MG organic soil vs. Scott's Premium Top Soil

Hey there peoples,

so the seeds I ordered are in, I have most of my supplies minus a Ph kit and some nutes, and I'm currently germinating 2 of the four seeds I received. I was planning on buying fox farms soil but it was just too expensive and I got too impatient, so decided to push forward. Currently I am planning on planting both my seeds in two solo cups full of soil each, with a different brand. I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for what may come. I know MG organic potting soil has all sorts of problems with fungus and gnats, but hopefully none of those problems will come my way. I've heard baking the soil in the over at 200 degrees for an hour kills anything that may be of concern to the plant. Is this correct? Also, even though the MG soil says it is organic, it also says it releases nutrient for up to 2 months. I am a little afraid of nutrient burn, as I have been hearing about online. Overall I just want this first time to go well and produce a decent yield. Should I mix the Scott’s, MG organic potting soil, and perilite into a solo cup and plant my germinated seeds? Or should I just plant one in a cup full of Scott’s and the other in a cup full of MG organic?

And btw, the strain I plan on growing are feminized Lowryder #2 X AK47, I don’t know if this info helps at all but I figured different genetics for each plant mean different tolerances and requirements.

peace,

Even good organic potting soil can be too much for seedlings. Always start germinated seeds in a mostly inert medium like seed starter soil. You can transplant into regular soil when the second set of leaves show after the first single-bladed leaves.

Here's a typical progression:
Small cups of seed starter soil- 3liter bottles (or equivalently sized pots) of veg mix soil- 5gal buckets of flowering soil

Lowes has seed starter even this late in the season. Small bags over by the perlite and granular ferts. About $4.
HD garden center is pretty lame aint it?
If you go to any good garden center, meaning non big box store, you can get a good organic soil for much less than Fox Farms. Usually about half as much. If you're town is big enough for HD, I bet there's lots of small places that would like your business. Let your fingers do the walkin' homie.
Fred

fred flintstoned said:

Lowes has seed starter even this late in the season. Small bags over by the perlite and granular ferts. About $4.
HD garden center is pretty lame aint it?
If you go to any good garden center, meaning non big box store, you can get a good organic soil for much less than Fox Farms. Usually about half as much. If you're town is big enough for HD, I bet there's lots of small places that would like your business. Let your fingers do the walkin' homie.
Fred

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Thanks for the advice man i really do hear what you guys are saying. Its just that money is a little tight and quite frankly, im very impatient so when my seeds came early, i panicked and started buying shit in an effort to get theses suckers planted. Granted, my actions could be my downfall as careful planning and consideration often yield great results, but what can i do, im just a 19 year old punk with a hankering for some good pot that i dont have to pay out the ass for. The one thing i hate though is the gray area some things fall into when talking about growing marijuana. Ive read countless articles where people swear by FF organic soil and then turned around to read that others say even the legendary Fox Farms is too nitrogen heavy for seedlings. I just want some good smoke in a decent quantity, when did things become so complicated? so im thinking with all this new info, maybe a mix between the MG and Scott's? i really should have germinated my freebie seed first to test some possible outcomes but hindsight is 20-20. Thanks though guys, more input is welcomed, i like hearing everyone's experiences it helps quite a lot. especially since i seem to be one of those "Noobs" everyone is tlaking about.

Peace

if you look at the back of scotts it gives you the npk its rather low so it sould be suitable for any plants but will require food sooner

Actually, the back of Scott's has no info other than the ingredients in the soil, and its pretty similar to the MG except it is top soil instead of potting soil. The miracle grow Organic potting soil does however contain said information. The N-P-K of the MG organic potting soil as found on the back of the bag is: 0.10-0.05-0.05. The contents of the soil is said to be 50-55% composted bark, sphagnum peat moss, pasteurized poultry litter and an organic wetting agent. From what I’ve read the NPK for the MG soil is quite low, does this mean I wouldn’t have to worry about nutrient burn after all? Or am I still taking a risk with this product. I'm so confused at this point.

i do use MG Organic Garden, which actually works pretty damn well
there are 2 types of MG Organic, the one with the time release is a bit different beast
haven't used it but i do read of fairly high PH's, i.e. above 7, some seem to have had trouble with that

Money is too tight for a $4 bag of dirt?
Seeds and clones do best in a sterile media. Hence the different blends. Your seeds won't do they're best in MG soil, but should survive.
I start thousands of seeds for my farm every year. I generally use a seedling mix simply because the particles are smaller. But I've been known to use regular soil when it's all we have on hand. Not that big of a deal. Some seeds may not make it, most will. At about $12 for a zillion seeds, I can handle the losses. Hope you didn't pay too much for seeds.
One caution with these soils, never add anything but plain water for at least six weeks. Unless the plant shows a deficiency.
Okay, two. Chicken litter is very hot (low Ph too) even when well composted. If the Scott's has a diff. nitro source, use it instead.

The diff in reports about FF soil that you hear is probably strain dependent. It's good stuff, just overpriced. It too, like the MG and Scott's is probably too hot for seedlings.

Good luck,
Fred

growone said:

i do use MG Organic Garden, which actually works pretty damn well
there are 2 types of MG Organic, the one with the time release is a bit different beast
haven't used it but i do read of fairly high PH's, i.e. above 7, some seem to have had trouble with that

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Oh i did not know there were two different types of MG organic soil. I have the one in the orange bag that says it releases nutrient for two months. is this the one you were talking about/used?

Uncola7 said:

Oh i did not know there were two different types of MG organic soil. I have the one in the orange bag that says it releases nutrient for two months. is this the one you were talking about/used?

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i think your soil is MG Organic Potting, check the label
i used MG Organic Garden which comes in 50 lb sacks(or so)

The perpetual discussion! I have been using MG for years. I plant the seeds in it, water it, admire the plants growing in it, water it some more and harvest the fruits of my MJ plant. I like it because I don't have to worry about other nutrients. Now, since I've been growing for years I might be ready to try some Faxfarm soil and dive into nutrient regimentation but for the beginner and intermediate grower I think MG is perfectly fine. I can name about 2000 high times in my life that is attributed to MG, oh by the way,,,,,, I never lost one plant or experiences nute burn when using MG. My opinion anyway.

growone said:

i think your soil is MG Organic Potting, check the label
i used MG Organic Garden which comes in 50 lb sacks(or so)

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yeah, i did purchase the Organic potting soil instead of the garden. I was actually trying to decide between which to choose and i picked the potting soil cuz i felt it may somehow be easier on the seedlings. So this soil is a no go? i have some time, i can just run back to Home Depot and get the other bag if you say it yielded good results.

Illegalbreather said:

The perpetual discussion! I have been using MG for years. I plant the seeds in it, water it, admire the plants growing in it, water it some more and harvest the fruits of my MJ plant. I like it because I don't have to worry about other nutrients. Now, since I've been growing for years I might be ready to try some Faxfarm soil and dive into nutrient regimentation but for the beginner and intermediate grower I think MG is perfectly fine. I can name about 2000 high times in my life that is attributed to MG, oh by the way,,,,,, I never lost one plant or experiences nute burn when using MG. My opinion anyway.

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so did you use the organic potting soil MG, or did you use a moisture control/ nutrient filled mix?

Uncola7 said:

yeah, i did purchase the Organic potting soil instead of the garden. I was actually trying to decide between which to choose and i picked the potting soil cuz i felt it may somehow be easier on the seedlings. So this soil is a no go? i have some time, i can just run back to Home Depot and get the other bag if you say it yielded good results.



so did you use the organic potting soil MG, or did you use a moisture control/ nutrient filled mix?

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i can't really give you a good answer on how the Organic potting soil works, i've read some logs, some seemed to have good results, others had complaints
the Garden can be quite good, but there are 3 key things that must addressed with it
1) it does usually have fungus gnats, i pasteurize my soil at 180 degrees, gone after that
2) it's too dense as is, must loosen it with some perlite(or something similar)
3) it's a bit too acidic, 1 tbsp of dolomite per gallon of soil takes care of this

so how long do you put the soil in the oven for? ive heard that 200 degrees for an hour does the trick. and as for Ph of the soil, im actually not sure what it is. I really regret not having a PH test kit now, lol. But what can i do, other than try my best with what i have. Any opinions on the Scott's or is it the same deal as the MG. it seems to not have any additional nutrients but its top soil so im not sure how that effects the growth of a seedling.

also i have some perilite, but it is the MG brand so like everything else, it has nutrients already in it. I was unsure whether to add it to the solo cup full of soil i am going to use, but since it has some nutrients already mixed in i think i will hold off. so should i return the potting mix and spring for MG Organic garden or should i just stay with what i have? and other organic mixes are kind of out of the question. although the hydropoincs store is open tomorrow, but i have class during the day so it would make getting there a little hard especially since their hours are only 10-5

the best advice i can give you is that MG garden has treated me very well provided the steps i mention are taken
180 in a oven does a very good job, keeps beneficials alive, much used in commercial green houses
the amount of nutes in MG perlite is tiny, i use that perlite and it works just fine, you won't burn anything with it
the only other thing i add is 1 tbsp of MG Organic bone meal per gallon of soil, excellent slow release nutrient(6-9-0)

thanks man, i really do appreciate the advice. however, at this point, i am a little afraid of ruining two plants with the soil i have, thats why im considering playing hooky tomorrow to make a run to the Hydro store to get some better soil. It seems to me (although i have never grown mind you) that MG is typically for someone who knows what they are doing. I am not too versed in the areas of gardening and its subsequent categories but i do know a little something about the consumption of marijuana, and from what ive been reading, it sounds like the fertilizers in MG soils tend to show their faces when people are smoking. That's exactly the thing i dont want. I mean, ive had some acrid tasting smoke before but fertilizers are just something i dont really want to fuck with especially considering I'm going to be consuming the by product of this grow in some form or another. Thanks to everyone for the advice, though. It really did help me in making my decision, i might try MG products for myself when i have some cash, a nicer set up, and some junk seeds but for now, the thought of ruining two plants is weighing heavily in my mind. I really just wanna get this one right, and like i said earlier, im kind of impatient and couldnt wait for the Hydro store to be open so i just ran to the Home Depot to get something.

Check out the website for the store and let me know if there are any good soils on this list. i was thinking Roots organic as i have heard good things about it. I might even consider making a mix out of the fox farms ocean forrest, and roots organic potting soil with some perilite. Any thoughts on this?

http://www.gtghydroponics.com/store/10-31-0.htm

you will probably do well with either of the 2 soils mentioned, can't really help with too much detail
if you're uncomfortable with the MG, by all means go with your best instincts
i will assure you a bit on the MG Garden, it's very different from their other products
it consists of 3 parts, composted wood products, composted poultry litter, and peat moss, no funky nute pellets of any kind
it's the wood compost that gives its acidity and dense character

Well it looks like you got the soil situation straightened out. I was going to say try Pro-Mix. It's peat based and ph adjusted and doesn't contain any added nutes so it's perfect for seedlings. I actually use it for the entire grow. I just said this in another thread that Pro-Mix can be purchased at any Ace Hardware. I'm pretty sure they are a national chain. The manager at the one nearby told me he could get it for me any time of year too within 2-3 days. The item numbers are 7136385 for the big 3.8 cu ft compressed bale for around $35 (breaks down to about 7 cu ft) and item number 7008634 for the small 1 cu ft bag for around $5. In my opinion you can't beat it. It's completely inert so you can add worm casting or guano or whatever you are into or just liquid feed.

By the way, you are going to love Easy Ryder (Low Ryder #2 x Auto AK-47). It doesn't need a lot of nutes so be CAREFUL. I can't stress that enough. Even in promix, I didn't use any ferts for 3 weeks and even then only 1/2 strength with a grow formula. By the time they were ready for the next feeding, they were already in flower and I fed once a week. Be prepared for them to go 10 weeks from seed though. Check out my sig. I did them outdoors but it should give you an idea. Good luck man. I'm by no means an expert, but hit me up if you have any questions about the strain.