is miracle grow potting mix good
- Thread starter robtoker
- Start date
UserFriendly
New Member
You will occasionally get the super-hot bag; just don't give them access to too much soil at any one time and you might be safe. They've really got enough nutrient in there to last a few months.... it's not a marketing gimmick.
UserFriendly
New Member
I mean don't go dropping newly rooted clones into 7 gallon bags of MG. Start them off in smaller containers and build up to it. Also, MG gets funky when plants are way rootbound, so you have to find that balance and work with it.
UserFriendly
New Member
Black Gold
nitestalker
Active Member
i am using Sta Green from Lowes with great results.
but beware. one of the bags was full of nats....
but beware. one of the bags was full of nats....
UserFriendly
New Member
No shit? 
Brick Top
New Member
Do not use any soil with slow release fertilizers in it for seedlings. It will give them nute burn. I do not believe in any type of soil with any fertilizer mixed in at any stage of growth because you do not know how much is being released at any one time and in what amounts and when it is becoming depleted and if you feel your plants are not getting enough nutes and you want to supplement them with more judging what is needed and what is a safe amount can be difficult.
You are better off with a high grade potting soil without any type of fertilizer in it at all and you and you alone control what your plants are fed and when they are fed and in what amounts they are fed. It greatly reduces the chance of error/problems.
I believe I read that you asked "rootbound?" Well if so that is a condition where your plants roots have filled the pot beyond an amount where they will work to maximum efficiency. Once your plants roots begin to circle the pot they are in your plants will be under a degree of stress and it will only increase the more the roots grow in the same sized pot.
Rootbound plants can stretch and they can easily run out of moisture and nutrients and it can limit the size of your plants and it makes them more prone to nute burn and also because they are stressed and less hearty they are more susceptible to various other problems/diseases.
The best thing you can do is pick the largest sized pots you can use that will still allow you to get all your plants under adequate lighting and use them. All that is needed for optimal growth and healthy plants is a pot that is just large enough that the root system will when full grown use the entire pot without becoming rootbound. I almost never grow in anything smaller than 7-gallon pots and will use 15-gallon or larger pots at times, especially if growing outside and growing a strain that gets very large.
Your above soil growth is matched by below soil growth, your root system. There is as much growth in the soil as above the soil so imagine taking a three foot or larger plant and trying to cram all of it into the sized pot you are growing in and then ask yourself if it would be crowded or not. If you say it sure would be than you are using to small of a pot.
I also do not like to repot. There is no real benefit from starting plants out in small pots and repotting. Each time you risk a rootbound condition and that means plant stress. Each time you handle them you risk damaging them and or shocking them. I pick the largest sized pots I will use for a grow and plant my seedlings in them and never repot.
If you think about the comment of not to put your seedlings into a large bag or amount of potting soil with slow release fertilizer in it and instead put them in a small amount of that type of soil and they will or may be able to handle it but will not be overfed by being in a large amount of that type of soil you will realize that it does not make sense. Regardless of the amount of soil at any stage of growth you only have a certain amount/size of a root structure and it will only feed from the soil near it.
If you put seedlings into a Solo cup or a 1-gallon pot or a 20-gallon pot using soil with slow release fertilizer it would make no difference because your seedlings will have a tiny root structure and they would be unable to feed from the nutrients deep in the soil but in the area their roots are in they will still be in soil with a slow release fertilizer so to them it would be the same thing. They would be fed something that seedlings do not need and that can burn them or even kill them.
Seeds have a small amount of nutrients in them for the seedlings to live off of in their early stage of growth. Normally there are enough nutrients for 2 to 3 weeks of growth but even then your plants are not ready to be fed much and can easily be burned and possibly killed. Waiting 4 weeks or even 5 weeks to feed them is not something bad to do and when you do begin to feed them feed them a solution that is about one quarter strength is what you should use and then slowly increase the strength until you are feeding them the maximum amount.
Do not feed them every time you water them. Do not over water them either. Many new or newer growers kill their plants with kindness or at least cause their plants to have problems that slows growth and can cause various problems and diseases. Do not be afraid to let your soil get slightly dry. Not to the point where the soil is pulling away from the sides of the pot but just slightly dry before watering again. Some strains actually grow better in drier soil than in moist/wet soil so depending on what you grow that is something you should research and find out about if it is possible and if not experiment some and learn it on your own. The same goes for fertilizers. Some strains are heavy feeders and others are not. What works fantastic for one strain can cause problems when growing a different strain. Again research what you will be growing as much as you can before you begin to grow it and try to learn as much as you can about that specific strain. If you do that again you will reduce the chances of experiencing problems and harming your plants or reducing their efficiency and growth and production and potency.
There is a lot more to successfully growing good herb than popping beans and planting them and then watering and feeding now and then. Anyone can grow pot but not everyone will grow it well.
misshestermoffitt
New Member
I also use Sta Green from lowes.
misshestermoffitt
New Member
Fox farm is the soil a lot of people use. I would probably use it, but it isn't available near me.
