Fox Farm Ocean Forest: Use Straight or Cut?

[jawnroot]

I've heard varying reports about Ocean Forest. Some say to use it straight, by itself. Others say it works best when cut with Light Warrior or another amendment.

What's the consensus?

 

[beer batter]

My consensus is to cut Dr earth starter fertilizer a cup per cubic foot and add about a half a cubic foot of perlite to improve drainage and oxygen into the root zone. My experience is mixing a cup per .5 cubic foot or 3 cups per 1 bag of ocean forest into 1-gallon pots from small cups -rooted clones. No burns and no ugly leaf until our fungus gnats came back -they thrive in highly organic and de-composing environments. Dr earth starter has a note on its box that its a compost activator -I use it in the spring outdoors when I use compost and kelp meal.

 

[Cutty]

It is fine either way, a bullet proof soil. I have used it cut with one bag Botanicare aeration formula ( Perlite, coco, mycorrhiza, plus another fungus tricoderma) to two bags of FFOF.
I mainly did this for the beneficial fungi and to lighten it up a bit. I have since gone to planting in straight Ocean Forest and have not seen any burns or indication of dislike by the plants.
If you do cut it, kiddie pools make great mixing bowls

This topic was just covered on page 2 as well:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=150680

 

[themoonismyfrnd]

Good question. I have been tempted to use FFOF on a few occasions but haven't because of the complaints about hotness. I feel stupid thinking about it, but cutting it sounds like a bright idea.

I like mosquito dunks for gnat control.

 

[OU812]

I am doing my first grow, and I used it straight (with clones). No complaints whatsoever here!

 

[Caille]

My first grow I used shite soil.

I still ended up pretty lucky with a ~.7g/w, this time round I went with FFOF straight from the bag. This round of clones are more lush, more bushy, more healthy, and all around MORE with FFOF than they were with the last soil I used, night and day.


I see no reason to cut it if it is working fine and at least for my cloned genetics it is working grand.



Alexis
*smiles*

 

[BLUNToPOTomuss]

Ive used FFOF straight no additives for 3 cycles now NEVER had a problem with watering every 3-4 days. I use FF nutes (all six) plus CaMag.


I like the stuff!

 

[hempluvr]

I use FFOF with nothing extra added except some Dolomite lime....and I just started adding that recently. Never had any complaints from any plants whatsoever...be it clones,seedlings or full flowering ladies...they love it!

 

[k9hohriver]

I have been using for many years and I would not cut it, that's crazy! why would you do that?

I save my used soil...sometimes I mix a little new in with it.

k9

 

[Bretonston]

i have used it alot it works great.. i used it to clone in 16oz cups and it worked...no nute burn... ive started a bunch of seeds in it too and they came out great.....buy it up

 

[beer batter]

if anything cut it wit 1/4 perlite or less, i go with dr earth starter aswell.

 

[nyy27]

if anything cut it wit 1/4 perlite or less, i go with dr earth starter aswell.

Beer batter hit it on the head. I don't use Dr. Earth Starter, but I always infuse perlite at 1/3 per volume of soil into Ocean Forrest (ExG: so... 2 cubic meters of Ocean Forrest to 0.66 cubic meters of perlite) I also like to infuse varying types of bacteria, fungus, and 2-3 cups of extra earth worm castings (even though it already contains some) just to give it a little more of a fresh bio-culture.
Cheers

 

[beatster]

straight up i dont even feed it for a month or so

 

[hempluvr]

I`m with beatster on that one too. Once planted plants need nothing for a few weeks. Just water. Very good soil,as long as the ph is kept in line all is always good

 

[HossCartwright]

I suspect the reason people say FFOF is too hot is because they feed it during the first 4-6 weeks. I do add 10-15% chunky perlite to help ensure proper drainage. Then I only feed with plain water until week 1 flower when I start adding nutrients to the water. This saves big on nutes.

 

[planted1]

I suggest coco but you dont have to do anything to it, to get a good result

 

[HossCartwright]

coco is a lifeless medium with no natural biological activity. It might be easy but the smoke doesn't taste as good. I don't see any benefit to adding coco to soil either, but see people doing it from time to time.

 

[Muleskinner]

FFOF is great but....warning! Do not add dolomite lime! I did this for a few runs & the plants were seriously whacked - poisoned. There is plenty of ph-balancing stuff in there without extra lime, even if you use some organic nutes later on.

Generally I don't water with ferts until 3 weeks into flowering, and then fairly light doses of EJ. Indica plants may not need any ferts at all.

I do mix about 10-20% vermiculite/perlite to FFOF, seems to work better with cannabis. I use more verm. than perlite because I find FFOF dries up too quickly without it, indoor air here is bone dry.

 

[HossCartwright]

Vermiculite...huh....I'll have to try that with a plant or two and see how it works. Makes complete sense. + rep.

 

[kaskar]

i dont use it .it sucks .