Roots Organic Soil VS. Fox Farms Soil.

Who makes a better organic soil?


  • Total voters
    284
Why are your leaf tips curling and cupping like that? On both of them! Are they clones from the exact same plant? The one on the right has many branches and the one on the left has what looks to be about 4, correct me if I'm wrong. I ain't mad that ya told the teacher on me, to be expected, but you DO need some help with growing organic, OK? Seek the advice from somewhere, really, because you have a ways to go. Neither of those really look like the are reaching full potential. Once you start to get a real handle on organics, you will realize the futility in trying to compare ANY bagged soil, to a real, living medium.
Google Steve Solomon.
 

GoldenGanja13

Well-Known Member
I'm so pissed, I have one LA Con in RO and it is like 5" high. At the same time I planted 3 other strains in FFOF and they are getting huge and full of veg, real nice like. I am thinking about transplanting her into FFOF. Better than RO soil every time.
 
I'm so pissed, I have one LA Con in RO and it is like 5" high. At the same time I planted 3 other strains in FFOF and they are getting huge and full of veg, real nice like. I am thinking about transplanting her into FFOF. Better than RO soil every time.
Well, what I'm reading is that you have 4 different strains going on right now, yes? If so, even taking soil out of the equation, you will get markedly different results. Even seeds from the same breeders pack, will usually produce 2, 3, and sometimes 4 or more phenotypes. Until you are cloning off a known mother, you won't really know what soil, technique, nutes, water, etc is working for you and what isn't. If you and I both run 3 miles a day and eat the exact same diet, will we look identical? Fortunately for you, no, because we started with different genetic material, and our environment, and how we specifically respond to outside stimulus are much different. Now if I cloned you, and did the same experiment, the results would be much more predictable. Use what make you feel good. Get to know your plants inside and out, and the other details will work themselves out. Good luck and I mean that.
 

dieseldrew

Member
just to air my two cants I have used both, FoxFarm has been around a long time and Roots is just get it's feet wet. I think anyone who is serious about a quality product should consider mixing their own but... We all get lazy sometime and don't allways have everything around when situations dictate a transplant or a small side project and IMO Roots as a base offers a better product. Like I stated they are new and in the past I have had issues with FFOF like leaf miners and root afids and as of yet have to have any problems with Roots, also have just for shits and giggles bought their organic line of nutes and am gona run a sid by side with my curent feeding schedual what can I say the product info sold me and i am always looking to increase a better, cheaper, but still quality grow. However in any case people are allowed their oppinion and I am not here to step on toes after all thats what these forum are for to compare and brag....
keep'em green and spread the love -diesel
 

ataxia

Well-Known Member
still a novice grower here .. but i've been using Roots since the beginning and loved the results. I've had this discussion with Golden and he's hellbent on OF. Which is cool. after vegging my plants in RO it came time to buy another bag of soil. I got OF ..... so in my tent i had same strain with three different soils in three different pots. MG Organic, Roots, and OF.
my results.
MG gave me dwarfs practically ... The roots performed as expected. and the OF ....while i love roots and will continue to use it in veg. I think i'll switch to OF when transplanting before flower. Kept my leaves healthy and green..... OF has alot more N in the mix than Roots.... No? seemed that way to me.
and as much as i hate to admit it. for whatever reason .. the pots with the OF gave me a little more bud. Almost like the experience that GG had with his side by side.
 

GoldenGanja13

Well-Known Member
Woot~ Hey man I'm happy you bought a bag of FFOF and tried it for yourself. Funny thing is I went out last week and bought a bag of Roots (not 707). Your right about FF having more Nitrogen in it. The Roots has more Potassium in it. So I bought a bag and transplanted 2 -#18 from a 3 into a 5 gal and used the Roots. Going to see how that plays out. First thing I noticed when I opened my bag of Roots is the smell, it's nasty, like never before, and also there was so sticks like every bag in the past. I wonder if they are still after all these years trying to improve there soil.
still a novice grower here .. but i've been using Roots since the beginning and loved the results. I've had this discussion with Golden and he's hellbent on OF. Which is cool. after vegging my plants in RO it came time to buy another bag of soil. I got OF ..... so in my tent i had same strain with three different soils in three different pots. MG Organic, Roots, and OF.
my results.
MG gave me dwarfs practically ... The roots performed as expected. and the OF ....while i love roots and will continue to use it in veg. I think i'll switch to OF when transplanting before flower. Kept my leaves healthy and green..... OF has alot more N in the mix than Roots.... No? seemed that way to me.
and as much as i hate to admit it. for whatever reason .. the pots with the OF gave me a little more bud. Almost like the experience that GG had with his side by side.
 

haze2

Well-Known Member
I used RO soil 1 bag to 1 bag of light warrior and the stuff seemed to be unstoppable. You can check out the plants that came from the soil in my journal come check it out. Haze
 

cpc

Member
roots organics beats foxfarm. one of my buddies hates roots(because of their marketing but everyone has a friend like this,haters) and he still says roots beats foxfarm anyday. i got yelled at when i asked about foxfarm soil haha.
 

I dont know

Well-Known Member
I really like roots soil.. I have never used FF so I couldnt really say much about their soil... But im sticking with roots really like it..
 

stacatto99

Well-Known Member
based on whatt ive heard through out these posts, I just bought some fox farms ocean planting mix. im excited about going straight organic. Iwas wonder if anyone knew of some beneficial amendments to this ocean mix...i.e.(perlite, vermiculite....) I am using soil cloning under flouro. and scrogging under hps.
 

cpc

Member
based on whatt ive heard through out these posts, I just bought some fox farms ocean planting mix. im excited about going straight organic. Iwas wonder if anyone knew of some beneficial amendments to this ocean mix...i.e.(perlite, vermiculite....) I am using soil cloning under flouro. and scrogging under hps.
you don't want to add anything to it really if i remember correctly its pretty hot and can burn younger ones, some people don't start fertilizing it untill a couple weeks after transplant because its so hot. some people don't use any veg nutrients with roots soil if they go into bloom at 3 weeks of veg because its pretty hot also, i use small amounts of trinity and grow every week just to give it a little boost.

Also what nutrient line are you using? only one fox farm product is organic and that's the grow. scrogging is pretty cool, i did a little one, my buddies outdoor plants are 2 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide, and 6-10 feet long, all scroged and super cropped a shit load. he actually just super cropped them to that size and shape then threw the screen on a week or so into flower. very nice looking garden.
 

GoldenGanja13

Well-Known Member
Use 15-20% perlite only. I went with (organic) Humboldts Naturals (make sure you always buy the organic) and add like micro's (powder) and amino aids. They have a huge line up organics, just make sure it says organics. There is a link to just organic on there site. It is 100% safe to add all this wonderful organic products to FFOF and never worry about a "burn" as long as you know what you are doing.
based on whatt ive heard through out these posts, I just bought some fox farms ocean planting mix. im excited about going straight organic. Iwas wonder if anyone knew of some beneficial amendments to this ocean mix...i.e.(perlite, vermiculite....) I am using soil cloning under flouro. and scrogging under hps.
 

BigBudE

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately i have not had the chance to try roots. I would have to get it off the net and pay at least a few hundred bucks just for the shipping. My last grow was with FFOF and all i can say is that i was not very happy with it. Where i am its way over priced (around 24-25 bucks a bag). I may have talked a localish nursery into getting some roots but i dont know if they ever did. I had to settle with DR.Earth wich judging by the ingrediants is pretty good but i would still rather of had roots.
BigBudE
 

I dont know

Well-Known Member
I went to a different to store then from where I usally shop and I asked for the roots soil to my surprise they didnt carry it, but they had the fox farms happy frog for 10 a bag its the 2cubic foot bag. I was like wow thats a really good price...
 

haze2

Well-Known Member
I dont know, FORGET about that happy frog Iv never heard anything good about it, even my shops manager was telling that iot was a poor soil, cheap but no good.
 

bshdctr

Well-Known Member
I dont know, FORGET about that happy frog Iv never heard anything good about it, even my shops manager was telling that iot was a poor soil, cheap but no good.
Here is my take:
I think that peeps are having trouble with happy frog beacuse it has a VERY inconsistent PH. I use a Happyfrog and light warrior blend but everytime I buy the Happyfrog I have to PH it carefully. When I buy it I do a PH test with a few different techniques and testers. (distilled water soak/drain and PH, and soil meter PH) The Happyfrog is sometimes around 5..but sometimes up near 7!! I have, over time, figured out how much dolomite lime to add to the Happyfrog. I then add a little distilled h2o and my Light warrior soil (the light warrior is always 6.5-7ph when I test it..) and mix it all up. If I let this sit for about 2 weeks before planting my clones, the PH seems to adjust and the beneficial-microbes get active and the plants take off with healthy growth and no problems at all. After about 2-3 weeks of veg growth, I start adding Botanicare PureBlendPro nutes at a mild strength...and work up to about 2/3 recommended dosage by the time the plants are in full flower. To be honest though...I'd love to find a new system that doesnt take me as much work figuring out PH and what not....but I feel confident that my garden will be healthy with the above regiment.
 

haze2

Well-Known Member
Indeed that may be the prob, I have heard about the inconsistent PH levels, but it sounds like you have it down. It seems a little bit of a process though. My last TGA grow was ass kicking. I used 1 bag of ROOTS ORGANIC SOIL the basic, to 1 bag of light warrior, and the recommended dose of ROOTS ORGANICS OREGONISM XL, and watered really well before taproots went in and I dont believe I had any problems. Great mix, simple very fast and you have everything you need for the plants jump start and to be organic. Haze
 
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