Howdy folks! I've almost finished setting up my room, and I'm about to pop some seeds. Bear with me a bit because I really did forget so much (and I lost all my notes!! FACK!! #@%!!). I've got 4 strains, all fem, and I want to mother 1 of each, at least for the duration of one grow, until I decide which ones to keep. Once they're sprouted, would straight into soil or hempy be easier? I think I was trying to do a mother in hempy before and it was a real pain, but it's been a reeeeeally long damn time since I ran soil, and not only have I forgotten everything, I shudder to think about my addled brains trying to keep track of two different systems, so to speak. (ftw, I plan on a hempy grow, not soil....) Also, just fyi, I got what I hope to be some tasty shit: Jack Herer, Strawberry Cough, Pineapple Kush, and SSH (one of my faves!). I know some of you would fuss at me for getting fem seeds, but 1. ain't nobody got time, especially this girl, and 2. Last time I had unsexed plants going, I didn't catch it in time, and ended up with a Killing Kush/Strawberry Anesthesia cross. (And for other stupid reasons, I totally lost my SA. I'm so terribly sad. And the KK/SA seeds I saved just.... just maybe because.... they didn't pop. I tried last week. Sadface.) Sooo..... soil, or hempy for my little uns, if I'm gonna keep them in veg?
If you're planning a Hempy grow, then you'll have all the nutes and supplies to work with Hempy moms. I've been doing Hempy bonsai moms in 1 qt. pots for about 5 years. They get topped multiple times to keep them about a foot tall and when they get too stemmy and too root bound, it's clone and start over time. This takes about 4 months. By then, they don't flush well at all. It's possible to get 6 moms in a space only a little larger than a square foot. Since I don't need a lot of clones, this works well for me. It sure has helped improve my cloning technique.
I would run the Hempy to keep it simple. Use a 70% perlite and 30% vermiculite mix and there will be less watering.
Res, I knew you'd say that! I'll try that mix out, as I already have both of those. I think I'll just have to clone and swap more often, because I remember after a short while (two times pulling clones, maybe?) the mom looked terrible and unhealthy.
I still say the tasty tasty buds I ever got were from soil, biggest from hydro and great quality, but I am still sort of new to hydro so....i would go with what you know/remember till first or second harvest get you buds and play from there. Just my 2 cents.
I'll chime in and second the dirt suggestion.. I'd also suggest keeping your mom in a fiber pot to help combat her from becoming root bound. Sooner or later they'll become root bound and you'll have to prune the roots back and repot with fresh soil.. I don't really keep moms any more but I do tend to keep clones laying around in solo cups for several months and as long as prune the roots back from time to time the do pretty well. I'm a dirt kinda guy buy I suppose you could do the same thing with hempy pots and they'd do just as well. cheers
