Ocean Forest vs Sun Shine Mix vs Pro Mix HP...Which Dries Out Quicker??

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bongrippinbob

Well-Known Member
I have been using FF Ocean Forest for the last 4years or so. I have had great results with it, but I think I can get better results. I have been looking at the Sun Shine Mixes and Pro Mix HP. From what I have heard, these soils will dry out much faster and don't have the nutes added like the OF. I like the idea of being able to add all my nutes to the soil instead of having to burn through what is in the soil before I start feeding heavy.

I was wondering how much more often I would have to water with the Sun Shine mixes or Pro Mix vs the OF? I water every 4-7 days right now with the OF, how often do think it I will have to water with the Sun Shine mixes? I don't want to have to water much more than ever 3 days or so, but I do want a mix with less nutes.

Thanks for the help,
Bob
 
The Potologist

The Potologist

Active Member
I used FFOF and I water/Feed every four days. It usually gives it enough times to get the top 2-3 inches of soil dry. Hope this helps. FIRE IN DA HOLE@!
 
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Don Pepper

Member
Hey Bob, I found myself doing a bit of research on these different growing mediums and came across your thread. I've been using Pro-Mix HP for the last several years and I love it. It contains mycorise pro which is a symbiotic fungus that when cared for properly will bond with the root systems of your plants, essentially becoming an extension of the root system drawing in water and nutrient from the growing medium and transmitting them to the plant, while the plant provides carbohydrates to the fungus in exchange. There are products that provide simple carbohydrates in order to aid this process, but I've read of people using molassus (sp?) diluted in their water to provide these sugars. The result is a robust and healthy root system which in turn provides robust and healthy flowers. Pro-Mix HP does not have any nutrient value straight out of the bag like other growing mediums (ffof for example), so I amend it with earthworm castings, rainbow mix grow/bloom, Fox Farm Marine Cuisine, Sunleaves brand Indonesain (sp?) bat guano, and The Guano Company's Budswel.
As for watering, I water using The Guano Company's liquid version of the Budswel, Diamond Nectar, Floramicro, and Sweet (I only add Sweet in light amounts during the late part of vegetative stage and early in flowering to aid with the mycorise fungus growth). I'm growing in 2.5 gallon plastic pots and during the height of flowering they require 3 liters of water every other day. This may seem too frequent, but I let my plants get very dry between waterings to help the roots and their symbiotic fungus breathe before dousing them in water again. I average around 140 grams of finished product per plant with my record being 300 grams from a single plant. I suppose it should also be mentioned this is under 1600watts of HPS.
 
pointswest

pointswest

Active Member
Sunshine #4 work well right out of the bale and only has a starter charge to aid in transplanting. After a week or two of watering this charge is exhausted and regular fertilizing with a well balanced fertilizer including micro nutrients can be started. One 3.8 cu.ft. bale will expand to 6 cu. ft. and only cost about the same as two cu.ft. of the FFOF soil. If you are on the East coast the Pro-Mix is a comparable product.

I currently have 6 plants in 5Gal pots using Sunshine #4 and go 2-4 days between watering. The temps here have been in the mid 90's this week. As the plant grows more foliage the water consumption will increase accordingly.
 
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