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seeds Ocean Forest or Pro-Mix BX for seedling transplants?

6

6StringFire

I've got bags of both and sprouts starting to pop up in Rapid Rooters.

Given the choice, which soil would you choose for the transplants?

I think experimenting - some destined for Pro-mix and some destined for Ocean Forest - might involve more management than I'm interested in (assuming feeding and watering schedules would differ). I'm leaning towards just choosing one.
 
Ocean Forest is def better quality... but its far to expensive for larger numbers of plants... that is why most would recommend promix... as it is a cheaper alternative that also has quality.
 
I would go Pro mix only because ocean forest is a little hot for seedlings. Once they have 3-4 sets of leaves they could probably handle the OF. I love OF and plants thrive in it but I have nowhere close that sells it. I have always liked using light warrior for seedlings and transplanting to ocean forest once they get bigger.
 
rebelgrower3 said:
I would go Pro mix only because ocean forest is a little hot for seedlings. Once they have 3-4 sets of leaves they could probably handle the OF. I love OF and plants thrive in it but I have nowhere close that sells it. I have always liked using light warrior for seedlings and transplanting to ocean forest once they get bigger.
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I have heard similar comments about Ocean Forest being too "hot" for newborns. I wonder if mixing 1/2 Ocean Forest & 1/2 ProMix makes sense?

I have access to Light Warrior if you guys thinks that's a safer and effective transplant medium - I wouldn't be adverse to buying a bag. I've only got a couple sprouts. A more expensive solution is fine because I so few prospects. In a sense, I can't really "afford" to lose a couple plants because I cut corners.

I've read of guys using straight ProMix and liking it. I was under the impression you could but since it's not nutrient fortified, the grower was on the hook for fertilizing.

Appreciate the education...
 
You won't go wrong with either, or even both mixed because the PH range is close. If you eventually plan on filling big pots then i'll recommend using both from a cost standpoint. You'll eventually need a balanced fertilizer anyway. For sprouts/seedlings I cut my ocean forest with coco choir + perlite + azomite 70+ minerals, but pro-mix would be just as good if not better than coco. For a balanced fert, about a month ago i finally decided to try Texas Tomato Food. But a good, cheap and easy to get fertilizer would be Espoma Tomato-Tone.
 
The Ocean Forest is not too hot for seedlings. It is a perfect growing medium. IMO there isn't much better. There isn't mychorhizae in it but it's easily added. I'd go with the OF! IMO it is far superior to just about any other soil.
 
millworkman said:
Mix em!!!
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50/50... what do you think?
 
Are we liking the mix idea because there's mychorhizae in the ProMix? In other words, do you guys feel there's synergies between OF and ProMix?
 
Or is that strictly a cost saving suggestion?
 
Jamison, you'll get no argument from me about OF quality. I've got a couple full size plants producing fruit. One Trinidad Scorpion in OF has surpassed everything else in growth and health. No doubt OF is quality. This is my first crack at handling/growing seeds and immature sprouts and heard OF might be too aggressive for them. Interesting point that you'd just go straight to the OF. I probably would have if I hadn't heard the counter-argument. 
 
Just what i needed this morning. I'm working on planning out next years grow and have been trying to decide what to use. Been thinking about making my own mix buy still haven't decided what to buy. Good thing i have plenty o time!
 
+1 on mixing them. Mix some large chunk perlite in also.Ocean Forest most definitely can be too hot for seedlings. Why risk it????? I know people that start seeds in it. I also saw one of our more experienced growers here burn up some seedlings with it this season.
 
6StringFire said:
I've read of guys using straight ProMix and liking it. I was under the impression you could but since it's not nutrient fortified, the grower was on the hook for fertilizing.

Appreciate the education...
Click to expand...
 
I'm growing in straight promix this year. Since promix has no nutes you need to use a fertilizer complete in primary, secondary & micronutrients. I'm using Maxibloom by gen hydro which is a 1-part dry complete fertilizer.
 
So far so good:
 
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I just happened to start experimenting with the Ocean Forest and Happy Frog soils myself. In this case I got some dry pods from a neighbor that I had never seen before (the pods not the neighbor).  She uses them in her salsa and I had always wanted to know what peppers she uses. She does not speak good English so she brought me some. I figured she gave me plenty of seed so what the heck I’ll plant some now.
 
Rather than take the scientific approach, I took some non-sterile moistened Ocean Forest threw it in some pots, laid 5 seeds on top and covered it with a very thin layer of Jiffy Seed Starting mix and used a spray bottle to dampen. Placed on my heating pad and walked away. Between 4 and 5 days all seeds had germinated. Except for losing one helmet head all plants are growing.
 
Their just barely a week old so it’s too soon to tell how they will do, but so far so good.  You do have to use a soil probe to check for moisture due to the Jiffy mix on top will appear drier than the Ocean Forest below. It will be interesting to see if they all survive. 
 

 
 
Btw... im pretty sure Foxfarm's happy Frog potting mix is essentially a watered down version of ocean forrest designed for seedlings and transplants.

Also... look into "roots organic" soils.... as they are producing soil media as good or better than foxfarm.
 
Obviously the most supercalifragilisticexpeialidocious option is to mix some promix with some happy frog with some ocean forest with some roots organic... and then add some homemede compost and worm castings as well as some perlite, vermiculite, azomite, mycorhyzzae, coconut coir, gypsum, hydrated lime, dolomite, and expanded clay pellets disperesed evenly throughout.  This is precisely what I have done in the past (one time)(when i had some money)..... and it was AWESOME 
 
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