suggest ya keep it simple, stay with soil (coco-noir sucks, IMHO) ... I also found FF Ocean Forest soil to be too hot for my seedlings, several varieties, in fact ... since you're in California, I will suggest 'Whitney Farms Premium Potting Soil' ... very popular, available in most every nursery and garden shop ... excellent for all stages of growth, and a LOT cheaper than Ocean Forest ... my friends have also dumped the FF soil, and returned to the Whitney Farms ... in just the last month or so, it appears Whitney Farms was purchased by the Scotts/Miracle Grow people ... doubtful they would change it, may even make it available in a wider area ... we'll see :thumbsup: