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Just natural potting soil

Floridian

Active member
Veteran
I'm pretty tired of paying 23.99 a bag for ocean forest or roots although mixing the two does kick ass.I went to Lowes and got a bag of just natural potting soil for 3.99.Anyone try it?.It was that or miracle grow "medicated" soil lol
 
Your better off getting the best thing you can.You get out what you put in type thing..You may have deficiances or nute lockout from swings in ph..An ounce cost 300 plus where i am so its a small investment.
 

supermanlives

Active member
Veteran
cheap potting soil and espoma or Kellogg ferts works just fine.. done it many times in a pinch... I have had to however screen out some junk and add perlite to a few of em.. adding some kind of manure,compost,wormcastings,vermicompost helps too like mentioned below...
 
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aridbud

automeister
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Like Superman... I've turned to the less expensive brands to get through (short term).

Sift out the tree particals (they tend to be excessive....cheap filler)....you'll notice bagged manure has a lot of bark, splinters. Must have been painful for steers to evacuate...I digress!

Add perlite for aeration of mix, mushroom compost (all found @ HD/Lowes), again sifting through contents. You can use peat, but do so sparingly....too much and it BURNS tender plants. Top soil (bagged), if good sandy loam is a good filler to add to your mix, too.
 

Floridian

Active member
Veteran
Thanks folks I always have worm castings perlite and mycorrhizae for my mixes.I'll start them off in 4 inch pots and if I get nice seedlings,I imagine I'll get nice plants.If not,ocean forest and roots mixed half/half really cant be beat but it so costly Actually I learned long ago that these 20 dollar plus bags of dirt or 50 dollar quarts of fertilizer really doesn't account for much when the fun starts
 
E

Eureka Springs Organics

cheap potting soil and espoma or Kellogg ferts works just fine.. done it many times in a pinch... I have had to however screen out some junk and add perlite to a few of em.. adding some kind of manure,compost,wormcastings,vermicompost helps too like mentioned below...

This is indeed will work when funds are tight, or you live in the sticks.

Good advise.
 

RoadRash

Member
I'm pretty tired of paying 23.99 a bag for ocean forest or roots although mixing the two does kick ass.I went to Lowes and got a bag of just natural potting soil for 3.99.Anyone try it?.It was that or miracle grow "medicated" soil lol

I remember in reading some of BOG's posts, he talks about using bone meal and blood meal to supplement some non-Foxfarm inexpensive potting soil.

I believe his original work with Bubblegum was done using that kind of soil. Not Foxfarm, something less expensive.


Happy Frog, supplemented with bone meal and perhaps wood ash (for potassium) and bat guano (e.g. 1-8-1), works great. It has enough drainage, so no need to mix in sand or perlite. I've seen it as low as near $11 for the 3 cubic foot mini-bale.

To be clear, I am speaking of a mix for flowering.

Some gardeners say that Ocean Forest is too 'powerful'/ hot for seedlings.
 

supermanlives

Active member
Veteran
you can make your own soil way better than ff soils . I have used of,hf.. its just is it convenient and you might have to buy in bulk to make it cheaper... I used to buy 50 lbs of everything...I also had cement mixer lol... work with what ya got available and can afford... I have tried so many soils,ferts ect....espoma is a very good cheap organic fert and is an old standbye for me
 

Raven12141517

New member
I know this is a dead thread, but I just thought I would add my experience with this exact soil and Espoma nutes. As mentioned before in this thread, screen as much of the wood chunks as possible. Also, you will absolutely need to suppliment Ca on your own. There is dolomite lime in the soil mix, but I hit deficiency about the middle of week 6 from seed. I mixed Espoma Bio-Tone Starter Plus into the soil at recomended rates, then used their Liquid Organic Start, and Grow for veg. I also added a 50/50 mix of worm castings and mushroom compost and perilite to my soil. Hope that helps someone else in the future.
 
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