Can you do u'r first grow with extra Fancy dirt and call it a day?

[BurnzYzBudZz]

Yes ,also my old habits stay with me , I have bales of pro mix , not that much access to fox farm where I am ........

And I usually go with natural composted manures etc so I like to dilute with the pro mix

So you add the composted manure as a top dress or in the pro mix? After you add the manure you don’t have to feed for the duration of the plants life?

 

[Frankster]

Those strawberry dudes look scary , hey frankster , do you start seedlings directly in these products ?

Yes, let me show you my thread on this subject. I've used straight seedling technique also, but it's best to probably cover it with a napkin over the soil, until it's sprouted. (kept damp).

otherwise: I use the napkin technique, especially if I want every single one to pop...

Here: https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/basics-planting-a-proper-sprout.113391/


and Here: https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/space-ace-growing-basics-2.114443/

 

[MIMedGrower]

I did. Fox farm ocean forest. No visible signs of burn with my seedlings. But it’s strain dependent. Add 25% more perlite to prevent any burning.
Burnz

Yeah I think its overwatering that burns seedlings in ocean forest. I always had great results as long as i had large perlite mixed in.

 

[dire wolf]

So you add the composted manure as a top dress or in the pro mix? After you add the manure you don’t have to feed for the duration of the plants life?

Hey burnz , yes food is supplied all the way thru , though my comment might be a bit misleading , it's manure , etc , the base is chicken manure , but the mix also has bat guano , food compost , decayed plant matter and often added , bone meal , fish , blood meal , kelp , earthworm castings and a bunch of other composted / blended nutrients , not added as a top dress , completely mixed with approx 50 % pro mix and perlite ...

If I'm not growing in a natural mix , I'll use one of many nutrient products , Alaska fish fertilizer , dyna grow , gh etc ......

 

[dire wolf]

But when it comes to seedlings I usually do just straight pro mix perlite for about 2 weeks , just how I do it....

 

[BurnzYzBudZz]

But when it comes to seedlings I usually do just straight pro mix perlite for about 2 weeks , just how I do it....

I understand. Thank you for the clarification. I am diggin’ dyna gro. Great results thus far.

 

[Beachwalker]

Those strawberry dudes look scary , hey frankster , do you start seedlings directly in these products ?

It's fine to start seedlings in the Happy Frog, start it as mr. mimeds said above in a smaller pot and then put it in the bigger pot as it grows. It's a fallacy that you can't put seedlings in it the same media that you're going to grow them in

To answer your question, if you have a big enough pot with a super soil like a Stonington blend for example I've been told that will sustain a pot plant through its entire growth cycle; I don't grow this way but it can be done, good luck!

 

[basscaptain]

you can run this a few weeks longer them OF.......but it still needs some MPK & Calmag to get you to the finish line........ if your running solo to a 1 or 2 gal for veg for 6wks.. then up pot to 5gal for the last 2 wks of veg and 4 wks max in flower... I would start feeding a little about wk 3 after trans... nothing needs added you can run this right out of the bag....It drains fast so you have to water more then any FF that I used..........

just my 2 cents worth.....

I did run a THCB or maybe it was a BFT ( I froget) all the way with it in a 27 gal tota and trans planted it outside and reveg it.............................. I went from 1/3 HF, 1/3 OF, 1/3HFC to this soil from the 5gal to the 27gal..... that's when I made the move to this soil......................................

 

[JWM2]

Yeah I think its overwatering that burns seedlings in ocean forest. I always had great results as long as i had large perlite mixed in.

Personally I’ve always had issues using fox farm straight out of the bag. The first week or two the plant seems to become dormant while it adjusts and then seems to take off. I’ve gotten around this by diluting the FFOF with perlite and coco coir. I use this mixture for seedlings and fresh clones. Once they’ve established a healthy root system then I go to FFOF amended with organic compost, worm castings, perlite and coco coir. That’s just what seems to work for me. I know plenty others don’t have any issue it just seems everytime I attempt to grow with it or any potting mix straight from the bag the plants seem unhappy for a while before taking off.

 

[Cabi]

I did. Fox farm ocean forest. No visible signs of burn with my seedlings. But it’s strain dependent. Add 25% more perlite to prevent any burning.
Burnz

So. I thought that feeding a seedling two early could cause drama. That it wasn't necessary to feed for the first two weeks. Do I have that wrong?

 

[BurnzYzBudZz]

So. I thought that feeding a seedling two early could cause drama. That it wasn't necessary to feed for the first two weeks. Do I have that wrong?

It could definitely hurt the seedlings. I think @JWM2 hit the nail on the head. I did see stunted growth in the beginning, along with other issues. They then exploded with growth. I’m starting a new grow in a couple weeks and am going to add a bit more large chunky perlite and see if that helps with the growth. FFOF is easy for me to source at a great price.

 

[Beachwalker]

So. I thought that feeding a seedling two early could cause drama. That it wasn't necessary to feed for the first two weeks. Do I have that wrong?

In ffof you wouldn't feed a Seedling for 6 weeks to 2 months, and even then you got to watch the plant, it will get a little light green, that's when I start to feed lightly

 

[JWM2]

FFOF is a great base that can be manipulated to suit a wide variety of conditions. What I posted above is just what works for me. I stumbled upon this method in the early 2000s while trying to copy Vic Highs super soil recipe but didn’t have the space needed to pull it off. By using a base like FFOF to cut out manually adding 1/3 of the ingredients, it simplified the process and allowed me to use something similar with a lot less hassle and work to achieve similar results.

And yes I did say Vic High because at that time Subcool wasn’t a player and wouldn’t become one for a few years. Not sure how he ended up with credit for Vics recipe but oh well. Not my pig, not my farm.

 

[Cabi]

Free tip
Get a hand mister or spray bottle , water your seedling with the mister so you get a controlled among of moisture and you won't overwater , the number one screw up of new growers , the gentle mist will not drown fragile seedlings ....
In a few weeks , maybe 3 you can just dump water in .....

Free tip? Have you been charging me this entire time? I knew this forum was too good to be true
[

 

[Cabi]

I much prefer transplanting up from party cups to 1 gallon to 3 gallon in my space. I like a good dry cycle for the roots to really grow searching for nutrients and moisture all over each size pot to form a complete dense rootball at each phase. So i saturate the cups/ pots and let them dry out real light and repeat.

So. The grasping for life method. I like it

 

[MIMedGrower]

So. The grasping for life method. I like it

No. The last dry day tends to be the plants happiest most vigorous day. Im not letting the plant wilt.

 

[Cabi]

Hey burnz , yes food is supplied all the way thru , though my comment might be a bit misleading , it's manure , etc , the base is chicken manure , but the mix also has bat guano , food compost , decayed plant matter and often added , bone meal , fish , blood meal , kelp , earthworm castings and a bunch of other composted / blended nutrients , not added as a top dress , completely mixed with approx 50 % pro mix and perlite ...

If I'm not growing in a natural mix , I'll use one of many nutrient products , Alaska fish fertilizer , dyna grow , gh etc ......

I love all the information. Oh my God I’m getting so excited

 

[Cabi]

It could definitely hurt the seedlings. I think @JWM2 hit the nail on the head. I did see stunted growth in the beginning, along with other issues. They then exploded with growth. I’m starting a new grow in a couple weeks and am going to add a bit more large chunky perlite and see if that helps with the growth. FFOF is easy for me to source at a great price.

Great advice

 

[Cabi]

In ffof you wouldn't feed a Seedling for 6 weeks to 2 months, and even then you got to watch the plant, it will get a little light green, that's when I start to feed lightly

Excellent advice

 

[Cabi]

No. The last dry day tends to be the plants happiest most vigorous day. Im not letting the plant wilt.

Interesting. Good heads up