i want soil.... and i want simple..... ??

right my final dilema for today .... i want to grow in soil.... i understand the need for the right equipment and i believe i have a good understanding of how to use it... but the soil and feeding is like greek to me

soil mix:
my thoughts were.... good quality soil (general potting stuff john innes/miracle grow... yes??) ...plenty of purlite...and a good hand full of that worm casting stuff??

feeding:
my thoughts were... im intending to do auto's ...so something weak like ionic grow(for soil)every 3 days after they'd showed a few leaf nodes... then at the first signs of flower swich to ionic bloom every other water starting nice and weak....???

is this ok?... have i got it all wrong?... or is there a better (im looking for simple as i dont understand the subject much)

any help would be KILLER .... thanks

If it's your first grow stay away from Miracle Grow, I have heard so many bad things about it. I would suggest getting a soil with some added nutes (liek a 5-2-4 ratio of NPK for veg), just water only in veg (most soils have 6 months worth of feed) and then when you want to flower give it some flower boosting nutrient (a 0-13-14 for example). This is the simplest way to avoid nute burn, over feeding, and good to get you use to growing and knowing what your plant wants. Remember this rule with plants: LESS IS BETTER.
If you want to add anything to the soil, again keep it simple, something to create air, don't add in extra nutes until your plants are established and happy.

Good luck with it all, soil is quite forgiving so I am sure you will be fine if you keep it simple. (i.e don't go out an buy an entire nute range for 300 bucks)

Peace, DST

EDIT:
NPK are the main building blocks for the plants, so you will always see this number combo on nutrient bottles, and soil bags. MJ also like a reasonable amount of Magnesium as well, so check this on your soil bag as well.

Are you growing indoors?

If so I would ditch the soil, and go buy the premixed coco and pearlite and use the KISS method. About as simple and as cheap as it gets.

MaxiBloom is a little known additive from GenHydro. However with further inspection, this 'additive' has everything the plant needs. Nothing more in your water than:

1 TEAspoon MaxiBloom
pH Calibration***
Per US gal. tap water

***(This varies depending on region, test pH amounts for YOURSELF! 1/2 Tsp pH UP works for me!)

1. Fill Mason Jar half full of hot water (Glass not plastic!)
2. Empty measured/weighed Maxi into Mason Jar
3. Shake for at least 5 min. (You don't have to shake it hard, it just takes time. So get comfy!)
4. Pour solution into mixing bucket
5. Fill to desired amount and away ya go!

BE SURE TO KEEP AN EYE ON RUNOFF pH...adjust accordingly...

you can make your own soil mix...but if you want to keep it simple try and get some fox farms light warrior or ocean forest...i use ocean forest, and where im at its 20 bucks a bag...1 bag also fills 4 3 gal. pots.

ok .... thanks for advise .... dst i kinda know the nute scales..NPK so i will reaserch more before LIFTOFF... i kinda dont know if Foxfarms stuff is available where i am..and i dont like the idea of presenting myself at a hydro shop or ebaying ... for the obvious reasons.... but i might be able to work around this too ... many thanks and might i just add ... whenever i google something related to this subject... i always end up on this site ... niceone guys keep up the good work

I agree with gobskii. If you have access to FoxFarm, get some Ocean Forest. It is great soil that contains plenty of nutrients, perlite and worm castings. You won't need to feed using the Ocean Forest for the first 2-3 weeks.

Also, I would highly recommend using the FoxFarm trio of nutrients for a first time grower (Grow Big, Big Bloom, Tiger Bloom) rather than using miracle grow. Also, feed every 4 days rather than every 3 days. Your schedule would be water, off day, feed, off day, water -- depending on how big are your pots. Good luck!

Edit: You will be fine just buying soil and nutes at your local grow shop.

Before you start talking soil,nutes , is your light and ventillation adequate?

dude just go buy some promix un fertilized and manure and your off to the races

i grow in soil and use promix , sheep manure, shrimpcompost , and add a little peatmoss the plants love it

as for food get optimum A and B while your on this site get humix and fulvex cal mag superthrive

http://www.optimum-hydroponix.com/english/html_en/product_pages/products_hydroponix.html

*BUDS said:

Before you start talking soil,nutes , is your light and ventillation adequate?

Click to expand...

600w hps (duel spectrum) ... 5" ruck exhast (fan smart controler with carbon filter.... 4" inline intake fan... ...and a couple of clip on do-ickys

troutie seems you got your stuff in order lol i would suggest stickin the inline fan to the exhaust side and this way when exhaust fans are on fresh air is forced in no need to have a inline fan on your air in
thats what i do got all my power on exhaust side like a vacumm cleaner as it sucks out it forces fresh air in use the aluminum ducting with T's all around bottom of floor

go coco...much better than soil mate.............

DrFever said:

troutie seems you got your stuff in order lol i would suggest stickin the inline fan to the exhaust side and this way when exhaust fans are on fresh air is forced in no need to have a inline fan on your air in
thats what i do got all my power on exhaust side like a vacumm cleaner as it sucks out it forces fresh air in use the aluminum ducting with T's all around bottom of floor

Click to expand...

that is an idea.... i had toyed with the idea of passive air inlet.... but i am going to wrap my tent in an 8 inch thick wall of rigid insulation and tape off all the joints so its like a thermos™ warm on the inside ... unoticably cold on the outside ... so i will have to have a powered intake running about half power ... or heat will leak out badly

just my thinking .... what do you think?

so in short .. there is no one easy solution... some say buy premixed and add nutes.... some say no nutes ... just bloom enhancer... some say things i cant understand LOL (my fault not yours im sure) ...

coco is one thing i'm lost with... that holds no nutrional value ....and i'd have to add nutes constantly, and invest in wet kit i dont understand am i right??... which i know will result in a nasty tasting disaster (much like what im trying to avoid)

i have found some online hydro shops ... it seems canna soil is easy to get.... fox farm isnt.... are they much the same as each other?