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 resincoatedlungs
Brickweed Aficionado
Registered: 09/05/12
Posts: 503
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 Anyone have experience comparing FF "Ocean Forest" vs "Strawberry Fields"? 
#865319 - 03/07/24 11:03 AM (4 months, 17 days ago) |
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Indoor, soil, typically-ScrOG, been a few yrs since growing and have since restarted and gotten everything set back up and ready to go.
Have exclusive experience with Ocean Forest, but am seeing this Strawberry Fields from Fox Farms which iw supposed to be geared more towards flowering.
With what little bit of reading I've done, it looks to be fairly well-reviewed overall, if a little hot, but I haven't seen any serious side-by-sides comparing the use of Ocean Forest all the way through, vs Strawberry Fields all the way through, vs starting in Ocean Forest and transplanting/upsizing to Strawberry Fields post-veg.
Would it be worthwhile to try something like "Start & veg in Ocean Forest in solo cup --> 3gal bag/pot, filling screen as normal, then peel/cut away bag and transplant into ~5gal container with ~2gal Strawberry Fields"?
Or would most veterans recommend just avoiding the marketing stuff and sticking to the reliable, tried&true strategy of using only Ocean Forest until exhausting the soil's nutrient supply, and then continuing on past that point and into flowering, supplementing with liquid + micro nutes?
I like the idea of experimenting and all, especially if there's substantial room for improvement beyond what typical MO yields, but seeing as it's been a while, I'm still leaning towards "if it ain't broke, don't fx it" for the time being. Still, I'm curious if anyone's tried & applied this Strawberry Fields product and how they did so, what they noticed.
I could see it being useful for SoG or even autos, if it performed as-advertised 
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 yoosername
Strange
Registered: 06/09/17
Posts: 714
Loc: Somewhere under the Sun
Last seen: 3 days, 19 hours
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Re: Anyone have experience comparing FF "Ocean Forest" vs "Strawberry Fields"? [Re: resincoatedlungs]
#865320 - 03/07/24 01:10 PM (4 months, 17 days ago) |
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Most veteran soil growers mix their own soil, or at least reuse the stuff they buy by amending it with an organic amendment blend between rounds or as needed throughout the cycle.
That style of water only top dressed organics is what I'd pursue if you want to stick with soil.
I have no experience with strawberry fields, but a lot of people have better results with other soils, fox farm is just the easiest to find. It wouldn't hurt to try running a few different brands side by side (if you have clones) to find which one works best for you, otherwise there's nothing wrong with sticking with what you know.
Running a small garden bed outdoors is a good way to practice organics as well, if you can grow healthy peppers and tomatoes, cannabis is not much different.
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ungreatfuldead
Registered: 08/21/08
Posts: 82
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Re: Anyone have experience comparing FF "Ocean Forest" vs "Strawberry Fields"? [Re: resincoatedlungs]
#866780 - 06/14/24 02:50 AM (1 month, 12 days ago) |
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Unfortunately I've only ever used Ocean Forest, but I'm just starting up again since about 15 years ago- during which OF was the only widely adopted choice. Some say it runs too hot for seedlings but I;ve never had an issue.
As for flowering- do you use the liquid nutes? I would say it doesnt matter which soil you're using if you are using the liquids ""grow big", tiger bloom, and big bloom.
I'm almost considering running an organic soil with no addiitives (coir/peatmoss?), and handling the nutes simmply with the liquid fert options.
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resincoatedlungs
Brickweed Aficionado
Registered: 09/05/12
Posts: 503
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Re: Anyone have experience comparing FF "Ocean Forest" vs "Strawberry Fields"? [Re: resincoatedlungs]
#868060 - 07/03/24 10:04 AM (23 days, 18 hours ago) |
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To the "Ocean Forest = too hot for seedlings" thing, I've seen plenty of people write about it being their opinion and it CAN run just a wee bit hot for babies but the solution I've always used is to mix the soil (intended for seedlings & fresh clones) roughly 25:75 perlite or crushed pumice:ocean forest, maybe 40:60 if you're worried or it's a temperamental strain; which doesn't hurt to do anyways for ocean forest even when intended for more mature plants (not as dilute as 40:60) along the lines of 20:80, 10:90 or so for increased drainage & aeration and to ease off some of the pH "heat" for less hardy strains.
What I like to do is dilute ~30:70 for solo-cup'd seedlings' soil so they can get started and adapt, and about 15:85 for the later transfer to 5gal containers.
Yah have always used the liquid nutes during flowering, which if you aren't going straight to flowering in fresh soil then they're necessary (for best results). Folks say (and it appears to be) that Ocean Forest can sustain all nutrient needs for about 30 days or so, after which supplementation w nutrients becomes more necessary. Ocean Forest IS an organic/OMRI last I remember, but running something like pretty-neutral/nute-deficient coco coir:perlite and using liquid nutes from the start is a viable alternative. IIRC "Big Bloom" is the only truly organic of their basic liquid trio, but everything they do is "as close to organic as you can get" afaik and then they use inorganic (still inconsequential and harmless) salts for nutrient supp.
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Man Eater 12
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