Title says it all. I'm a beginner, so I want a good "out of the bag" soil. One that's nutrient rich, that will last me at least 2 harvests. If I need to add something to it like lime to adjust the pH, I'm fine with that. I just don't want to go all out and mix my own soil. I want to keep it simple. I've heard good things about the Roots Organics Original mix, as well as the Fox Farm Ocean Forest.
I had my best results with happy frog. Better than ocean forest, better than roots organic IME. I added 5 gal perlite to a 2 cu ft bag, along with 2 cups lime and 6 cups espoma tomato-tone. To this day, that grow was my best gram per watt.
$1.48 40lb bag of topsoil from Home Depot... I'm not trying to be a smart ass but honestly, if you're going to risk a felony, Legal State or not we're still under Federal Law and blah blah blah.. Seriously OP, look up soil mixtures and organic cultivation. You've gotten this far, take the extra step and improve your grow to the next level. You got this man!
I'd love to, but the bottom line is that I don't have the time right now lol. I'm working with a $6,500 budget, I need to order all the equipment for the grow room. I still haven't found any Canadian retailers that carry the things I want, so I'm more than likely gonna be stuck paying customs fees and duty and all that shit to have stuff shipped from the US.
it's not about what's in the bag. i think it's about the bag itself. The biological organisms are limited to the ones that can fit in there, which in the instance of some soil invertebrates will only be around a few hundred to thousand. when they are stacked in bags there is no freedom to move to wherever they like in the pile- movement is limited to the bags. Some of them like to move to the center, or sides of the pile depending on moisture, food sources. your best bet is to have a yard waste bin or laundry basket to dump your soils in once you choose one. FFOF (a common over priced bagged soil from canada) has powdered granite. The granite has a shine to it called mica. It contains a range of minerals like aluminum silicate.
I use Fox Farm Ocean Forest for the main grow and Happy Frog for seedlings/cuttings. You will never get 2 harvest from the same soil indoors. Within 30 days of planting you will need to start adding nutrients even to a hot soil like Ocean Forest. By the time they are flowering you will definitely need to add chemical nutrients or brew organic teas.
I like roots better than fox farm but they will both work..my girls seems to like roots better and i dont ph the water
all pre-ferted soil is bad for cannabis. u want to grow using organic soil and mix worm castings bone meal seabird guano etc or u will have diseased and sickly looking plants. sorry this is just how it is. FF or Root Organic is the only way id go and plenty of growers stand behind them otherwise just get the Home Depot top soil and liquid nutes GH FF AN etc. stay away for Miracle Grow soil mixes these are all pre-ferted
soluble nutrients in organic/mineral based soils are breaking down slowly, producing soil enzymes and nutrients. I am still learning. Just picked up "Teaming with Nutrients" a book that explains things with up to date accuracy. I am %100 on the fact that minerals can supply full plant nutrition. They take years to break down. Like 3-5 if it's powdered rock. I never fertilize with NPK and the foliage is dark green. plants yellow/purple at end as usual. Just less caustic reaction than W/ NPK fert's