Sunshine advanced #4?

[HolyMunchies]

My local hydro store had brochures on Sunshine Advanced #4. I was just wondering if anyone had tried it out yet or knew anything other than what was in there advertising.

Ph balanced, organic wetting agent, mycorhizzae, no burn formula, peat moss, coco, perlite.

Natural and Organic Myco-active Earth friendly coco-coir No burn formula is what they are saying.

Thanks Munchies,

 

[Jack Dupp]

I'm doing a run with it right now.

I received a bag as a sample from my local grow shop. So far so good. I am doing a run with straight coco next to it. It holds water longer that coco, for sure.

I think I like the Sunshine Organic Growers Mix better IMO.
http://www.sungro.com/products_displayProduct.php?product_id=1161&brand_id=3

Are you looking to use this as a base for an organic soil mix, or do you plan on using this and bottled nutes?

 

[HolyMunchies]

I run FFoF normally but with the reduced quality of late I have been considering alternatives I found two golf ball size pine cones in the last bag. I have been cutting it with some Berger BM-6 its a high porosity peat moss perlite mix essentially.

I run most of the fox farms line up for nutes but just looking to see if this is going to be a suitable replacement. I have played with Sunshine No. 1 and 4 a little with vegetables so not that familiar with there line up.

 

[Jack Dupp]

I hear you on the FF soil. I ran a mix of FFOF, FFHF, and FFLW, for years.

The soil that is coming from them is crap. Had lots of problems with a batch that I didn't amend with dolomite lime.

I also started looking for a replacement soil a few months ago and settled with Sunshine mix. A friend used a mix of FF soil and coco, using all the FF line including the bloom enhancers, and had some problems. He thinks it was the bloom enhancers.

I have never had a problem with the Grow Big, and Big Bloom as this was what I used when I first started. You should do well using Sunshine and the FF nutes.
Good luck.

 

[waayne]

I've been using the Sunshine Advanced #4 for a couple of weeks.
I tested it before I used it and it had a PH of 6.4
and a low EC level.....
the clones I put in it are on par with the others in my normal Roots
Organic based mix...
I agree on the Fox Farm as I used it until about a year ago and started getting bad batches quite often......
It seems now days they have zero consistency and quality control with their soil mixes.....:pimp:

 

[HolyMunchies]

It's really a shame because I was really getting a feel for using it. I had to make a lot of adjustments in there fertilizers since using them anywhere near the recomended feed usually burned the shit out of the plants lol. I believe its the bloom enhancers that do it as well. I find the liquids to be on par with anything else.

Thanks jack and waayne I will have to give it a try maybe a small test grow to get a feel for it.

 

[Blaze]

Sunshine generally makes good consistent products from what I have see. I used the #4 for several years for my potted herbs with good results. IMO it probably needs to be amended a bit if you were to use it for cannabis. It is fairly light on nutrients for growing cannabis. I've even used it to start seeds it is so mellow.

Definitely stay away form Fox Farm their soil is crap. I absolutely cannot understand why that company has such a huge following.

 

[Jack Dupp]

Hey farmers,

Just wanted to give an update on the Sunshine #4. It is retaining water like nothing I have seen. I am running my girls in 3.5 gal pots under a 1000w. I haven't watered them in a week. Yes, a week.

The pots are still heavy and I used my moisture meter to determine how much water was still in there. Very wet.

As I said earlier, I am running them side by side with straight coco. My coco plants are very different from the Sunshine #4.

If anyone is interested in the difference, I'll post some pics when I get back next week.

I am going to run straight coco instead of the S#4. Hope this helps.

 

[ibTheMan]

That aint good thats its stayn wet for that long, you need to add about 30% course perlite to your sunshine, then it will breath better, grow better and everything better, and will most likely out perform str8 coco with ez.
i run 7 gallon pots sunshine(not adv.) 30% perlite and they need water every other day, or every 3rd day at most.

 

[crom]

I've been using SA#4 since it came out and I have not had issues. I like that it's mellow so that I can crank nutes when I need/want to. Yeah I also used FFOF when I started out and now I don't even consider it. My SA#4 doesn't stay wet that long though? Are the plants freshly transplanted into the mix? How much room do the roots have to spread out? Just curious if the mix is wet because there are no roots throughout to absorb? Anyone having any issues with Cal and Mag due to the #4 mix?

 

[AlienBoyD7]

I use sunshine #4 in my getto grow. when you crack the bale the ph is about 5.5. I think it goes up after that. Works for me. I gotta keep it simple cause im a knucklehead so I use Nutri Culture 17-5-17 veg and 5-40-17 flower , keep the air movin and keep it clean. and hey Crom...lol all my sssdh is gone except the hash.

 

[crom]

I use sunshine #4 in my getto grow. when you crack the bale the ph is about 5.5. I think it goes up after that. Works for me. I gotta keep it simple cause im a knucklehead so I use Nutri Culture 17-5-17 veg and 5-40-17 flower , keep the air movin and keep it clean. and hey Crom...lol all my sssdh is gone except the hash.

Great strain huh? Speedy as all hell

 

[Jack Dupp]

My girls are going from 3.5" pots into my 3.5 gal pots, vegging for a week, then going into my bloom tent.

I agree that it would be better to add more perlite if I were to continue this mix. Or running this mix in Smartpots might be a winning idea.

crombien211~ I am running Botanicare's full line, and using Cal-Mag so I haven't seen any deficiencies.

 

[ether000]

I'm using SA#4 right now and I have not found it to hold water exceptionally long. Mine dries thru in 3 days and can be watered every other day in 1 gal pots, vegging. I have found however that the PH has crept up on me and created some issues on one plant. I was giving it 6.1 water and when I tested runoff it was coming out at 6.8. The SA website says it's ranged between 6.0-6.5 so I would recommend setting your nutes to 5.8 an to be aware of any changes because of the lime that's in the SA.

One other thing i found is the surface can become kind of like "sealed" after watering, probably because of whatever wetting agent. It seems a little wierd to me so i've just been spreading around the surface dirt to avoid growing some sort of mildew funk on the surface of the pot.

When I transplanted the seedlings I was amazed at the root growth, so I like it in that aspect, just annoyed with my PH issue, but admittedly it very well could be user-error.

 

[IrishBoy]

ive used SS#4 for years once keep an eye on the PH is will drop because of the peat in it once the lime wears out. grown some killer plants with it but PH can be a issue if not keeping an eye.

i am trying roots organic soil right now and so far its great and my little clones love it.

 

[RockPhosphate]

ive used SS#4 for years once keep an eye on the PH is will drop because of the peat in it once the lime wears out. grown some killer plants with it but PH can be a issue if not keeping an eye.

i am trying roots organic soil right now and so far its great and my little clones love it.

I've had Roots PH bottom out BAD! Seems like all mud mixes need lime now. I've been premixing everything with Prilled Dolomite Lime @ 1 TBS/gallon. Its slower releasing and lasts longer.

 

[crom]

Anyone experience PH issues with the SA mix#4? I have heard of issues with the black bale #4, but not the yellow Advanced. Hey RockPhosphate what's good homie? Hey do you add that lime to all your mixes or just with the a certain brand mix?

Cheers,
Crom

 

[frostedlove]

I LOVE SS#4 advanced

I love SS advanced #4

I use to run SS4 the old blk but the prcharged shit was BS always messing things up. Also would hold water way too long. Mess the whole feeding time frame up I like the NEW gear way better! Its cheap, and when you grow in big containers, it can add up alot. I wish the new advanced would be in the bigger blk container. I will be reusing my soil, So watch my next couple of runs to see how well it does being reused.

 

[IrishBoy]

ive never used the SSA#4 cant get it local but want to try it.

its always good to mix in DL to help keep PH neutral. ill check out how the roots dose? everyone ive talked to loves it and picks it over SS#4 now. ill let you guys know because ive used SS#4 for years and know how it dose.