Going Full Auto

Preparation

For this grow, I’ll be using Fox Farm potting soils. While they’re primarily known for their liquid nutrient line, their potting soil is also quite popular, as seen by numerous reviews on Amazon and discussions on online forums and subreddits like Reddit.

I’ve previously used Fox Farms soil products, but that was some time ago, during my introduction to growing photoperiod plants. Since then, I’ve shifted to growing autoflowers and have been using a “blank slate” soil like Promix HP, which requires custom fertilizers you can add.

Although I haven’t used Fox Farm potting soils for autoflowers before, I’ve noticed that despite its overwhelming popularity, there are some negative experiences shared by other growers, with a few even referring to the soil as ‘trash’.

And because of that, I’ve decided to do a throwback and conduct my own little experiment with Fox Farm potting soil.

Growing cannabis involves various factors, and environmental conditions such as water pH, temperature, humidity, and microbial activity. While these conditions don’t need to be pitch-perfect but more importantly to maintain an ideal and stable environment for plant growth.

With several years of small scale indoor growing experience under my belt, this should be straightforward grow. Let’s see…

Soil and Nutrients

The soils I’ll be using are the three of their most common potting soils. Happy Frog, Ocean Forest, and Coco Loco. And an inert soil from Promix HP.

Happy Frog

The lightest nutrient potting soil of the three. Can be used as a base for growing medium or mixed with other potting soils. Great for seedlings stage and first few weeks into vegetation and will then need to amend with liquid or dry amendments soon after.

Ocean Forest

Often considered a ‘hot’ soil by growers, Ocean Forest potting soil has higher nutrient content right out of the bag compared to Happy Frog. While some don’t recommend it for the seedling stage due to the risk of nutrient burn, there are reports from others who have had no issues at all.

A popular option to dilute the nutrition strength is by mixing Ocean Forest and Happy Frog. For example, a 50/50 blend.

Coco Loco

Although both previous potting mixes, Ocean Forest and Happy Frog, primarily use peat moss as a growing medium, Coco Loco, true to its name, predominantly uses coco coir.

This fibrous material, derived from coconut husks, is known for its excellent water retention and aeration properties. Once in a while, you might hear that one cannot overwater with coco coir stems from the material’s high porosity.

Promix HP

A ‘blank slate’ peat moss soil is a popular choice for growers who prefer to add their own custom fertilizers. This approach allows for precise control over nutrition, using specific ingredients or fertilizers like Dr. Earth Home Grown 4-6-3 and Flower Girl 3-9-4.

The plan for the grow pots and mix ratio will be something like this.

Three Gallon Pots

Happy Frog
Coco Loco
Ocean Forest
Ocean Forest / Coco Loco (50/50)

Five Gallon Pots

Promix
Happy Frog / Coco Loco (50/50)

Don’t forget about those rocks! Or in this case, aeration.

What’s a bit of potting soil without mentioning some rocks? Some common types of soil aeration are perlite and pumice. I used 8 – 10 cups of perlite per 3-gallon pot and 12-15 cups for 5-gallon pots.

Perlite – Form of volcanic glass that resembles a styrofoam pellet. Improves aeration and drainage. Perlite is light, affordable, and easily purchased at online retailers such as Amazon. Make sure to look for larger-size perlite,
Pumice – Another volcanic rock. Very similar to perlite but much denser and more durable than perlite. More expensive and less common.

Containers

Using a 3-gallon pot container is an ideal starting point and my preference for indoor grows. It’s a size that’s not overly small, and I find it more than sufficient for personal use.

While a 5-gallon pot represents the largest size I would consider indoors, it comes down to individual preference. Larger pots can accommodate larger plants, roots, and yield. Particularly for photoperiods since they can be kept in the vegetative stage for as long as needed.

Fabric pots have become increasingly popular compared to traditional plastic grow pots. One of their major advantages lies in the breathable material they’re made from, which allows oxygen, to flow through all sides of the pot, promoting healthier root growth.

Another benefit of using fabric pots is air pruning. When roots reach the edges of the fabric pot, the root tips are discouraged from extending preventing root bound and encouraging the root growth within the pot.

The following types of grow pots I’ll be using are.

Rain Science Grow Bag

Picture a standard fabric grow container, but imagine it made with plastic mesh instead of fabric. This design offers the same breathability as traditional fabric pots, yet it’s significantly more durable and easier to clean.

Grassroots Living Soil Fabric Pot

The pot appears to be made of fabric from the outside, but interestingly, 2/3 of its interior is lined with waterproof material. The breathable portion of the fabric pot is located at the bottom, identifiable by the stitching.

Class Fabric Grow Pot

The most commonly used fabric grow pot is quite basic in design with side handles, with no fancy frills. They’re affordable to buy and often come in multi-bag packs. They are popular for a reason, they work.

Modifications

Modifications have been made to some of these grow bags to better suit the living soil growing style. For instance, I inserted a plastic liner inside the top 2/3 of the RainScience Grow Bag’s interior to replicate the Grassroots Living Soil Fabric Pot.

Folding Bucket

I replaced the second 5-gallon grow pot with a collapsible bucket. This 20L bucket, just over 5 gallons, is an ideal companion size. But it doesn’t have any drainage, so after some drilling for holes at the bottom, it was ready to use.

Seeds

The following autoflower seeds will be germinated.

Autoflower Seeds

Memphisto Mango Smile
Memphisto Hubbahaze
Memphisto Forum Stomper

Blimbun Purple Lemonade
ILGM Durban Poison
Fastbuds Zkittles

I prefer working with autoflowers due to my current indoor setup. My grow tents are in the living room, where I also carry out work-related tasks requiring light. Exposure to light can stress photoperiod plants and lead to sub-optimal growing conditions, an issue I avoid with autoflowers.

Autoflowers plants are generally smaller and easier to manage, and don’t require manual changes to their light cycle, a process known as ‘flipping’. Flipping means altering the light cycle from 18/6 hours for vegetation to 12/12 hours for the flowering stage.

Given the circumstances, I find it easier to work with autoflowers. In the debate between growing photoperiods and autoflowers, I don’t see one as inherently more challenging than the other. It eventually comes down to what you’re most comfortable with.

But, if given the opportunity and the ideal indoor setup, I would work with photoperiods to explore certain strains that aren’t available in autoflower varieties.

Supplement

When it comes to supplementation, nothing is truly one size fits all. With many supplements available, it can be difficult to decipher their actual impact on plant growth versus their cost. Therefore, it’s often best to stick with what has been proven effective.

Growers Recharge – It’s a blend of beneficial bacteria and fungi, humic acids, amino acids, and other organic matter supporting the soil microbial life ecosystem.

Calcium/Magnesium -Broad spectrum LED grows lights have higher efficiency and intensity than other grow lights, accelerating photosynthesis that demands more nutrients, including calcium and magnesium. It comes in liquid and dry form for slow release.

PH Up / PH Down – Mixing various supplements can cause pH imbalances, negatively impacting living soil. The optimal pH range for living soil is 6 to 7, and I strive to keep it around 6.5. Ignoring pH levels for too long can result in nutritional deficiencies in plants. To adjust pH levels, I’ve replaced traditional pH Up solutions with Silica, which increases the pH.