Fox farm substitute?

R

RhinoHumpenPanda

Well-Known Member
I'm going to have to fill some big holes this summer, and I can't really be spending several hundreds on fox farm soil, so is there something I can make myself to substitute? Or buy that's cheaper(like compost or something)? I could see buying that stuff for indoor grows, but outdoor, the price would be outrageous. In no way am I again spending the extra dollar to get a better product, but filling 100-200gallon holes with this stuff is crazy. I have access to buying yards of good basic soil locally, havnt checked up on compost tho. Thanks
 
Garden Boss

Garden Boss

Well-Known Member
Call a local Landscape Material Company and buy "premium potting mix" with loam. My local company charges $35 yard and an $80 delivery fee.
I would mix in 10-20% perlite.
That's all I do, but purchase WAY ahead of time for the shit in the soil to break down.
And to help further 200 gallons = 1 yard
 
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for, a $100 in soil will return $1,000's......works well in my business model.....
 

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rollingafatty

rollingafatty

Well-Known Member
I have always amended the soil with a non "time release fertilizer" type soil for outdoor grows. Filling a 10gallon hole with paid-for soil is a tad wasteful, in my opinion.
My lazy way...
Bring 10ftx10ft plastic tarp to your site. Dig a hole that you could easily drop in a 5gal pail, use your imagination, no pail needed . Pile the soil that you dug out off the hole onto the tarp. Also add half of a 40lbs bag of potting mix(from menards, fleet farm, etc). 2 big handfuls of perlite and 2 handfuls of vermiculite( both from menards). Pull the corners of the tarp diagonally over each other to mix and reduce spillage. Pull one side of the tarp into the hole. Pull the opposite side over the top, easily rolling the soil into the hole. Works especially nice for gaining extra soil to have a nice mound to plant into that will shed some rain in some areas or you can make a slight bowl with the extra soil to catch and hold the rain. Depends on your region and particular site conditions.

Hope this helps.
 
R

RhinoHumpenPanda

Well-Known Member
Garden Boss said:
Call a local Landscape Material Company and buy "premium potting mix" with loam. My local company charges $35 yard and an $80 delivery fee.
I would mix in 10-20% perlite.
That's all I do, but purchase WAY ahead of time for the shit in the soil to break down.
And to help further 200 gallons = 1 yard
Click to expand...
Awesome information, thanks a bunch
 
R

RhinoHumpenPanda

Well-Known Member
rollingafatty said:
I have always amended the soil with a non "time release fertilizer" type soil for outdoor grows. Filling a 10gallon hole with paid-for soil is a tad wasteful, in my opinion.
My lazy way...
Bring 10ftx10ft plastic tarp to your site. Dig a hole that you could easily drop in a 5gal pail, use your imagination, no pail needed . Pile the soil that you dug out off the hole onto the tarp. Also add half of a 40lbs bag of potting mix(from menards, fleet farm, etc). 2 big handfuls of perlite and 2 handfuls of vermiculite( both from menards). Pull the corners of the tarp diagonally over each other to mix and reduce spillage. Pull one side of the tarp into the hole. Pull the opposite side over the top, easily rolling the soil into the hole. Works especially nice for gaining extra soil to have a nice mound to plant into that will shed some rain in some areas or you can make a slight bowl with the extra soil to catch and hold the rain. Depends on your region and particular site conditions.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
my soil is all clay homie lol I def gotta replace it all, sadly. I'm for sure doing the tarp thing tho!
 
rollingafatty

rollingafatty

Well-Known Member
Ya man, that sucks you have that clay-ish soil. Nothing makes that soil better lol. It works great for me cause I am in the woods with a natural topsoil type soil over a sandy/topoil mix bout 4inches down.
 
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
Well you can have a few yards delivered for a couple $100 bucks. But I'd pony up for the Ocean Forest myself, cost you about $150 a hole.
 
Jimdamick

Jimdamick

Well-Known Member
Fox Farms is the most expensive and overrated dirt on this planet. Find a horse stable or farm near you, get some buckets and drag as much manure as you can carry to your location. Horse shit is not really that hot compared to other manures, and add that into the surrounding soil, wait 2 weeks and you will have some primo soil. You will pay nothing. This is assuming you have farms nearby, which will provide you with all you need, for free.
 
R

RhinoHumpenPanda

Well-Known Member
Garden Boss said:
Call a local Landscape Material Company and buy "premium potting mix" with loam. My local company charges $35 yard and an $80 delivery fee.
I would mix in 10-20% perlite.
That's all I do, but purchase WAY ahead of time for the shit in the soil to break down.
And to help further 200 gallons = 1 yard
Click to expand...
Ok so I called bout that, and the first thing he said is "why would you want loam" like in a sarcastic way. He said it was something like Nutgrass and seeds or something. So I guess they don't have the loam? What is loam? Why would I want it?
 
R

RhinoHumpenPanda

Well-Known Member
Nevermind I googled it lol he said he doesn't have any loam in his soil tho. But there's mixed soil with compost, sandy loam, compost manufactured topsoil, professional bedding soil, specialty planting mix, vegetable planting mix, container soil.... Etc. lol what what would be my best best?
 
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