Need help from soil growers

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Newbgrower1

Newbgrower1

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So I just bought 3 bags of ff hf soil and found what looks like to be a bunch of eggs in the first bag I opened. Any insight on what it may be is appreciated. It was stored in a greenhouse at the garden center. It was going to be for my indoor plants but I really don’t want to use it if it’s some kind of pest. I still need to add two bags to my garden as well so was thinking of putting it in the garden with some diatomaceous earth. Do you think that would kill whatever it may be. I was just about to transplant them then I saw that so now I’m on hold till I figure this out.
Need help from soil growers 2
Need help from soil growers
Need help from soil growers 3
 
Newbgrower1

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LoveGrowingIt said:
Those sure do look like eggs. I definitely wouldn't want it in my house. My first thought is spider eggs. I'd take that back to the garden store and ask them. A replacement or a refund might be best.
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Thanks for the quick reply. The other two bags looked fine it was just the one I chose for inside. Lol I’m bringing it back and opening the replacement in the store. Thanks again
 
cannafarmer420

cannafarmer420

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Captspaulding said:
farm farm strikes again!
Either that or there is poor standards at the supplier. Bags look absolutely soaked. 😡
Sorry man, def got you what look to be ant eggs.
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Quality control across the board the last few years has been 🗑. All the industries seem to be having issues, I know at my work it's a disaster since flu.
That's some bs though, I wonder how many bags are a mess. Definitely return it ✌️
 
7munkee

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I bought a bag of FF ocean Forest and a bag of FF Strawberry Feilds several years ago. Both had fungus gnats in them. They are fairly easy to get rid of, but still...when you buy a premium soil you expect PREMIUM soil...not bugs. I would never buy from them again. I started using peat bales. If you hydrate the bales with boiling water, you are sure to kill any eggs. Since then, I started making soil the BuildASoil way and it depends on beetles, worms, predator mites, mycorhiza etc. to break down organic matter and control pests, but you have to have a large bed to keep populations in check.
 
Newbgrower1

Newbgrower1

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Captspaulding said:
fox farm strikes again!
Either that or there is poor standards at the supplier. Bags look absolutely soaked. 😡
Sorry man, def got you what look to be ant eggs.
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Thanks capt. yea it’s getting returned. Only place that stores it indoors so I thought I was good. but who knows how it was stored before they got it. I was happy when I saw it for $20 but that was short lived lol
 
PlumberSoCal2

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Newbgrower1 said:
So I just bought 3 bags of ff hf soil and found what looks like to be a bunch of eggs in the first bag I opened. Any insight on what it may be is appreciated. It was stored in a greenhouse at the garden center. It was going to be for my indoor plants but I really don’t want to use it if it’s some kind of pest. I still need to add two bags to my garden as well so was thinking of putting it in the garden with some diatomaceous earth. Do you think that would kill whatever it may be. I was just about to transplant them then I saw that so now I’m on hold till I figure this out. View attachment 2160178View attachment 2160177View attachment 2160179
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Microwave or oven, the whole lot of it before use. 200F 30 mins should kill everything.
 
Mothman

Mothman

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Newbgrower1 said:
So I just bought 3 bags of ff hf soil and found what looks like to be a bunch of eggs in the first bag I opened. Any insight on what it may be is appreciated. It was stored in a greenhouse at the garden center. It was going to be for my indoor plants but I really don’t want to use it if it’s some kind of pest. I still need to add two bags to my garden as well so was thinking of putting it in the garden with some diatomaceous earth. Do you think that would kill whatever it may be. I was just about to transplant them then I saw that so now I’m on hold till I figure this out. View attachment 2160178View attachment 2160177View attachment 2160179
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I’m not so sure they’re ants. After reviewing many photos of ant eggs, they tend to be shaped more like rice grains. In your photo these look spherical.

I recently opened an old partial bag of FFHF from my garage. It was loaded with blooming grey mold of some type. I think you have mold (a different variety than mine) in the bag and those tightly packed spheres are the fruiting bodies.

In Happy Frog, unless you find it to be a bad fungus like artillery fungus (and I don’t think it’s that), I’d consider it might be a good sign (FF loads it with mycos etc. at the plant).

Like the Captain, I noticed your soil is quite wet. Wet soil and fungus—a case of Occam’s Razor, maybe?
 
Newbgrower1

Newbgrower1

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Mothman said:
I’m not so sure they’re ants. After reviewing many photos of ant eggs, they tend to be shaped more like rice grains. In your photo these look spherical.

I recently opened an old partial bag of FFHF from my garage. It was loaded with blooming grey mold of some type. I think you have mold (a different variety than mine) in the bag and those tightly packed spheres are the fruiting bodies.

In Happy Frog, unless you find it to be a bad fungus like artillery fungus (and I don’t think it’s that), I’d consider it might be a good sign (FF loads it with mycos etc. at the plant).

Like the Captain, I noticed your soil is quite wet. Wet soil and fungus—a case of Occam’s Razor, maybe?
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I’ll have to look into that. I did notice mine were more round but do you think there would be fuzz with it if it was a mold? It was just those little dots in flat clumps.
 
Mothman

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Newbgrower1 said:
I’ll have to look into that. I did notice mine were more round but do you think there would be fuzz with it if it was a mold? It was just those little dots in flat clumps.
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It’s more accurately a fungus, I think. I’ve repeatedly gotten a couple little grey mushrooms that volunteer in my FF soil.
 
Newbgrower1

Newbgrower1

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Mothman said:
It’s more accurately a fungus, I think. I’ve repeatedly gotten a couple little grey mushrooms that volunteer in my FF soil.
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Gotcha. I did do some research on my own and it does seem to look like a fungus. do you think it would be soft? These little tiny balls are rock solid like grains of sand almost. Even tho I’m pretty sure it is a fungus I’m still going to bring it back and see if they’ll replace it. Just to keep my mind at ease. I’ve used 10 bags of ff hf and this is the first one I came across like this. Better safe than sorry. Or maybe I’ll transplant my tomato plant to it and give it a couple weeks before I put it in the garden. Idk lol
 
Newbgrower1

Newbgrower1

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I’m kinda thinking I should use it in a 2 ga. Pot for my tomato. Just to run an experiment and so I know 100% what it is. If I bring it back I won’t know. If they are eggs of some sort is there any way to make them hatch? Or when do they hatch(under certain conditions or just a certain time)?
 
BearWater

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Newbgrower1 said:
If they are eggs of some sort is there any way to make them hatch? Or when do they hatch(under certain conditions or just a certain time)?
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This is all determined by the species or whatever : ) like hatching quail eggs vs chicken eggs vs alligator eggs. They might have a general environment that would hatch them but you wouldn’t know that until you know what they came from. This is theory coupled with a little knowledge (LITTLE).
 
Mothman

Mothman

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Newbgrower1 said:
I’m kinda thinking I should use it in a 2 ga. Pot for my tomato. Just to run an experiment and so I know 100% what it is. If I bring it back I won’t know. If they are eggs of some sort is there any way to make them hatch? Or when do they hatch(under certain conditions or just a certain time)?
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Yeah, go with what’ll give you peace of mind. If you don’t, the first bump in the road and you’ll be blaming yourself.

I think ants don’t leave their eggs. If conditions deteriorate, they hump those eggs right outta there.

Edit: I used my HF full of mold to repot a Frostette clone. No issues a week later or so. It seems real happy, even on my starvation diet.
IMG 5104
 
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PlumberSoCal2

PlumberSoCal2

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BearWater said:
This is all determined by the species or whatever : ) like hatching quail eggs vs chicken eggs vs alligator eggs. They might have a general environment that would hatch them but you wouldn’t know that until you know what they came from. This is theory coupled with a little knowledge (LITTLE).
Click to expand...
Saw similar several times through the years on egg cartens and thought bug eggs. Tried to hatch a couple years ago, checked daily and nada. I'm now leaning fungus. Eyesight isn't near what it use to be.
 
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