Best Soil And Nutrient/fertilizer Combination To Keep Things Simple?

[giannid]

So I'm going to be attempting my first indoor grow. I'll be using a 4 by 4 tent with a Sunsystems lec 315 cmh bulb. Have a few different strains and I'm going to try for 4 or 5 plants.

So today I was at two local indoor grow stores to get some ideas and recommendations. Most importantly I looking at my options for soil and nutrients. Man this nutrients thing looks complicated. The one guy was telling me my best bet was to use Coco to plant in and use 4 different fertilizers/nutrients by Spartan/Nectar brand. Seems like a lot of stuff to use. He said I will have to monitor PH and make some adjustments with my nutrients based on PH.

Another place recommended Roots Organic soil and just one fertilizer to simplify things, Advance Nutrients PH perfect bloom. He said I wouldn't have to test the PH with this fertilizer.

What do you guys recommend? This is my first indoor grow and I want as simple as possible with good results. Seems like if things are very complicated there's more to go wrong.

 

[JWM2]

BioBizz Light Mix works great for a premixed soil. It’s not loaded with nutes so you can use your bottled ferts almost immediately.

I like Primordial Solutions or BioBizz nutrients. Have had great luck with both of them. Primordial Solutions is highly concentrated so it will last a long time. And if you buy their entire line it’s 4 bottles.

BioBizz is a little more involved and not nearly as concentrated so you’ll go through it much quicker. But it is OMRI certified (if that’s important to you) and has been a staple for decades.

I’ve always avoided AN due to their marketing ploys and high price tag. When they first entered the market they were stupid expensive and quite frankly I was getting as good or better results with BioBizz. But that’s me.

 

[OldManRiver]

Happy Frog is widely available and is good. Sunshine #4 is very good. Fox Farms Ocean Forest is good, but is 'hot', a little trickier to use.

I'd get Sunshine #4 if available, Happy Frog if its not.

I use Botanicare Pro, veg and Bloom, nothing else. Mix to 3/4 recommended strength, use weekly.

Those will grow you a healthy crop with little trouble.

 

[OldManRiver]

BTW, it's bullshit that you don't need to pH test with some particular fertilizer. Your grow store guy may not know much. Even with the soils I recommended, I've occasionally had to adjust the pH. A cheap soil pH tester from Home Depot is a worthy investment.

 

[Buzzer777]

Megacrop..simple and cheap..good too!

 

[DieselDuds]

Old man is on it.

 

[UncleRomulus]

Forget getting around checking your ph to dial whatever you chose in. Thing is once you figure out your water with your nutes remember the measurements (or write them down). So I for example know that with my ph down (phosphoric acid) I use .6 ml to bring my tap water to 6.5. My three part nutes make my mix 6.7 so I don’t mess with that.
Anyways check out maxibloom and Jacks for a good 1 part with some micros

 

[UncleRomulus]

Both work in any medium

 

[giannid]

Megacrop..simple and cheap..good too!

What are you growing in with the megacrop? Seems to be simple.

 

[giannid]

Megacrop..simple and cheap..good too!

Soil your using?

 

[Buzzer777]

Soil your using?

Sorry..A mix of FoxFarm (Happy Frog, Strawberry Fields) and coarse perlite. approx..40%-40%-20%

 

[giannid]

Sorry..A mix of FoxFarm (Happy Frog, Strawberry Fields) and coarse perlite. approx..40%-40%-20%

What are strawberry fields?

 

[Buzzer777]

What are strawberry fields?

Strawberry Fields is a Foxfarm soil..More Coco based and hot like their Ocean Forest. I switched from OF last grow to SF and am quite pleased..Much lighter and doesn't compact as much..plus it comes in a 1.5 cuft bag like HF..I get them for $12 each locally. Only problem as usual is an occasional gnat which is easily fixed with yellow sticky traps.

 

[Buzzer777]

In case you are wondering..I like the Happy Frog to mix in since it is bland in comparison and contains Mycorrhizae (I add Extreme Mycos after I transplant too)

 

[MIMedGrower]

I think pro-mix hp and a complete one part fertilizer with micro nutes is the best way to start.

Teaches how to watch and fertilize plants as needed and to properly maintain the medium without too much penalty for minor mistakes.

I use amended potting soil like ocean forest now with pure blend pro grow added only in flower but the transition from water only to adding nutes can be trickier with the organic nutrients involved.

 

[giannid]

I think pro-mix hp and a complete one part fertilizer with micro nutes is the best way to start.

Teaches how to watch and fertilize plants as needed and to properly maintain the medium without too much penalty for minor mistakes.

I use amended potting soil like ocean forest now with pure blend pro grow added only in flower but the transition from water only to adding nutes can be trickier with the organic nutrients involved.

What one part fertilizer with micro do you recomend?

 

[MIMedGrower]

What one part fertilizer with micro do you recomend?

Well you can use botanicare pure blend pro. Or many folks have great success with dyna grow foliage pro.

Or you can use powdered nutes like jacks 20-20-20 or citrus feed.

Many options out there. I used to use botanicare kind although it’s a 3 part the base is only calcium nitrate and the rest is in the grow or bloom bottle.

You can adjust the nitrogen with that and only really need the base and grow.

It all works pretty much the same. although I’m sure some will disagree. ;-)

 

[giannid]

Happy Frog is widely available and is good. Sunshine #4 is very good. Fox Farms Ocean Forest is good, but is 'hot', a little trickier to use.

I'd get Sunshine #4 if available, Happy Frog if its not.

I use Botanicare Pro, veg and Bloom, nothing else. Mix to 3/4 recommended strength, use weekly.

Those will grow you a healthy crop with little trouble.

No luck on the sunshine #4 locally but can get Fox farm soils. Do you think it would be ok to start with a 50/50 mix of happy frog/ocean forest? Not sure what you mean by ocean forest being hot?

If I use the botanicare products, I only need to feed one time a week? Obviously would have to water more.

 

[Buzzer777]

No luck on the sunshine #4 locally but can get Fox farm soils. Do you think it would be ok to start with a 50/50 mix of happy frog/ocean forest? Not sure what you mean by ocean forest being hot?

If I use the botanicare products, I only need to feed one time a week? Obviously would have to water more.

Hot as in has it's own nutrients amended into the soil (NOT time released, but can kill or damage new seedlings). No additional nutes needed until those are used up (depending on soil..up to 30 days worth FFOF))I switched from Canna Nutes to Megacrop..saved a ton and the product is actually better without many supplements. I do continue Botincare Sweet unflavored, even though I hate the fact that Monsanto now owns or controls them. I cave in on that and GH (also Monsanto) PH up/down.

 

[oldskol4evr]

old school way as another member told me recently,first grow right,go to your yard dig up enough soil to fill a jar 3/4 of the way,get all the sticks and leaves and stuff out,put the soil in jar and fill with water ,shake for a min and sit jar on level surface,look at the layers in the jar about 30 min later,sand will be on bottom,silt in middle,clay on top,for weed i would go with equal on sand and silt the clay i would go half what the 2 other are,after that said and done,go to kelp4less and buy a soil cutter starter kit depending on how much your making,then just ph your water to 6.5 for the whole grow,keep soil happy and the plant be happy,i have a discount code if you choice to do this,oldshol4evr for 10% off.
you will absorb total cost up front and your done,as long as you dont go adding a mess of chemicals to it and that same soil will get you threw a couple grows,ive gone 2 yrs before amending