FoxFarm Soil and Bugs

[kanabot]

Hello all. I'm half way through my first grow using foxfarm ocean forest soil. For the most part, I like it. However, it seems to be a little "buggier" than other soils I've used. I'd like to try it again, and I don't want to bake it because it's pretty good with the beneficial bacterias and microbes. Not to mention proper amounts of N and easy pH control. I was wondering if it would be kosher to mix it with diatomaceous earth, neem powder, crumbled Bti, and a little extra perilite for aeration.
Would this be a good idea, bad idea, or a waste of time?

 

[Dyold]

Don't over water, you will get bugs, they are called fungus gnats and occur naturally in soil if the top 2"'s or so are to wet on a consistent basis. I always go around after I water and smooth the dirt out after I rough it up about 2" deep in the pot, get some air in the top dirt and helps it dry out a little faster while keeping the dirt below it moist. Keep em green

Hello all. I'm half way through my first grow using foxfarm ocean forest soil. For the most part, I like it. However, it seems to be a little "buggier" than other soils I've used. I'd like to try it again, and I don't want to bake it because it's pretty good with the beneficial bacterias and microbes. Not to mention proper amounts of N and easy pH control. I was wondering if it would be kosher to mix it with diatomaceous earth, neem powder, crumbled Bti, and a little extra perilite for aeration.
Would this be a good idea, bad idea, or a waste of time?

 

[bigjack]

I'm growing FFOF and I used 2 bags from different sources and had no bugs so far.

 

[kanabot]

Thanks man. Fungus gnats were the problem. When I planted the seeds in seedling soil I soaked the 1/2 pint containers well enough so as to not have to water until transplant. I usually water seedlings and clones by weight of the container. I'm sure that's when the eggs were laid. Not gonna do that anymore. Also, I have a window unit AC vented out of an interior wall with a bucket underneath it to catch water; perfect fungus gnat environment. So I threw a mosquito dunk into the bucket. After covering the top of the soil with crumbled Bti, watering with Bti, and throwing the mosquito dunk in to the bucket (which I now dump regularly) I'm pretty sure I've eradicated them. They're beautiful plants, but their growth was stunted. I hope I can make up for it with more veg time. I won't give up on foxfarm. I'll just be more careful next time and maybe sprout in rock wool. Thanks again.

 

[David Bowman]

to

I got 6 out of 6 from seed to seedling to vegging using Rapid Rooters while my soil methods were much less successful, 5 out of 8 for my first grow and 2 out of 6 for my second grow.

 

[kanabot]

Hmm. That gives me some things to take in to consideration next planting. I've only used seedling soil for germination in ten years of growing. So far I've had 100% success with seeds, and it's been real "hit or miss" with clones. Got some thinking to do...