So I went to pick up my 4th bag of Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil the other day. Seemed the same as the other 3 bags I've purchased...until I started using it.
The first thing I noticed was the smell. It is WAY more pungent than normal...almost like a strong bark smell. I thought 'probably not a big deal'...
Then I scooped some out and into my 7" square pots, and immediately noticed the color was different...much more gray in hue than the nice black color of the other 3 bags. I thought 'ok, this is odd'...
Then I transplanted my plants to the new soil and tried to water it. This was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. The water wouldn't absorb into the soil...it just pooled on top. And then after it finally did absorb, the soil felt soggy...not moistened like it normally does after watering, but SOGGY. Like walking through a puddle in a field that you can't really see, but once you step in it your up to your ankles in muck SOGGY.
This all happened on Friday, right before I left town for the weekend, and I just returned last night, so I haven't had a chance to call them yet. But this is my 4th bag of the stuff, and it is clearly NOT what Ocean Forest usually is/should be.
Maybe the bag I got was old? It was near the top on a pallet stacked about 4 feet high...
Honestly it seems like a problem with Fox Farms and the ingredients they used in this particular mixture of Ocean Forest. Usually the soil soaks the water right up (presumably from the peat or vermiculite or whatever they are supposed to be using) but not with this batch.
I just attempted to plant some cuttings in the soil and found the problem to be even more severe than I thought. I usually like to mist the top of the soil and the cutting together before fully watering it in, just to keep the soil from moving around too much during watering. Well now THE MIST WATER IS POOLING ON THE TOP OF THE SOIL. The damn soil can't even absorb 1 tablespoon of water applied via misting!
I love Ocean Forest...it has been a crucial part of my operation...but if someone doesn't replace this bag of SH*T I'm never using it again. Period.
They don't open until 830 PST so I'll update this thread once I've spoken with them. They are about to hear from one pissed off customer...