Using MG Cactus soil

[dankfonz]

I bought some seeds in Amsterdam and they recommended cactus soil on the bags, i was just wondering if anyone had any experience using Miracle Grow Cactus blend.

 

[greenhead]

I bought some seeds in Amsterdam and they recommended cactus soil on the bags, i was just wondering if anyone had any experience using Miracle Grow Cactus blend.

I have no idea what anybody told you in Amsterdam, but I wouldn't use MG cactus soil if you're looking to grow some decent weed, in my opinion. Just look around and use what other people use for soil.

Product Description
"MIRACLE GRO" CACTUS PALM AND CITRUS POTTING MIX 8 qt. Use when potting slow-growing plants requiring a fast- draining soil A special blend of organic material - sand and Perlite Feeds instantly - enriched with Miracle-Gro plant food

 

[dontstepongrass]

could someone tell him a reason not to other than that no one else seems to use that soil...

 

[greenhead]

could someone tell him a reason not to other than that no one else seems to use that soil...

Well, I thought that listing the description of the soil itself was pretty self explanatory.

I've never used the cactus soil, but I'll tell you why I think it's probably not too great for weed.

Firstly, it says that it has sand. I don't think that too many marijuana soil growers actually use sand in their soil. Who knows how fast that soil dries up ? It might be too dry for marijuana. You don't want your plants overly wet, but overly dry, like soil conditions that a cactus would like is most likely too dry for marijuana.

Another reason is the built in MG plant food and nute coated perlite and all of the other crap. I'd rather have control over what my plants get fed.

I don't know the PH of the soil, but that could be another good reason to stay away from it.

If anybody wants to try it, then feel free. I wouldn't. It sounds like a waste of time. Why experiment with some ridiculous soil, when there's so many others that work good, unless somebody has a lot of free time on their hands.

 

[Bumble Buddy]

I took a hadful of some of that cactus soil at the store and it seemed a very nice consistency for cannabis, I actually like a bit o' clean sand as a soil component. However, yeah, the pre-ferted soils are a no-no in my book. I hadn't noticed the ferts on the bag so maybe they make a non-ferted version?

 

[hoosierdaddy]

greenhead, I don't think you have to go much further than ICMag to read up on what many might consider "ridiculous" soil concoctions. A man wanting to use something that is readily available, and at a good price, is a smart move.

And IMHO, the cactus formula soil mix that MG provides is probably a great medium for MJ plants. I know for a fact that MG potting mix is about a perfect consistency for MJ. It works almost identical to FFOF.
The problem with these MG products is the ferts they provide, in particular N.
I wanted the MG mix to work so bad, because it is easy to get and cheap. But it has caused problems with several of my plants.
In three seed pops I have experienced dwarfs or runts...I am attributing this to the over abundance of immediately available Nitrogen that the mix provides. Too much N can stunt initial plant growth. And after the plants mature, the heavy amount of non-soluble N that is slow released tends to be enough to burn the leaves. I also think that some plants are seeing stunted maturity and delayed flowering from the over abundance of N. This overabundance of N carries over into flowering as well, and I think it effects the quality of the final product.
I have reached the conclusion that MG soils are just too hot for MJ.
Now, I have not tried the cactus mix, but it looks fine.
The organic potting mix should be used as a base ONLY! And it may well be fine if enough other amenities such as perlite and worm castings are added. But as an out of the bag soil for MJ, it's NOT.
If one needs to use regular MG potting mix, it would be advised to thoroughly flush the soil before planting, and then continue with periodic flushes, and no additional feedings. Maybe a bloom right after the flushes...but no more N.

 

[greenhead]

A man wanting to use something that is readily available, and at a good price, is a smart move.

I agree with that, but why would somebody choose cactus soil when somebody can choose a soil that's better and just as easily available and not any more expensive.

I have used three MG products before.

Their all purpose plant food (24-8-16). Works ok for veg IMO.

Their Organic Choice potting mix. I've read about some people finding gnats etc. in the soil, but mine didn't have any. I mixed it with some perlite, dolomite lime and some used leftover soil I had from a previous grow. I would rate it as average, but not great in any way. If there's not much else to choose from, then it is an option, IMO.

Their Miracle Grow Potting soil w/ time release nutes. I found this to be complete fucking crap, and I kind of knew that beforehand, but I bought it anyway because it was all I could find locally at the time. Way too low PH, it was around 4-5. I transplanted after a few days and threw the whole bag of crap away.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

I found no Ph problems with the bags of MG potting mix that I have used. Slurries with my water and the mix are always ~6.2-6.8
That is not to say that there couldn't have been a batch of mix that had the Ph out of whack, but from what I am seeing, it is the type of nitrogen and the high N content that presents the problems.
The stuff grows good buds, and is not crap. I think those with pre-conceived notions of how the medium will perform are the ones who call crap the most, and most of them have probably never used the stuff.
I have used it for a successful cab grow, and there are other reports and diaries around of folks using the potting mix with great success. It is definitely an option if you want to grow weed in containers. Especially if you are growing a plant that likes high N.

If you are looking for top shelf quality, then it is not the best choice. But it is fine to use if you don't have access to better mixes, or can't mix your own.
Besides being less than half the price of FFOF.

 

[skylined]

My big concern for this soil mix isn't even the high amount of N. Cacti grow in a desert environment, lots of sand and sun and all that BUT the most important thing to think about isn't even necessarily the high pH but the rather the high amount of alkalinity that is likely present here. Bear in mind the alkalinity idea is more a theory of mine since I know a bit about how cacti naturally grow, IDK what level of alkalinity the MG mix has but if it's specifically for cacti It's probably more than normal. I'd use this maybe as 1/3 of the mix, use a regular potting soil / perlite for the other 2/3. I would love to see you succeed in it, of course, and if you do go with 100% MG cactus soil I'd love to see the results. Best of luck.

Peace,
~Skylined

 

[Bumble Buddy]

I was mistaken in my earlier post about MG Cactus Soil... I had been looking at some Supersoil Palm and Cactus Mix ( http://www.supersoil.com/products/supersoil/palm_cactus_mix.shtml ) which doesn't have any ferts added, the stuff looked very nice. I bet the Supersoil Palm would be great for cannabis with ~10%-50% pearlite mixed in... I'm guessing that those seed packs mentioned cactus soil due to the plants possibly wanting a soil that drains very well (most cannibis does). You can make whatever soil you use drain better by adding pearlite or other stuff like pumice or coco.

skylined is right about the pH... As always it is a good idea to check the soil pH before using, a good way to do this is to first check your water pH, then make a slurry of 50% soil and 50% of your watering water and then check that pH (checking runoff pH is far less consistent).

 

[messn'n'gommin']

skylined is right about the pH... As always it is a good idea to check the soil pH before using, a good way to do this is to first check your water pH, then make a slurry of 50% soil and 50% of your watering water and then check that pH (checking runoff pH is far less consistent).

Do you let your slurry sit for any length of time or do you take a pH reading right after mixing together? I have narrow range (6.0 to 7.5) drops to use and I am putting 7.5 plus pH aired out tap water and getting less than 6.0 to 6.3 Ph when checking the runoff.

Namaste, mess

 

[skylined]

Does letting the water sit affect the pH? My pH test kit is from GH and is color coded, so it makes it impossible to read the runoff pH since there's dirt in it. Just something I felt I should note.

Peace,
~Skylined

 

[Maj.PotHead]

do yourself a favor go to your local hydro shop buy some fox farm ocean forrest soil is PH ballanced from 5.5.-6.5 . just add Ph'd water for 1st few waterings then your favorite ferts, ive never checked my PH runoff. i'm only concerned with the PH going into the soil and it's 6.5 with and w/out ferts you can add perlite to FFOF soil but i dont. i just open the bag mix it throughly and fill containers and plant the girls.

PH will raise in a jug with unused water that was PH'd allready, you'll notice it back to where it was before being PH'd approx 24hr later. so my water is 7.2 PH right from the tap i let it sit overnight for cloriene to evaporate, i'll adjust the PH to 6.5 maybe use 1/2 the gal. next day i take a reading and it's either back to 7.2 or almost there R/O water may be different but thats what my tap water dose.

PH in hydro resivors are different most hydro ferts have built in PH buffers to help stabilize the waters PH after a hydro system is running water top off's usally bring waters PH back into range it needs to be

 

[Bumble Buddy]

I'm no expert on checking pH, and I haven't done it for my own grow in a while due to consistent water and soil source, but I'd make a slurry and measure it, then let it sit for maybe a half hour and check it again, then check it the next day just for kicks. IMO checking runoff is not nearly as informative as making a slurry. If your strips are getting munged up by soil, you can use a screen or screen colander to strain it, which is probably a good idea anyhow.

 

[asdfqwerty420]

could someone tell him a reason not to other than that no one else seems to use that soil...

That's not a good reason!

1) Watering Period


I use MG potting soil. It Works for me. I think a cactus mix would dry out way too fast.

 

[starrider]

I have used mg a couple of times with succes not cactus mix but if you want mix it with a little plain potting soil .Not everyone lives near a hydro shop.peace

 

[Mr Green Jeans]

My best friend has been using mg cactus potting soil since germination, after they germed, they went straight to 5gal. buckets with mg cactus potting soil. I noticed a green run off after his first watering. But he planted 5 seeds and only 4 made it. Out of the 4 , 1 is a dwarf ,but the other 3 look fantastic . He's been using nutes called, Necture of the God's all organic, the company's old name was Harvest Moon. His 3 little girls look beautiful for only 3 weeks old. He's also been LST, and defoliate them since they were very very young. I thought it stunted their growth, and it might of, but the stalks are bent and retarded already at 3 weeks old . To make a long story short I would recommend mg cactus to anybody . I would also recommend a good flushing before planting . My friend said his ph levels were high at 7 to7.4 so mg cactus straight out of the bag is a little hot. After a good flushing the ph will drop and you can start using your own type of nutes.