Experience with FFOF + Big Bloom, Grow Big & Tiger

Hey all,

I'm starting my second grow but want to try a new soil & combo.

I purchased FoxFarm Ocean Forest and a 3pk nutrient ( Big Bloom, Grow Big, and Tiger Bloom).

Any feedback on how well FFOF and/or the above nutrients work for you guys?

I've read a few places that said since FFOF is high in nutrients that nutrient feeding wouldn't be needed until Flowering. Have any of you come across this?

Two of my seeds (White Widow and Girl Scott) have sprouted. I have planted them in FFOF + 30% Perlite. Is FFOF too strong for seedlings? I do not plan to give it nutrients until I hear from anyone on here.

Cheers!
Mike

I would add perlite helps with drainage and over watering. I would get Some cal mag and add 5ml every watering. Optional but would reccomend adding Silica and a good kelp seaweed extract like (liquid) karma from Botanicare. You won't need any nutrients for the first 4-6 weeks. It should have enough to get you through a 4 week veg and 2 weeks into flower.

Kronickeeper said:

I would add perlite helps with drainage and over watering. I would get Some cal mag and add 5ml every watering. Optional but would reccomend adding Silica and a good kelp seaweed extract like (liquid) karma from Botanicare. You won't need any nutrients for the first 4-6 weeks. It should have enough to get you through a 4 week veg and 2 weeks into flower.

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Yeah I added about 30% Perlite to help with the drainage. I'll definetly pick up some Silica and Liquid Karma. Do you add this to every watering cycle or once a week?

Cheers!
Mike

Ocean Forest was a great soil. I didn't have access to high quality liquid nutes for that grow, only cheap organic water soluble tomato food, a cheap liquid organic bloom fertilizer and Epsom salts. Ended up burning it a good bit, saw some nitrogen toxicity and calcium defeciency towards the end of flower. That combined with some heat stress, from my homemade wooden cabinet lined with that foil bubble wrap water heater insulation. 1.5'Wx2.5'Lx5'10"H space and a tasty T2-2100. Still got around 5 oz off it, Strain was Think Different Auto.

More recently I've been exposed to Happy Frog and FF trio. This mix was also great for the entire veg. The start after transplant from seedling mix was a little slow, I believe because I didn't add more perlite. But it was the most healthy plant I'd ever grown to date. Also because of my newer bigger tent where heat has never been an issue. I wish I hadn't had succumbed to the temptation to feed in veg because it started a few issues. Especially with PH of the runoff dropping into the fours after watering with 6.7 tap water. That was only after one quarter strength and one half strength feeding at week one of the feeding schedule. Consider adding some lime or powdered seashells, like ocean forest has, if you ever use this soil. Dutch Kush Photoperiod Feminized on this go around.

Both times were in five gallon buckets. Same light, fans, filter, etc. Be careful with the grow big and the tiger bloom, that's STRONG stuff. The big bloom is mostly earthworm castings and bat guano with some microbes suspended in water. It's pretty gentle and all of my plants respond well to the occasional shot of it in a watering.

Next go around, I might try a coco blend so I can use up all the grow big I have sitting around. Not really needed with their quality soils. All just my experience and opinions.

Agree on the perlite for the soil. The three-bottle FF mix has worked great for me in the past. Follow the schedule and you will probably be very happy. If you're just starting out, it's nice to have a steady fert mix that you can depend on while messing around with strains, heat, humidity, timing, cloning, etc. I also use Bush Doctor Kangaroots when transplanting.

Like all organic ferts, they may lose their potency before you use 'em up. Give them a sniff now and pay attention if the smell changes.