soil What soil.

maxdantonio3

maxdantonio3

This year I'm going to grow sort hit peppers and really want the best and alot of peppers.
What type/brand of soil or compost should be used. Does it change with pot size.
I will most likely go. Red solo cup to 3 gallon to 7 gallon
 
There is a pinned thread
Here:  http://thehotpepper.com/topic/10245-all-about-soil-a-great-resource-i-thought-i-would-share/
 
that gives a lot of info about soil, personally I use a homemade soil which is mostly forest soil and kitchen compost, with some poultry dropping compost blended into it.  There are as many opinions about soil as there are about how to germinate, each person will tell you something different, just be sure to look out for using "hot" compost (stuff that is still rotting) because it can kill plants.
 
Fox Farms Ocean Forest is great. Lots of people here use it. It's very forgiving on the watering  end of things. It already has ferts in it so you wouldn't need any additional until they've worn out the 7 gallon pot soil. It is a little pricey, but it's easy to make good plants out of it.
 
+1 for Fox Farms soils. I'm using Ocean Forest for both seed starting and transplanting and I am very happy with the results. Be sure to cut a big hole in the bottom of your solo cups, like quarter-sized at least, because it can hold too much moisture if you don't. The ghost peppers seems to be especially vigorous in this soil. 
 
Mallory said:
+1 for Fox Farms soils. I'm using Ocean Forest for both seed starting and transplanting and I am very happy with the results. Be sure to cut a big hole in the bottom of your solo cups, like quarter-sized at least, because it can hold too much moisture if you don't. The ghost peppers seems to be especially vigorous in this soil. 
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Okay it's miracle good or no
 
I use my compost which is several years old. It contain leaves, grass clippings, horse manure, and straw .
 
maxdantonio3 said:
Do you feed your plants or put a fertilizer
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Proud marine i know uses all organic and lots of compost, His soil has all the nutrients already in it so he doesn't have to fertilize much or at all(maybe gives more @ fruiting time to help pod production).

Using coconut coir or 5-1-1 mix you have very little nutrients but great soil texture / aeration / drainage. Because you take lots of the composted stuff out you rely heavily on fertilizers for nutrients. (kinda like hydroponics)

It's preference which you choose. I think we can all agree that making your own soil can be better and cheaper than buying pre made mix @ big box stores. It can be a lot of work for newbies and hobby growers that don't have much time. Miracle grow will work! Is it perfect? no..
 
OKGrowin said:
Proud marine i know uses all organic and lots of compost, His soil has all the nutrients already in it so he doesn't have to fertilize much or at all(maybe gives more @ fruiting time to help pod production).
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Nope. No further fertilization is necessary after the soil is nutrient cycled, aka "cooked" for at least 30 days prior to using. In fact the soil could be used a second season with little to no amendments. That's the beauty of the soil food web.
 
maxdantonio3 said:
Okay it's miracle good or no
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Miracle Gro may not be the best soil out there, but there is certainly nothing wrong with using it and many have grown healthy plants in it. 
 
I have only tried their orchid potting pix, which worked ok. Mixing your own soil is great, and can be cost effective if you choose a simple recipe or need a large quantity of it (growing in containers). 
 
For me, $16 for 1.5cft of fox farm isn't bad because I don't grow in containers, only for starters. One bag goes a really long way, and I probably don't have to worry about feeding at all until they are outside. 
 
I cringe when Miracle-Gro is mentioned. Yes it will work but you end up with a plant dependent on it like a drug addict to their drug. To each his own though. If you don't really care about growing naturally or don't want to spend any time learning about the incredible life going on in healthy soil then use Miracle-Gro and other chemically treated soils. Sorry for the rant but its a pet peeve of mine. :)
 
Proud Marine Dad said:
I cringe when Miracle-Gro is mentioned. Yes it will work but you end up with a plant dependent on it like a drug addict to their drug. To each his own though. If you don't really care about growing naturally or don't want to spend any time learning about the incredible life going on in healthy soil then use Miracle-Gro and other chemically treated soils. Sorry for the rant but its a pet peeve of mine. :)
 
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Haha to be honest I did not realize this about Miracle Grow. And no worries about the rant, you helped me make my mind, im not going to use miracle grow
 
I don't want to start a flame war about which soil is better blah blah.
 
Saying providing vital micro-nutrients for plant growth using man made fertilizer is like giving drug addicts drugs is kinda ridiculous. Yes they are dependent.. just like we are dependent on fats, proteins, carbohydrates.. Do we sometimes eat food that is man made/processed? yes. Are the substances included in them in nature? yes. Did we find an easy way to package it all and sell it? yes. Is that wrong? ...
 
The way he does it is certainly more natural, but is natural really better? They did evolve in nature... Can we provide exactly what they want maybe even more consistently than nature and do it easier than managing a good soil ecosystem? yes..
 
maxdantonio3 said:
Haha to be honest I did not realize this about Miracle Grow. And no worries about the rant, you helped me make my mind, im not going to use miracle grow
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Study the soil food web and you will understand what I am talking about as I don't think you understand what I am referring to.
Drugs to a drug addict was not a ridiculous comparison in the least bit as it is very much like what goes on in the soil when life is not good in it and chemicals are what is keeping the plant fed and it will require more chemicals to keep the cycle going so it's an endless battle when nature can do it for you.
I suggest you read Teaming With Microbes. ;)
And yes natural is better. Period!
Here's a real good video if interested. Dr. Ingham knows her stuff! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtl09VZiSU
 
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