Fox farms is too expensive after shipping, so I'm looking for an alternative to use. I'm doing a CFL SOG under 14 42w 2700k bulbs in a rather small area, so the pots aren't going to be more than 20 fluid ounces, probably Gulp cups from 7-11. I want to grow organic, what's a good organic soil mix that doesn't cost as much as FF?
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Lgolos..... Ocean Forrest, Happy Frog & Black Gold are all excellent products, but pricey. Their main advantage is good quality - already mixed in nutes.
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They are a bit hot, IMO, so I recommend cutting them with peat moss and perlite. Which, calms them down and stretches your growing dollar. For those who choose to buy them. Since with shipping they are exceeding your budget, I recommend the following :
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Go to Lowes, Home Depot or Walmart - (buy small bags) - buy some peat moss ($ 4), jiffy seed starting mix ($ 4), perlite ($4) and some cheap bagged compost ($ 5). Don't buy bagged soil with time released nutes, that say " Feeds for 3, 6 or 9 months".
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When you get home, put the compost in a black garbage bag and sit it a sunny spot, turn it a little each day. The sun will "Solarize" your compost, heating it up to over 140 degrees, over the course of 3 to 5 days - killing off the bad microorganisms in it.
Or put it in a big pot, place on the grill out back, pour in water till it's completely wet and cook it until all the water boils away. You can also bake it in the oven at 160 degrees for 15 minutes, but you will smell up the house & may piss off the roomate, girlfriend or wife. So, I usually don't advise using that method.
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Mix up 50 percent compost, 30 percent peat moss, 10 percent perlite, 10 percent Jiffy seed starting mix. You can use Worm Castings in place of the Jiffy seed starting mix.
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This mix will serve you well and not break the bank. It will be enough for about 8 to 12 gallon sized pots (if you buy small bags of everything).
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Hope this helps....
Keep it Real...Organic.....
