; I need the meter. What else do I need to have on hand to play the PH game? Please forgive my ignorance, but I grow in soil I can get away with doing nothing but water with chloramine-free water. All that takes is a drop of molasses per gallon of water and sit for ten minutes. This ph stuff gives me pause, so help me see it as a natural expression of gardening.

You'll need some sort of ph down adjuster. You'll most likely need to adjust down on every batch of water or nutes. Baking soda (not powder) can be used to adjust up, but a bottle of PH down made for hydroponic applications is what I would suggest... tho some use vinegar. A quart bottle of PHdown will probably last a year or more.
Also, with your meter, you really need a bottle of PH-7 calibration fluid. The accuracy of the meters drifts over time. You can test and correct the drift on a monthly basis using the calibration fluid.

 

[SweetSue]

Ok, so a meter, PH down and PH-7 as a control. Please explain "baking soda (not powder)". What baking soda isn't in powder form?

Thanks Tead. You're making this easier for me and I appreciate that. Let me take myself to dinner and get this order placed.

 

[Tead]

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. Yes, it's a powder, but it's not the same as baking powder.
Baking powder contains some sodium bicarbonate but has many other ingredients in it.

Not a baker ehh?

 

[SweetSue]

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. Yes, it's a powder, but it's not the same as baking powder.
Baking powder contains some sodium bicarbonate but has many other ingredients in it.

Not a baker ehh?

I'd just awakened from a catnap when I read that. We have a choice here. We can chalk that up to being stoned or being sleep deprived. Lol. Of course, baking powder. hahaha!