Hot or Not? Soil Myth.

ComfortablyNumb · Jun 29, 2021

I have seen may people say that Fox Farms Ocean Forest or other soil is 'Hot', and I used to think so too until I looked at what's it's made of.
The soil is pretty much exactly what your plants need. The only thing it is missing is the full MBE package. (Microbes, Bacteria, Enzymes)
If you add the MBEs, then you have an organic soil that needs nothing but water. The MBE's digest the soil and turn it into food. (simplified explanation)
The plants eat the food. If you start adding other food to it you will cause it to become 'HOT'.
Soil is food, please quit overfeeding.

Rawkn · Jun 29, 2021

I've seen many people say this too. FFOF was actually the first soil I ever used for cannabis, and it never burned, not even from seed. I didn't fertilize it either, I just added some of my worm castings to it. You're probably right, if people didn't feed their fresh organic soil, it likely would never burn their plants.

GrowHobo · Jun 29, 2021

It’s certainly not the quality it was 5-10 years ago. The ffof I got in Illinois looked nothing like the bags I used to get in Cali. I bought literal tons of the stuff over a few years out there then picked up a few bags in the Midwest and it was full of bark and sticks like I’d never seen I was like hmmm . Used it and the seedling were not exactly happy and I got gnats. Maybe they have a target market area and send the reject bags out to boonies? Either way it’s promix for me. Less guessing. I also up pot shortly before bloom so it just makes more sense for me personally. Hp with the myco just grows the sexiest roots. Quick like.

MICHGANDER9 · Jun 29, 2021

ComfortablyNumb said:
I have seen may people say that Fox Farms Ocean Forest or other soil is 'Hot', and I used to think so too until I looked at what's it's made of.
The soil is pretty much exactly what your plants need. The only thing it is missing is the full MBE package. (Microbes, Bacteria, Enzymes)
If you add the MBEs, then you have an organic soil that needs nothing but water. The MBE's digest the soil and turn it into food. (simplified explanation)
The plants eat the food. If you start adding other food to it you will cause it to become 'HOT'.
Soil is food, please quit overfeeding.

I use organic Soil as well I believe the term HOT means the actual temp it gets HOT when the bacteria and fungi and such breaking down the organics ( microbe food)in the soil I usually leave mine set up to a week after amending between runs to let it cool down or the microbes have slow their process down I also brew a compost tea to assist in that process month to go on these and this Soil is 2 years old I have those lights on a mover as well

ComfortablyNumb · Jun 30, 2021

MICHGANDER9 said:
I use organic Soil as well I believe the term HOT means the actual temp it gets HOT when the bacteria and fungi and such breaking down the organics ( microbe food)in the soil I usually leave mine set up to a week after amending between runs to let it cool down or the microbes have slow their process down I also brew a compost tea to assist in that process month to go on these and this Soil is 2 years old I have those lights on a mover as well

It's my understanding that 'Hot' means overloaded with nutes.

Rawkn · Jun 30, 2021

Usually "hot" does mean too many nutes, Nitrogen probably the most common. However I seem to see it used both ways all the time, which probably confuses some people, especially new growers. If you have a living soil and you add too much to your soil, especially high N, this can make the bacteria go on a feeding frenzy and create actual heat too. So a 'hot soil' with too much food can become an actual high temperature soil. So I guess in some cases both uses of hot apply. Unless I'm talking about hot compost, 'hot soil' in my book means too many nutes, synthetic, or natural.

royfree2grow · Jun 30, 2021

MICHGANDER9 said:
I use organic Soil as well I believe the term HOT means the actual temp it gets HOT when the bacteria and fungi and such breaking down the organics ( microbe food)in the soil I usually leave mine set up to a week after amending between runs to let it cool down or the microbes have slow their process down I also brew a compost tea to assist in that process month to go on these and this Soil is 2 years old I have those lights on a mover as well

Thats exactly what it means.
Hot refers to the temp caused by the microbibal activity in the decomposition process. Ever touched raw compost? That shit can get really hot.

ComfortablyNumb · Jun 30, 2021

royfree2grow said:
Thats exactly what it means.
Hot refers to the temp caused by the microbibal activity in the decomposition process. Ever touched raw compost? That shit can get really hot.

We are not growing in compost. Both meanings are valid, it comes down to context which is being used.

Millwright · Dec 10, 2021

So the horticultural meaning of Nitrogen hot, is what I was always thinking when I heard they were “too hot”.
People say mix this and that because X is too hot for seedlings.
If you look at the NPK on the bags (referring to FF);
Strawberry Fields .5-.3-.3
Ocean Forrest .3-.45-.05
Happy Frog .3-.3-.05
However, Mr Canuks use Gaia Green Living Soil with a labeled NPK of 1-0-0 (actual is 1-.5-.3), worm castings 2-0-0 @ 25% worm castings to 75% soil.
Then he adds a 50/50 mix of Gaia Green 4-4-4 and 2-8-4 @ 3 tablespoons per gallon.
He just uses 6.5ph water until flowering, then uses a mix of 2-8-4 again with worm castings as a top dress.
I just mixed up 6 gallons using Strawberry Fields, worm castings and the Gaia green dry amendments (7 gal bag leaving room for later top dressing).
The SF has coconut coir same as Gaia Green. Main ingredients are kinda similar.
his plants do show a little tip burn, but none of the other issues I have experienced in my very young career at this.
Im hoping this along with better light and humidity control will improve my Auto growing experience.
Any thoughts from experienced growers?

ComfortablyNumb · Dec 10, 2021

Millwright said:
So the horticultural meaning of Nitrogen hot, is what I was always thinking when I heard they were “too hot”.
People say mix this and that because X is too hot for seedlings.
If you look at the NPK on the bags (referring to FF);
Strawberry Fields .5-.3-.3
Ocean Forrest .3-.45-.05
Happy Frog .3-.3-.05
However, Mr Canuks use Gaia Green Living Soil with a labeled NPK of 1-0-0 (actual is 1-.5-.3), worm castings 2-0-0 @ 25% worm castings to 75% soil.
Then he adds a 50/50 mix of Gaia Green 4-4-4 and 2-8-4 @ 3 tablespoons per gallon.
He just uses 6.5ph water until flowering, then uses a mix of 2-8-4 again with worm castings as a top dress.
I just mixed up 6 gallons using Strawberry Fields, worm castings and the Gaia green dry amendments (7 gal bag leaving room for later top dressing).
The SF has coconut coir same as Gaia Green. Main ingredients are kinda similar.
his plants do show a little tip burn, but none of the other issues I have experienced in my very young career at this.
Im hoping this along with better light and humidity control will improve my Auto growing experience.
Any thoughts from experienced growers?

Add dolomite lime to auto regulate the pH. Then you can forget pH testing at all.

Hot or Not? Soil Myth.

Hot or Not? Soil Myth.

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