The best soil mix & liquid fertilizers

[KDK]

Hello, it is almost time for outdoor grow again and I want to ask more experienced growers since I want to try to do the best.

I was reading some posts about ideal grow soil in general - I found out that pH of the soil should be between 6 - 7, which is where my first question come - I tried to find the best soil in this range, but most of them had a huge difference - for example 5-8 and so on therefore I was not really sure what to pick - I wonder if that is just perhaps a bad shop or if thats normal, how do you guys choose the right one?

I read that people mix their soil with perlite and with coco fibrics as well which seemed reasonable for me, although when I talked to a seller of in the soil shop she said that doing that is kinda counter-productive (I dont exactly remember the reasoning) so I would love to hear your opinion onto that.

Lastly, I did not plan to talk about that but do you guys use some kind of manure or something similar to that or you just buy pre-fertilized soil?
I was looking for information about liquid fertilizers and I found out that you use (obv.) different NPK ratios for different stages exactly as 9 4 5 for vegetative state and 3 8 7 for flowering (if thats incorrect I am all ears). I was searching for the perfect ratios and I was told that the "normal" liquid fertilizers are not ideal and I should visit a growshop for the best ones. I feel that at least in my country these "growshops" just sell the same stuff only overpriced and labeled as "weed growing". The question is if I buy lets say a liquid fertilizer made for roses but with the right NPK ratio, does it matter?

I got a lot of answers last year when I was struggling with cutting my plants so I hope I can get some feedback again and improve my knowledge and hopefully the final product

Thanks in advance!

 

[RichieRich6988]

When I grow outside I always start by digging the hole and at the bottom place some small PH nuetral river rocks about 3 inches up (This is for drainage and to make sure the roots get air when plant is bigger) then I mix some Fox Farms Ocean Forest with some Perlite at a ratio of 80% Fox Farms and 20% perlite. Now depending on where you grow (Geo location) you might need to add Vermiculite to the mix if your soil drains to much.
Next use at 1/4 strength Sensi Bud Grow part A and B. No need to PH the water the product is guaranteed to have the right PH every time. This has saved me a lot of money on PH pens or PH strips. as for veg stage I believe it is 7-4-10 and bloom 4-8-7 as far as being certain plant oriented like for roses, That can make a difference but for the most part it does not. the thing you need to pay attention to is where the NPK is derived from. look on any kind of Scotts Miracle crap and if you see the same directives then stay away from them. Scotts is well known for using poison chemicals to make their fertilizers and nuterients. And of corse they are in bed with Monsanto the worlds largest poison manufacture in the world.

 

[Blew Hiller]

In pots or the ground?

I tried to find the best soil

Off the shelf you can use Fox Farm OF or Happy Frog or Coast of Maine Stoinington...or many others.

people mix their soil with perlite and with coco fibrics as well which seemed reasonable for me, although when I talked to a seller of in the soil shop she said that doing that is kinda counter-productive

People add perlite for aeration to allow the roots to grow easier...also allows more consistent watering, though perlite doesn't hold water like vermiculite, which also provides aeration. Coco fiber does similar but holds much more water, but can also add salt to your soil if not properly rinsed. She might have meant it was counter-productive since none of the three provide nutrients for the plant and if you were looking at a smallish pot (under 7g) then you are limiting the growth and potential yield of the plant. I use 20g pots for outdoor soil grows which provides nutrients for the life of the plant.

some kind of manure

manure is a component of compost, which is what you want if you wanted to add to any soil you purchased.

"normal" liquid fertilizers are not ideal

I use an organic fish fertilizer which is simple and plants love it. Mix it into your water as needed.

Lastly, any and all of these things are easily procured online...I like supporting local businesses but when they begin to make you doubt and say "only this and only that" you need to look elsewhere.

 

[Felix the Dog]

H. I feel that at least in my country these "growshops" just sell the same stuff only overpriced and labeled as "weed growing". The question is if I buy lets say a liquid fertilizer made for roses but with the right NPK ratio, does it matter?

Overpriced? Yes. Does it matter? No. If you treated your plants as you would treat large beefsteak tomato plants, you would do as well. I usually use 20-20-20 for all but the last 2 weeks of feeding, and even that lst bit is debatable.. Starting off with good dirt and some compost is very important. Perlite, peatmoss, cocoa, sand....... just something to make sure that the soil is not too heavy. You should be able to find soil of Ph 6.5 to 7.2.. Peatmoss, compost and sand are each capable of lowering Ph a little.