SOG 3gal Organic Soil Mix

[DeeCee112]

Hey 420 organics I've been growing just over a year now using Promix HP and various synthetic nutrients. I'd like to give Organics a run and do a comparison grow now using 12 clones I took off of non organicly fed plants that are in my flower tent.

I don’t have time or the right temperature to make my own super soil, and want to grow them in 3 gal fabric pots which I know is a little small for Living soil but using a SOG approach I plan on growing smaller plants so I will just be vegging them for a shorter period.

I have access to Fox Farm, Kryptonite from NextGen or Greengro soils as a base and any amendments are easily found, no ready made "living" or "super soils" though.
I wanted to go with natures living soil concentrate to create a quick and easy super soil but I can’t find Nature’s Living soil in my area so looking for some suggestions.

Id like to put something together that will feed the plants from start to finish with only some compost teas or top dressing for bloom power.

 

[Nunyabiz]

3 gal pots are even a bit small for doing pure bottle feeding in coco.
I would decide which is more important to you, using tiny pots or actually using a LOS.
You could do what is technically "organic" and use lots of inputs like compost teas, foliar feeding and sprouted seed teas etc and inoculate with mycorrhazae and get away with maybe 7 gal fabric pots with a couple gallons of super soil in the bottom.

If you want to try tiny pots you might be better off just doing coco with 30% aeration and basically just do a hydroponic IV drip of weak compost tea and forget the "living soil" part.

 

[DeeCee112]

I am pretty set on the smaller pots, I don't have the space for 12 7gal or even 5gal pots and I'd like to try the SOG approach to grow smaller plants with a focus on only a few solid colas pet plant to reduce popcorn and trimming. Why do you need to have bigger pots even if you are just growing smaller plants? I don't want 5' monsters here I'm just looking to squeeze a quick 2nd run out of the big girls I have blooming now and quickly be able to sample the same genetics grown organically vs non organic.

So maybe drop the LOS goal and just go with a solid organic soil and compost teas or an organic dry supplement like Gaia Green 4-4-4?

 

[Nunyabiz]

Ahh, so you're just wanting basically a sample pack or in beer terms a "flight"
Just to get a taste of various buds to see what you want you grow?

Yeah, I think it would be easier in tiny pots just to do a hydrosoil type thing in coco with pumice and set up a drip system just like an IV of whatever nutrients you're going with about a 1/4 strength.

 

[DeeCee112]

Yes all these clones are from 4 strains that are in my tent right now on week 3 of bloom so I'm looking to sneak them in right after for a quick grow to dip my toes into organic growing and also be able to have a side by side comparison of synthetic vs organic with the exact same genetics and grow conditions.

I found a soil called Kryptonite by NextGen I can get locally it claims water only needed. I’m thinking of grabbing it and vegging in 1.5gal pots, uppotting with fresh soil for flower then using Gaia’s either 4-4-4 or bloom dry organic if/as needed

 

[Nunyabiz]

Yes all these clones are from 4 strains that are in my tent right now on week 3 of bloom so I'm looking to sneak them in right after for a quick grow to dip my toes into organic growing and also be able to have a side by side comparison of synthetic vs organic with the exact same genetics and grow conditions.

I found a soil called Kryptonite by NextGen I can get locally it claims water only needed. I’m thinking of grabbing it and vegging in 1.5gal pots, uppotting with fresh soil for flower then using Gaia’s either 4-4-4 or bloom dry organic if/as needed

I am not familiar with that soil but if it is a true LOS and water only then your best bet is to plant germinated seed into a solo cup then in 10 days plant into a minimum of 15+ gallon fabric pots, add worms, add Rove Beetles and Hyopasis Miles predator mites, start a thin cover crop, thick mulch of barley straw, inoculate with mycorrhazae and water with the cleanest non chlorinated water you can get and you're good to go.

 

[DeeCee112]

But like third or fourth from best bet prolly be good in 3gals with some organic ferts and no straw and bugs right

 

[Nunyabiz]

Won't be water only by any stretch and will be 10x harder to grow.
But doable I guess.

 

[bobrown14]

3 gal pots you wont be dipping into organic soil.... you will be struggling to keep them watered then they will run out of nutrients in the 4th week then you will be back to bottled nutrients and watering 2x or more a day.

I run in 3 gal pots in VEG and then up-pot. They struggle in VEG after 4 weeks.

Clones you can just flip them after they have roots but its still going to be a major struggle.

Suggest looking at something like Mega Crop - its organic and not bottled fertilizer you can get them to the finish line with that and still call your grow "organic".

 

[DeeCee112]

Again, don't mind adding an organic nutrient.

Megacrop is actually "vegan" whatever that actually means... I have a tub of it, is it still an "organic" grow if I use organic soil then start Megacrop feeding when needed?

 

[bobrown14]

Yup you got it and you will be needing it in a 3gal container. Good choice I've used it in the past outdoors. It will work great for ya.

 

[InTheShed]

MegaCrop isn't organic unless you consider all salt-based nutrients organic. My suggestion for organic top dressing would be @GeoFlora Nutrients which seems to work really well, at least through veg. Jury's still out on flower...

 

[DeeCee112]

Hmm this feels not organic at all now...I was eyeing up the Gaia Green line 4-4-4 and Bloom to top dress but maybe I'll ditch two clones of each strain, keep the 4 strongest plants and grab some 7gal pots if pot size is going to be this big of an issue.

The end goal is to have jars of non organic and jars of organic weed of the same genetic, same conditions grown plants for comparison. I'd like to not make too many concessions in the organic part or else it's kind of pointless exercise besides growing more weed, which is cool too.

 

[Nunyabiz]

If you actually want true organic bud then you need at least 15 gallon fabric pots "minimum"
Fill with a quality Clackamas Coots soil recipe add some worms, inoculate with mycorrhazae, start a cover crop, add rove beetles for PM.
Add a thick mulch layer of barley straw.
Keep the soil just moist at all times, none of this letting the pot dry out routine.
Water with Coconut water, Aloe vera, sprouted seed tea of Alfalfa.
Depending on the soil recipe it could be basically water only or light inputs such as the Buildabloom for flower which is a totally organic 2-10-5 amendment.
And Biophos microbes in flower.

The microbes need to do the feeding.

 

[SmokingWings]

Hey 420 organics I've been growing just over a year now using Promix HP and various synthetic nutrients. I'd like to give Organics a run and do a comparison grow now using 12 clones I took off of non organicly fed plants that are in my flower tent.

I don’t have time or the right temperature to make my own super soil, and want to grow them in 3 gal fabric pots which I know is a little small for Living soil but using a SOG approach I plan on growing smaller plants so I will just be vegging them for a shorter period.

I have access to Fox Farm, Kryptonite from NextGen or Greengro soils as a base and any amendments are easily found, no ready made "living" or "super soils" though.
I wanted to go with natures living soil concentrate to create a quick and easy super soil but I can’t find Nature’s Living soil in my area so looking for some suggestions.

Id like to put something together that will feed the plants from start to finish with only some compost teas or top dressing for bloom power.

I read this opening or first message and your other ones in this thread several times. Sounds like you have some experience in a hydroponic style growing since the ProMix HP is not real soil, just peat moss and a few other things thrown in so it drains fast, etc. Keep that in mind since there is a good chance that a switch to any soil is going to be a new way of growing in comparison. Soil growing supposedly takes a bit longer, produces a bit less at harvest, but is a better all round smoking experience.

Part of the confusion that I see in the msgs up to now could be caused by calling it a SOG (Sea of Green) when you really just want to grow some clones in a soil grow using 3 gallon pots. A lot of people have done that and there have to be a lot of the journals to reference if you wanted.

If we were sitting down across the picnic table I would recommend that you get the Kryptonite soil since it is the only real soil mix out of the the 3 mentioned. Fox Farms makes 13 different soil mixes the last time I counted and the GreenGro web site does not mention what is in the 3 soil mixes I found. With the GreenGro you will have to switch out soils between the vegetating and flowering stages. Plus, the Next Gen web site is the only of the 3 that comes close to saying their soil is fully organic, a living soil and water only.

Get some roots on your clones. Transplant to a container, maybe a 1/2 gallon or so, let the root mass develop and when ready transplant to the 3 gallon pots of Kryptonite. Once the root mass increases enough to take full advantage of the entire 3 gallons of soil it will be time to move them over to the flowering stage.

Track the progress of the plants. Make notes and take a few photos for your own info. Look for any nutrient deficiencies and take care of them, or not; whatever suits your mood.

As I said, if I was sitting across the picnic table this is what I would be saying but we can't do that since I figure you are in Canada, probably Nova Scotia.

Have fun with your new grow.

 

[InTheShed]

If you actually want true organic bud then you need at least 15 gallon fabric pots "minimum"

@Amy Gardner grows in true organic in a lot smaller pots than that. It's fine if you don't need huge plants.

Sounds like you have some experience in a hydroponic style growing since the ProMix HP is not real soil, just peat moss and a few other things thrown in so it drains fast, etc.

For the record, ProMix HP is not hydro - it's soilless, but it's not hydro. It's a solid buffered medium that doesn't require nutes to be pH balanced as hydro/coco do. It also doesn't need to be watered any more often than well-drained soil, and can be allowed to dry out in a way that coco can not.

 

[Amy Gardner]

looking for some suggestions.

would be @GeoFlora Nutrients

I agree that’s be the best option for what you’re trying to do. And to clarify - yes I do small pots with various organic or living soil mediums. But I always veg in a 1gal then transplant to 3gal - 7gal for flower. So not a 3gal start-to-finish. Working that small means you need really good inputs for extra nutrients if needed and to keep the microherd replenished.

At 3gal I’d highly recommend the @GeoFlora Nutrients - Not only is it organic it creates good living soil and I’m seeing folks with obviously wonderfully vibrant and vigorous plants in small pots so we know the product works ok at a small scale. Plus it is super simple and low maintenance. Plus they’re a sponsor!

But definitely still veg smaller and up-pot to the final 3gal for flower - if you can.

There’s no denying that a bigger pot has a bigger ‘world’ for a soil community to live in and self-sustain. So the bigger the pot the easier it is for the plant maintain the balance and to get everything that’s needed. That’s why growing in the ground is the apex! That doesn’t mean that small pots are impossible – just different.

 

[Nunyabiz]

I agree that’s be the best option for what you’re trying to do. And to clarify - yes I do small pots with various organic or living soil mediums. But I always veg in a 1gal then transplant to 3gal - 7gal for flower. So not a 3gal start-to-finish. Working that small means you need really good inputs for extra nutrients if needed and to keep the microherd replenished.

At 3gal I’d highly recommend the @GeoFlora Nutrients - Not only is it organic it creates good living soil and I’m seeing folks with obviously wonderfully vibrant and vigorous plants in small pots so we know the product works ok at a small scale. Plus it is super simple and low maintenance. Plus they’re a sponsor!

But definitely still veg smaller and up-pot to the final 3gal for flower - if you can.

There’s no denying that a bigger pot has a bigger ‘world’ for a soil community to live in and self-sustain. So the bigger the pot the easier it is for the plant maintain the balance and to get everything that’s needed. That’s why growing in the ground is the apex! That doesn’t mean that small pots are impossible – just different.

So basically you're only doing just flower in fresh soil in 7 gal.
And I assume that's more or less a super soil.
But you're using 11 gallons of soil throughout the grow.
I can see that working.
Basically the same as using an 11 gallon pot.

I am too lazy for all that.

 

[DeeCee112]

Thank you everyone for the input super helpful!

If you actually want true organic bud then you need at least 15 gallon fabric pots "minimum"
Fill with a quality Clackamas Coots soil recipe add some worms, inoculate with mycorrhazae, start a cover crop, add rove beetles for PM.
Add a thick mulch layer of barley straw.
Keep the soil just moist at all times, none of this letting the pot dry out routine.
Water with Coconut water, Aloe vera, sprouted seed tea of Alfalfa.
Depending on the soil recipe it could be basically water only or light inputs such as the Buildabloom for flower which is a totally organic 2-10-5 amendment.
And Biophos microbes in flower.

The microbes need to do the feeding.

100% I know I'm not jot gonna win an award for these plants or turn out the best bud ever, but baby steps, maybe for a soil mix for the summer - just looking to give it a whirl on this one though, IE if it were synthetic nute growing for the first time I'd be grabbing the 3 part base, keeping it simple, not ready for the 20 extra nice to have bottles yet.

I read this opening or first message and your other ones in this thread several times. Sounds like you have some experience in a hydroponic style growing since the ProMix HP is not real soil, just peat moss and a few other things thrown in so it drains fast, etc. Keep that in mind since there is a good chance that a switch to any soil is going to be a new way of growing in comparison. Soil growing supposedly takes a bit longer, produces a bit less at harvest, but is a better all round smoking experience.

Part of the confusion that I see in the msgs up to now could be caused by calling it a SOG (Sea of Green) when you really just want to grow some clones in a soil grow using 3 gallon pots. A lot of people have done that and there have to be a lot of the journals to reference if you wanted.

If we were sitting down across the picnic table I would recommend that you get the Kryptonite soil since it is the only real soil mix out of the the 3 mentioned. Fox Farms makes 13 different soil mixes the last time I counted and the GreenGro web site does not mention what is in the 3 soil mixes I found. With the GreenGro you will have to switch out soils between the vegetating and flowering stages. Plus, the Next Gen web site is the only of the 3 that comes close to saying their soil is fully organic, a living soil and water only.

Get some roots on your clones. Transplant to a container, maybe a 1/2 gallon or so, let the root mass develop and when ready transplant to the 3 gallon pots of Kryptonite. Once the root mass increases enough to take full advantage of the entire 3 gallons of soil it will be time to move them over to the flowering stage.

Track the progress of the plants. Make notes and take a few photos for your own info. Look for any nutrient deficiencies and take care of them, or not; whatever suits your mood.

As I said, if I was sitting across the picnic table this is what I would be saying but we can't do that since I figure you are in Canada, probably Nova Scotia.

Have fun with your new grow.

Dude awesome post thanks for looking into those soils! I'm going to go with the kryptonite and plan was always to veg slowly and establish roots in the solos, uppot to 1 or 1.5gal pots and train / veg then into the final 3gals to establish for maybe a weekish then flip to flower. I am actually looking for a SOG type approach I don't want huge plants I want 12 18-20" plants with a couple beautiful solid colas each and no larf.
I agree that’s be the best option for what you’re trying You to do. And to clarify - yes I do small pots with various organic or living soil mediums. But I always veg in a 1gal then transplant to 3gal - 7gal for flower. So not a 3gal start-to-finish. Working that small means you need really good inputs for extra nutrients if needed and to keep the microherd replenished.

At 3gal I’d highly recommend the @GeoFlora Nutrients - Not only is it organic it creates good living soil and I’m seeing folks with obviously wonderfully vibrant and vigorous plants in small pots so we know the product works ok at a small scale. Plus it is super simple and low maintenance. Plus they’re a sponsor!

But definitely still veg smaller and up-pot to the final 3gal for flower - if you can.

There’s no denying that a bigger pot has a bigger ‘world’ for a soil community to live in and self-sustain. So the bigger the pot the easier it is for the plant maintain the balance and to get everything that’s needed. That’s why growing in the ground is the apex! That doesn’t mean that small pots are impossible – just different.

Exactly! And like I said if needed, no problem I'll top dress with Gaia Green or look into this Geoflora, don't want to use liquid nutes though, that'd deprive me of the feeling of how organic and natural I've now become. And to chirp my bottle nute buddies.

 

[Crawlndog]

Not sure if you have enough info, but I have been growing for about 2 years and all I have used is kryptonite.
Start to Finish.
I had a grow with some 3 gallons and they work fine. The trick that worked for me was to pot up on switch... and that don't matter what size i used... as long as I went up... And all I did was just add water. I tested my tap water and it had a pH of 7(neutral)... the soil properly pH'ed the water for me.
I've been on another site keeping diaries if you want to check them out. I plan on starting new diaries on here very soon!
Happy Growing!