ff vs roots organic vs nectar of the gods

FamMan

Well-Known Member
Im starting my first grow and would like to go organic. i dont want to try and build my own soil yet so some quality bagged organic soil is right up my alley. i am planning on using botanicare pure blend growth and bloom, zho, liquid karma, and calmag. i wasnt planning on adding anything to the soil but perlite for drainage(smart move?). i have read and heard the quality of ff has diminished (bugs and ph fluctuations from bag to bag). not sure if any of its true but it has made me skeptical. so im taking my question to my all amazing handy dandy RIU SITE(sorry watch to many cartoons with the kids). All opinions very welcomed. Pros cons and alternatives(and why). Peace Love And Nappiness!
 

jugz420

Well-Known Member
Thanx jugz. Thought no on would respond. Have you tried any others in the past?
I tried FF But my wife was like NA change it, gotta obey lol. FF is a bit cheaper but u know sometimes u have to go what the wife says hahahaha just saying!

So i stick with the Aurora =)


-Jugz
 

hydroMD

Well-Known Member
Im starting my first grow and would like to go organic. i dont want to try and build my own soil yet so some quality bagged organic soil is right up my alley. i am planning on using botanicare pure blend growth and bloom, zho, liquid karma, and calmag. i wasnt planning on adding anything to the soil but perlite for drainage(smart move?). i have read and heard the quality of ff has diminished (bugs and ph fluctuations from bag to bag). not sure if any of its true but it has made me skeptical. so im taking my question to my all amazing handy dandy RIU SITE(sorry watch to many cartoons with the kids). All opinions very welcomed. Pros cons and alternatives(and why). Peace Love And Nappiness!
Why bother with organic soil if your using chem ferts?

Roots organic is good soil. It already has all the perlite youd want and more. Its a bit hot, so id suggest cutting it down for seedlings. 60/30 with that perlite.


If it was me, I would get the base grow and bloom & micro from either roots or nectar. Use a mychorhyzae to mix in as well.


If you want to take some time to really jumpstart your skills, take any organic soil with a decent npk. Put it in a tote, and mix in your mychorhyzae, along with some organic oatmeal. Use a spray bottle to dampen the soil while mixing to even consistency. Place in a dark warm space and wait 30 days. Use your spray bottle to keep humidity up in tote whike the fungus coloniZes. The oatmeal will jumpstart the process. Dont till your soil once things are mixed. Let it sit. You can even add worms if you can catch some.

Prepare about 10 gallons or one bag. Keep another bag unopened.

Grow two of the same strain, one with your super soil from the tote, one from the bag. Treat the same and see what happens! You might never use synthetic ferts again
 

FamMan

Well-Known Member
Damn I just read this thanks hydro. BTW I was going to be using pure blend grow and bloom and I was under the impression that they were organic.....
 

hydroMD

Well-Known Member
Damn I just read this thanks hydro. BTW I was going to be using pure blend grow and bloom and I was under the impression that they were organic.....
Only the KIND line is organic from botanicare.
Pureblend is a synthetic fert.
 

May11th

Well-Known Member
I run either roots organic 707 or fox farm, both contain knats, ffof is the hottest imo, but roots I can trust being fully organic.

I agree make your own soil, it'll blow bagged soil away. I like to start fresh with pro mix.

I like to use 10-20 gallon smart pots for flowering and 7-10 in veg. I start everything off in 1 gallon smarties.

Buy yourself 2 black trash cans.

3 cf of promix w mycos, $40
1 cf of ewc, "not black gold" $20
3 cf of big chunky perlite $40
1/2 cf of bio char $15
Add all these amendment's at 1tbsp/g
1 bag of good greensand $10
High p bat quano $30
fishbonemeal $10
Sea bird quano $15
Feather meal $10
Oystershell meal $10
Dolomite lime $10
alfalfa meal $10
Kelp meal $10
Crab shell meal $15
Neem seed meal $15

@ 1tsp/ gal

Roots organism xl $20

Just a couple of pinches of

Humic acid and azomite.

things to use for foliars:

Rosemary oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, lemon oil

garlic , ghost peppers , cilantro, coconuts, aloe .

Fulvic acid
fish emulsion
molasses, also used In aact's.

I'm testing co2 right now, I've got my soil game down now thanks to many rui gurus, I can now focus on other things, soil is the heart imo, last yr I grew out 5lb blue dreams that were cut early and put out at July 1st at 1 foot tall, they finished at 9 and we're equally as wide. I love this hobby.
 

FamMan

Well-Known Member
Only the KIND line is organic from botanicare.
Pureblend is a synthetic fert.
I think you have the backwards. The front of my pb says natural and organic ingredients.... However kind doestnt say it at all. I went on their website and it says the same thing. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I don't want to use any synthetics.
I run either roots organic 707 or fox farm, both contain knats, ffof is the hottest imo, but roots I can trust being fully organic.

I agree make your own soil, it'll blow bagged soil away. I like to start fresh with pro mix.

I like to use 10-20 gallon smart pots for flowering and 7-10 in veg. I start everything off in 1 gallon smarties.

Buy yourself 2 black trash cans.

3 cf of promix w mycos, $40
1 cf of ewc, "not black gold" $20
3 cf of big chunky perlite $40
1/2 cf of bio char $15
Add all these amendment's at 1tbsp/g
1 bag of good greensand $10
High p bat quano $30
fishbonemeal $10
Sea bird quano $15
Feather meal $10
Oystershell meal $10
Dolomite lime $10
alfalfa meal $10
Kelp meal $10
Crab shell meal $15
Neem seed meal $15

@ 1tsp/ gal

Roots organism xl $20

Just a couple of pinches of

Humic acid and azomite.

things to use for foliars:

Rosemary oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, lemon oil

garlic , ghost peppers , cilantro, coconuts, aloe .

Fulvic acid
fish emulsion
molasses, also used In aact's.

I'm testing co2 right now, I've got my soil game down now thanks to many rui gurus, I can now focus on other things, soil is the heart imo, last yr I grew out 5lb blue dreams that were cut early and put out at July 1st at 1 foot tall, they finished at 9 and we're equally as wide. I love this hobby.
Sounds like some amazing soil. I was planning on amending my soil with Ewc, chunky perlite, azomite, lime, and some mycos......then cooking for 2-4 weeks on my back porch outdoors(bad idea hydromd? U wrote to put it in a dark place). My buddy that grows TLO style told me to add something to feed and activate the micros. He said I believe brown rice flour.....not sure.... I have it written down. Im assuming the organic oatmeal that hydroMD mentioned is for the samething.
I didn't want to fully build a soil cuz I'm a noob. But I planned to in the next few grows. I was thinking with what I add to the soil, cooking it, and using an ORGANIC liquid nutes at .25-.50 strength somewhere towards the middle to the end of veg I hoping I covered most of the things the plant will need.
So what do you do about the gnats May11th? Is it a problem for u? I tried to buy some off a new pallet that just got delivered a my grow store but they weren't having it. When I told them why.....they swore none of there bags have gnats. The guy I was talking to there said he uses it and never gets gnats. But I take a lot of things grow shop employees say(or owners for that matter) with a BOULDER of salt. Thanx for the quick replies HydroMD and May11th. I appreciate it!
 

hydroMD

Well-Known Member
Your right about the pure blend... now that I look at it botanicare is basically a completely different line than it was last time I n used it!

The oatmeal is to feed your microbes.

4 weeks minimum if your gonna cook your soil. You want it to stay mid 70's (f) otherwise it won't fully cook

If you have gnats, try outing 2" of fine sand in the tip of your pots. It should prevent bugs from getting in/out of your soil.


Pyrethrin can also be used as a soil drench/foliage spray and will kill them. Look up their breeding cycle and hit your plants every time an egg cycle hatches for a couple weeks.
 

hydroMD

Well-Known Member
No prob. If you want an alternative to the sand, I have heard that mosquito crumbles are a sure bet. Too dress your soil just like you woukd the sand.
 

May11th

Well-Known Member
I agree with hydro, pyrithrium, this shit works, or ghost pepper spray.

To quickly solve a knat problem, btw thank you for not trusting hydro store guys lol. Okay first get soil dry as hell, then water, let water distribute through pot for a bit, then add d. earth, diamatrius or something To top of soil a nice thin layer. , I'm stoned and forgetful with spelling lol, this d . Earth acts as a insect killer, it takes off their ectoskeletons, and also legs and wings and will kill them if they eat it as well.

Then add a thick layer of mulch, straw works great, this a a barrier and will prevent knats from coming and going from you soil.

Then spray with some liquid lady bug or sns.

I do everything myself, I barely use liquid nutes, the liquids I have are molasses for microbes , fish emulsion for fast veg , and fulvic acid and g.o camg, you can't trust omri listing or anything and in a 100% organic gardening , if you want the best organics can offer you have to stay organic imo.

don't feel like a noob, you have guys here that will make you learn 20 yrs of knowledge over night lol its tough on the brain but when you make all your own organics and hand water and then see everything you plant does daily, it can't be any more rewarding imo.
 

hydroMD

Well-Known Member
Do run organics hydro?
Yep. No use running organics without getting an understanding of microbiology.

Organic soil is growing about microbes, not the plant. If you dial in your microbiology they will grow your plant for you.


Little confused about hmri listings not being organic
 

May11th

Well-Known Member
I say you can't trust omri listing. It's just too hard to believe because lately I see stuff that's not fully organic fly.

No doubt teaming with microbes and the revs tlo taught me a ton.
 

FamMan

Well-Known Member
I have been reading revs articles for years and I'm reading teaming with microbes now. Awesome information. By the time the soil is done cooking i will definetly be done with it (work 70+ hours a week....so not much free time)Thanx for all your help peeps!
 

FamMan

Well-Known Member
So this is Wat I roughly plan to do. My ewc arrived a lot earlier than expected so I can get my soil cooking very soon! So while I have your guy's ear.....this is what I'm thinking I'm goin to try.
Soil:
Roots organic
Ewc
Azomite Rock Dust
Mycro(can't spell) fungi
Lime
Org. Oatmeal
(Also might add Lil bit of my liquid karma....keep reading people doing it)
I have a question about the fungi....I have some botanicare zho, which is a mycro however after doing some research( ur SO right May11! Between this forum and the rest of the internet its ridiculous how much info is available and how much I'm learning......truly rewarding on many levels)....forgot what I was sayin....oh yea...I currently have botanicare zho which is a mycro. Fungi but now I'm really liking gardening extreme's mycro. I already opened the zho not sure if I can return it.....and at this point exchanging would add 7 days to my soil cooking cuz I would have to order the gardeners extreme. Do you think that would really make that much of a difference? I've read good things about both however the more I learn the more G.Ex seems WAY better. Ur opinion's are greatly appreciated.
I will also be using my liquid nutes sparingly.....if they need them. At this point I have already purchased the bottles and I'm not goin to waste nor purchase more things.....however I will be goin TLO as soon as I feel comfortable on a furture grow. Once again thanx for ur input y'all.....I tried to ask these questions in the Organics folder but no one replied. Ur particapation means alot, I freak out when no one replies lol.....thank u. Peace and prosperity to you both hydroMD and May11th.
 
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WeedFreak78

Well-Known Member
I won't buy Root's products anymore for indoor growing, I like the product itself, but the last 3 times i used it i got gnats, and I'm fairly confident they came in the soil. All 3 purchases were through different retailers, so I know it wasn't bad storage by just one retailer, maybe whoever the wholesaler is isn't storing it correctly and then distributing to my area, IDK? I do know that I've mentioned the gnat problem twice to 2 different grow shops, and both times they asked if i was running Roots..I never mentioned the brand..so.take that for what it's worth.
 
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