Fox Farm Ocean Forest Soil Nutrients

[StickyGreens]

Hello fellow growers. I have a soil question. I used Fox Farm Ocean Forest (FFOF as I’ve commonly seen it abbreviated) for my first grow and plan to use it for the upcoming grow. I have a full bag leftover that I bought last year. It’s date stamped 6/something/21. It’s been sitting in my carport since I bought it last year. Question is; should I treat it like a new bag and not feed for the first three weeks? Or have the nutrients been depleted from being exposed to all the temperature and humidity changes over the past year? Also, does anyone here use hydroton in the bottom of their pots for better drainage? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[mysticepipedon]

Last question first: no hydroton for better drainage. At the bottom of your pots, after you water properly, a perched water table forms — that is, there is a zone a few inches thick where all the soil pores are full of water — no oxygen. If you had pebbles or hydroton, that perched water table still forms, but it will form on top of the hydroton or pebbles. You effectively are using a smaller pot.

Was the FFOF rained on? was it sitting there, wet, for prolonged periods? If so, it could be fucked up. If you start filling pots with it and smell sulfur, throw it away or rehab it. When you smell sulfur, the soil pH is going to be very low, nutrients could be leached out

 

[StickyGreens]

That makes sense. There’s a lot of people out there using it. It’s good to get a detailed explanation of that major con.

The FFOF hasn’t been rained on directly but being in the carport it has been exposed to high moisture. May be better to just get a fresh bag I guess. Thanks for the response.

 

[Observationist]

That makes sense. There’s a lot of people out there using it. It’s good to get a detailed explanation of that major con.

The FFOF hasn’t been rained on directly but being in the carport it has been exposed to high moisture. May be better to just get a fresh bag I guess. Thanks for the response.

at first, had a decent experience with FFOF, now the last bags ive got have been ridden with gnats...im going with what @tobh said, soil belongs outside.

 

[StickyGreens]

at first, had a decent experience with FFOF, now the last bags ive got have been ridden with gnats...im going with what @tobh said, soil belongs outside.

I think I’m missing something. Soil belongs outside? Who is tobh and what was his full statement and the context?

 

[steamroller]

I can't say whether the bag is still potent, but I can say every Fox Farm feeding schedule I have seen has feedings starting on week 1.
I assume if they are pushing their ferts they would like to use their soil also .
I grow in FFOF and Coast of Maine stonington 50/50 mix .

No expert here but doing ok follow instructions and having common sense .

 

[Observationist]

I think I’m missing something. Soil belongs outside? Who is tobh and what was his full statement and the context?

just some grower on here, context being soil is slower growth, and ridden with bugs for organic growing.

(thought)

 

[Dugplug]

at first, had a decent experience with FFOF, now the last bags ive got have been ridden with gnats...im going with what @tobh said, soil belongs outside.

That's from you overwatering

 

[Observationist]

That's from you overwatering

No, that’s from that fox farm.

Plus I’m using coco too now, so no.