# Hempy Buckets, Lucas Formula & LED's



## October420 (Sep 21, 2014)

While I'm waiting on my seeds to arrive so I can get started on my first grow I've been doing as much reading and research as possible. 

So I come across Hempy Buckets, looks really straight forward and it appears folks get some good results with them. Then I stumble upon the Lucas Formula, looks straight forward and  simple, I like that. Then I find out if you are using coco coir in your Hempy Bucket you need to tweak the formula slightly, add a little CalMg or MagiCal to the mix, simple enough, I can do that. Then I find out the formula is if you are growing under HID lights, really? 

So growers that use the Lucas Formula, would one have to tweak the formula if you were growing under LED lights? Also, would you water every time with the formula, or would you alternate between the formula and plain water? Just looking for clarity, so thank y'all in advance.

As it stands now I plan on my first grow to be in soil, Fox Farm Ocean Forest, but I like the idea of being to know just what my plants are getting so I might try the Hempy Buckets in the near future.

Peace


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## Locked (Sep 21, 2014)

October420 said:


> While I'm waiting on my seeds to arrive so I can get started on my first grow I've been doing as much reading and research as possible.
> 
> So I come across Hempy Buckets, looks really straight forward and it appears folks get some good results with them. Then I stumble upon the Lucas Formula, looks straight forward and  simple, I like that. Then I find out if you are using coco coir in your Hempy Bucket you need to tweak the formula slightly, add a little CalMg or MagiCal to the mix, simple enough, I can do that. Then I find out the formula is if you are growing under HID lights, really?
> 
> ...



While I have never grown in Hempy Buckets I do currently grow under LED's after a couple of years of HPS.  For me and in my experience the plants eat less under LED. I am a notorious heavy feeder and I am feeding at about half or so of what I normally do.  I don't know if it is because the LED lights are more efficiently putting out light that the plant can use compared to HPS or what.  It makes sense that if HPS lights waste a lot of the energy that they draw by changing it to heat, and also in producing light that the plants don't actually use, then an LED light that doesn't have those weakness' would provide more usable light.  That could in turn allow the plant to better utilize the nutrients provided and need less.   Jmo and thoughts.  I am happy I switched.


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## Rosebud (Sep 22, 2014)

WOO HOO, lets get this first grow going...so happy for you Oct.


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## yooper420 (Sep 22, 2014)

Hempy buckets....No personal knowledge. Quite a few people use them, should be able to find a journal using them. Believe most people like `em.
Lucas Formula....No knowledge.
LED`s.....On grow #6 using LED`s. Luv `em, can`t imagine the heat problems with other grow lights. I use 2 Advanced Diamond Series 300`s to light s 3' x 6.5' area. Lot`s of info on their web site.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Sep 22, 2014)

I have not been happy using the Lucas formula in veg.  I have personally found that the plants just do not get enough N and suffer in flowering because of the lack of N in veg.  When I use the Lucas formula (I am growing organic soil right now), I use something like GH Flora NOVA Grow and then use just the GH Flora (no Nova) micro and bloom nutrients and do fine.  However I have never had great results using Lucas all the way through.

No personal knowledge about LEDs or Hempy buckets.


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## trillions of atoms (Sep 22, 2014)

Never had a problem with Lucas straight up under hids.

I do hit them with a tweaked formula in flower tho. I hit them harder with the bloom formula after a week or so.

When running lucas, you feed with the solution the entire time, and when cleaning the rez- I water with plain h20 that day. Sort of a flush if you will mid-flower. Then hit u again with the lucas mix the rest of the way through.

I only do this to rid of any excess salt buildup that might be hanging out in the medium.

After the "flush" I dump that ph'd RO water and give um' a fresh mix.



It's VERY easy.


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## October420 (Sep 22, 2014)

Yeah I did some more looking around and discovered that there is a tweak to the Lucas Formula when using less than 400w, I believe my LED light has an actual draw of 350-400w. So instead of 8ml Flora Micro and 16ml of Flora Bloom you would use 5ml and 10ml per one gallon of water. 

Hemp Goddess you aren't the only one who said they didn't have great success using Lucas. 

This will be my first grow so I'm set up to grow in soil once the seeds arrive. I've already purchased Fox Farm's Ocean Forest for my potting soil, I've heard I should cut it with perlite at about 30%, again not sure since this is a first.

I'll be growing in a pretty tight space, 32" x 32" x 84" tall so I'd like to maximize my yields as much as possible, that why I was thinking of a passive hydro system like Hempy Buckets. But I'm going to roll with the soil for my first go. 

Gotta thank y'all, lot's of feedback and ideas, can't wait to crack some seeds and get growing.

Peace


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## trillions of atoms (Sep 22, 2014)

Goodluck!

Research research research!!


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## The Hemp Goddess (Sep 23, 2014)

Actually, I am good with Lucas in flowering, but using it during vegging gave me problems with not enough N to last through flowering.  In other words, I found that the plants that I used, say, GH Flora NOVA Grow during veg and then went to the Lucas system fared better than the plants that I had on Lucas all the way through.

Later, you might want to look into making up some DWC buckets or totes.  I have done a couple of pretty cool scrogs in small spaces.  I also have a 32 x 32 tent.  While it is small, you can still pull a nice harvest from there.


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## Rosebud (Sep 23, 2014)

I never add perlite to FFOF. Maybe I should.... Can't wait for you to have beginners luck. I know you will.  Greenest of mojo Oct.


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## vulcano22 (Sep 26, 2014)

Good lucky! :welcome:


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## sopappy (Mar 10, 2015)

October420 said:


> ..... snipped to hempy buckets....
> 
> that why I was thinking of a passive hydro system like Hempy Buckets. But I'm going to roll with the soil for my first go.
> 
> Peace



Did you ever try the hempy buckets?


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## October420 (Mar 11, 2015)

sopappy said:


> Did you ever try the hempy buckets?



No I went with soil, I used fox farms ocean forest. I had awesome results using it. Working on another grow, using FFOF again.


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## BROMAN (Mar 15, 2015)

If you do go the Hempy route take a look at Mass Producers coco buckets.  My first grow is coming to a close and I'm very happy with the results.  Give the sticky a read.


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