can someone tell me if this soil is any good

This 'just right extra' soil is a good potting mix!!
I would recommend using it

 

Humbolt has an entire line of good products
I would feel comfortable buying/using their line of nutes and other additives

Here's their site - Humboldt Nutrients

 

Humboldt nutes are overpriced imo. For example, their "Big Up Powder" is derived from: Monopotassium phosphate, Ascophyllum nodosum and contains 2% HUMIC ACID (DERIVED FROM LEONARDITE).

1lb of this cost 50$ and you are advised to use it at a certain time during the growth cycle so you lose the liberty to use the available humic acid source and kelp source outside of the nutrients suggested feeding schedule.

Organic way..

1lb Seaweed Powder 13.99$

1lb Purest form of Leonardite SP-90 11.99$.

8lbs [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Phosphate-Soil-Treatment-Pounds/dp/B001ZWKU5M/ref=pd_sbs_ol_3"]Soft Rock Phosphate and 2lbs Azomite[/ame] bundled on Amazon for 12.51$.

Total: 38.49

Now you have a LOT more to work with and the liberty to use the ingredients separately throughout the growth cycle.

 

True, Humbolt nutes are expensive but I would still use them, I think they're good quality........

 

I have to say ive used this Just Right Soil, and I call it Just Wrong...

Let me explain.

It all started when I walked into my local grow shop and it was suggested I try it by a store rep who ive talked to and come to trust his opinion, so I bought 3 bags. (3 Bags 1.5CBFT = 6 homer buckets)
Went home and transplanted 6 plants into 5 GAL "homer" buckets, and gave plain water with a touch of hygrozyme. Read the little brochure that I grabbed on the way out of the grow shop. The brochure stated that the soil was EXTREMELY HOT with an initial PPM of 1500 and everything my plants could ever DREAM of getting, Okay noted. So a week or so went by and everything was grand the plants were looking well and I noticed that the soil held a ton of water, excellent I wont have to water as much.. BONUS.

Well at about 2 weeks I noticed problems. All 6 plants were showing problems; Leaves are burning, stalks are turning red/purple looks like to much K, testing PPM of the water run off is 2300 PPM and PH is 5.5. To make a long story short 1 plant made it to flower and that only because I needed to get something to smoke the other 5 had to be cut down.

With that being said, Ive talked to people at my local grow shop who love it and wouldnt change for a million bucks, for me personally it doesnt work with my setup.

 

The grow shop that I visit says that using 1 bag of Just Right to a bale of Promix is a pretty good equivalent to FFOF. I havnt tried it yet but sounds like a way to save money. Do any of you experienced organic guys have any input or can think of anthing else that might need to be added?

 

bump..

 

No offense to loki3xb, but you guys may want to be a little skeptical over the fact that that's his first post. Whenever dealing with commercial products, the GC forums are very prone to having competitors using puppet accounts discredit brand names so be weary. Proof of your results would be ideal.

edit: i just want to add, that many organic soils can yield far better results with the addition of coir or some other kinda of medium. I think its always better to mix SOMETHING into your soil, even if its not a water only mix. I bet you could easily buffer the hotness by adding say 20% coir, 20% perlite or pumice, and 20% EWC and be left with a SOLID soil.

GL

 

I won't flower without it. Flowers will start producing crystals right at the beginning of flowering and continue all the way though.

I like to layer the just right 50/50 with promix during transplant (large pots) then hit them with a day old compost tea immediately to get things going. Avoid synthetic fertlizers! (If you can't help yourself, at least wait 3 weeks).

 

I won't flower without it. Flowers will start producing crystals right at the beginning of flowering and continue all the way though.

You are paying way too much for somebody to mix your soil for you. If you were to take Pro-Mix, Earthworm Castings and a few basic ammendments, mix them, moisten and let the soil mix sit aside for 3-4 weeks you would probably have a better soil mix than the store-bought mix. You would save money, have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself and would avoid making rich people richer.

As far as the Humboldt Nutrients discussed above, you dont need them, either. Once your soil is mixed properly, even the most basic soil will take you from veg right through flower with some basic waterings of fish hydrosylate or kelp tea. The BIG NUTRIENT COMPANIES have drilled it into marijuana gardeners heads that you NEED these products and you CANNOT grow without them. This is so untrue and they are simply taking your money unneccessarily. Make yourself a very basic organic mix like I listed above and you will never buy pre-mixed soil or bottled nutrients again.

jerry.

 

Heck if you want to go organics go all the way imho. Like jerry said and I feel like a broken record here. Promix, ewc and such. Get ya some kelp meal, alfalfa and you could grow on that if you wanted. The whole thing about bottled nutes is do you really know what you are getting? probably not. With using seed meals and such you know exactly what you are getting. No need to spend money on some super expensive nutes that wont even do half as good a job as if you were to use the ammendments I just listed above. Good luck

 

Be wary of the Just Right Xtra soil. Myself and a friend both got spider mites after transplanting into this soil (different bags and different sides of town). Also my local grow shop people say a lot of people have been complaining about that problem. It could be just the batch they got shipped to them or a slew of other factors but either way I won't be purchasing it again.

 

I'm not saying that this isn't true, but I do not believe that spider mites wil live in soil. There simply is t anything for them to eat in a bag of soil, and in my 3 months of gardening I have never heard of anyone getting mites from soil.

They can defined be transferred from garden to garden however, especially if you or your buddy just recently got cuttings or clones from another gardener who has them in his/her grow room. They can also come in from the outdoors, but I just don't see them living in soil.

Spider mites predominantly live on the underside of your leaves - they love to hide there and lay thier eggs there. They really need living plant leaves to eat and survive.

Spider mite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spider mites are very controllable and eradication is possible - IF you get on it IMMEDIATELY and stay on it!

If you really think that they are in your soil, you can do yourself a favor and add Neem Meal to your soil mix. Not only is it an excellent pesticide/insecticide (azadiractin) but it is also an accumulator, meaning it stores mucho nutritional value in its leaves and seeds.

For more information regarding Neem and it's very excellent properties take a peek here -

Neem, a Botanical Insecticide - Insect
Neem Insecticide - Neem Oil Insecticide - Does It Work?

To eradicate mites on flowering plants, do not use Neem. Instead, use Spinosad. This is NOT a chemical insecticide/pesticide - it is a bacteria produced by fermentation and is safe for use. You can find this product from one of two companies, listed as either Captain Jacks Deadbug or Monterey Gardens Insect Spray.

I feel for ya - I've had them and they can and will destroy your garden. Don't wait.

Best of luck -

J

 

Thanks for the good luck J. I got the mites about a month ago and thank jah i caught them in my younger vegging plants before they moved on to the larger one. How long did it take you to eradicate them? I still see some leaves with white specks and mites on the leaves although the amount has been greatly reduced. I'm drenching my soil with 2 teaspoons of Azatrol (a neem oil concentrate) per gallon and applying it directly to the leaves with 3 teaspoons per gallon for the parts that are heavily infested. Any tips?