soil Soils and Ferts

parker49

parker49

Hello all,
So last year i grew peppers for the first time and i got a raised bed.  I filled the bed with a soil from Lowe's, i think it was called Sta-green and it had a slow release fertilizer. I didn't know any better and maybe i should have gotten a better soil but nothing to be done about that now.  Obviously the fertilizer will have burned off by now.  I am planning on getting some manure, gypsum, and a few bags of fox farm and adding it to the raised bed and mixing it in with the tiller.  I am also going to have some pepper plants in containers using the same mix, but it will likely be all fox farm.  I have fish emulsion and epsom salt that i plan on fertilizing with along with whatever small amount of fertilizer will be in the fox farm. My question is especially for the raised bed, but is this enough fertilizer? I have been reading on the forum for a while and i know there are lots of different opinions on fertilizers and soil etc... but i don't want to add anymore than i have to and i already have the fish emulsion and salt. Any thoughts are appreciated.
 
my only thought.   i think time release fert are the best.  having them down in the soil for the season is a great way to start everything off.  then if you need to hit the plants with this and that here and there its minimal and easy.  but what do i know?   best of luck with your grow and all the knowledge however you want to grow is right here and lots of dudes that are willin to share every tip they know.
 
when i had a bed, i would dig up the hole, put about tbsp of granule all purpose fertilizer put a handful of dirt on top of it, then put the plant in. That seemed to work good along with epsom salt spray.
 
This year i'll be doing only liquid ferts(dynagrow foliage pro) once a week and keep with the epsom salt foliar spray.
 
sicman said:
my only thought.   i think time release fert are the best.  having them down in the soil for the season is a great way to start everything off.  then if you need to hit the plants with this and that here and there its minimal and easy.  but what do i know?   best of luck with your grow and all the knowledge however you want to grow is right here and lots of dudes that are willin to share every tip they know.
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I hope you're grow goes well also.  When you say the time released do you just mean what is in the soil that is bought or are you talking about buying something in particular?
 
OKGrowin said:
when i had a bed, i would dig up the hole, put about tbsp of granule all purpose fertilizer put a handful of dirt on top of it, then put the plant in. That seemed to work good along with epsom salt spray.
 
This year i'll be doing only liquid ferts(dynagrow foliage pro) once a week and keep with the epsom salt foliar spray.
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Something like miracle grow?  Will the fish emulsion with Epsom salt just not be enough in your opinion?
 
Which fox farm soil are you planning to use? If you are using ocean forest or their outdoor planting mix, adding manure to it would probably burn plants. Most of my transplants took very well to the ocean forest, but my peach ghost scorpions showed stress from it initially. It is loaded with nutrients. For the plants that are in 100% fox farm they won't need any other nutes for a couple months easy. For mixing in the garden it's harder to say because it depends how much you use in relation to the amount of old soil from last year... but I would still be hesitant to add manure.
 
Mallory said:
Which fox farm soil are you planning to use? If you are using ocean forest or their outdoor planting mix, adding manure to it would probably burn plants. Most of my transplants took very well to the ocean forest, but my peach ghost scorpions showed stress from it initially. It is loaded with nutrients. For the plants that are in 100% fox farm they won't need any other nutes for a couple months easy. For mixing in the garden it's harder to say because it depends how much you use in relation to the amount of old soil from last year... but I would still be hesitant to add manure.
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I don't actually know. After reading on here it appeared that a lot of people used fox farm so I went to their website and found the local coop sold it. I haven't been there to see what kind they have. Any recommendations? The amount of new soil in the raised bed will be very low.
 
parker49 said:
I don't actually know. After reading on here it appeared that a lot of people used fox farm so I went to their website and found the local coop sold it. I haven't been there to see what kind they have. Any recommendations? The amount of new soil in the raised bed will be very low.
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For mixing in the soil they make this -- http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/index.php/item/foxfarm-original-planting-mix.html
It is very hot though so you can't grow your container plants in it.
 
For containers this is good - http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/index.php/item/ocean-forest-potting-soil.html
 
parker49 said:
I hope you're grow goes well also.  When you say the time released do you just mean what is in the soil that is bought or are you talking about buying something in particular?
 
 
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  not whats in the soil a added time release fert solution. 
 
Mallory said:
 
For mixing in the soil they make this -- http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/index.php/item/foxfarm-original-planting-mix.html
It is very hot though so you can't grow your container plants in it.
 
For containers this is good - http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/index.php/item/ocean-forest-potting-soil.html
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Thanks that's really good information to have. Do you know how expensive fox farm usually runs?
 
sicman said:
  not whats in the soil a added time release fert solution. 
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Ok thanks.
 
I believe the planting mix was between 16-18 per bag for 1 cubic foot. I know The Ocean Forest is 16$ per 1.5 cubic foot bag where I live. It is a bit pricey depending on how much you plan to use. The planting mix is much more concentrated will probably be better for mixing in the garden.
 
I'm sure the planting mix is an excellent product, but if you are doing a large area, amending your soil with a mix of veggie compost and composted manure, and maybe some bone meal, is just as good and won't cost much at all to buy these things from Lowes or HD.
 
Mallory said:
I believe the planting mix was between 16-18 per bag for 1 cubic foot. I know The Ocean Forest is 16$ per 1.5 cubic foot bag where I live. It is a bit pricey depending on how much you plan to use. The planting mix is much more concentrated will probably be better for mixing in the garden.
 
I'm sure the planting mix is an excellent product, but if you are doing a large area, amending your soil with a mix of veggie compost and composted manure, and maybe some bone meal, is just as good and won't cost much at all to buy these things from Lowes or HD.
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I am definitely going to have to go and see how much it is and then decide whether to go that route or add some stuff to my existing soil. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
I agree with Mallory, once you have your soil established you can always just add homemade soil amendments to it instead of dropping a lot of money on fancy store bought ferts.  My established bed got a nice dose of bone meal, epsom salt, poultry compost, kitchen compost, and sand all lightly raked into it.  It also gets fish poo dumped on it all year :)
 
If you've already bought the Fox Farm though, might as well use it, right?  Tons of people on here seem to be pretty pleased with that product.
 
I'd skip the FF soil for the raised bed and just use it straight, or cut with something cheaper, for my containers.
 
Check with your local waste treatment to see if they make and sell compost. It's cheap, and will be good to till into what I'd guess is your local clay or clay/sand soil.
A bale or two of peat moss probably wouldn't hurt.
The idea is to get a soil structure that will hold air -fluffy. Plants can't eat if the soil is heavy and prone to water log when wet.
The fish ferts make be OK as the plants are vegging, but switch to a kelp or a higher phosphate/potassium feed when they start to bloom. 
 
JJJessee said:
I'd skip the FF soil for the raised bed and just use it straight, or cut with something cheaper, for my containers.
 
Check with your local waste treatment to see if they make and sell compost. It's cheap, and will be good to till into what I'd guess is your local clay or clay/sand soil.
A bale or two of peat moss probably wouldn't hurt.
The idea is to get a soil structure that will hold air -fluffy. Plants can't eat if the soil is heavy and prone to water log when wet.
The fish ferts make be OK as the plants are vegging, but switch to a kelp or a higher phosphate/potassium feed when they start to bloom. 
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You must be spying on me!  This is what I do. Every year my landfill gives away compost that is tested by the DEC and it's good stuff. I use fish, kelp and homemade compost tea, not all at once, weekly rotation.
 
ikeepfish said:
I agree with Mallory, once you have your soil established you can always just add homemade soil amendments to it instead of dropping a lot of money on fancy store bought ferts.  My established bed got a nice dose of bone meal, epsom salt, poultry compost, kitchen compost, and sand all lightly raked into it.  It also gets fish poo dumped on it all year :)
 
If you've already bought the Fox Farm though, might as well use it, right?  Tons of people on here seem to be pretty pleased with that product.
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I haven't bought any soil as of yet.  I like the idea of just adding amendments to my existing soil better anyway (like i said in my OP it is a store bought soil from last year).  My original plan was just to add some store bought manure and then fertilize the plants on occasion as needed. I will see if i can find some compost as from the landfill as Trickster and Jessee mentioned, but if not how much bonemeal and epsom is needed?  My raised bed is approximately 4' x 20', that may be hard to estimate though.
 
JJJessee said:
I'd skip the FF soil for the raised bed and just use it straight, or cut with something cheaper, for my containers.
 
Check with your local waste treatment to see if they make and sell compost. It's cheap, and will be good to till into what I'd guess is your local clay or clay/sand soil.
A bale or two of peat moss probably wouldn't hurt.
The idea is to get a soil structure that will hold air -fluffy. Plants can't eat if the soil is heavy and prone to water log when wet.
The fish ferts make be OK as the plants are vegging, but switch to a kelp or a higher phosphate/potassium feed when they start to bloom. 
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip.  Any specific soil you suggest for the containers?
 
Trickster said:
1/3 Compost, 1/3 Peatmoss, 1/3 Perlite is what I use in my pots, I'll even throw in some worm castings when I have them.
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Appreciate it.
JJJessee said:
I'd skip the FF soil for the raised bed and just use it straight, or cut with something cheaper, for my containers.
 
Check with your local waste treatment to see if they make and sell compost. It's cheap, and will be good to till into what I'd guess is your local clay or clay/sand soil.
A bale or two of peat moss probably wouldn't hurt.
The idea is to get a soil structure that will hold air -fluffy. Plants can't eat if the soil is heavy and prone to water log when wet.
The fish ferts make be OK as the plants are vegging, but switch to a kelp or a higher phosphate/potassium feed when they start to bloom. 
Click to expand...
Contacted the landfill, unfortunately they sell it to a company somewhere but I can at least buy some compost at Lowe's and isn't too expensive. Thanks again.
 
parker49 said:
.....  Any specific soil you suggest for the containers?
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My full grow container experience is limited. Others have had some fairly significant harvest from container grows. You might check out glogs by 

stc3248 in 2013 and 2012 and 2013 for pepperguru.
 
You wouldn't go wrong with the Fox Farms Ocean Forest, it's just gets pricey for several large containers.
 
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