Soil/nutes (Fox Farm) and water Questions

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by Obik510, Aug 17, 2012.

  1. #1 Obik510, Aug 17, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 17, 2012
    So, I've been spending the last few weeks here reading the forums, books, and various articles/other forums of peoples experiences while I complete my grow cabinet for my first grow. I finally feel ready to get started because I've literally studied harder for this stuff than my own schooling haha. Yet, there is still one issue I haven't seen any consistent answer to and that's the soil, nutes, ect. I know everyone has their own methods and blends. But I am looking for something easy and self sufficent for the most part.

    I have been reading mixed reviews about my original idea of using the Fox Farm Ocean Forest as my soil along with the trio of their liquid fertilizers (Big Bloom, Grow Big, Tiger Bloom). Some say it works no problem and others say its been causing nute burn to their seedlings/early veg due to the high content of stuff already in the soil, yet I haven't seen if they said they were using the fertilizers to soon.

    So, I was thinking of still using the FFOF, but using regular water for the first 2-3 weeks during veg and only starting Big Bloom after the 3rd or 4th week (decided to axe the Grow Big but stop me if I am wrong here) and then add Tiger Bloom (using Big Bloom still) during flowering. Would this be acceptable ammount of nutes still while not being overally worried about PH (still going to check it every time)?

    Also for water, I know regular purified water can still hold a lot of minerals that you do not want, but would Reverse Osmosis water be fine (have a nice R/O filter on my sink for my self )? Or just go straight for distilled?

    I would love for my first grow of Blueberry to be fire =D

    Thanks for any help
     
  2. You shouldn't need to fertilize that soil for almost 30 days under HID lights. That's why it causes nute burn. You're pumping more than the plant can handle.

    Use the ratio of nutrients they have on the bottle. Taking out certain parts, like the grow big, will feed your plant a weird ratio of nutrients. Instead of taking out a part to not burn your plant, use less of it all combined. Just dilute your feed solution accordingly. If it says 10 ml/gallon, start off with 3-5 ml/gallon at first.

    I'd personally start out using the RO water from your sink until they are about 4-6 inches tall. Then I'd try watering with my tap on one of the plants to see if they don't mind. Everyone's tap water is different, and a lot don't bother plants. If it works with tap water, the more power to you!
     
  3. As stated above, everyone's tap is different...Mine comes out ~0.2EC and my moms do fine in FFOF..I usually start in HF and not have to feed for a bit, 2-4wks..By then I'll most likely be transplanting to a bigger pot and either straight FF or a 50/50 FFOF/HF mix..
    Either is a rather hot mix at first, so yeah feed lightly..
    Good luck!..
     

  4. Love that strain, growing out a mom as we speak.

    You can go without the grow big during flower, but I noticed a difference while not using it. I used to add 1 cup of dolomite lime per cubic ft and my ph stayed at 6.4-6.6 at all times. Read up on flushing, for both salt buildup and pre-harvest. I've never grown this strain with the ff lineup so I don't know how sensitive it is, but like others have said, start with 1/4 or 1/3 dose.

    That's all I can think of from my experience with that lineup. Good luck with your blueberry!!! :smoke:
     
  5. Drop your sced of nute feeding. Fox Farms includes in there Nute Trio a handy dandy feeding chart. Use what they say to feed them as a max start off in your 3rd 4th week with 25-30 percent work your way up as each week goes by.

    Its so easy a idiot could do it.

    As for tap, distilled, or RO. RO is the best but tap works just fine. Years of successful grows with just tap. I would'nt think of using anything else either.

    As for your PH you do have to be worried about it. Adding anything to you water can wildly change it hence you check it after you add your nutes and balance it out...takes all but 2 mins to do the whole thing.

    As for the soil there is not set time really when you add nutes. You have to play that by ear. It all depends on how big the plant grows, how much water its using. The act of simply watering flushes out nutes.

    You have to be flexible. Locking yourself into some regime can cause it to fail when you think it wont.

    Its very easy to grow btw so good luck!
     
  6. Do not use salt based fertilizers in your soil. Many, many new growers start with FFOF and their base trio. I know I did and I learned to do so from other inexperienced growers. Soil is an organic system that depends on the health of the microbes which break down larger organic molecules to make elements available for uptake.

    What you need is a good trio. Worm castings. Kelp meal. Organic compost.

    Brewing up a tea will help maintain the health of the microbial life in the soil as well as offer some instant nutrition. A healthy media will buffer the pH of your soil naturally.

    I strongly recommend against fox farms fertilizers. There are much better products to choose from. Fox Farms has been circling the beginner forums for a long time, as new growers make suggestions based on very limited experience. If you just have to use bottles then I suggest a system like General Organics or Earth Juice.
     
  7. Thanks everyone for your replies and help.

    Would it be a good idea to use the FOFF soil with say home made organic teas would be a better idea? If so what would be easy/cost effective teas for vegging and then for flowering? (perf in the 1 gallon at a time recipe if at all possible). Should a local nursery or home depot carry the stuff needed for these?
     

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