Organic Growing Made Easy & Fox Farms Ocean Forest!

Sincerely420

Sincerely420

New Member
Hi All,
Happy 11/7/12 to those of you in Washington St. and Colorado!
I'm somewhat of a newbie, but not totally as I've done my fair part of lurking on these forums without an account, and reading different books, and online articles..Mainly all the different forums..
Anyhow I decided to post here as I found it to be quite informative in comparison to a lot of the other forums..
So anyhow, just a brief hello to all of you, as well as a THANK YOU for any future and/or prior advice

So.....

I'm starting with a thread regarding Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil. I'd like to discuss/share the different way that you guys have used, or are using Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil, with or without success.
And I'll be starting with my own recipe, which begins with Fox Farm Ocean Forest, but is slightly amended, and will be allowed to cycle or "cook/compost/whatever" for a month, prior to using it.

If you've used Fox Farm Ocean Forest, or are planning on using it, I welcome you to comment.
It's all love and wealth of knowledge here.

BUT! Enough of the intro.

I have mixed in a 5 gallon grow bag the following parts, of which we be the final home for my Feminized White Widow Seeds:

-4 gallons* Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil
-2 1/2 quarts* Chunky Perlite (soil already has a good bit of perlite in it)
-1 tablespoon* Hi-Cal lime (figured it would be a bit of a PH buffer in addition the FFOF Oyster Shells, but didn't want to go overboard)
-2 quarts* Earth Worm Castings (Provide bacteria and help supplement Nitrogen production for the plants)
-1/4cup* Espoma Tomato Tone 3-4-6 (mainly to provide a little extra N-P-K across the board)
-1/2cup* Algamin Kelp Meal 1-0-2 (mainly for trace elements)
-1/4cup*Espoma Greensand (mainly for water retention as I added extra perlite).

This^^soil mix I currently have sitting in a 5 gallon grow bag, but I've yet to moisten it, until I can add:
-1 quart Gia Green Glacial Rock Dust.
After adding the rock dust to the soil, I'll water it down, let it sit for a month and then consider it a job!

Given this soil mix of very slight amended Fox Farm Ocean Forest, what do you guy think!
Amazon tracking says my rock dust should be here tomorrow, so I'll mix it in then..but what do you guys think.
See anything I'm missing in this soil? Anything I need more of?

:joint:#IpreferKingSizedSlims
 
T

The Mantis

Well-Known Member
hey man - lots of peeps on here use ffof. i did for my first grows. using containers inside and out and i prob bought over 20 bags of it. i ammended it too with my own compost the last year and have since mixed it with some local made soil and some soil from my yard. it all works. i'm not into measuring too much or mixing or testing ph/balance. it just has the right feel to me and more simply put - it's what i have to work with. if it looks too hot when starting, just flush it with bunch of big waterings.

good luck. used dump soil + yard soil.jpg
 
W

whitey78

Well-Known Member
I usually add about a tbs of lime per gallon of soil mix, I've never used hi-cal, I use dolomite or something similar to dolomite.... Also, I dont use just ocean forest, I mix it with happy frog in a bag to bag ratio.....I am having a brain fart so I cant figure out the measurements in quarts but I usually add about 6 cups of EWC's to a bag of soil, more is usually not better but with EWC's its not gonna hurt unless you go way overboard..... I think the mix of ocean forest which is coir based and the happy frog which is peat based gives an overall better base than either of them alone..... good job on the perlite as well, definitely need that, again not able to picture the amounts but realize that the more you add the more often you are going to water, you need some but not too much...... rice hulls are a good alternative. Dont go too crazy with the glacial rock dust, I use azomite instead of that and it can easily cause salt build up if you use too much..... I add a 1/2 cup of azomite to a batch of soil that contains 8 bags of soil (supersoil)..... so be careful with that stuff....
 
Sincerely420

Sincerely420

New Member
Nice to see you guys managed to keep this bit productive while I was AWOL :blsmoke:
I've been on somewhat a learning curve. Bouncing around different forums and websites...learning.
Not to mention all the books I've been able to get a hold of. It's been a swell journey!
All the way from getting my seeds from Attitude, to mixing my soil, to constructing my makeshift grow space.

Went with the soil mix above and found out A LOT about rock dust along the way.
Most essentially, ANY soil mix is not complete without it.

I've seen nothing but happy green from my soil mix 30 days in, so I'd recommend Fox Farm Ocean Forest and adding a variety of amendments totaling 2-3 cups per the ENTIRE SOIL MIX(7.5Gal), which should then be cycles for at least a few weeks
Rock dust should be added at any where from 2-4 cups per the ENTIRE SOIL MIX. I say this because I added 2 1/2 per my mix, when others I've seen are thriving have adding 4 a majority of the time. I mixed smaller amount because I use a little less soil that 7.5Gals


-Off topic, tho informative rant-
But LONG story short, I spent a lot of time posting at another forum, and had a buddy I let in on my plans to grow get into some trouble.
Given the situation, I went ahead and changed it all up. New place, new everything.
I know a guy who got caught growing 16 plants a 3 years back. Call him John
I met John last year about this time, and since then hes shown me pics of everything that there was and given me some books to boot. During the time I went to see John(I've ceased contact), he'd always had a fresh stash, but never around. Come to find out, he'd move everything to the next person.
Well John owes 60k still. Said he'll never be able to pay it The wet weight of 15 flowering plants and a mother landed him those fines(in a state that not yet legal albeit).
When I asked John how he got caught...A long time friend of his got stopped and had a personal stash on him that he'd just obtained from John.
You know what happens next..Officers smells it, the friend wigs out, and John is cut down just to get out of a small marijuana ticket(<1/2oz).
I say all this just to stress safety I guess. Our passion for what we're doing could result in some serious collateral damage(even in legal states), so be weary of EVERYTHING if this is the path you've chosen.
Hopefully I've done enough to ensure that.

GET SOME ROCK DUST AND MIX IT IN :bigjoint:
 
drolove

drolove

Well-Known Member
i used half fox farm and half perlite with some added dolomite like and used fox farms line up of nutes. moved on to better things though..
 
Sincerely420

Sincerely420

New Member
intenseneal said:
I use FFOF and Happy Frog straight out of the bag. Green lush happy plants and no need to use veg nutes.
Click to expand...
Thx for the reply! And good to hear that FFOF is working for you as well. I've heard tho, a lot of pple mix the ocean forest and the happy frog 1:1 and get great results also! Some say the the FFOF is to hot, so they cut it so they can use it right away.
But I'm with the cycling program. Let it sit for 3weeks to a month and water once/twice a week while turning occasionally. That was they microbes have had some time to convert everything to plant food!
Like you Neal, all is green on my end :joint:
 
Sincerely420

Sincerely420

New Member
Not the same bro. Check out my sig.

I can't really get it locally and didn't wanna order it and wait this time, so I went with azomite instead.
You can order it from Amazon tho.

Try-> http://www.amazon.com/Gaia-Green-Glacial-Rock-Dust/dp/B006K4HSZK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1358447220&sr=8-4&keywords=rock+dust
I can vouch for it.
_______________
This time I'm using -> http://www.amazon.com/10-Lbs-Azomite-Additive-Fertilizer/dp/B0081GP2LW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358447220&sr=8-2&keywords=rock+dust
instead
_______________
 
Sincerely420

Sincerely420

New Member
Soil mixed up for the next run(as of 1/17/2013)
I used:

-1.5cubic feet Fox Farm Ocean Forest
-38cups Wiggle Worms Earthworm Casting (1-0-0)
-10cups Perlite(may add more eventually)
-11tsp Rooters Mycorrhizae
*Soil Base
__________________________
-1.5cups Indonesian Hi-P Bat Guano (.5-13-.2)
-1.5cups Algamin Kelp Meal (1-0-2)
-1.5cups Espoma Tomato Tone (3-4-6)
*Nutritional Amendments
__________________________
-1.5cups Azomite(used as a rock dust)
-0.5cup Espoma Green sand
-1.25cups Hi-Cal Lime
*Mineral Amendments
__________________________

To finish it all up, I watered it with a gallon of water! Now to let it sit for a good 3 weeks to a month!

This mix is a little heavier amended(more in total nutritional amendment) than my current mix, and I used Azomite instead of rock dust, so that I wouldn't have to order it!
I also added mycos to this mix. I didn't treat the soil that my current girls are growing in with mycos, so the Azomite and the mycos are the variables this time around, as well as more food..About a 1.5cup more in total!

*edit..Also tested my soil PH at 6.5 fresh outta bag, not yet amended.
 
brownEs

brownEs

Member
sencerely420- Good info! are you using this mix without any additional nutes along the way? also this mix good to use from the seed to flowering stages? im about to head out to my local green thumb and source this stuff out for my first grow..!
 
Sincerely420

Sincerely420

New Member
Appreciates BrownEs!

I am indeed using this mix without any nutes from seed to flowering!
I do however use AACT(actively aerated compost teas) which are made from the amendments that I have left over from the soil mix.
Get ahold of a book called Teaming With Microbes if you can.
Also...The following is one of the BEST READS THAT I'VE EVER COME ACROSS regarding building a good soil..

-> http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1116550-easy-organic-soil-mix-beginners.html

Take your time and get to know what you're doing before you add anything if you choose to do so.
It helps to know what it takes to make a good soil when you plan on it. FFOF out of the bag is a complete soil, I just don't know how long it'll last without amending it.

If you copy my mix and let it sit for 3weeks before you use it, you'll be good from start to finish. Water only.
But you should get to know these AACTs.

It'll help you understand Organic gardening in an easy to read fashion. It'll also help explain what AACTs are.
But if you make a good enough soil you plants will have a CONSTANT supply of nourishment for your plants.

You'll save a WHOLE LOT of headaches by planning ahead just a little bit.

Imagine how fast a baby would grow if it could eat whenever it wanted to. :joint:
 
brownEs

brownEs

Member
Sincerely420 said:
Appreciates BrownEs!

I am indeed using this mix without any nutes from seed to flowering!
I do however use AACT(actively aerated compost teas) which are made from the amendments that I have left over from the soil mix.
Get ahold of a book called Teaming With Microbes if you can.
Also...The following is one of the BEST READS THAT I'VE EVER COME ACROSS regarding building a good soil..

-> http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1116550-easy-organic-soil-mix-beginners.html

Take your time and get to know what you're doing before you add anything if you choose to do so.
It helps to know what it takes to make a good soil when you plan on it. FFOF out of the bag is a complete soil, I just don't know how long it'll last without amending it.

If you copy my mix and let it sit for 3weeks before you use it, you'll be good from start to finish. Water only.
But you should get to know these AACTs.

It'll help you understand Organic gardening in an easy to read fashion. It'll also help explain what AACTs are.
But if you make a good enough soil you plants will have a CONSTANT supply of nourishment for your plants.

You'll save a WHOLE LOT of headaches by planning ahead just a little bit.

Imagine how fast a baby would grow if it could eat whenever it wanted to. :joint:
Click to expand...
thanks brother! not to many peeps in the forums are willing to help out a newbie, didnt make it to my local green thumb( garden supply store), from the list i only found the FFOF and perlite. youre right about taking my time, honestly ive been rushing trying to finish my cab. so i can stick some plants in it asap. i need to slow down and get some more education on this stuff.
 
Sincerely420

Sincerely420

New Member
No prob bra. I'm still a newbie myself really. And you'll be good to start off in that FFOF and perlite.
Just water it and let it sit for a couple weeks before you use it.
Some say it can be "hot" out of the bag so I'd let it cycle to be safe. I always to.
Good luck bro :joint:
 
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