Making the Best Soil Mix for the Money -- Suggestions?

I'm planing my first indoor soil grow, and it'll be a fair-sized grow--about 60 plants. They'll go into 3-gallon Smart Pots, so that translates to 180 gallons of mix.

That's gonna put a dent in my budget. So, I'm wondering what mix you'd recommend that will be cost-conscious?

For example, if I was to go with Fox Farm's Organic Ocean Forest as 50% of the mix, that's close to $200 . . . unless I'm messing up my math.

Often there are budget-versions of top-of-the-line products . . . so, in this example, is there a base soil that might be available at a big box store which can be a budget replacement for the Fox Farm?

I know plenty of growers have wrestled with the same issue: what is the best grow-medium you can put together on a reasonable budget?

TIA!

~jessie

.134 cubic foot to a gallon, so 180 gallons times .134 = 24.12 cubic feet. Half in Fox farm would be 12 cubic feet, 12 divided by 1.5 times $15/bag = $120.00.

I'm an outdoor grower so I can't offer any indoor grow medium suggestions but there are plenty of excellent organic fortified potting soils out there without Fox Farms high price. My grow medium contains 25% of a product called Gardner & Bloome Potting soil, which contains fir bark, forest humus, peat moss, chicken manure, worm castings, bat guano, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, oyster shell, dolomite lime and a nice price, $7.50 per 2cf bag. Its made by Kellogg, who has other potting soils under the Kellogg name. I do know organic indoor growers who use the same Gardner & Bloome but not the rest of their grow medium formulas.

Don't know your location but generally the best way to determine which organic potting soils are available on a regional basis is to visit a farm supply store and an upscale nursery who offer organic products. They'll have knowledgeable people who can steer you in the right direction. With big box stores I suggest reading labels.

Congratulations on the Smart Pots, the only way to go for container growing. I'm growing in 25 gallon Smart Pots.

So, outdoors a 25 gallon pot is good? Wow. Inside, I have 3- and 5-gallon ones. Big difference, I guess!!

Anyway, tx for the tips. I'll check out my local stores.....

~jessie

jessie.diamond said:

So, outdoors a 25 gallon pot is good? Wow. Inside, I have 3- and 5-gallon ones. Big difference, I guess!!

Click to expand...

There are outdoor growers who use 2-300 gallon Smart Pots. A 200 gallon smart pot is about 27 cubic feet, the same dimension as a 3'x3'x3' hole dug in the ground. Which ain't no fun unless one has a backhoe.

Anyway, tx for the tips. I'll check out my local stores.....

~jessie

Click to expand...

bale of peatmoss bale of perlite bale of vermiculite. 40 bucks for tons of mix

Wordz said:

bale of peatmoss bale of perlite bale of vermiculite. 40 bucks for tons of mix

Click to expand...

I use peat moss as part of my grow medium and on its own its very acidic, pH down in the 4s, which offsets the high pH of my decomposed cow manure. I use it as water retention (rather than vermiculite) and for decomposition benefits.

Im currently using 2/3 foxfarm ocean forest and 1/3 happy frog. Works pretty good.

I know there are ten billion different soil mixes, and most decent ones will probably work fine. It's just that I know Ocean Forest has such an excellent reputation that I'm wondering if it's really worth it -- or whether you can buy (or make) a comparable alternative.

I'm not interested in pulling every last gram per watt out of my garden. I'm mainly interested in growing quality medical mj, but by being smart about it. Just because there's a product that has good marketing and a good reputation (Ocean Forest), doesn't mean there aren't things to be made or bought that are of comparable quality for half the price. It doesn't always work like that, but generally I find that to be true.

Anyway, "Wordz" mentioned a combo of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite -- but that'd be close to inert, and would mean I'd be relying mostly on my own nutes/ferts. That's okay . . . but I was loosely hoping to create a decent soil mix that was at least semi-saturated already with the good stuff (microbes, nutes, etc.)

I do also have about 2.5 gallons each of PBP Grow (the hydro variant), PBP Bloom, and Liquid Karma (as well as other hydro-inclined nutes) -- just as an FYI.

Anyway, thanks for the tips! I'll keep on compiling info, and then make the decision this Wednesday or Thurs (June 23 or 24) -- since one of those will be transplant day.

TIA for any more suggestions/tips!

~jessie

Search LC's or LC's soiless mix #1 in this forum.

It is basically a 'water only' mix and has all the goodies you are looking for in there.

There is a bit of 'sticker shock' at first, assembling all the ingredients, but they are used in different amounts and last quite a while.

It also recycles quite well.

Wet

I like using the VIC's super soil mix and it is a better soil-less mix then ocean forest in my opinion. It cost about 65 to 75 dollars a batch,which is 70 gallons of mix, can save more money by just buying a bale of peat and a 4cf bag of perlite and making your own pro mix, just a little more sweat labor but it saves $$ at the end.

Vic's Super Soil

1 Bale sunshine mix #2 or promix (3.8 cu ft)
8 cups Bone Meal - phosphorus source
4 cups Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
4 cups dolomite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
1 tsp Azomite
4 cups kelp meal.
30 lbs bag pure worm castings

- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.

olywa said:

I like using the VIC's super soil mix and it is a better soil-less mix then ocean forest in my opinion. It cost about 65 to 75 dollars a batch,which is 70 gallons of mix, can save more money by just buying a bale of peat and a 4cf bag of perlite and making your own pro mix, just a little more sweat labor but it saves $$ at the end.

Vic's Super Soil

1 Bale sunshine mix #2 or promix (3.8 cu ft)
8 cups Bone Meal - phosphorus source
4 cups Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
4 cups dolomite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
1 tsp Azomite
4 cups kelp meal.
30 lbs bag pure worm castings

- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.

Click to expand...

Sounds very similar to LC's mix. In fact, the only thing I'm not using is the Azomite, since I can't locate it locally. Did finally locate some Greensand which is a so so substitute.

I really like it and it seems to get better with the second and third use. I recycle.

Gets even cheaper, when all you have to do is re charge the meals and such.

Wet

So I was wondering, why do soil recipes say to let mix sit or cook for a few days? What does this accomplish? Or does it help prevent hot spots? I just use happy frog, straight out the bag.

Happy frog is aged already.

Aging lets the organics get woswing And inturrups pests life cycles.
Epsoma makes a product to innocculate soil with beneficial microbes And fungus.
These take a month to get going. Two months to get into full swing.

Aging for a month means that within a month of planting your soil is alive with helpful microbes

Aging allows microbes to activate and larvea to cook and die.

Commercial mixes are aged before they hit the shelves.

Mycchorizae takes 30-60 days to get up to full steam.

I've used SUPERSOIL for every grow I've done, Very nice soil, I say better than Foxfarm but thats cause its half the price, add a little perlite and your good to go.

Im not positive about the price, its been a few crops since i bought a bag but they are less than 10 bucks and are available at Home depot

2 bales of pro-mix bx , 5 lbs blood meal, 5lbs bone meal, 2 lbs rock phosphate, 5lbs bat guano (indonasian), 5-20 lbs worm casts, 1 cup dolomite lime, some add epson salt and azomite but i went without , this is for maximum support, i copied it off "subcools" super soil recipe.

If you want to kick start your soil use molasses.
2 tbl to a gallon.

Benefits...
Molasses increases the amount of carbon into soil (C:N ratio) and promotes the growth of beneficial soil microorganisms.

It is an effective soluble foliar carbohydrate.

Improves the structural stability of soils by decreasing dispersion and/or slaking.

Improves soil moisture retention.

The addition of molasses to high N applications ameliorates the phytotoxic effect of discrete N application.

Source of potassium, sulphur and trace elements.

Buffers phytotoxic effects of pesticides, herbicides and mineral oil applications in cropping and pasture systems

Stimulates benefi cial microbial activity by providing an excellent food source.

Enhanced microbial activity improves availability of nutrients in the soil and reduces the amount of fertilizer required.

Peace

I make my own too-- i have compared Fox farms to my stuff and even Kellogs the cheap stuff is good too--its a weed
Watch that Bone meal for Mad Cow Organic is great but needs to be handled different then other sources.
But Perlite Pete moss and Compost is a good start--- most nurserys will have chicken manure for Vegging and by then you will be on Flower food when it is ready for flush with Epsom and loaded with a 0 10 10 or 7 50 25 food mix ---dont buy into all the hype of names---yes I am sure the forskins of young boys from mt zion is a great source of Phosphorus yet so is the boxed stuff for 7.95. Get my point. Plus if you are new there are so many other areas of fine tuning before a brand of soil is gonna do Except for Miracle go and Scotts Not sure if Scotts has the Buffers like MG "same company" I think not but you dont want that for that kind of grow.

check out subcools organic super soil mix in this forum
he claims u only use water the whole grow

If you want to go supercheap in the future just make a simple compost bin and make your own.