Sunny Girl Gardens Soil Mix / Anyone Use?

[big_daddy]

I just became aware of a soil mix that is locally available, and wondered if anybody has tried it. It is called sunnygirlgardens "Ultra Premium Organic Container Mix", and has 2 separate layers of organic fertilizer mixed with Sunshine Mix #2 soil. The products link on their site explains in detail.

There is a layer of bloom/flowering mix in the bottom of container, and a layer towards the top which is set up for vegging. They proclaim that with their mix, all you need to do is water your plants throughout the cycle, and the plants nutritional needs are met fro seedling to harvest.

They also state that the mix is stabilized for 7.0 pH.

It is an interesting concept, and I am thinking about giving it a shot, as it is locally available.

I wanted to see if the veteran organic growers here had any input on the possible benefits/detriments to this concept.

Thanks for any input,

big_daddy

 

[vonforne]

Maybe I did not read enough but what else is in the mix besides Seaweed?

V

 

[big_daddy]

Maybe I did not read enough but what else is in the mix besides Seaweed?

V

Hi Vonforme, here is the analysis of the organic ingredients in this mix.

 

[vonforne]

Ok, looks like a stoner started a business.

Give it a shot on some clones. COULD not hurt any thing but the pocket. LOL

V

 

[Clackamas Coot]

I just became aware of a soil mix that is locally available, and wondered if anybody has tried it. It is called sunnygirlgardens "Ultra Premium Organic Container Mix", and has 2 separate layers of organic fertilizer mixed with Sunshine Mix #2 soil. The products link on their site explains in detail.

There is a layer of bloom/flowering mix in the bottom of container, and a layer towards the top which is set up for vegging. They proclaim that with their mix, all you need to do is water your plants throughout the cycle, and the plants nutritional needs are met fro seedling to harvest.

They also state that the mix is stabilized for 7.0 pH.

It is an interesting concept, and I am thinking about giving it a shot, as it is locally available.

I wanted to see if the veteran organic growers here had any input on the possible benefits/detriments to this concept.

Thanks for any input,

big_daddy

big_daddy

Here's my read on her potting soils and a bit of history is required.

Sunshine Mixes are manufactured by Sun Gro Horticulture which is based in British Columbia and they have a packing plant down in Hubbard, Oregon on 99E where they pack the Sunshine Mixes, Black Gold, Canadian Peat Moss, etc.

Let's move forward. The compressed Sunshine Mixes (i.e. Sunshine Mix #4 for example) come in 3.8 cf bales. Most of the 'indoor garden centers' around the country are supplied by 'NGW' (National Garden Warehouse) meaning that if you have a product that would have appeal to their customers you have to go and deal with them. Grow stores who violate this policy are subject to being black-balled by these jamokes.

The pricing of the 3.8 bales from Sun Gro is about $27.00 per bale from companies up and down Oregon's Willamette Valley. The price for the very same product once it's gone through NGW is about $45.00 per 3.8 cf bale - not a bad mark-up, eh?

Now let's get back to the 'real world' of potting soils - at least from Sun Gro. Sun Gro is based on the West Coast and Pro Mix is based on the East Coast. There's little, if any, money to be made hauling potting soils on the 'east-to-west' and the 'west-to-east' traffic routes meaning that there isn't a dime's worth of difference between Sunshine Mixes and the Pro Mix product line. Because Oregon & California control about 60% of the commercial potting soil products the pricing if fierce and very low.

If you're considering using her potting soil mixes (/snerk) then you might want to drive about 3 miles over to 99E in Milwaukie, Oregon and hit Naomi's Organic Farm Supply.

She carries the Sunshine Organic Grower's Mix as well as their Sunshine Organic Germination Mix and her price is $18.40 for 2.8 cf bag. Also she carries the Marwest Organic Compost ($8.00 for 1.5 cf) as well as organic fish bone meal, kelp meal, seaweed extract (from Acadian Seaplants out of Canada), fish hydrosylate (sp?), etc. She's a very nice young lady trying to get her new business off the ground.

Back to SunnyGirl's products. IMHO they're over-priced and quite frankly nothing all that special. Pick-up a copy of "Teaming With Microbes" and get a good solid background on what soil 'is' and what it 'is not' and after the 2nd chapter you'll be able to make good solid decisions with regard to your soil mix and the necessary amendments.

Be sure to check out "Naomi's Mineral Mix" that she sells - it's an amazing product.

HTH

CC

 

[jjfoo]

Have you read about Sub's super soil? I use it the same way. I mean two layers and only water. You can make it yourself. You may need to substitute what ever you can't find with something local, but it will save you shipping. Which can be a large percentage of the total price.

 

[GeorgeSmiley]

Bwahahahahah.... I dunno but stoneygirl gardens links to sunnygirls gardens and say they're a separate entity

If it is stoney girl then check her EXCLUSIVE strains. They finish in 28 days.... you heard it here on roller derby..... a month, month and a half..... stoney baloney? Oh yeah couple of those 1 month strains take 10 weeks min.

Some people kids.....

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Bwahahahahah.... I dunno but stoneygirl gardens links to sunnygirls gardens and say they're a separate entity

If it is stoney girl then check her EXCLUSIVE strains. They finish in 28 days.... you heard it here on roller derby..... a month, month and a half..... stoney baloney? Oh yeah couple of those 1 month strains take 10 weeks min.

Some people kids.....

No comment on her claims with regard to her soil mixes or her strains.

Eh............there's a lot of 'chick strains' in her listings of strains, i.e. sweet this and ultra-sweet that blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.....

28 days is pretty amazing.

CC

 

[GeorgeSmiley]

Wow I guess I was a little shit head last night..... pretty rude about someone I don't know, sorry guys.

I have tried some of those strains and let me say the ones I tried were really good...... grown by someone else and at 60 days it was still mostly 80/20 clear/cloud. Had it at 70 and it was great.

Yeah 28 days is crazy..... so crazy she's the only one that can make a plant finish that fast..... everyone else takes the normal 7-10 weeks not 4 (growing her strains)

Who am I to judge? No one, seriously, looks like she's done more than I have so I wish her well and hope business is good.


What's most important CC is where I can get SS #4 in town cheaper than $42 for 3.8?

 

[Clackamas Coot]

GeorgeSmiley

Here's a link at YouTube.com listing the videos created by StoneyGirl and her husband/partner.

Some are interesting to view.

Just a thought.

CC

 

[Clackamas Coot]

What's most important CC is where I can get SS #4 in town cheaper than $42 for 3.8?

GeorgeSmiley

What I would recommend is buying the Sunshine Organic Grower's Mix which comes in 2.8 cf as well as the Sunshine Organic Germination Mix in the same size pack. The current price is $18.40 per cf (I'm rounding the 2.8 to 3.0 for easier math - LOL)

There are 3 places in and around Portland where you can buy this product - Concentrates (just north of SE Powell on 8th Street), Naomi's Organic Farm Supply in Milwaukie in the old Kasch's Nursery location on McLoughlin Blvd. and OBC in Canby.

OBC carries not only these products but the Teufel Nursery Potting Soil mixes which (like Sunshine) come in #1 through #4 having to do with the amount of aeration amendments (perlite, pumice and/or vermiculite). The Teufel Nursery soil mixes come in 2 cf. bales which expand out to 3 cf. The cost is under $10.00 per bag so it's an even better price.

Back to Concentrates and Naomi's Organic Farm Supply - both of these companies offer Marwest Organic Compost out of Scio, Oregon. This is the finest compost that I've been able to find at any of the nursery wholesale operations. The price on the Marwest Compost is $8.00 per 1.5 cf.

The basic mix is 3 parts Sunshine Organic Growers Mix and 1 part Marwest Compost. To that you'll want to add a mineral product (Naomi's has her own mineral mix based on Steve Solomon's recipe. Steve is the founder of Territorial Seed Company and has published several gardening books for the PNW as well as articles on mixing your own fertilizers). The 'Naomi's Mineral Mix' is equal parts of rock phosphate, NJ Green Sand, Azomite, limestone and Gaia Green Glacial Rock Dust which runs $22.00 for 50-lbs.

I also add a cup or so per 1 cf. of a seed meal mix that I made up which contains alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, sunflower seed meal, neem seed meal, fish bone meal, fish meal, bat guano (Archipelago Bat Guano 0-7-0), kelp meal, crab meal and probably something else that escapes me right now. I can give you enough of this mix to take care of several plants if you're interested.

Both Concentrates & Naomi's are 'one stop shopping' for organic products to include (all organic and non-GMO) alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, sunflower meal, fish bone meal (enzyme), fish meal, kelp meal, Acadian Seaplants seaweed extract, et al. They also sell all 3 grades of pumice (size), vermiculite and of course perlite since there's a perlite factory up in Portland. They also carry organic rice hulls and any number of products.

Lots of options at both companies.

HTH

CC

 

[*Journeyman*]

Hey CC...in my ongoing research I was talking to a farm consultant in Oregon and he recommended Full Circle Compost. Even though it has to be imported from Nevada he said it was hands down the best. I talked to Full Circle and they are considering bagging their compost. Looks like killer stuff and have a few samples now to play with. I know some people locally here in Cali and recommended they get a ton or two for their outdoor gardens this year to get em started with a bang...lol.

www.fullcirclecompost.com

 

[Clackamas Coot]

I'll give them a call and see about getting a couple of bags delivered up here in the People's Republic of Oregon. Definitely worth checking out and thank you for posting the link.

Nice line of products, IMHO

CC

 

[*Journeyman*]

Cool. There high end stuff is like $84 per cubic yard/$130 or so a ton and freight is about the same or maybe even less. I got the number for a great freight broker if you ever want it. They've cut our LTL shipment costs where I currently work dramatically. I figured it out and a pallet + shipping is about the same cost as the same amount of Ocean Forest by the bag. Sure you'd have to amend the compost for texture but seems to beat OF by a mile especially considering how they balance the compost out.

Hope the stuff works out for ya.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

GeorgeSmiley

Here's an outstanding potting soil from Vital Earth which is based down in Phoenix, Oregon

This product sells for about $10.00 per 1 cf. and is ready to go right of the bag. I met the 2 young gentlemen that started this company last summer and talked with them for the better part of an hour. They definitely know what they're doing.

This product is available from Concentrates and perhaps Naomi's Organic Farm Supply and a couple of 'indoor garden stores' in and around Portland. It's also available a few stores in Northern California. There is a 'Distributor' link at their web site.

Well worth checking, IMHO

CC

 

[GeorgeSmiley]

Wow , you always cover a lot when you respond, that's pretty much what I want to end up with, not sure this run I should switch from soil less with organic liquid nutes but the next cycle would be a perfect time give it a try.

Though maybe, a sample of the soil you're running would be perfect for a few plants side by side, not for any other reason than ease of care determination and final product.

Thanks for all the useful info

GS

GeorgeSmiley

What I would recommend is buying the Sunshine Organic Grower's Mix which comes in 2.8 cf as well as the Sunshine Organic Germination Mix in the same size pack. The current price is $18.40 per cf (I'm rounding the 2.8 to 3.0 for easier math - LOL)

There are 3 places in and around Portland where you can buy this product - Concentrates (just north of SE Powell on 8th Street), Naomi's Organic Farm Supply in Milwaukie in the old Kasch's Nursery location on McLoughlin Blvd. and OBC in Canby.

OBC carries not only these products but the Teufel Nursery Potting Soil mixes which (like Sunshine) come in #1 through #4 having to do with the amount of aeration amendments (perlite, pumice and/or vermiculite). The Teufel Nursery soil mixes come in 2 cf. bales which expand out to 3 cf. The cost is under $10.00 per bag so it's an even better price.

Back to Concentrates and Naomi's Organic Farm Supply - both of these companies offer Marwest Organic Compost out of Scio, Oregon. This is the finest compost that I've been able to find at any of the nursery wholesale operations. The price on the Marwest Compost is $8.00 per 1.5 cf.

The basic mix is 3 parts Sunshine Organic Growers Mix and 1 part Marwest Compost. To that you'll want to add a mineral product (Naomi's has her own mineral mix based on Steve Solomon's recipe. Steve is the founder of Territorial Seed Company and has published several gardening books for the PNW as well as articles on mixing your own fertilizers). The 'Naomi's Mineral Mix' is equal parts of rock phosphate, NJ Green Sand, Azomite, limestone and Gaia Green Glacial Rock Dust which runs $22.00 for 50-lbs.

I also add a cup or so per 1 cf. of a seed meal mix that I made up which contains alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, sunflower seed meal, neem seed meal, fish bone meal, fish meal, bat guano (Archipelago Bat Guano 0-7-0), kelp meal, crab meal and probably something else that escapes me right now. I can give you enough of this mix to take care of several plants if you're interested.

Both Concentrates & Naomi's are 'one stop shopping' for organic products to include (all organic and non-GMO) alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, sunflower meal, fish bone meal (enzyme), fish meal, kelp meal, Acadian Seaplants seaweed extract, et al. They also sell all 3 grades of pumice (size), vermiculite and of course perlite since there's a perlite factory up in Portland. They also carry organic rice hulls and any number of products.

Lots of options at both companies.

HTH

CC

 

[Clackamas Coot]

GeorgeSmiley

Send me a PM and let me know what size of pots you're using and I'll meet up with you and give you enough for 3 plants. All you need to do is add water and every week or so hit them with fish hydrosylate (available from Naomi's for about $15.00 per gallon) and you use 1 oz. (2 tbls.) with some seaweed extract also available from Naomi's as well as CT Guy. The price is 'around' $15.00 per lb. and you only use 1.5 tsp. per gallon.

That's it. Pretty stupid dumb, eh?

I have to go to Portland next week to meet with my favorite whore - my attorney. We're setting up a memorial fund to help families dealing with mental health issues in their children. Our daughter took her life last spring 2 weeks after her 31st birthday. Words fail. Hopefully this fund will be helpful and give some meaning to her life as well as her mother and I.

Peace

CC

 

[mad librettist]

Clack I am so sorry.

And I am glad you are doing something positive in response, as a human, and as someone who lives with a psychiatric disorder.

 

[GrnAlien]

CC,

Thanks for the links regarding Naomi's...do you happen to know if they carry the Sunshine Pro Just Coir product?

I take it you don't hang over at the OGF forums?? ;-)

 

[Clackamas Coot]

CC,

Thanks for the links regarding Naomi's...do you happen to know if they carry the Sunshine Pro Just Coir product?

I take it you don't hang over at the OGF forums?? ;-)

GrnAlien

No - but she should have the loose organic coconut coir packed by Teufel Nursery (they've been around since the late 1800's - still family owned and they are friggin' HUGE). This coir is organic and it's loosed packed, i.e. not compressed. It's absolutely gorgeous.

It comes in 2 cf. bales @ $7.80

RE: OGF

I belonged to OGF for about 4 or 5 days before deciding that watching reruns of 'Bowling For Dollars' provided better value for my entertainment dollar than reading people shoving their cybef-nostrils up the crack of MrFixIt's anus.

Kinda like the benefit of self-grafitication vs. mounting a really ugly hooker.

Or walking in your parents having sex and deciding there's no convenient way to exit the room.

Stuff like that........

CC