I’ve read that some store bought soils are too hot for auto flowers. I’ve read all kinds of stuff about them but can’t find a good store bought soil I should go with. Recommendations please!! Thank you!
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Welcome to the forum.
Fox Farm Happy Frog is great for autos. It’s a good soil that isn’t too hot.
Stay away from anything that says “moisture control” or “feeds for x months.”
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Thank you so much!
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It’s a 2x2. You need at least a 2x4 for 2 plants.
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Welcome! I like Fox Farm too, but my go to is Mother Earth Groundswell. It’s not cheap but works really good. A large bag is around $30 but the best benefit is the quality of my harvest and not having to worry about the PH levels. Not an expert, just a pothead and it works for me! Good luck and stay stoned!
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Awesome! So you don’t even have to worry about adding nutes to that? Just curious cause I’m so worried about messing it up lol
No you still add nutes, for that I use RAW grow all in one 7-4-5…you can get that on Amazon for about $12, when they start flowering I use RAW Bloom 3-12-12 from Amazon also.
Okay, thanks a lot! When I bought some seeds I was thinking just throw them in the dirt and let em grow! Now after going down the rabbit hole for endless hours I’m a bit overwhelmed lol
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Lol, do let it overwhelm you! It’s supposed to be a therapeutic experience, with an occasional pain here and there. I’ve learned a lot on this forum and some by trial and error. The experience of smoking something you helped create is amazing!
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We’ve all been there.
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once you’re dialed in, you’ll wish those overwhelming grows back.
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Lotsa people think that.
Dont be. It only seems overwhelming because there are sooooo many ways to achieve harvest and none are “the best” way. The best advice to give is to find a single grower and follow their technique. Follow just that one from start to finish. Even better would be to ask someone here to mentor you. There are many, and I mean many, pros here. Once you have gone through a grow and learned the fundamentals, then start worrying about some of the tricks and things that can be done to increase harvest size or potency.
That is no lie. @Ericg11b you will likely discover, as many do here, that you have been getting ripped off by the black market and the legal market (if you have one in your state/country) Homegrown weed is/can be the far superior version. Havent been back to the dispo in over 2 years and I am loving it!
As for which soil…
@MidwestGuy is right, stay away from extended release and miracle grow is rule #1. Many who try with them fail, its just not the right kind of soil for cannabis. Fox Farm Ocean Forrest (FFOF) can be tricky for seed starting according to many, Ive not had issue but that doesnt mean it isnt a real problem for many. Fox Farm Happy Frog (FFHF) is a good alternative for seed starting. Many use it for the whole grow, many dont, there isnt a wrong answer. There is a large difference in the amount of nutrotion available. Nutritionally FFHF is like a half dose compared to FFOF as far as what it has in it fresh outta the bag. Others use inert (non ammended) soil like Promix. If you use an inert soil you will need to begin feeding the plant right away where as with an ammended soil you will ve able to take an autoflower into flowering before she beeds fed (usually). Avg is 4-6 weeks from seed before first feeding. As a new grower, I recommend FF over inert and that you use both HF and OF. Layer the pot, bottom 2/3 FFOF, top 1/3 FFHF. This way you get the best of both. HF for your seedling and OF for the veg cycle. Additionally the soil you choose MUST be well draining. This is one place where most soils fail, and FF is one of them. To fix the soil you will need to add additional perlite. I do so at a 3:1 ratio, soil to perlite (3 scoops soil, 1 scoop perlite). Try to find medium grade perlite as its alot better then the tiny granuals you will find at the garden center of walmart or lowes. Any chance there is a hydroponics store near you? If so, go there its worth it to get supplys from the hydro shop. They store the soils better and have everything you could want to grow with.
Gear- If you havent bought yet, dont. Run by everyone here what you think youd like to use and see what they think. Chances are someone here will have used the product and can tell you if its gonna work for you. Especially lights becareful about where you get your light. I have the Marsh hydro 2x2 with ts1000. While you could fit two autos in 3gal pots under that light it really is better with 1 in a 5 gal. Ill tag you in my very first journal so you can see it setup and then midway through I by a new light tent setup and you can see that as well. Might see a few questions, you may have, answered as well. Welcome to your new fave hobby.
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Thank you so much for the time and well detailed reply. That’s exactly what I needed. Lol basically someone to hold my hand through the first grow. I will for sure do what you said with the soil. I appreciate it. And yes I drive past a happy hydro everyday. Not sure if it’s affiliated with the big store or not but will definitely get my supplies from there.
So basically I’m plan on using this Mars hydro 2x2x50 tent kit setup with a ts600? Do you think that will be adequate for one autoflower? Or should I spend the extra money and get ts1000 . Also I plan to get a oh meter and ppm meter as well.
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@Docnraq please let me know how that looks and what I could be missing.
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@Ericg11b I use Coast Of Maine Stonington Blend. As for seedlings, i use Coast of Maine Seedling Mix. I transplant from seedling trays to 5 gal pots. I have grown both Autos and Photos with it. I have successfully grown an auto from seed to harvest in a 10 gal fabric pot using only COM. Alot of folks here use FoxFarm. Its a good soil too. As far as water, i would fill up a gallon bucket with tap and let it sit out for 24 hours to help evap the chlorine.
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I would go with the TS1000. In flower, the 600 only has a footprint of 1.5’x1.5’
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Right on! Thanks just got it!
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Skip the distilled and go with either dechlorinated tap water or RO. If you go with distilled or RO your gonna want some calmag which you will need to add to each watering. Whatever you decide to use, I can offer assistance if you wish.
Tds meter looks ok, you can even go cheaper if you wish. Its the only piece of equipment that it doesnt matter if its cheap.
PH meter is 2nd most important piece of equipment you will buy. I have an Apera PH60, ai wont lie it wasnt cheap. It was worth every penny. Recently seen some complaints about bluelabs ph meters so I will recommend Apera over bluelab. If budget is an issue look at an Apera ph20 on Amazon. Whatever you do, dont get the cheapest meter you can find. It isnt worth the 12 dollars.
Ts1000 over ts600. The 600 will get you through veg but come up short AF come flower time. If going mars hydro, have the dough and space. Consider an fc3000 and a 3x3 or an sp3000 and a 2x4 tent. It really depends on your space and needs. I grow for me and my wife and we smoke all day so I need more then a few ounces every 3 months (avg auto growtime) 2x2 just wouldnt have cut it for me. I went 3x3 & fc3000 ontop of my 2x2 & ts1000. Still wish I had more space.
Fan, carbon filter and temp/humidity monitor.
While the kit is convenient, I am not a fan of the fans that afe not controlled by a temp and humidity probe. Mars has fans like this, lil more spendy but AC infinity makes a really good one. What comes with the kit is enough to grow with just to be clear, I just know that the controled version is better.
Nutrients.
I have a few lines I have used now. Fox Farms liquid trio isnt bad, but after using others I recommend Either Kosher Nutrients or Jacks 321. Hands down the easiest and most cost efficient nute lines available currently. Kosher is my fave. If you look in my running journal I just made a post about this with pics of the plants being grown with them.
Anything else?
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Pretty detailed Doc!!
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