Tutorial Who's FFOF Container Soil Blend (The last soil recipe you'll need)

The PNW Soil Mix:
(it rains here alot)

Water Only, no bottles required!

Coco Depot Coco - 20% of total pot volume.
(recommend them due to the larger sized coir they use)

Fox Farm Ocean Forest - 80% of total pot volume.
(Anything similar is fine, FFOF is just the most common and i know it well)

Down to Earth Root Zone - 1/10th tsp per gallon of media
(recommend them due to it having alot of unique species)

Epson Salt - 1 tbsp per Gallon of media
(recommend top dressing - 1 tsp per Gallon of media every 2-3rd watering. If its mag hungry, likely is)

Microbe Life Hydroponics Dechlorinator
(This is a must for living soil, you have to use this so you dont wreck havoc on the microbes)


Additional Mid season top dress:

One Shot - 2 TBS per Gallon.
(note: not required for fast flowering autos)


Notes:: I like to let a fresh bag of soil cook (with rootzone added) for 1-2 weeks before using.
I also water to run off - and wait as long as possible before re-watering.


2nd season (reusing): Pull the main rootball out. Try not to disturb the soil/microbes. Hit it with more Rootzone or SLF100, One Shot, and Epson salts. Their soil is better the second time around, aka: more broken down.

3rd season: I tend to recycle it into my garden at this point, and start with a fresh bag.
Always have plants needing bigger pots, and more soil. Top dressing. Ect ect.


Total Cost:

FoxFarm Ocean Forest - $10 locally bought
Coco Depot Coco - $6 + Shipping
Down to Earth Root zone - $12 Shipped
Epson Salts - $11 Shipped
Dechlorinator - 9.99 + shipping

Extra:
NFTG One Shot 4lbs - $22 shipped


Not so bad, and will last for awhile. If you are a small time grower.

The coco acts like a giant sponge in the soil, and allows it to dry extremely evenly. This allows the roots to really be able to grow at the bottom of the pot with little restrictions.

This is super helpful in rainy areas, where you may see multiple days of rain. This will help limit the amount of time the roots are over saturated.

Because water gets moved around as it gets used it and spots dry up, It helps bring in more oxygen down to the roots faster. Making everything less saturated quicker basically.

So you spend less time in the over saturated zone after you water, and more time growing.

After years of growing, ive come to hate perlite.
Its lighter than water, and floats to the surface. So it never really works for all that long.

More so if you live in an area with alot of rain.

It's also impossible to get rid of once its on the ground.
Takes up SO much space. Blah. Coco is so much better.

IMG_20200529_134026_728.jpg


 
Last edited:
#1 pot
IMG_20200515_071846_696.jpg



#2 pot (two weeks under the sun)
101856594_548338759182183_8245611238579100647_n.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'm curious what you're using in the mix help regulate ph? Fox farms can be notoriously low, I've phed bags of happy frog at 4.4
 
I also noticed you're not using much organic humic matter in the mix. In my personal experience growing outdoors in the PNW for over ten years, you need a lot of organic matter in your outside soil mix to help carry the plants through the year.

Could you please post up examples of completed outdoor plants that were grown using this mix?
 
I also noticed you're not using much organic humic matter in the mix. In my personal experience growing outdoors in the PNW for over ten years, you need a lot of organic matter in your outside soil mix to help carry the plants through the year.

Could you please post up examples of completed outdoor plants that were grown using this mix?

Plants I have that I grew in this mix outdoors over the last year were sadly lost due to me moving. Had to leave them behind.
They had no water logging from being out in the rain. The only plants that survived in plastic pots were in that mix.

Sorry been playing with coco and soils for the last 2 years, just didnt document it that well.


I will gladly post updates of the garden this year as it progresses.
So people can see what the mix does.


Humic is cool and all but - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6589925/

Its shown to lower terp levels, but make them more even across the plant.

My goal is using the least amount of effort for the most rewards. Should I use some? Likely.
Do i want to spend the money and time? Meh. Not on a fresh bag.
 
Last edited:
I'm curious what you're using in the mix help regulate ph? Fox farms can be notoriously low, I've phed bags of happy frog at 4.4

Letting bacteria do its thing. Its always changing - Slurry tests every now and again just to make sure its fine. Liquid limestone if needed.
Have not run into any issues yet. Outside of most strains are always mag hungry. Cant ever give them enough. If you stay on top of that, should be good on a fresh bag of FFOF.

I also let a new bag of FFOF cook for at least a week with bacteria.
 
Last edited:
Here's the fast buds g14 growing in that.
IMG_20200502_195637.jpg
IMG_20200508_072540.jpg
IMG_20200523_155612.jpg
IMG_20200602_171704.jpg

IMG_20200610_185603.jpg
 
Last edited:
Mendo cookies
IMG_20200502_195441.jpg
IMG_20200504_201941.jpg
IMG_20200523_154652.jpg
IMG_20200526_095641.jpg

20200607_083055.jpg
 
Last edited:
Photo of Coco depots Coco coir. Its really amazing stuff.
100989247_836510340172874_1945917724352236284_n.jpg
 
I like everything about this except the FFOF. It is in the infirmary a lot because it is so inconsistent. Same with FFHF.

My water only needs aeration to lose the chlorine and if you have chloramines vitamin-c does the trick. I do not like the idea of using Sodium thiosulfate just to do what aeration will.

The Down to Earth Root Zone looks like an excellent product. I may pick some of that up for my next grow!
 

Test

Test
Back
Top