which brand of soil from lowes or depot

im4satori

im4satori

Well-Known Member
is there a brand of soil I can purchase from lowes or home depot that is considered a good brand

im a long time hydro/rockwool guy switching over to soil

recently been using the fox farm happy frog and ocean soil and im happy with it but i assume theres a more economic option that's more available
 
HydoDan

HydoDan

Well-Known Member
I've got a run going using Dr Earth Pot of gold 4.4.4 ... Still early but looks promising...
Sometimes you just gotta learn a different way.. Been stuck in a hydro world for a long time
 
Kcbscrogger

Kcbscrogger

Well-Known Member
HydoDan said:
I've got a run going using Dr Earth Pot of gold 4.4.4 ... Still early but looks promising...
Sometimes you just gotta learn a different way.. Been stuck in a hydro world for a long time
Click to expand...
I've been using the Dr. earth for three years now and it's a great choice for those who want to save a little money over the more popular brands. It's a good soil but I add about 25% perlite for better drainage and all my plants have been pretty happy. Good luck
 
im4satori

im4satori

Well-Known Member
Wilderb said:
Are you planing on amending the soil and only watering or using soil and feeding nutrients?
Click to expand...
thanks for all the help guys

finishing at 4 plants for 1 1000watt DE bulb
8 weeks veg 18/6 , 10 weeks 12/12

the plan is to grab a couple clones from each plant just before 12/12 to begin veg for the next round eliminating the need to keep mother stock

im going to use fertilizers/ I mix my own liquids

calcium nitrate
potassium nitrate
magnesium nitrate
magnesium sulfate
mono potassium phosphate
potassium sulfate
micros

additives
dry kelp (transplant)
dry aminos (only in veg)
dry enzymes
benificials specific to bloom

currently
first pot = red solo cup happy frog about 2weeks T5 light
second pot = 6" pot in ocean forest (top dress 1x with 1/4 tsp calcium nitrate) about 2 weeks T5 light
third pot 3 gallon currently ocean forest (top dress 1x 1/4 tsp magnesium sulfate and 1x balanced liquid fert feed 1x EC 1.5)

about 1 or 2 weeks before 12/12 I will transplant into the last pot 5 gallon (currently not yet in 5 gallon pots)

next time my plan is to continue to use the happy frog and ocean forest up to the 6" pots with little to no need for fertilizer
when I get to the 3 gallon pot switch to the economic brand of soil and begin using liquid fertilizer blend watering max EC 1.5 every other and adding Beneficials on the days I only use plain water

switch to 5 gallon pots about 1 week before 12/12

if you see any holes in my expectations or plans please feel free to share.. im open
 
Wilderb

Wilderb

Well-Known Member
im4satori said:
thanks for all the help guys

finishing at 4 plants for 1 1000watt DE bulb
8 weeks veg 18/6 , 10 weeks 12/12

the plan is to grab a couple clones from each plant just before 12/12 to begin veg for the next round eliminating the need to keep mother stock

im going to use fertilizers/ I mix my own liquids

calcium nitrate
potassium nitrate
magnesium nitrate
magnesium sulfate
mono potassium phosphate
potassium sulfate
micros

additives
dry kelp (transplant)
dry aminos (only in veg)
dry enzymes
benificials specific to bloom

currently
first pot = red solo cup happy frog about 2weeks T5 light
second pot = 6" pot in ocean forest (top dress 1x with 1/4 tsp calcium nitrate) about 2 weeks T5 light
third pot 3 gallon currently ocean forest (top dress 1x 1/4 tsp magnesium sulfate and 1x balanced liquid fert feed 1x EC 1.5)

about 1 or 2 weeks before 12/12 I will transplant into the last pot 5 gallon (currently not yet in 5 gallon pots)

next time my plan is to continue to use the happy frog and ocean forest up to the 6" pots with little to no need for fertilizer
when I get to the 3 gallon pot switch to the economic brand of soil and begin using liquid fertilizer blend watering max EC 1.5 every other and adding Beneficials on the days I only use plain water

switch to 5 gallon pots about 1 week before 12/12

if you see any holes in my expectations or plans please feel free to share.. im open
Click to expand...
So it's kind of a hybrid thing?
TBH, I'm not familiar with everything you have listed. I would guess you have spent some time on this list so guessing you have it figured out. I don't see any issues but it's way more involved than what I do.
I started with a cheap bag of organic soil, and amended it with basics. Works fine for me.
Good Luck!
WE
 
chemphlegm

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
Promix isn't really a "soil". It is an inert media based on peat.
Your growing a modified hydro style like with Coco!
Click to expand...

I'm coming clean now. I am not a soil or dirt marijuana grower.
I use promix indoors. I only use dirt outdoors:P

I look, I never find the pro mix at lowes depot>:(
 
NanoGadget

NanoGadget

Well-Known Member
I'm nearing the end of my first stab at hydro (which @im4satori helped me with immensely) and I am feeling the call of the dirt. Been a soil guy for over 20 years, I'm sure I'll be running hydro again in the future, but I want to get back to playing in the dirt. In the interest of expanding my horizons I wanted to try something different. I've always been a FF guy, used liquid nutes when the soil started to fade... I'm thinking of either going total water only/no till style, or the opposite direction and doing like a promix 'hydro in soil' kind of thing. I'm seeing both schools of thought represented here and I'm curious to hear more!
P.s. thanks again im4
 
chemphlegm

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
NanoGadget said:
I'm nearing the end of my first stab at hydro (which @im4satori helped me with immensely) and I am feeling the call of the dirt. Been a soil guy for over 20 years, I'm sure I'll be running hydro again in the future, but I want to get back to playing in the dirt. In the interest of expanding my horizons I wanted to try something different. I've always been a FF guy, used liquid nutes when the soil started to fade... I'm thinking of either going total water only/no till style, or the opposite direction and doing like a promix 'hydro in soil' kind of thing. I'm seeing both schools of thought represented here and I'm curious to hear more!
P.s. thanks again im4
Click to expand...
Dr. Who said:
You can online order it for pick up......AH HA! Clean you now are:P
Click to expand...
I use straight pro mix hp. I amend it with Botonicare Organicare dry ferts per directions once at flower onset and again at mid flower. I've added problend tea a couple times, and a shot of fish powder fish powder in bucket also. well water when light, harvest when ready. doesnt get simpler for an organic experience water only sorta style. we've been very pleased for few years since our hydro days. which were also pleasing, and more expensive, and wetter too.
 
SouthCross

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
chemphlegm said:
I'm coming clean now. I am not a soil or dirt marijuana grower.
I use promix indoors. I only use dirt outdoors:P

I look, I never find the pro mix at lowes depot>:(
Click to expand...

That cause, Wal-Mart sells it. I haven't seen promix at Lowe's or Home of De-Pot. Wally world has bags they say for tomatoes and other bags that says flowers.

About $15 a bag.
 
HydoDan

HydoDan

Well-Known Member
chemphlegm said:
I use straight pro mix hp. I amend it with Botonicare Organicare dry ferts per directions once at flower onset and again at mid flower. I've added problend tea a couple times, and a shot of fish powder fish powder in bucket also. well water when light, harvest when ready. doesnt get simpler for an organic experience water only sorta style. we've been very pleased for few years since our hydro days. which were also pleasing, and more expensive, and wetter too.
Click to expand...
Lesson of the day.. Water is wetter and soil is dirtier..
 
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hillbill

hillbill

Well-Known Member
Just mixed up a 2/1 BX and used recycled mix mixed with Cotton Burr Compost and castings plus all meals etc. Watered in with compost tea with lots of molasses. Now we let let it cook for a month. Had to shower just to feel I wasn't working at a feedmill.

The mix I don't reuse goes for container and raised bed plants and they just love it. At first I used promix and peters 20-20-20 and it was ok but salt is salt and I have seen what synthetics can do over time to outdoor gardens. I switched to organic mix long ago. The most important thing is to provide an optimum environment that is teaming with life and the plant will feed itself and be served by our little herd of micro-waiters!
 
im4satori

im4satori

Well-Known Member
sounds like the pro mix might be the winner

I will need to look at the info for it

as for all the ingredients I listed,

I mix my own liquid fertilizers, been doing it for years in hydro dtw rather than paying so much for the store bought

but if you read the jugs of ingredients on your liquid fertilizers youll see all the same elements or similiar are in them that I have listed

im switching to soil maybe partly for the fun of it..been doing hydro forever
im curious!

my goal is to use soil (fox farm) that requires little to no additional nutes or the min required until I get into bloom and then start watering with a balanced liquid bloom fertilizers as needed

so the economic soil doesn't need to carry much in the way of nutrient,
I have beneficials bacteria specific to bloom I can watering in during the flower stage to try and offset the chem nutrient load on the microbes
 
im4satori

im4satori

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
Promix isn't really a "soil". It is an inert media based on peat.
Your growing a modified hydro style like with Coco!
Click to expand...
pro mix isn't soil?

that I didn't know

but is it still a good choice for my goal since im using liquid fert after the last transplant into the 5 gallon pot
?????
and will using promix (not soil) cause any issues in the root zone or with nutirents or ph buffering or additional shock issues related to transplanting into another or foreign type of substrate compared to the fox farm soil already used in the 3 gallon pot

hope the question makes sense
 
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