FFOF ( Fox Farms Ocean Forest ) made Simple - Autoflower

I wouldn't flush it 1st. I have 4 autos in straight ffof with added perlite. It's all I really grow with. I might mix I some other raised bed soil or organic potting soil to thin it out nutritionally. But add what I need to to even the soils microavailability. Feed with top dressings and compost teas. Easy peasy.
 

Grower610

Member
This thread was created to help those who seem to overthink the ease of use of this highly ammended bag soil. I see many growers both new and experienced seem to post “ issues “ when trying to run this medium.

I am merely showing a simple no frills method of container / bag grows for autos. Since feeding requirements will be for average 90 ( + or - ) day average for autoflower growth , this will fit it perfectly.

No multi bottle nonsense ... No special water requirements ( use tap ) ... No boosters


FFOF is one of the most complete “ off the shelf “ bagged medium one can by ..... ready to use alone.
Other growers I talked with , mentioned regional differences among stock.

Ingredients: Composted forest humus, sphagnum peat moss, Pacific Northwest sea-going fish emulsion, crab meal, shrimp meal, earthworm castings, sandy loam, perlite, bat guano, granite dust, Norwegian kelp, and oyster shell (for pH adjustment).

Medium is prebuffered to 6.3 .

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I will list 2 versions of soil setup .......

1. Plain FFOF soil run only
2. Pelletized dry nute ammended ( self feed )


Begin with the final container size you wish to run ...... I run 1 gallon SOG bags and 3/5 gallon plastic black or air pots ( air prune ). Smart bags will work also. You will be planting directly to pot. You can also grow a seedling in a solo with a seed starter mix and plant as plug into this medium too. But for this , I will show you that FFOF is not quite as hot to seedlings as some report.

You will NOT be feeding the seedling at all with outside Nutes. It will feed on its own from the medium only and will acclimate “ faster and easier “ than dropping more Nutes on top of this charged medium.

Water :

TAP
( whether allowed to vape off 24 hours or not ) it will work. No RO , distilled , holy water , unicorn sweat or other “ special “ water sources. Your ONLY REQUIREMENT is to PH correctly.
PH range for entire autoflower run : 6.3 to 6.5 ( No more No less ) .

Soil is pretty aerated on its own but works much better with added perlite. I tend to shoot for 25% minimum more by volume of medium used.

I am using a simple 1 gallon grow bag for a SOG grow of 9 plants for a tent I am running. However adjust your volume of perlite to container size you choose.

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Your mix should resemble something like this ....

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This bag is half filled AND HERE IS WHERE YOU CAN RUN TWO DIFFERENT VARIATIONS.

1. Fill remainder with same mix .
2. Add a tablespoon of Dry Fertilizer ( Dr. Earth 5-5-5 or megacrop 1 tsp ).


When running FFOF solo .... I merely MIST this half fill with water to hydrate it , then cover fill to top.

For Dry Ammend : I am using Dr. Earth LIFE fertilizer ( 5-5-5 ) or Megacrop
This method is similar to Canucks grow method using dry fertilizer and coco grows he does with autoflowers.

Note : I found Dr. Earth LIFE at the 99¢ ( half off ) in 1 gallon bags ! .... needless to say I grabbed a few .
Dr. Earth Fruit and Veg and Flower Girl are both good options also.

For some LED grows : CalMag “ may “ be needed occasionally and will only need be added 1tsp per gallon of water before use.

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FFOF by itself will carry an auto for weeks on its own ........ on water only. The pelletized feed will self charge and supplement myco as plant moves thru bloom. The alternate method is merely top dressing FFOF in those grows running bag FFOF only.

I do not flush or leach medium upon final weeks ..... I merely continue watering requirements.
NO FRILLS .

You will find the plants prefer feeding on its own terms instead of dumping a brew all over it .

Just keep your PH in range and you will see how well this bagged soil does.

Hope this helps. PEACE.
Awesome write up thanks for all the good info I’m a new grower and just started my first plant in coco it’s been a major headache I just popped a new seed and I just picked up FFOF and the Dr.earth Life I’m supposed to fill my pot halfway then sprinkle a tablespoon of the dr.earth and fill the rest with FFOF correct? No mixing?
 
Recharge day !

Top Dressing FFOF with a myco charge ( great white )
ph 6.5 tap

DONE ..... back to Asian porn :bigjoint:

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Hey man, sorry I know this is an older thread. But I've been trying to use great white on my first grow also. Really confused on the dosages. Currently begging of week 2 and last time I mixed like a tiny pinch into about 1L of water. Tried to figure out something by the label on the side but didn't want to be mixing a huge batch. Is a pinch in 1L even close to enough? Thanks!
 

Lockedin

Well-Known Member
I've purchased FFOF and am trying to avoid buying a bag of HF or LW for the seedling plug.

Would it be ill advised to flush out some of the nutes with pH water, in a smaller amount of FFOF/perlite mix ( separate from my larger pot) so that the seed does not go directly into FFOF?

Will this even work with an organic soil, to make it less hot?

Trying to keep this as simple as possible
I've planted straight into FFOF on both of my grows - my problem wasn't soil, it was overwatering, but all have survived so far.

That said, my seedlings grew some twisted & slightly mutated leaves until about node 3, then everything looks fine.
Thinking of using a small plug of FFHF (or similar) to let them grow a bit before taking full strength FFOF next time.
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Super excited to follow this grow next week! It's my first time!

Just to recap, I plan to
  • Grow autos (Trans Siberian, Quarter Pounder, Blueberry)
  • Mix up some perlite and FFOF in my 3 gallon cloth pot. I'll set them on risers in a runoff tray.
  • I'm gonna make a triangle little dip in the top layer w/ Light Warrior & myco to plant the seed as shown in one of the images above.
  • Setting up my Kingbrite 240 at 24 inches above growth (too close?)
  • For the first 4-6 weeks, I'll do nothing but pour in PH accurate water til run off every 2-3days. Which as I understand it, means I water the whole pot until I see it come out the cloth into the tray. I'll water every 2-3 days. (Does anyone recommend an exact moisture level? That seems more accurate than using my finger)
  • Somewhere around week 4-6, I'll top dress with a mix of more FFOF and Dr Love Life.
  • Repeat until harvest
My setup

My main concerns
  • How can I be sure I don't dork up the watering? Moisture meter?
  • How can I be sure I don't place my QB too close to the seedlings or sprouts?
I wouldn't stress too much about the watering thing. Just don't keep it drenched.

Start the QB higher than you think at first and let the plants slowly adjust. So start it at least 36" or so depending on if you are dimming it or not. I'd also download a LUX app for your phone just so you can get an idea of what they can handle.
 

Arcadios

Member
repost using correct username, ugh :p

Super excited to follow this grow next week! It's my first time!

Just to recap, I plan to
  • Grow autos (Trans Siberian, Quarter Pounder, Blueberry)
  • Mix up some perlite and FFOF in my 3 gallon cloth pot. I'll set them on risers in a runoff tray.
  • I'm gonna make a triangle little dip in the top layer w/ Light Warrior & myco to plant the seed as shown in one of the images above.
  • Setting up my Kingbrite 240 at 24 inches above growth (too close?)
  • For the first 4-6 weeks, I'll do nothing but pour in PH accurate water til run off every 2-3days. Which as I understand it, means I water the whole pot until I see it come out the cloth into the tray. I'll water every 2-3 days. (Does anyone recommend an exact moisture level? That seems more accurate than using my finger)
  • Somewhere around week 4-6, I'll top dress with a mix of more FFOF and Dr Love Life.
  • Repeat until harvest
My setup

My main concerns
  • How can I be sure I don't dork up the watering? Moisture meter?
  • How can I be sure I don't place my QB too close to the seedlings or sprouts?
 

Arcadios

Member
Start the QB higher than you think at first and let the plants slowly adjust. So start it at least 36" or so depending on if you are dimming it or not. I'd also download a LUX app for your phone just so you can get an idea of what they can handle.
Thanks for the tips! I had thought about getting a luxmeter https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Meter-LX1330B-Digital-Illuminance-Light/dp/B005A0ETXY/ref=psdc_3109913011_t1_B00992B29I#customerReviews but people were mixed on how well they work with LEDs. I assume it's probably close enough for our purposes? :)
 

zyonkerz

New Member
Hey Budz. I hope you’re still out there doing well. Just another thank you post for the info here. I’m about to start a second grow and will use what I’ve learned here to improve on my first one.

Going with 5 gallon fabric pots.
FFOF and perlite bottom 40% (2 pots measure 2/5)
FFLW and perlite top 60%. (3 pots measure 3/5)
Dr Earth 5-5-5 and myco in between
Maybe some EWC but not sure
Five different Mephisto strains
Mars ts2000w light board
Sacrifice a chicken
Several incantations to Gaia
Too dress with FFOF and myco
Calmag and ph 6.4
Simple right?!?!?

Enjoy. :). I’ll try to keep everyone posted.
 

RetGG

Member
Day 3, after 18hr soak in tap water. Then into the papertowel method on a seedling mat.
The medium: base FFOS and a cup size compression filled using Espoma seed starter, both with 25% added Espoma organic perlite.
These are both Auto Ultimate Feminized autoflowers on a 20/4 light schedule.
Using the SpiderFarmer sf1000 grow kit. The SF1000 is @60% power w/ dimmer not switched on and hanging 29" above soil.
Steady temp of 80-83°F light on / 76-77°F light off
RH steady 65% and using the Apera pH60-z for pH monitoring
My question is, is this a normal trait when seedlings sprout. To come out at a 90° angle?
I'm doing my very best to not over-water and lightly scraping the soil to see if it is still moist enough every idk 8-10hrs.
The seedling in question resides in the closest 5gL fabric pot. Other auto ultimate behind it is doing fine, pic included^^
 

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Arcadios

Member
My grow following this method is coming along great! I'm at week 3 and they're all strill growing strong. I think I'm seeing a bit of a nitrogen deficiency in one, so I plan to add more FFOF and amend with Dr Earth life on next watering.

I've been doing up to a cup and half of water every two days but I think they are ready to move up to watering until runoff.
 

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Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Update :

Haven’t been keeping this as priority as I should .... apologies.
Now .... I am going to show my method for seed starting ( especially older seed stock ) . This manages to increase chances of
success with older seeds that you may have stored for awhile. My seeds range from 5 year old to current and are cold stored for storage .

This can be done to plant containers, bags and such but am concentrating on “ solo cup “ starts. I start with a “ presoak “ of seeds , whether in a paper towel ( dusted lightly with I3B - rooting powder , then misted with water ) or shot glass with ( bottled water ) and some I3B or drop or 2 of clonex. Those products tend to help throw taproots quickly on older seeds. For more fresh seeds , a common soaking will suffice.

I use standard 16 Oz. Solo cups with drain holes at bottom ......
I fill with FFOF ( at bottom 1/3 ) partially misted to hydrate then top fill with a “ mild potting mix “ - Happy Frog , Kellogg’s , or other
peat based mixed will do or Seed Starter Mix. EB Stone Recipe 420 - is what is shown . I ran out of perlite , but you can see how aerated that mix is and is a favorite of mine to use , even in larger containers. That mix is ammended well already like FFOF but lighter .

I add a pinch of either rooting powder , great white , or similar to area where seed will be dropped ... mist to hydrate then add seed , cover.

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Seeds from I3B “ presoak “ ..... there are various products that will help to during soak. URB , clonex , kelp , humic acid , etc.

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Depending on your grow conditions, humidity dome , baggie , simple cover will keep moisture in long enough to wait for germ.
It also helps diffuse overhead lighting for the emerging seedlings as not to stress them . After that you can adjust lighting distance , to help control stretch. I use risers , and will raise them up to height as needed once they are moving to first real set of leaf. Water bottle with spray nozzle will be dedicated to the cups for any misting / hydration. Tap can be used but bottled is filtered and is a simple method.

I will adapt more on this thread once they are going to final containers .... I only transplant ONCE . Solo cup will make a perfect plug and there is no need to “ step up “ sizes. This method can be done to seed straight to final pot also. I am growing these for a 12/12
SOG ( sea of green ) style grow this time around and will do a perpetual with that cycle.

I am finding I still get really good sized plants under this cycle , even though I normally run a veg cycle first. Except when I run autos , which is either 20/4 or 18/6. I have a new tent to throw up but am really into the SOG grow this time around. And being it’s just me and the wife consuming the goods I don’t need a “tree “ of one strain when I can rotate out multiples and even pollen chuck if I desire.

Thank you for your input on this thread.
 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Top Dress :

This a pic of FFOF being top dressed on established plants . I have really cut back on bottled Nutes of any kind , and have only a few “ dry powder “ fertilizer on hand for soil / Hempy use. I pulled away from Megacrop ( still a good fert ) but like Dr. Earth / Happy Frog Fruit and Flower / Flower girl / GH MAXIBLOOM ( my go to for hempy - hands down ) . On containers of ( 1 gallon / 2 / 3 ) I go with FFOF top dress - adding Kelp in watering , myco at various intervals . With 5 gallon grows I reach for the dry fertilizer, intermixed with medium for long feed runs and occasional scratch in feeding . Tap 6.5 / 6.7 and that’s pretty much it .

There are still many growers hitting the wall with FFOF surprisingly.... it really is good general purpose soil for most.
Again your mileage will vary ..... lol.

Plant shown is in first week flower and getting a recharge ..... I add a few scoops to create a nice layer then water it.
Stupid simple. No bottle measuring / ratios or other shit involved.

DA7454A3-E2DF-449B-86FB-FB70DEAE512C.jpeg
 

Hazeus42

Member
Top Dress :

This a pic of FFOF being top dressed on established plants . I have really cut back on bottled Nutes of any kind , and have only a few “ dry powder “ fertilizer on hand for soil / Hempy use. I pulled away from Megacrop ( still a good fert ) but like Dr. Earth / Happy Frog Fruit and Flower / Flower girl / GH MAXIBLOOM ( my go to for hempy - hands down ) . On containers of ( 1 gallon / 2 / 3 ) I go with FFOF top dress - adding Kelp in watering , myco at various intervals . With 5 gallon grows I reach for the dry fertilizer, intermixed with medium for long feed runs and occasional scratch in feeding . Tap 6.5 / 6.7 and that’s pretty much it .

There are still many growers hitting the wall with FFOF surprisingly.... it really is good general purpose soil for most.
Again your mileage will vary ..... lol.

Plant shown is in first week flower and getting a recharge ..... I add a few scoops to create a nice layer then water it.
Stupid simple. No bottle measuring / ratios or other shit involved.

View attachment 4775487
Top Dress :

This a pic of FFOF being top dressed on established plants . I have really cut back on bottled Nutes of any kind , and have only a few “ dry powder “ fertilizer on hand for soil / Hempy use. I pulled away from Megacrop ( still a good fert ) but like Dr. Earth / Happy Frog Fruit and Flower / Flower girl / GH MAXIBLOOM ( my go to for hempy - hands down ) . On containers of ( 1 gallon / 2 / 3 ) I go with FFOF top dress - adding Kelp in watering , myco at various intervals . With 5 gallon grows I reach for the dry fertilizer, intermixed with medium for long feed runs and occasional scratch in feeding . Tap 6.5 / 6.7 and that’s pretty much it .

There are still many growers hitting the wall with FFOF surprisingly.... it really is good general purpose soil for most.
Again your mileage will vary ..... lol.

Plant shown is in first week flower and getting a recharge ..... I add a few scoops to create a nice layer then water it.
Stupid simple. No bottle measuring / ratios or other shit involved.

View attachment 4775487
So on my next grow, I plan on trying your ffof, eb stone, perlite mix. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ll be adding in dry amendments into the mix AND top dressing or “recharge”” throughout the grow, correct?
Or is the mix of ffof and eb stone with perlite fine as is, then just top dressing after?
 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
So on my next grow, I plan on trying your ffof, eb stone, perlite mix. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ll be adding in dry amendments into the mix AND top dressing or “recharge”” throughout the grow, correct?
Or is the mix of ffof and eb stone with perlite fine as is, then just top dressing after?
First way is a “ layered “ mix - FFOF bottom 1/3 of container ( add a little more perlite ) , then a myco layer , then top fill ( eb stone recipe 420 , Happy frog or similer mild mix ) .... water and let them go.
This will feed plant initially for a number of weeks without much effort. No special water , just keep the ph 6.5 / 6.7. Upper portion of container will allow rooting to happen without overfeeding as it sources the more charged mix at bottom. Myco layer will benefit the medium by increase numbers of biome and converting elements for plant .

This can be a water only grow with occasional “top dress “ of FFOF to keep medium “ charged “ as plant begins to use and exhaust medium. Simple - no bottles , no mess. Plant is already acclimated to this mix throughout and top dressing more will not be anything different to plant - reducing possible feed mistakes. But , be aware of strains that may need a bump as many feed differently.

I also add kelp to watering ( especially) during flower stages and really don’t use “ boosters “ but i say experiment if you like.

This is why it fits perfectly for AUTO grows , it can run many weeks upfront without much input then as plant is beginning to use up nutes - charge it again or scoop of dry fertilizer ( spread over topsoil and watered in ).
 

Hazeus42

Member
First way is a “ layered “ mix - FFOF bottom 1/3 of container ( add a little more perlite ) , then a myco layer , then top fill ( eb stone recipe 420 , Happy frog or similer mild mix ) .... water and let them go.
This will feed plant initially for a number of weeks without much effort. No special water , just keep the ph 6.5 / 6.7. Upper portion of container will allow rooting to happen without overfeeding as it sources the more charged mix at bottom. Myco layer will benefit the medium by increase numbers of biome and converting elements for plant .

This can be a water only grow with occasional “top dress “ of FFOF to keep medium “ charged “ as plant begins to use and exhaust medium. Simple - no bottles , no mess. Plant is already acclimated to this mix throughout and top dressing more will not be anything different to plant - reducing possible feed mistakes. But , be aware of strains that may need a bump as many feed differently.

I also add kelp to watering ( especially) during flower stages and really don’t use “ boosters “ but i say experiment if you like.

This is why it fits perfectly for AUTO grows , it can run many weeks upfront without much input then as plant is beginning to use up nutes - charge it again or scoop of dry fertilizer ( spread over topsoil and watered in ).
This is it! Thank you!
What myco and kelp would you suggest?
 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
This is it! Thank you!
What myco and kelp would you suggest?
No particular brand ... I use great white , but MYKOS ( extreme gardening ) is good just look at label and see how much variety is included. Kelp , I used to use Dr. Earth Seaweed solution but apparently not available any more . Now I am running Kellogg’s Organic plus Fish and Kelp .... seems to be pretty good .... and it has molasses in it too !

Got at Home Depot.

image.jpg
 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Remember tho ... for those following along , try different variations. This what works for me ... for you maybe something tweaked differently or better. Feel free to input your grows , experiments , etc.

Right now I’m using more volcanic pumice ( small ) instead of perlite , heard that mycrobial like likes to fill the nooks and crannies of it .
It was because local nursery was out of large bag perlite and I didn’t want to drive all over town looking for some so I grabbed the pumice. Some pieces were smashed small prior to use but so far so good , great drainage.

Hydroguard is another option for keeping the micro life purring along ... which I use mostly for my Hempy bucket runs ( which I will start a thread on after the new year ) and does work with soil too.
 
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