Alternative To Fox Farm Soil

[Three Berries]

Coast of Maine is what I usually use. It’s heavy and requires perlite. Also they have a line of nutes, though I never tried. I am going to be switching to fox farms though Soon. I think enough people use fox farms and have great success with it. My plan is veg with happy frog, transplant into ocean forest for flower.

Soils & Compost

Provides nutrient content and enhances plant growth. Our soils and compost products have been organic since the birth of our brand in 1996. Discover the ones made to match your specific plant and growing needs.

coastofmaine.com

I'm veg in Ocean and flowering in Frog next go.

 

[blondie]

I'm veg in Ocean and flowering in Frog next go.

??? I thought ocean was hot and not good for veg.. and frog was good for veg?

 

[Three Berries]

??? I thought ocean was hot and not good for veg.. and frog was good for veg?

I've used it in veg before and the leaves get huge. Not for the initial sprouting in a cup though. For me that would be the first transplant into 5 quart container. The next transplant into 3.5 gal would use the Happy Frog as outside fill about half way though veg.

It's been 3 years since I used any though. Things might have changed.

 

[hamstring]

Try Purple Cow Indicanja. I use it in flower during veg I use straight Happy Frog.

• READY-TO-USE! IndiCanja is a water-only super soil containing everything needed to take your plant from seedling to harvest
• WHAT THE PROS USE! Purple Cow IndiCanja is used by many professional indoor growers and farmers, but its easy to use for the hobby growers and home gardeners as well
• COMPOST-BASED! Including Purple Cow Organics' plant-based compost, IndiCanja contains essential nutrients and organic matter that may naturally increase water uptake
• DEVELOPED BY A GROWER! A Michigan grower worked closely with Purple Cow over several years to fine tune the exact recipe for this product, keeping in mind the needs of the user
• CLEAN AND ORGANIC! Choosing to grow in IndiCanja supports the goal of cultivating "cleanly" grown flowers and extracted compounds for human consumption, whether inhaled or ingested

 

[Three Berries]

Try Purple Cow Indicanja. I use it in flower during veg I use straight Happy Frog.

• READY-TO-USE! IndiCanja is a water-only super soil containing everything needed to take your plant from seedling to harvest
• WHAT THE PROS USE! Purple Cow IndiCanja is used by many professional indoor growers and farmers, but its easy to use for the hobby growers and home gardeners as well
• COMPOST-BASED! Including Purple Cow Organics' plant-based compost, IndiCanja contains essential nutrients and organic matter that may naturally increase water uptake
• DEVELOPED BY A GROWER! A Michigan grower worked closely with Purple Cow over several years to fine tune the exact recipe for this product, keeping in mind the needs of the user
• CLEAN AND ORGANIC! Choosing to grow in IndiCanja supports the goal of cultivating "cleanly" grown flowers and extracted compounds for human consumption, whether inhaled or ingested

I see they have a seed starting mix too. I used some regular peat type this time and am not happy with it. Don't like the peat cubes either.

Seed Starter Mix

BLOCKS OR TRAYS! Whether you are starting your seeds in plastic trays or using a soil blocker, Seed Starter is the mix for you READY-TO-USE! Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix is a blend containing everything needed to start seeds including enough fertility for up to 45 days COMPOST BASED! This mix is...

www.purplecoworganics.com

 

[hamstring]

Three Berries
Are we both from the land of Lincoln ? I see you have posted there before. I like Purple Cow but its pricy. I think a $30 bag fills a 5 gal container. It keep my plants happy all the way through flower.

 

[Three Berries]

I currently have a couple years worth of grow soils. Three different ones to play with over the next year. I wanted to do a Ocean Forest and Happy Frog comparison next as I have quite a bit of the Happy Frog. But I'll try that seed starter mix. Seems mine always take two weeks to amount to anything.

I have a big bag of Pro-Mix BX Biofungicide + Mycorrhizae yet unused too.

Yes from Illinois in the heart of Corn Country.

 

[hamstring]

Pro-Mix BX Biofungicide + Mycorrhizae: That stuff taint cheap either but I have heard others say they like it.

I am from a small farm town of 900 people. We had tractor day at my high school. Of course i went to school with Fred Flintstone. I have lived in Northern,IL (30 min from WI) my whole adult life. My whole extended family (both sides) is from Southern,IL around Centralia, lL. Some farmers some not. ---PEACE brother

 

[Three Berries]

Pro-Mix BX Biofungicide + Mycorrhizae: That stuff taint cheap either but I have heard others say they like it.

I am from a small farm town of 900 people. We had tractor day at my high school. Of course i went to school with Fred Flintstone. I have lived in Northern,IL (30 min from WI) my whole adult life. My whole extended family (both sides) is from Southern,IL around Centralia, lL. Some farmers some not. ---PEACE brother

I found a grow supply house in Danville that has free shipping and sales often if you get on their email list. Bought 50 #s of calcium Nitrate this spring for $40 delivered. The ProMix was $44 for 2.8 cu ft.

Worked in factories all my life till they closed them all up.

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[zachrockbadenof]

44 buck for promix is what i paid last month for the bale- last year is was 33bucks... it's just a wee bit of inflation...

 

[AllStuff420]

Fox Farm has long been regarded as one of the greatest brands in terms of nutrients and soil. Many of their products are organic and are designed specifically for developing floral plants. However, Ocean Forest is also a fantastic option. This is a premium blend with ocean-going ingredients like kelp, crab meal, and shrimp meal. Happy Frog Potting Soil is also another alternative. This is a low-cost option that contains humic acids and beneficial bacteria.

 

[zachrockbadenof]

low cost.... at 32bucks a bag, it ain't low cost.... but it is a good soil...

 

[Three Berries]

I have two solo cups to transplant today. One will go in Happy Frog and the other Ocean Forest.

 

[blondie]

Time for me to put into containers today as well. I don’t have any happy frog though so into coast of Maine blend.

Another soil I’ve used to a point is Espoma. I see this year there is a lobster type soil from them. Not sure it’s new but I’ve not seen it until now.

 

[f-e]

You can just use 1 soil for everything, but it's not ideal. We are trying to grow a big single season plant. Beyond what it would do in the wild. We need to start it off normally, then ramp up the food as we can. It's 101 growing to use seed and cutting compost to start plants off, then move to something else, once or twice. Especially when we want to grow big plants.

Most bags want a good watering. They have been composting away, building up some elements of the food, with no plant to take it. The lack of movement through sitting in a bag without water passing through, is a borderline fixation problem. We wouldn't want to dry that stuff out further. It needs some disturbance, just to play it safe.

Starting seeds in your final mix might be possible with great care, and the right plants. It's not standard practice though.

A couple of years ago I burnt some seeds in seedling compost. I like to think it was the compost, or the seeds were really expecting a bit of really really bad ground. Seeds contain enough feed to get started if they are any good, so just need something to hold and get moisture from. A weak compost is ideal. Not a strong one spaced out with perlite though, as that is still a strong compost, spaced out with perlite.

 

[Three Berries]

My solo cup ones in peat seed mix are showing nute deficiencies the last couple of days with yellowing leaves.

I think next time I'll either go again with the peat cubes and then more regular soil mix in the solo rather than all seed mix..

 

[f-e]

Expanding peat pellets are good. I like nursery trays of coco myself, but the pellets work and have a certain amusement factor. I have seen racks and racks of them in photo's, giving good results. Unless you don't like using peat.

 

[Three Berries]

The issues is a whole 16oz of straight fine peat. I should have used some normal mix to fill the cup.

 

[f-e]

When I first looked at peat pellets, I wasn't convinced. My problem was that they are sodden. It's basically in it's own air-pot though. I think that is the win. You quickly have roots out of the drenched peat, positioned where they can see water and air. Then you can get that recently established seedling into a growing on compost at the earliest point possible. It's that fast transition between little food when it's not needed, then some food as soon as it is.

Cup sized pots are going to have the seedling in them for a while. Yours took off fine, but now you are stuck in that container and need food. It's probably just a cup to, which means it has no drainage. No air exchange. There is no clue as to root moisture levels. The cost of cups is whatever seeds cost now, and the plastic waste. It's just not a plant pot for a root system that likes air.

I would like to see solo cups resigned to bad history. Making them work is not a skill we need to develop. Commercially available stuff has thousands of years of development. Solo's are for kindergarten cress growing. Where we draw a face on the side and call the cress hair.


It's all about timing. Moving the plant along as it needs it. In compost that's weekly for best results (ignoring autos).

 

[Three Berries]

Clear cup with holes in it for drainage. Nothing wrong with the container just no nutes. I lost two this winter with peat pellets. Never popped up from prepopped seeds. Transplanted today to 5 quart containers.

I was watering them by keeping a paper towel damp that they sat on. Roots came out the holes onto the paper.