Hey RIU I ran into a problem with a power failure-and as such my pump to my veg shut off along with my cloner, since all the plants in the cloner died and the vegging plants started to show problems on bottom of plant, anyways I was planning on recutting and cloning the tops, but I was wondering-when roots are ready what is the cheapest soil that can carry a plant through its life, I mainly want to use so I can pop seeds and sex etc, without wasting precious hydro nutrients!
Cheapest, most effective soil?
- Thread starter smokajoe
- Start date
PaxEtBonum
Member
If you're just using it for popping seeds and sexing, then I'd recommend Fox Farms Happy Frog. Get the big bag. Go to their website and do a search for retailers that carry it near you. Usually greenhouses and floral centers carry it, and it's a lot more affordable than if you go to a grow shop.
If you want to grow in soil and not just pop and sex them in it, I run a mix with happyfrog and perlite for the top 5 inches (in a five gallon bucket) and then Fox Farms Ocean Forest for the rest of the bucket. This lets the seedlings take root in milder soil and then dig down for the nutes in the Ocean Forest. If you want cheap, cheap, and just for popping them, I'd think any decent gardening soil mixed with perlite would work fine. Just watch out for too many nutes in the soil.
I'm guessing you're a hydro grower.
If you want to grow in soil and not just pop and sex them in it, I run a mix with happyfrog and perlite for the top 5 inches (in a five gallon bucket) and then Fox Farms Ocean Forest for the rest of the bucket. This lets the seedlings take root in milder soil and then dig down for the nutes in the Ocean Forest. If you want cheap, cheap, and just for popping them, I'd think any decent gardening soil mixed with perlite would work fine. Just watch out for too many nutes in the soil.
I'm guessing you're a hydro grower.
BluJayz
Well-Known Member
theoneherbalist
Member
Fuck soil if growing indoor go for coco so much better grow, flowering and its reuseable. It's a no brainer.
mr.maryj
New Member
hey bro nothing against foxfarm but its what i started with as a begginer and i thought it worked very well but i was a begginer .....now if u want plants 2 ft hight 3 ft wide in 3 weeks from seedling use sunshine pro mix #4 with canna nuts has lots of coco perlite and all that good stuff my plants are fucking enormouse and its barely bin a month 2ft lng 3ft wide all 3 of them and still cant believe my eyes my plant when using foxfarm were the same size when done flowering as the 3 week old plants i have now ..trust me man foxfarm is for begginers ........wish i could post a pik for you but i use a tablet sry... but u wont regret it
PaxEtBonum
Member
I have to comment on this one. Sunshine Pro Mix is good soil, but your assumptions and statements do not follow a logical pattern. You used Fox Farm when you were a beginner. So, you used a great soil and it yielded results, when you were a beginner. There's a lot of differences that have nothing to do with soil that could account for your claims that Pro Mix is better (again, I'm not saying it's not a good soil). First off, you are now (apparently with one post here) no longer a beginner. This means that your overall results should be better regardless of which soil you use, because you have experience now.
Other variables to account for your differences in growth might be:
1) Strain
2) Seed vitality
3) Nutrient schedule
4) Lighting
5) Environmental factors like humidity and air movement
6) Size of the pots you've planted in
7) Water quality/ph
Your argument is just a little flawed and anecdotal, unless you ran a valid study using exact same nutes and all other variables were accounted for in a controlled study.
What I'm saying is, both are good soils, and both have their fans. What we both agree on is that Fox Farm works very well for beginning soil grows. Where we differ is that you didn't even mention which Fox Farm soil you're talking about.
2 feet high and three ft wide from seedling sounds healthy but it absolutely depends on the strain, size of container, and proper lighting. Those numbers certainly are not an earth shatteringly good size. 2 feet high isn't killing it. Any soil, including decent dirt from the highway's edge, should be able to sustain healthy plants for three weeks of growth.
Your sample size basically sounds like you're comparing 3 unidentified plants/strains on your first grow to 3 unidentified plants/strains on a more experienced grow, and you're singling out soil as the only variable here.
PaxEtBonum
Member
But he didn't ask about growing in coco or about flowering in a soilless mix like coco. You don't mention the other issues that coco brings to the table like the absurd amount you'll be spending on nutes to grow in a basically empty medium like coco, or arbitrary concerns like flavor yields.
The post is titled: "Cheapest, most effective soil?"
kushiesweet
Member
i make my own soil using top soil, cocunut fiber, perlite, and blood meal. then i just focus on findging a good food so i can fully control when and how much they get. it also costs me very little to make but alot is actually made. my plants love this stuff and are thriving
BluJayz
Well-Known Member
I wondered if someone would bring this back on topic.
Yes the fox farm would be the CHEAPEST route by far but not necessarily the best route.
navyfighter04
Active Member
Prove it with pics bro...until then, your talking out your ass
kinetic
Well-Known Member
If we're really talking cheapest like the op suggested in the title and he just wants to pop beans then get a spade to retrieve soil from your yard and amend with perlite. Also there are lots of places that still have peat pellets with humidity containers at a reduced price. My grocery store had an 8 pack plastic dome unit with pellets for $3. That's about as cheap as you can get to start some seeds. Good Luck and Happy Growing!
Edit: If we're talking commercial products allow me to offer an alternative to all of these common suggestions and say Gardeners Gold by Coast of Maine. You can only find it at Master Nursery centers, the bag looks alot like FFOF but costs half as much.
Edit: If we're talking commercial products allow me to offer an alternative to all of these common suggestions and say Gardeners Gold by Coast of Maine. You can only find it at Master Nursery centers, the bag looks alot like FFOF but costs half as much.
BluJayz
Well-Known Member
LOL! Someone had to take it there!
Technically something like that would be the cheapest to take your plant to flowering.
Mr.Vega
Well-Known Member
View attachment 2738614View attachment 2738615View attachment 2738616....miracle grow production....
kinetic
Well-Known Member
View attachment 2738617
Roots Organic production under 250w.
Roots Organic production under 250w.
Mr.Vega
Well-Known Member
View attachment 2738618View attachment 2738619View attachment 2738620....some more miracle grown stuff....