Someone please help (Soil Questions)

I am a new grower and I need help choosing an easy soil. I know I should just go with Fox Farms Ocean Forrest but I have a Lowes Credit card and I am growing on a budget. I am leaning towards "Kellogg Champion Mix" or The Patio Soil. Does anyone have experience with using Kellogg as the main soil for their plants and have you had good luck with your harvest. I am planting many plants in a 30 gallon tub. Like 10 plants per tub. SHOULD I USE KELLOGG BRAND SOIL? This is my 1st grow so I am going straight from germination straight into the tubs. Then I will clone and germinate in a separate room. Is kellogg worth the try or should I break down and just go with Fox Farms? I am also planning on using the Fox Farms "Big Bloom" nutes along with the Kellogg soil.

Any suggestions. Please feel free to post or e mail me. [email protected]

You had it right on your first words...Fox Farm Ocean Forest....I love that shit. Honestly nothing there is going to be the best but if you have to go with anything, I would say just get some starter seed soil. They sell it in bigger bags and then you can just give your plants the extra nutrients. There is a book called "Grow 8oz of bud for less" they recommend using the Miracle grow potting soil...but ive always had bad experiences with miracle grow in the very early days. If you can get to a hydro store and buy your soil. Theres plenty of shit you can buy for your grow at lowes besides soil ;)

Yeah. I may just have to break down and buy the Fox Farms. Everyone pretty much swears by the stuff and always positive results. Ive heard many horror stories about Miracle Grow but I guess whatever works for the person right? I am just so damn conflicted being my budget. I spent quite a bit on a perfect grow room and some very amazing seeds. So are you saying no to the Kellogg soil? or just go with some organic soil and say some Fox Farms "Big Bloom" Nutes? Also do you think it is wise to use the 30 gallon tubs for say 5-10 plants each? also I am using this disclaimer because well... it's true.

*Disclaimer: I do not know anything about Cannabis and Cannabis Growing. Anything Said is Made up Fiction and All images Posted are available freely on the internet. This is a Public Computer. This Forum Is used as a Fantasy World and anything said is not true about myself or anyone i know*

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Originally Posted by Phormant

Yeah. I may just have to break down and buy the Fox Farms. Everyone pretty much swears by the stuff and always positive results. Ive heard many horror stories about Miracle Grow but I guess whatever works for the person right? I am just so damn conflicted being my budget. I spent quite a bit on a perfect grow room and some very amazing seeds. So are you saying no to the Kellogg soil? or just go with some organic soil and say some Fox Farms "Big Bloom" Nutes? Also do you think it is wise to use the 30 gallon tubs for say 5-10 plants each? also I am using this disclaimer because well... it's true.

*Disclaimer: I do not know anything about Cannabis and Cannabis Growing. Anything Said is Made up Fiction and All images Posted are available freely on the internet. This is a Public Computer. This Forum Is used as a Fantasy World and anything said is not true about myself or anyone i know*

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FFOF is slightly hot for clones. If you're transplanting clones be prepared to get some burnt, deformed, fucked-up leaves for a week or two until they can handle the nutrients in the soil. I'd cut it with Light Warrior. However, once the clones "take" to the soil they grow VERY well in FFOF.

I did get some fungus gnats that I'm suspecting came from the FFOF, but I've only seen a couple and they don't really seem to be causing many problems (at this point).

I'd guess the optimal soil would be the soil from which the strain you are growing came from.

But generally, you will want porous, sandy soil with good drainage. Right now I'm using regular house flower soil mixed with the remaining sand and gravel left in the bottom of my drainage pellet bag. Getting get good results so far.

I'm gonna try with a soil adapted for cactus-like plants next time. A friend did that and it turns out beautiful.

Of course, you could get more expensive, hemp-specialized stuff from grow shops. I'm just a guerilla hobby grower with a piece of homemade stealth-furniture to grow in so I tend to MacGyver most stuff!

Most cannabis plants will prefer lightly dry to semi-moist soil, but not wet.
(Also, wet soil seems to get mold problems faster)

They also prefer a soil pH of around 5 to 6. Personally I have problems keeping it under 6.7, but I've done well so far, never killed any plants!

Don't forget use drainage pellets at the bottom inch or so in the pot!

Thats pretty sweet. definitely sounds like a McGyver way to do things. I guess I am just lazy when it comes to buying shit. I have a Lowes Credit Card and wanted to see if their was anything there that would produce good to quality plants. I am starting with White Widow and White Rhino seeds. The Kellogg Patio Plus is rich with Bat Guano and Chicken meal or whatever. I may try the "make my own" soil from Perilite and sand and shit but I want to avoid a lot of ingredients and measurments and use my time tending to my "babies" I havnt heard a lot of bad things about the Kellogg top soil over at lowes. I may try your McGyver style but do you know anything about using the Kellogg soil with growing cannabis or any other "regular" soil that I can use with some proper Fox Farms Nutes?

Dude, the White Rhino is some of the best pot I've ever seen. You won't belive the amount of resin it produces.

I posted a pic of mine in this same forum section.

what kind of soil did you use?

I decided to go with "Forrest Magic" Potting soil. It has a good amount of peralite and nutes. Now my question to you all is about germination. This is my 1st grow so should I germinate my seeds in Fox Farms Light warrior and then transfer them to my other medium after 2 weeks or since this is the 1st grow should I just start them in this medium and when cloning time comes around do the traditional method of a separate room in a starter soil.

For my medium I am going to use fish emulsion and fox farms "Big Bloom" what do you all think of these methods. Successful? or am I doomed for disaster?

Whats up..

To be honest with you... Ive grown all my soil plants in miracle grow and NEVER had a problem. Always great bud. Even mixed MG potting soil with MG perlite and Scotts potting soil. That combo is working great.

Im sure the expensive soil like FF or whatever is great.. but MG gets the job done no doubt and its cheap. Ive even germinated in MG potting mix before with no burns. I also give smaller doses of nutes to them after 2 weeks and dont really worry too much about the nutes in the soil. Until I have a good reason or when the grow shop isnt so damn far away... I will continue using MG.

Also to the 5-10 plants in a 30g tub question... Im sure it can be done but its probably a better idea to get them their own pots. That way if you run into a problem then it might be isolated to a couple plants that you can easily resolve compared to having it affect all 5-10. Plus if you get a hermie or male you can chop it and not worry about the roots rotting or tangling into the other plants.

Hope my info helps and goodluck on your grow!

Thanks man. Thats what I needed. Someone who has been successful with the cheap stuff. I know a lot of people insist on Fox Farms and the "expensive" shit but man. Half of us are doing this to make a good amount of money from not spending a lot of money. I am going to check out this "Forrest Magic" and may even get a bag of Miracle Grow to mix with it for an extra kick of Nutes.

What my question to you is. When should I start adding nutes? I got some fish emulsion (Liquid) and I am going to get "Big Bloom" from fox farms. I am going to start my 1st grow from germination straight to the pots they will mature in. Then I will use rock wool to clone. when should I start giving my soil nutes?

See if the soil is pre-nuted. If so, I think you should wait about two weeks before you start adding more. (Depends on how heavy the soil is pre-nuted, some types will tell you on the pack). I've seen people kill plants by using too much nutes in a pre-nuted soil.

When it comes to germination, I've been successful with just folding a two-ply chlorine-free papertowel in half, and put the seeds in between. Then soak it in luke water, never let this paper dry out. Store in a dark place (room temperature). I keep the paper on a small plate and fill it with water 1-2 times a day to not let it dry out.

Start checking it after 48 hours, then every 24. Within the first 2-4 days they should all have sprouted. After a week, there is no hope.

Good luck !

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Originally Posted by Phormant

what kind of soil did you use?

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That was generic house flower soil, without any mixed in sand/gravel like i described above. It had drainage pellets in the bottom. Simple!

By the way, i'm not from around here, so i have no knowledge of your soil brand names and such around here. There is no grow-shops around here, only generic garden-hobbyist stores. (im scandinavian!). so i can only speak in terms of generic stuff and what it's suposed to do!

Never mix brands. Different companies use different levels of shit in their mixes, and you might be creating a toxic enviornment by mixing the two. Especially if one is organic, and one is not. Until you learn troubleshooting or at least get to know how to read the plants needs...stick with one or the other. :thumbsup:

The medium is the stuff your plant is potted in. Fertilizers contain nutrients.
MG is a fine potting soil, but a tad tricky for impatient beginners. FFOF is chock-full of organics, so will behave almost identical to the MG Organic. Either is fine, in my book.

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Originally Posted by eqx420

They also prefer a soil pH of around 5 to 6. Personally I have problems keeping it under 6.7, but I've done well so far, never killed any plants!

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For potting soil (peat based mediums) keep the ph between 6.3 and 6.8ish. Whomever told you 5-6 ph for soil grows was wrong.
Keeping ph that low will create a lockout situation, and plants will greatly suffer. (at the very least)
Hydro and coco are a different situation and with those mediums you'll want the lower ph.

FFOF mix is buffered to 6.3 to 6.8. (according to their website)

FF Big Bloom is a compost tea, not a base nutrient. It is supposed to compliment both of the other two in the trio. Tiger Bloom and Grow big have laa your necessary micronutrients and metals. I do not recommend Big Bloom as a stand-alone nutrient.

If using a pre-fertilized medium, you should keep an eye on growth. Usually around 4-6 weeks they are ready for half-doses of the nutrients, keeping a close eye on their reatcion to the new nutrients.

Thanks again guys for all of your advice. So your saying I should use Grow big as a nute as opposed to the other? Also are any of you opposed to Fish Emulsion in my soil? does anyone use this or know if it's a good idea? I am going to give it a shot. Everything I have read and studied indicates I should be successful. Granted I do everything right.

One more thing and I hate to sound dumb or stupid. I just want to do this correctly. After my seeds start sprouting in the paper towels and then I put them into the soil. I should NOT add nutes? wait on nutes till about 3 weeks right? nutes such as Grow Big and Fish Emulsion?

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Originally Posted by Phormant

Thanks again guys for all of your advice. So your saying I should use Grow big as a nute as opposed to the other?

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Yup. The Big Bloom is a 'catalyst tea' that compliments the Grow Big in growth phase, and the Tiger Bloom in flower.

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Originally Posted by Phormant

Also are any of you opposed to Fish Emulsion in my soil? does anyone use this or know if it's a good idea? I am going to give it a shot. Everything I have read and studied indicates I should be successful. Granted I do everything right.

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It's a slow-release organic fertilizer. But since you already use the Fox Farms, no real need for it. Throwing everything under the sun at the ladies can have negative results. (organics can still burn the ladies)

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Originally Posted by Phormant

One more thing and I hate to sound dumb or stupid. I just want to do this correctly. After my seeds start sprouting in the paper towels and then I put them into the soil. I should NOT add nutes? wait on nutes till about 3 weeks right? nutes such as Grow Big and Fish Emulsion?

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After about three weeks, I usually start at half-doses, and watch for their reaction before upping the doses. Follow the Fox Farms Feeding Schedule, (in my signature) and all should be fine.

Thank you all for your information. I just completed a "Growers" journal. Over 300 printed paged of all the information I would ever need to reference in getting these little ladies to mature and produce a quality product. All of your info has also gone into the book I made for my own reference and reading. Thank you all. You have all been very informative. Wish me luck on my grow and God willing my Harvest. All signs point to great success. Granted I follow instructions and do everything right.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phormant

Thank you all for your information. I just completed a "Growers" journal. Over 300 printed paged of all the information I would ever need to reference in getting these little ladies to mature and produce a quality product. All of your info has also gone into the book I made for my own reference and reading. Thank you all. You have all been very informative. Wish me luck on my grow and God willing my Harvest. All signs point to great success. Granted I follow instructions and do everything right.

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Any chance I can get a copy? I'm thinking of doing my first outdoor this summer and am trying to collect as much info as I can. I think you're journal would be extremely helpful for me. Thanks

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Originally Posted by Phormant

but man. Half of us are doing this to make a good amount of money from not spending a lot of money.

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:wtf: actually very few of us at this site are cash croppers ...mostly small grows for their own medical use ...some of us older growers [myself included]have larger grows so we can provide meds to our sick and/or invalid friends but there is no profit in that....not for me ....can't ask a man with colon cancer and no insurance for money....fyi---ICMAG is more geared to those who are growing DOPE for a profit....