Need soil suggestions!

Currently I am using Fox farm ocean forest and i'm liking the results but my problem is I can't get a bag of that around where I live, and to get it shipped to me cost 30 dollars!

So does anyone know a good soil brand, or soil mix or anything that I could probably find locally?

Thanks!

You could take the simple and cheap route and just buy some topsoil at wal-mart or lowes, along with perlite and you have your potting mix. Just mix the topsoil in with the perlite at about 60/40 ratio and you should be all set.

yeah thats what I have to do, I use miracle grow organic mix with more perlite than soil and flush it as much as possible before using it. but walmart sells and orange bag that is made by miracle grow and bagged specially for walmart and if they have it i get it cause its cheap look at their orange bags and you might see what i mean. it says miracle grow bagged for walmart really little on it

You can always get a base soil and doctor it up.

I am constantly taking soil from my outdoor garden and adding perlite, dried blood, sulfate of potash, calcium nitrate, etc. to get the desired soil. You just need a decent soil testing kit or send of a sample of soil (better) for analysis.

It is kind of a pain in the ass but you can get a lot of dirt for really cheap this way.

It's rediculous to pay exorbitant shipping prices for dirt!

Ok great keep the tips coming!

I'll probably try getting cheap soil and mixing in perlite... Will I have to adjust the ph level of the soil if I do this?

I dont want to go to cheap on the soil cause i'm sure down the road it will cause more problem then if I spent that extra dollar.

Also how would i flush the soil and know its ready?

No need to adjust the soils PH when you first start off, You can check it to make sure its in range, but chances are it will be. Ph usually gets thrown off once you start adding ferts

Even the cheap stuff at wal-mart has been steamed for sterilization so you wont have to worry about it causing any future issues.

I'm not sure what you mean by flushing and knowing its ready? If you just buy the soil and perlite and mix those there is no need for flushing. Flushing the soil is done when there is usually a problem with nute lockout, or when you are close to done with flowering and want to get your buds real clean.

See drearth.com, ladybug, dirtdoctor,gardener&bloome.

Ok awesome thanks leet.

And like he said i should mix in 60% soil and 40% perlite? Do i want all the perlite all on the bottom or mix it up together?

Ahh alright wasn't sure about the whole flushing business i'm still quite new.
Thanks

np, yea you want to make sure and mix the perlite into the soil throughout. No clumps of dirt or anything, so that there is good drainage for your plants.

i like faffard 2 it has no nutes and has vermiculite pearlite and peatmoss

I just went to walmart and picked up a bag of MG organic choice potting mix and a bag of MG perlite was this a good choice?

I also saw MG moisture control and some other cheap brand called Expert or something, should i have picked up one of those instead?

Those choices sound ok, but when you say MG potting mix, sounds to me like there is probably nutes and everything in that MG mix? and perlite in the MG mix as well?

Gotta be careful because some MG mixes have time released ferts, and that spells certain doom when you are giving seedlings your own as well.

What does the label say is in the MG potting mix?

Its 0.10-0.05-0.05

Has peat moss, 50%-55% compostly bark, watering agent, and some other thing. I think thats what you were asking about.

But I have a new problem I just opened up the bag and there where a few little flies walking on the soil and flying around, is that a problem?

If you have a nursey near by try EB Stone Organics, it's way cheaper than FFOF but not as hot. It is organic and if you do try it, add more perlite than you think you should.

Also I didn't buy the MG potting mix I bought the MG organic choice, should I go back and get the potting mix instead?

I have a bag of Sta-Green moisture max potting mix. It has Canadian sphagnum peat moss, horticulural perlite, ground dolomitic limestone,a wetting agent, and a couple other things.

How does that sound?

0.14-0.11-0.08

Thats your choice, I bought my soil and perlite at lowes, it was just topsoil plain dirt nothing else...the first few weeks of life your plants wont really need any food in the soil

they will tell you once they need to start being fed