What is a good Base soil

[clark1033]

What is a good base soil to build my medium? I am considering FoxFarm but it's on the expensive side. What soil would you recommend for my base?

 

[RoadKillSkunkHunt]

What is a good base soil to build my medium? I am considering FoxFarm but it's on the expensive side. What soil would you recommend for my base?

Just use Ocean Forest and add about 20% perlite. You don't need to add anything else to it. You don't need to do anything else to it. You're not likely to improve it. Fox Farm has done all the work for you already.

 

[clark1033]

Just use Ocean Forest and add about 20% perlite. You don't need to add anything else to it. You don't need to do anything else to it. You're not likely to improve it. Fox Farm has done all the work for you already.

Will it last the entire grow?

 

[RoadKillSkunkHunt]

Will it last the entire grow?

Not likely. However with a good feed routine, its still much better than what most people can mix up on their own. If you're interested in a water only mix, look into Roots Organic "Lush" and even with that, you still might end up feeding it some before the end of the grow.

 

[clark1033]

Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it.

 

[RoadKillSkunkHunt]

Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it.

You're asking a lot of any soil mix for it to last an entire cannabis growth cycle without using some type nutrient program. Even the best mixes will eventually need to be fed over the course of a 4-6 month grow with a hungry plant like cannabis.

You're better off starting with a high quality mix that is already buffered to the pH range (6.5 +/- 2) and then either using a salts based or an organic base feed routine. Mixing "stuff" into it with the attempt to improve it will likely upset the pH buffering that helps the mix stay in the sweet spot. If you want to build a soil mix, use something like Sub-Cool's recipe or one of the long time grower's here might be able to suggest something that has worked for them.

@Eledin are you able to chime in?

 

[Week4Bytch]

Saying Fox Farm is expensive.. wow, that's the cheapest soil in my area. Where you growing from? You can grow soil only if you transplant into larger pot on the switch to a fresh batch of soil. I've never done it but old heads have.

 

[clark1033]

Saying Fox Farm is expensive.. wow, that's the cheapest soil in my area. Where you growing from? You can grow soil only if you transplant into larger pot on the switch to a fresh batch of soil. I've never done it but old heads have.

I'm a first time grower so a 2cu ft bag for $36 feels a little high to me.

 

[clark1033]

You're asking a lot of any soil mix for it to last an entire cannabis growth cycle without using some type nutrient program. Even the best mixes will eventually need to be fed over the course of a 4-6 month grow with a hungry plant like cannabis.

You're better off starting with a high quality mix that is already buffered to the pH range (6.5 +/- 2) and then either using a salts based or an organic base feed routine. Mixing "stuff" into it with the attempt to improve it will likely upset the pH buffering that helps the mix stay in the sweet spot. If you want to build a soil mix, use something like Sub-Cool's recipe or one of the long time grower's here might be able to suggest something that has worked for them.

@Eledin are you able to chime in?

I've read that if you use 20 gallon pots, the soil will last the duration. Im leaning towards auto flower 9-10 weeks, indoor grow.

 

[clark1033]

I've read that if you use 20 gallon pots, the soil will last the duration. Im leaning towards auto flower 9-10 weeks, indoor grow.

Maybe 15 gallon for 10 weeks.

 

[RoadKillSkunkHunt]

Saying Fox Farm is expensive.. wow, that's the cheapest soil in my area. Where you growing from? You can grow soil only if you transplant into larger pot on the switch to a fresh batch of soil. I've never done it but old heads have.

I use FFOF and I mix in about 20% perlite for fast drainage. I up-pot first to a 1 gallon pot and then a few weeks before flowering, I'll up-pot again into either a 3 gallon or 5 gallon fabric pot. I like Ocean Forest. It's inexpensive in my area ($12.99 + tax - 1.5 cu ft bag) compared to many of the others just like @Week4Bytch stated. I still end up feeding my plants.

I've read that if you use 20 gallon pots, the soil will last the duration. Im leaning towards auto flower 9-10 weeks, indoor grow.

I don't know many people who use that size pot indoors. However, since you're suggesting a pot 4x's the size I usually use, I would think yes it would make it through out the whole grow even if you're growing a photoperiod plant. Not many autos go longer than 4 months so you might surprise yourself using Ocean Forest with an auto-flower.

 

[BearWater]

Maybe 15 gallon for 10 weeks.

I used 7 gallon fabric pots my first indoor run. They felt huge! And would stay wet/heavy for days. There are a few growers here that are in “living soil” with really big containers indoor! Look up MikedIn, NateP, Thukuh here on the Farm : ) MikedIn has a discussion topic thread for soil, jump over there and they will be more than happy to answer any questions : )

 

[RoadKillSkunkHunt]

I used 7 gallon fabric pots my first indoor run. They felt huge! And would stay wet/heavy for days. There are a few growers here that are in “living soil” with really big containers indoor! Look up MikedIn, NateP, Thukuh here on the Farm : ) MikedIn has a discussion topic thread for soil, jump over there and they will be more than happy to answer any questions : )

That sounds like a good place to check out. Thanks @BearWater

Mikedin’s Living Soil Adventure and Living Soil discussion topic

Decided to start up a new topic for this new setup. This is also an open discussion topic for everyone to discuss as they please I have decided to go to full living organic soil, while I was running organics in 12 gallon pots we are increasing everything. The setup continues to build but the...

www.thcfarmer.com

 

[katraiter]

Just use Ocean Forest and add about 20% perlite. You don't need to add anything else to it. You don't need to do anything else to it. You're not likely to improve it. Fox Farm has done all the work for you already.

Agreed

 

[katraiter]

I'm a first time grower so a 2cu ft bag for $36 feels a little high to me.

3 bags runs me about 75 with tax. One bag per 10 gallon pot . Gave me monsters this year! It's a good no fuss mix . But I feed hard too, is all I use , a new bag each plant. 40 bucks is high ... Normally I find it for 23 . But if it was 40 .. I would stretch it with some pearlite . And still buy it. I get my soil cost back in bud form definitely each year with it . Happy growing!

 

[Week4Bytch]

I'm a first time grower so a 2cu ft bag for $36 feels a little high to me.

Wait till you see the price of the lights.. unless your outdoors.

 

[BearWater]

That sounds like a good place to check out. Thanks @BearWater

Mikedin’s Living Soil Adventure and Living Soil discussion topic

Decided to start up a new topic for this new setup. This is also an open discussion topic for everyone to discuss as they please I have decided to go to full living organic soil, while I was running organics in 12 gallon pots we are increasing everything. The setup continues to build but the...

www.thcfarmer.com

Yeah of course! might be worth a shot : ) not to take away discussion from here, could be good perusing for op

 

[clark1033]

Wait till you see the price of the lights.. unless your outdoors.

 

[clark1033]

I used 7 gallon fabric pots my first indoor run. They felt huge! And would stay wet/heavy for days. There are a few growers here that are in “living soil” with really big containers indoor! Look up MikedIn, NateP, Thukuh here on the Farm : ) MikedIn has a discussion topic thread for soil, jump over there and they will be more than happy to answer any questions : )

Thanks BearWater

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

What is a good base soil to build my medium? I am considering FoxFarm but it's on the expensive side. What soil would you recommend for my base?

I use both FF Happy Frog and Ocean Forest. Sometimes I mix the two. I also reuse them. I use HF the most because it works well with the organic nutrients I use. It has a lot of wood chips, which are good for the fungi in the soil, but fungus gnats like them too. I amend nutrients throughout the grow. 20% to 30% perlite is a must.