New Grower Question on Fox Farms Ocean Forrest.

[JM]

6.3 - 6.5 for bboth is ideal... promix usually swings back up as it dries out for me.... I dont let that bother me too much now... just buffer it back on target when i water again... if i feel my soil is running a hair high i'll use the next 2 or 3 waterings down at 6.0

 

[PoopsMcDoogle]

I wonder if fox farms gets every batch mixed properly. It sounds like it to me because some people have problems with burning seedlings yet I have used for a few years now and haven't had the first problem. Well I have had the problem of plants getting too big in it lol but that's a good thing. I make sure mine never dries out too much during seedling stage. I think that might be where some people have problems with it. Letting it get too dry. I currently have 9 seedlings in straight ffof and they all look great. Edit... I meant to say maybe they don't get it mixed properly.

How do you start yours out? Smaller cups then transplant to final home? I have been having better results letting it get pretty dry between waterings. That's the older plants I mean. My trouble with Ocean Forest comes at week 3 usually. Can't figure out why.

 

[JasL]

I use rapid rooters then to final pot. I add one tbsp lime per gallon and water with ph6.5. I do also add a little perlite.

 

[fullauto]

I've been using Fox farms soil since i begin growing and ph varies from bag to bag,pallet to pallet. I started with happyfrog and had low ph problems-low 5's right out of the bag.I switched up to ffof and the first bag i used was mid 5's and needed lime before i used it.I've been thru a few bags since and its varied from 5.5-6.2. I just picked up 6 bags 180lbs from the same pallet at the garden shop and tested each bag before i store it-i must have hit the jackpot this time as all 6 bags came in at 6.3-6.4 ph. I use the jiffy pucks also to sprout my beans,after sprout they go into party cups filled with 50/50 mix jiffy seedstarter mix/ffof until sex. From there i put them straight into ffof soil for the duration.I tier transplanted one batch and it works well,however,i went back to taking the plant and rootball out of the partycup and putting it into the final pot.I do add some extra perlite to the ffof as it compacts like a mother towards the end of the grow and the extra perlit seems to help keep it loose. I also aereate the top 1/2" of soil with a fork to loosen it up a little every 2nd watering. As far as nutes go i tend to push the envelope a little-i start ff nutes at 1/8 strength at day 14 of life for the plants and have never had burn issues.

 

[JM]

Yup... all great stuff... I start in plain prom mix in 24 - 32 oz cups... then transplant at or before 3 weeks preferably to avoid rootbounding.... i run dif nutes dep on what im doing... working some new tests with bubbled peruvian seabird guano and some other stuff... usually run the fox farm line but they are getting pricey so im workin up some new organic alternative for myself...

heres fd's sched:

Originally Posted by Full Duplex
fd... WHEN YOU SAY HIGH FERT SCHEDULE... WHAT ARE WE TALKIN HERE? WHAT STRNGTH AND HOW OFTEN? (REALLY STILL TRYIN TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS CRAZY-REDUCED FERT SCHED FOR AUTOS... STILL ADJUSTING!)
what i mean is that not all autos are the same lol
I have been growing the same genetic line for over a year now
and they all seem like they really like my fert schedule.

This is what i doi break it down as follows

First off let me talk about what i use as ferts. I have a 4 part system that i use and most of this is in the brain so please bare with me as i share this one.

I use grow big (hydro formula) Tiger Bloom and then two tea variations. One is high in N for veg and the other is high in Phosphorus when its time to flower.
I apply these through out the grow. I use the to get it started.
then i move to the teas and then back to the and then back to the teas

So i break it down like this:
GB is 3Tbsp/1Gal for heavy feedings. So in my mind this is more than enough for our fave friends. So it states that 2tbsp/1gal is for normal feedings so i use this as my base number. After that i break it down into 1/4

at 7 days i start like this
Day 7 1/4 dose to a gal
Day 14 1/2 dose to a gal + 8oz of N rated tea
Day 21 1tsp GB and then 1/4 of TB (bringing in the TB)
Day 28 1/2 TB + 8oz of Phosphorus rated tea
Day 35 1.5 tsp TB to a gal
Day 41 2tsp of TB and 8oz of Phosphorus rated tea
Then Flush till finish unless it needs something at the end.

I think that this is everything that i do like i said i am not sure as this is all in my head. If the plants demand more that i give more this is just something to go by. I usually do not swap in clean water feedings at all over the fert program. I just use the jug then its gone. Now if i start to see over feeding or lockouts ill flush.
But if i keep my water on point i never usually see a lock out or toxicity.

Hope this helps