I'm about to start growing a couple plants in my closet with fluorescent light fixtures (cool white bulb for the early stages and then adding a light with red rays during flowering stages). However, I am still unsure about what soil and nutrients to buy. I've found a lot of people saying Fox Farm is a great brand for both products. Can anyone confirm that the Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil is adequate? Also, Fox Farm has 3 fertilizers (Big Bloom, Grow Big, Tiger Bloom). Any recommendations about these and at what stages in growth to apply them? Thanks!!
I've used Fox Farms Ocean Forest for a while now and have always had good results, also I used to use botanicare nutes but recently switched to fox farms and I gotta say I yeilded more and they look better. I use Tiger Bloom Big Bloom Sweet on my plants in Ocean Forest soil, I love it.
Sweet, that sounds great! Regarding the Tiger Bloom and Big Bloom, are you just following the feeding schedule that is on Fox Farms' site? I've read on some websites that people don't like/don't think it's best for the plants to follow that schedule they provide. And, how early should I start applying the nutrients and when do I stop in time to flush before harvest?
from what I have gathered here on GC this is the basic chart that comes with your nutes. you can follow them with little to no problems other than modifying it to fit your needs and or flushing with no nutes towards the end of your Flowering. Example would be if you plan on Vegging longer, you just keep up with the last feed schedule for veg until you switch over to flowering.
I've struggle with that chart for months. Is it two distinct feeding schedules depending on whether you use liquid dilution of solubles? Are you supposed to use all six? Are the left three for soil, the right three for hydro (I know, that makes little sense). Any way you slice it, that's a pretty hot schedule toward the last two weeks before harvest. I'm confused. Has anyone called the company and asked? I have never obtained a straight answer regarding this feeding chart. I'll say this about the chart; it sure is pretty.
its two differnt sets of nutes, The first set is the standard used for soil grows and its perfectly fine just using them.
So is it advisable to (follow the schedule) and use Big Bloom before your seeds have even sprouted and then Grow Big before the fourth week of growth. I read that it is over kill to give them anything before the fourth week (or at least the second) because the potting soil "Fox Farm's Ocean Forest" already has everything. Soooooooooo worried I'm going to nute burn my plants. Please Advise, thanks.
Yea ff nutes are overkill. Start your feeding schedule 2 weeks from sprout and start at only 1/4 strength, or you WILL burn your plants. Most strains won't tolerate more then half strength so work up to that. I try and nute every other watering with tiger and big bloom but sometimes if its to much I do every third watering with nutes. Just stay at 1/4 strength till you know your plants tolerance level and then if it does burn a little it wont be bad and you can back off. Also tiger bloom is MUCH more potent then big bloom so mainly watch out for it.
ya anytime working with nutes its more about experience than anything. If your not comfortable with the schedule and your plants look fine, then use your better judgment. However after a few grows you will begin to be able to "read" what the plants are saying and give them just enough tlc.
I am with NISSTY on the feeding. I go 1/4 strength or even less on anything I use. I haven't used FF nutes, but i have their dirt. I didn't start nutes until after 2nd week of sprouting in 16 oz cup of dirt and transplanting into 3 gal bucket. Plant was in there until the end. Just remember to pH your solution after you put the fert in. What I used brought the water from 6.3 or so down to about 5.5 each time. An 1/8th of a tsp of baking soda balanced it perfect every time. good luck. JaK
So, this is The Soil Formulation and this is The Hydroponic Formulation. It looks to me like they instruct you to use all eight products in differing concentrations/formulations dependent upon whether you are doing a soil or hydroponic grow and where you are on your time-line. It appears to be a rather hot formula. I'm still confused. Am I correct regarding the recipe?