Budget Friendly Organic Soil Mix?

570.Grow

Member
Im looking for something that won’t break the bank but also doesn’t sacrifice quality. Originally I was going to use 1:1:1 peat moss, worm castings, perlite and 1 cup of kelp meal, alfalfa meal, crab meal, neem meal, malted barley, gypsum, azomite, langbeinite, fish bone meal, and oyster shell flour, cook for 2 months. This along with my light and fans brings me to $400. I’m looking to make something I can cook, and just water, occasionally boost the soil life with teas. Few auto flower runs to start off right so if anyone can help I’d greatly appreciate it
 
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Ty574

New Member
Im looking for something that won’t break the bank but also doesn’t sacrifice quality. Originally I was going to use 1:1:1 peat moss, worm castings, perlite and 1 cup of kelp meal, alfalfa meal, crab meal, neem meal, malted barley, gypsum, azomite, langbeinite, fish bone meal, and oyster shell flour, cook for 2 months. This along with my light and fans brings me to $400. I’m looking to make something I can cook, and just water, occasionally boost the soil life with teas. Few auto flower runs to start off right so if anyone can help I’d greatly appreciate it

Be careful with the autos they are picky and dont take to hot soil at all . i use only oceanforest and bat guano first 30 h
Days. And a bloom booster last 30 but at quarter strength. And leave them in same pot the whole time. They dont transp l ant well.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Miracle Gro ORGANIC soil or potting mix. It’s fairly new. It must be cut with additional perlite. Otherwise it’s good stuff. Not great but good and it’s easily found.
 

570.Grow

Member
Be careful with the autos they are picky and dont take to hot soil at all . i use only oceanforest and bat guano first 30 h
Days. And a bloom booster last 30 but at quarter strength. And leave them in same pot the whole time. They dont transp l ant well.
My mix isn’t hot I’ll be cooking it for 2-3 months by then everything would be broken down.
 

Khyber420

Well-Known Member
Im looking for something that won’t break the bank but also doesn’t sacrifice quality. Originally I was going to use 1:1:1 peat moss, worm castings, perlite and 1 cup of kelp meal, alfalfa meal, crab meal, neem meal, malted barley, gypsum, azomite, langbeinite, fish bone meal, and oyster shell flour, cook for 2 months. This along with my light and fans brings me to $400. I’m looking to make something I can cook, and just water, occasionally boost the soil life with teas. Few auto flower runs to start off right so if anyone can help I’d greatly appreciate it
His cycle I'm trying Foxfarms Happy Frog, so far so good and it was about 15 USD for 2 cu ft.
 

570.Grow

Member
His cycle I'm trying Foxfarms Happy Frog, so far so good and it was about 15 USD for 2 cu ft.
I was considering just getting happy frog and the trio from FF, but I’ve always wanted to grow from an amended soil, no bottles lol so it’s just “do I go cheap,or do I save up and wait?”
 

570.Grow

Member
His cycle I'm trying Foxfarms Happy Frog, so far so good and it was about 15 USD for 2 cu ft.
If I REALLY wanna cheap out AN has the micro,grow, bloom for $15 for 500ml bottles. I grew a great white shark with it and some more of their products years ago, the results weren’t bad considering I used a shitty Apollo horticulture CFL but the growing experienced I felt just lacked something.
 

Khyber420

Well-Known Member
I was considering just getting happy frog and the trio from FF, but I’ve always wanted to grow from an amended soil, no bottles lol so it’s just “do I go cheap,or do I save up and wait?”
I thought HF is amended? My understanding is it will get you to flower without added nutes but at that point it will need some supplementation. What if you vegged with FFHF or Ocean Forest then drenched with teas and organic ferts during flower? I wouldn't wait :D grow grow grow!
 

570.Grow

Member
I thought HF is amended? My understanding is it will get you to flower without added nutes but at that point it will need some supplementation. What if you vegged with FFHF or Oceam Forest then drenched with teas and organic ferts during flower? I wouldn't wait :D grow grow grow!
From my understanding it’s amended to an extent, but neither HF or OF will get you from seed to harvest. OF ive read mixed reviews on it being too hot and burning seedlings, others say they have no issues. But for $35 total investment on soil and nutes it’s pretty tempting
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
I have a friend that mixes 1:1 bags of FFOF and Happy Frog. He fills 20 gallon pots and always does really good outside. He doesn't use any nutrients until maybe three or four weeks into flower if any at all. His plants are always lush and healthy.

If you do mix your own up definitely make sure you let it "cook" for a good long time. I decided to go the water only route but being the fool I am I tried to use it almost right away. The problems didn't show up until a third of the way through flower but it was the worst grow I've had in over a decade. I've since gone back to coco. I still have most of the 50 lb bags of crab meal, alfalfa meal, kelp, azomite, etc... that I bought. I'm going to mix up about 10 cubic feet of soil before the summers over and just let it sit in bags in the greenhouse until spring.
 

Sobeit

Member
I just used pure Fox Farm Soil, without transplanting. These are my ladies after two weeks, note the smaller one will be transplanted as it is a recent one. IMG_0375.JPG IMG_0377.JPG IMG_0378.JPG
 

570.Grow

Member
I have a friend that mixes 1:1 bags of FFOF and Happy Frog. He fills 20 gallon pots and always does really good outside. He doesn't use any nutrients until maybe three or four weeks into flower if any at all. His plants are always lush and healthy.

If you do mix your own up definitely make sure you let it "cook" for a good long time. I decided to go the water only route but being the fool I am I tried to use it almost right away. The problems didn't show up until a third of the way through flower but it was the worst grow I've had in over a decade. I've since gone back to coco. I still have most of the 50 lb bags of crab meal, alfalfa meal, kelp, azomite, etc... that I bought. I'm going to mix up about 10 cubic feet of soil before the summers over and just let it sit in bags in the greenhouse until spring.
I’ve used it to grow a vegetable garden two years ago when I still had a yard, beautiful colors, juicy meaty tomatoes, honestly couldn’t complain, I tilled it in at the beginning of autumn and planted seeds probably April-May and no issue of burning. I only got the 5lb boxes of Down to Earth and used them all, that’s what i plan on getting it’s just patience is a virtue I definitely lack. There’s nothing wrong with bottles, great results for decades, water/tea only just seems the better route.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
I’ve used it to grow a vegetable garden two years ago when I still had a yard, beautiful colors, juicy meaty tomatoes, honestly couldn’t complain, I tilled it in at the beginning of autumn and planted seeds probably April-May and no issue of burning. I only got the 5lb boxes of Down to Earth and used them all, that’s what i plan on getting it’s just patience is a virtue I definitely lack. There’s nothing wrong with bottles, great results for decades, water/tea only just seems the better route.
That's where most of the amendments I've used have ended up. In my vegetable garden. I bought 40 and 50 pound bags. It's just so much cheaper to buy in bulk and there are several places here in Portland where you can buy in quantity. But I still have the 5 pound boxes from Down to Earth of things like Langbeinite, Neem seed meal, etc...
 
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