Which Soil? And which nutrients?

[bibsoconner]

Hi, which soil between FoxFarm Happy Frog and FoxFarm Ocean Forest should I get? Other suggestions are welcome, it's just that these two are actually at my local nursery. Somewhat related (and perhaps more difficult and contentious...), which nutrients should I add if I add any at all? The guy at the nursery said something like "you don't need to mess with nutrients if you get the Ocean Forest" (he didn't have the Happy Frog at that point in time). Agree? Disagree? If I should add nutrients, can you recommend something SIMPLE and preferably cheap for a beginner? I actually have two plants in flower stage now (see my previous posts), so maybe they need something? They have been in nothing but Ocean Forest soil. I also have stuff just starting out, so if it was a mistake not to add nutrients in the veg stage, I could fix that now.
I am out of soil and the new guys will need to be transplanted soon. Hence the immediate question about soil!
Thanks!

 

[Cirroji]

I really like FFOF - sometimes I’ll add a little perlite but usually just leave it be

I wanted to fry happy frog for my current grow but they were out and the other grow shop the bags looked nasty on the inside so I had to shop around

 

[Anthem]

Hi, which soil between FoxFarm Happy Frog and FoxFarm Ocean Forest should I get? Other suggestions are welcome, it's just that these two are actually at my local nursery. Somewhat related (and perhaps more difficult and contentious...), which nutrients should I add if I add any at all? The guy at the nursery said something like "you don't need to mess with nutrients if you get the Ocean Forest" (he didn't have the Happy Frog at that point in time). Agree? Disagree? If I should add nutrients, can you recommend something SIMPLE and preferably cheap for a beginner? I actually have two plants in flower stage now (see my previous posts), so maybe they need something? They have been in nothing but Ocean Forest soil. I also have stuff just starting out, so if it was a mistake not to add nutrients in the veg stage, I could fix that now.
I am out of soil and the new guys will need to be transplanted soon. Hence the immediate question about soil!
Thanks!

The long and short would be to stick with Ocean Forest. For a simple nutrient line I would stick with GH 3 part.

 

[mysticepipedon]

You can go 3 weeks or so without using nutrients with FFOF. I've also planted germed seeds directly into it with no problems, no burn.

 

[Trixie]

Yes, the easiest way is to use a small amount of FFOF soil in a dixie cup to germinate your seed. When your plants get some nice leaves up-pott into one-gallon pots for a few weeks with the same soil. Water only and no nutrients until you get ready for flowering. Its so easy using FFOF with water only the first few weeks.

 

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

The guy at the nursery said something like "you don't need to mess with nutrients if you get the Ocean Forest"
Thanks!

did you explain to him you are growing cannabis, he gave you somewhat incorrect information. initially you don't need amendments but as the plant grows it will need added amendment for sure

 

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

If I should add nutrients, can you recommend something SIMPLE and preferably cheap for a beginner?
Thanks!

what country are you purchasing from
what dry soil amendments does your local nursery have
or do you plan to go deadrients, or hydronutrients

 

[Zill]

What is a deaddrient?

 

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

What is a deaddrient?

 

[SchwiftyGrower]

I use both.

Seedling stage - happy frog only
Veg- 50/50 mix HF and FFOF
Flower - FF trio line up

Solo watering needed and calmag can be introduced later

Uppotting into 50/50 mix you have enough nutrients to get you by for 30-45 days before nutrients are needed. Usually by that time, if you’re indoors you can flip to flower and start introducing your nutrients.

Best of luck! ✌️

 

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

I use both.

Seedling stage - happy frog only
Veg- 50/50 mix HF and FFOF
Flower - FF trio line up

Solo watering needed and calmag can be introduced later

Uppotting into 50/50 mix you have enough nutrients to get you by for 30-45 days before nutrients are needed. Usually by that time, if you’re indoors you can flip to flower and start introducing your nutrients.

Best of luck! ✌️

50 mix with happy frog is bad no way any mix like that sustains 45 days optimal growth, maybe with the ocean forest alone you can get by 20-30 days

or just go 100% happy frog and go hydronutes from the beginning

 

[Zill]

Thank you GreenG.

What bunch of hookey dookey. It’s an entire cradle to grave commercial joke. Once they got you, you cannabis grower, they got you by the short hairs. Just what I want to do ship water across the ponds.

 

[SchwiftyGrower]

50 mix with happy frog is bad no way any mix like that sustains 45 days optimal growth, maybe with the ocean forest alone you can get by 20-30 days

or just go 100% happy frog and go hydronutes from the beginning

I wouldn’t suggest it if it didn’t work for me. To each their own and we all have our own way, I’m just sharing mine.

If you water correctly with little to no run off and don’t waste the nutrients in the soil you can 100% get by 30-45 days.

Edit:
This is day 46 in Veg no nutrients added, 50/50 mix with watering only with calmag and foilar spraying.

 

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

Thank you GreenG.

What bunch of hookey dookey. It’s an entire cradle to grave commercial joke. Once they got you, you cannabis grower, they got you by the short hairs. Just what I want to do ship water across the ponds.

hydro nutrients works, which is why people use them. is a trap like super soil is. one is sometimes preferred over the other

 

[Goodshit97]

50 mix with happy frog is bad no way any mix like that sustains 45 days optimal growth, maybe with the ocean forest alone you can get by 20-30 days

or just go 100% happy frog and go hydronutes from the beginning
View attachment 1320648 View attachment 1320649 View attachment 1320650
View attachment 1320651

I used to run a 2:2:1 ratio of happy frog, ocean forest, and perlite. Worked amazing, would get about 4 or 5 weeks without any nutrients and then i only ever fed the trio at 1/2 strength. I stopped using it because i didnt like mixing soil anymore, and the happy frog i would get, was always loaded with huge sticks, bark, and rocks which i also didnt care for. I would pull them out when mixing if i saw them.

I use roots 707 now, its $35 for 3 cu ft and comes ready to go, if i buy 3 bags at the local store, the guys gives me them at 25 a bag.

 

[GreenGalaxyFarm]

think its good op supports his local store though ✌️

 

[PipeCarver]

Hi, which soil between FoxFarm Happy Frog and FoxFarm Ocean Forest should I get? Other suggestions are welcome, it's just that these two are actually at my local nursery. Somewhat related (and perhaps more difficult and contentious...), which nutrients should I add if I add any at all? The guy at the nursery said something like "you don't need to mess with nutrients if you get the Ocean Forest" (he didn't have the Happy Frog at that point in time). Agree? Disagree? If I should add nutrients, can you recommend something SIMPLE and preferably cheap for a beginner? I actually have two plants in flower stage now (see my previous posts), so maybe they need something? They have been in nothing but Ocean Forest soil. I also have stuff just starting out, so if it was a mistake not to add nutrients in the veg stage, I could fix that now.
I am out of soil and the new guys will need to be transplanted soon. Hence the immediate question about soil!
Thanks!

I use promix and general Hydroponics 3 part & Floralicious ...If I have perlite I'll use a bit...if not ...meh....alls good...follow the recipe on the bottles....grow weed

 

[PipeCarver]

I wouldn’t suggest it if it didn’t work for me. To each their own and we all have our own way, I’m just sharing mine.

If you water correctly with little to no run off and don’t waste the nutrients in the soil you can 100% get by 30-45 days.

Edit:
This is day 46 in Veg no nutrients added, 50/50 mix with watering only with calmag and foilar spraying.

View attachment 1320652

I get 3+ weeks out of Promix before I start seeing light lime coloring in the leaves so @ around 3 weeks I'll start a light feed. Starting in Solo cups then transplanting and watering at around 2 weeks they get a boost from the new soil then when they need fluid again its a light feed. of 2/2/2/.5 ml/gal M/G/B/F

 

[Buzzy12]

Ocean Forest is a great soil for Cannabis that I used for a long time before switching to Coast of Maine Stonington Blend. There's more food in that soil if you're looking to go longer without adding any nutrients, but for Cannabis plants, both should be ammended with nutrients to maximize the potential of your plants. I like to cut the heavy living soil that the Stonington Blend is with a fluffy soil, but you will get good results with either one. I'm using a 65/35% mix of Sunshine Advanced Grower's Mix #4 to the Stonington Blend and liking it a lot. It does depend on what's available at the local nursery of course. I haven't used it, but seen great results with Pro Mix. Just throwing some options out there. I've never used the Happy Frog mix either so can't comment on that, but also seen great results with it.

For nutes, Fox Farm offers a good line of products that are on the higher end of the spectrum for cost per app. GH does have a nice simple 3-part like @Anthem recommended. @Shaded_One has an excellent write up on his recommendations for using Gaia Green dry ammendments if you want to try going that route with organic soil and using just water without the liquid nutes.

I would recommend Advanced Nutrients if you're looking for the best quality, but they are expensive up front and they do have quite a bit of products that they recommend you buy which leads to more time spent mixing nutrients. In my experience they help produce the best quality flower. I've used FF, GH, AN, and at the grow op I worked at they used House & Garden when I was first there and switched to Athena like just about everybody else in the commercial industry. They were growing in coco, not soil. Hopefully this is helpful, best of luck, and happy growing!