Simplest question. What is your recommeneded soil, what do u use?

40lbs of composted cow manure with humus, $2.50 at Agway
8 quarts of Hoffman perlite (about an equal volume), $6 at Agway
Having happy, healthy plants... priceless.

I like using 1/3 coco coir, 1/3 or a bit more perlite, and 1/3 or somewhat less wormcastings. I'm experimenting with a version of that soil, but with some budswel and foxfarm starter fertilizer added, as well as some trace minerals. I'd like to have a soil that needs very little fertilization, or none, and instead I just transplant into a bigger pot for bloom that's the same mix, instead of adding fertilizer. Many organic soil components are slow-release, so watering shouldn't result in a significant loss of nutrients, it may actually make them more available.

Oh yeah, xcrispy is right, add a cup of worm castings to the above! And some beneficials.

i use a bog standard grow bag which can be obtained in the uk for about
£1 then i add perlite and some kiln dried sand, mix it all up in a container and thats what gets me by
cheers all :)

i'll probably be chastised for the following statements but, here ya go;

i start seeds/clones in bacto starter soil (has root stimulators and light starter ferts) in a quart sized pot. after 4 or 5 nodes, i transplant the plug (after 2 weeks, bacto gets hard as a brick and won't absorb, drain water effectively) into a 3 gallon pot of miracle gro garden soil supplement (not made for pots, is VERY rich for 3 weeks, it drains immediately and dries in a day). my plants show slight burn, then take off. by the time i get to flower, the time release is used up from watering everyday, and plants are the size of those twice their age in other soils.

~note~ DO NOT START SEEDS IN MG SOIL! THEY WILL DIE! as previously stated, mg is VERY rich, use only to transplant.

love, kp

man i sure wish i knew you werent supposed to start seedlings in ocean forest.

Heh yeah ocean forest can really screw up your seedlings.