We Tested 5 Different Potting Soils - Here's What We Learned

[@Junkinsally]

Pro mix doesn’t have extended release fertilizer! You must add your own. I’m a retired professional grower of perennial flowers and I used Pro Mix exclusively. Need to wet it with warm water first, then add your fertilizer. Continue to fertilize throughout the growing season. If used properly it will out perform any growing medium.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for sharing - I wondered why it petered out so quick. I did really like the consistency and that it stayed moist longer than the others

[@citylotgardening6171]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@roseknott2832]

I'm glad you mentioned that the ProMix was dry....I thought I was buying old stock. I use ozmocote then for extended fertilizer.

[@Playingwith3D]

I like Pro Mix too, no uninvited bugs in your home.

[@Parker.planet]

Agreed on the ProMix 😊

[@voodoorecon8070]

We need more content like this. Number based, performance driven statistics!

[@SnarkyMcSnarkles]

Ill be honest he missed an important factor. Flavor.

[@gregleatherwood5218]

I agree, but, as the host said, "Of course this experiment is not statistically significant because we only had one plant for each category. You'd really need many, many more plants if you want to get some definitive results." The presentation is very enjoyable, but don't bet the farm on the results.

[@chipsramek3868]

@@SnarkyMcSnarkles Not a word about Viscosity. ...Clickbait for Fox Farm :)-

[@racebiketuner]

N needs to be at least 13 to be statistically significant. There are many other problems with this "test." Not picking on Pepper Geek. It's the rule rather than the exception on KZbin. Better sources of information are agricultural universities, their extensions and papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

[@zinnia3190]

I use a mix of Ocean Forest Happy Frog and Ocean Forest, along with some of my homemade compost. It was a great year for peppers.

[@Damyankee1989]

Ocean forest and happy frog is an epic combo. And mix some pro mix in it for better drainage and aeration

[@teniaosayande6355]

Glad i ran across this comment. Did this today on a whim. It's my 1st time at gardening & went for peppers, tomatoes and a few flowers. We'll see how it goes 🙂

[@jcramirez8]

I want to use this combo so what kind of Fertlizer should i use and when do i use it im new to this? thanks for any feedback

[@Damyankee1989]

@@jcramirez8 Foxfarm has there own nutrient line too. They also have organic fertilizer which is what I prefer but I grow outdoors. I can't remember the names of there synthetic fertilzer. I think big bloom is there fert for bud phase. They probably have all kinds of different stuff these days though. But if ya wanna keep it simple use Happy frog organic that comes in a bag. There is an all purpose for veg and fruit and flower for bud

[@heronthere]

I screened the bark out of 2 different bags just to see how much it had. It was eye opening. There is no value in cheaper brands if it is mostly bark.

[@willnedds8077]

Would have been nice to see a cheap generic brand in the test. I've had relatives pick up the cheapest they can find and the bags are just wood chips with a tiny bit of perlite and fertilizer mixed in. The plants grow terribly and root rot is almost guaranteed.

[@WynterDragon]

Which brands did you screen?

[@heronthere]

@@WynterDragon the non organic miracle grow in this video and the fox ocean in this video. Miracle grow had a lot of bark.

[@smas3256]

Planting seeds and young seedling transplants definitely need screening when there are large organics in it like bark, in my opinion but for larger pot the bark will rot nicely and breakdown like in a compost.

[@briangonzalez1541]

I do buy pretty cheap soil as well. I don't have any big box stores in my small town so Dollar General "organic" potting soil it is. I definitely need to screen it, add perlite and compost soil from my compost. It has way too much bark so when I screen it, that bark goes into my compost and that too eventually gets screened.

[@FairyRosee_]

When I opened the Happy Frog soil it smelled like how the island I grew up on smelled (okinawa). Just heavenly!

[@cristianmccullough66]

I love it there

[@eb1684]

@@cristianmccullough66 Please tell us why.

[@melrezlittleranch]

I love okinawa, spent three years there.

[@AlvinKazu]

One thing to note to the newbies (I myself am only 1 year into this), is that each variety of plant requires different conditions. That means one potting soil might do better than another due to their makeup.

[@Mark-gy9dc]

correct. Happy Frog works very well with Canabis. that much I can confirm. no need to feed for 3-4 weeks.

[@kim7343]

So this year I grew peppers in 4 Greenstalks..30 plants each. I had 2 filled with Espoma potting soil and 2 filled with Coast of Maine tomato and vegetable soil (red bag). Coast of Maine was the clear winner. Not only did the peppers themselves look healthier and were large for their kind, the plants themselves looked way better...more greener. Next year perhaps I will do Coast of Maine vs Happy Frog. Thanks for doing this comparison video. I like this type of video...very useful.

[@Decoder2040]

Premium Potting Mix: 3 parts Peat, 3 parts Compost, 1 part Perlite Outdoor Potting Mix: 1 part Topsoil, 1 part Compost, 1 part Perlite (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Heavier Potting Mix (Prevent Tipping): 1 part Topsoil, 1 part compost, 1 part sand Seed Starting Mix: 1 part Peat, 1 part Screened Compost (⅛") (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Optional: ½ part Perlite Raised Bed Mix: 2 parts Topsoil, 1 part sand, 1 part vermiculite 1 part Compost There are 25.71 dry quarts in 1 cubic foot If not using compost, transplant 2nd set leaves

[@lovelight9164]

I bought espoma for all of my plants this year and none of them performed as they should have, of course I bought supposed organic soil, compost and mulch from a new place this year and our summer was horribly wet at first then extremely dry and hot so I can't say what exactly happened but it's like all of my plants were stunted this year. Flowers as well as vegetables. So disappointed I doubt I will invest in any new seeds this year. I will need to clear out all of the soil from last season and start all over again.

[@ProudCanadian-vv6bk]

I have put my seeds in Coast of Maine seed starting mix. I was glad to read your comment. I hope to get good sturdy plants.

[@aquarianmajo]

⁠@@ProudCanadian-vv6bkhey! how’d you like coast of maine?

[@ProudCanadian-vv6bk]

@aquarianmajo good, but next time, I will sift it as it had some pieces that were too big for seed starting. The germination rate was about 85%.

[@LadyofRockmart]

I use promix when I start my seedlings which works better than seed starter mix for me. And yes I hope you do more of these types of videos. It helps all of us

[@kenbirkin7753]

same with me

[@vernlb1759]

@@kenbirkin7753 same here, I find that that I get a better root structure on my seedlings. I have grown my own seedlings over 30 years and last 2-3 years have used Pro-Mix HP Mycorrhizae and plant health and structure much better and experiencing less transplant shock. Never used Fox-Farm so can't compare.

[@Decoder2040]

Premium Potting Mix: 3 parts Peat, 3 parts Compost, 1 part Perlite Outdoor Potting Mix: 1 part Topsoil, 1 part Compost, 1 part Perlite (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Heavier Potting Mix (Prevent Tipping): 1 part Topsoil, 1 part compost, 1 part sand Seed Starting Mix: 1 part Peat, 1 part Screened Compost (⅛") (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Optional: ½ part Perlite Raised Bed Mix: 2 parts Topsoil, 1 part sand, 1 part vermiculite 1 part Compost There are 25.71 dry quarts in 1 cubic foot If not using compost, transplant 2nd set leaves

[@goodcitizen3027]

I find that ProMix is great for seeds and new starts. I find the Fox Farm soils to be heavy.

[@jjudijo]

Thank you so much for following this project through the entire season. The numbers speak for themselves.

[@dunbarautomotive]

Happy frog is our favorite

[@PepperGeek]

It's a great option!

[@dunbarautomotive]

@PepperGeek it's getting a little difficult to get it here for good price. Orshenlins carried it, but their company is gone now with tsc buy them. Tsc doesn't carry the frog.

[@EricCheetoh]

Miricale grow did better tho

[@zack9912000]

@@EricCheetoh full of industrial chemicals not organic material.

[@EricCheetoh]

@@zack9912000 all of them do ...u slow if u think not..they all packaged in a damn factory full of metal machinery...miricale grow owns alot of other companies too

[@donethos]

It doesn't surprise me in the yield from Fox Farms products, their organic nutrients being taken up slowly and naturally will not only make for healthier (enriched with vitamins/minerals) peppers, but these soils can be revitalized and reused via soil amendments for your next growing season.😊

[@alexgrover1456]

Arg! Vitamines have never been shown to be taken up from roots.

[@snowmiaow]

I never had good luck with that indoors, just outdoors.

[@middle-agedmacdonald2965]

Believe it or not, you can revitalize and reuse any growing medium. Even beach sand can be "revitalized via soil amendments" as you say. (meaning you add perlite/vermiculite/compost/peat/coco/nutrieints/etc. It's not really rocket science, it's just soil biology/composition. Heck, some people can even "revitalize" tap water with NO soil and get great results.

[@hkschubert9938]

By organic you must mean steer manure. Does it stink?

[@MeanOldLady]

That's the job of bacteria & fungus to break them down for the plants to take up.@@alexgrover1456

[@astrozach7778]

I’ve been using a roughly 50/50 mix of Happy Frog and Ocean Forest over the last 5-6 years for most of my potted plants. Both peppers and tomatoes seem to love that. I do add MicroLife 8-4-6 about once a month to keep the soil going strong. Hasn’t let me down yet.

[@PepperGeek]

Sounds like a solid idea - I'm sure the two only complement each other

[@HoRRiiBLe1313]

My experience. Ocean forest is a hot soil. I do a 50/50 blend happy frog(it’s very light on nutrients and mostly good myco) and ocean forest. This gets me a month after transplant. Seedlings always go in straight happy frog. I grow cannabis and they get burnt easily by the ocean forest alone. Learned the hard way. But I love these tests. Great info with real results.

[@choccolocco]

I love happy frog, but got a bag of strawberry fields because they were out of frog, and it seems to be very, very good. For peppers, of course, but it may be my new favorite.

[@TheOnlyKontrol]

My experience. Ocean forest works just fine from seedling stage and if your having a nutrient burn issue the batch is either real fresh or your watering practices need improvement.

[@stephbarbershop2518]

Strawberry fields is hot and not great for veg. @@choccolocco

[@benjamincarvin8031]

Happy frog for veg and ocean forest or strawberry fields for flower

[@tracyoneill4200]

I have 2 autos in ocean forest right now and you're right it is a very hit soil .. I made the mistake of giving nutrients too soon and my girls got way to much nitrogen...next grow I'm gonna do what you do

[@larrymixer144]

You should chose your 'soils' to match the job. Pro Mix is not intended to make up pot grown plants since it contains starter fertilizers that favor vegetative growth that usually will run out in a couple of months it isn't an organic. There are big differences between starter soils that are used to germinate seed and sometimes to maintain the seedlings in packs. Then there are potting soils for a light, well drained soil mix in pots, there are several container growing soils starting to show up on the market. It is great to see your results and the choices of the most easily found products available in most markets.

[@Rick-ne9os]

He has no clue about the soils he used apparently, Fox Farms is a hot soil that will kill some seedlings because it's so hot, so no surprise Fox Farms did the best with no feedings

[@ButItsVegan]

Just started my first garden & everything has been a little bit overwhelming when it comes to knowing the best items to purchase for a good healthy garden. Thank you so much for this video!! ❤

[@WeNeMoWe]

seriously everybody seems to have something different to say, and experts will just tell you it depends. Depends on what?!

[@johnowen7648]

This year i planted my first inground garden and my soil was absolutely horrible like dried concrete powder. I decided to juice it all up so i purchased a pallet of Miracle Gro Performance Organic, a pallet of Black Kow Manure and 6 bags of 2 cubic yard bags of peat moss. I spread it allover my 23ft by 33ft garden and deeply tilled it all in. Everything went absolutely bananas including 9 banana pepper plants that ended up being almost 5ft tall and producing around 5 bushels of very beautiful pods. I also used MGPO in my 30ft by 4ft raised pepper bed and it absolutely was mind blowing as well. I live in the southern piedmont of NC. Absolutely love your videos and i appreciate the knowledge i have learned from watching!

[@Damyankee1989]

One of best mixes I ever used was 40-50 percent HP pro mix...then 25-30 ocean forest and another 25-30 percent happy frog

[@cyndimanuel5473]

Wow! Here in MA I just paid $35 for the same 2 cuft bag of Happy Frog! I used Ocean Forest ($27 for 1.5 cuft - so both roughly $18/cuft) this year after doing a similar test on my seedlings with cheaper local organic brands (specifically Coast of Maine and Espoma) and finding far superior results with the Ocean Forest. When I went to get more, the clerk accidentally gave me the Happy Frog, and after seeing your results, I’ll give it a try! Crazy the difference in price. In my area, they only sell Fox Farm products at specialty nurseries. Great video - so interesting!

[@michelemenard8364]

I am also in MA and bagged soil is hard to find and pricey. Walmart has bagged soil but they do not offer premium bags at my location.

[@smas3256]

Outrageous. Some of us don't have green houses to start seeds for an early garden to extend our season. When the weather doesn't cooperate I visit our veggie stands to help them stay in business. BTW. I don't like bringing bugs and their eggs indoors from my compost pile which I could use to start seeds. It may be cheaper to buy dirt and make a compost tea.

[@justincentraltexas]

It's over 40 a bag for any fox farms potting soil here. Never seen it anywhere near 25 bucks.

[@Decoder2040]

Premium Potting Mix: 3 parts Peat, 3 parts Compost, 1 part Perlite Outdoor Potting Mix: 1 part Topsoil, 1 part Compost, 1 part Perlite (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Heavier Potting Mix (Prevent Tipping): 1 part Topsoil, 1 part compost, 1 part sand Seed Starting Mix: 1 part Peat, 1 part Screened Compost (⅛") (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Optional: ½ part Perlite Raised Bed Mix: 2 parts Topsoil, 1 part sand, 1 part vermiculite 1 part Compost There are 25.71 dry quarts in 1 cubic foot If not using compost, transplant 2nd set leaves

[@rdred8693]

Aubuchon Hardware sells Happy Frog and Ocean forest. They also sell Coast of Maine.

[@thomaswolf6507]

I run ocean forest after watching it outperform happy frog. I like them both, but it's important to note I spike my soils with Dynomyco inoculant and sometimes add worm castings, etc.

[@bobpeterson9207]

I love pro mix. I use Pro-Mix BM when starting seeds. BEST root system hands down.

[@melvinrice9078]

I make my own organic soil and😮 i always use promix as my base. Promix also is a great medium for rooting clones and starting seeds so its really my go to for everything. I usually get 100% germination on seeds and when rooting cuttings so it's great in my opinion. Ive also used it with great success running liquid or synthetic fertilizer.

[@alexgoico402]

Pro mix is fantastic if you’re not going to mix your own but you should mix your own if you’re doing a non-trivial amount of plants. Mel’s mix is fantastic - equal parts compost, coco coir/peat moss, and vermiculite. Better performance and cheaper. What you’re missing from pro mix is some of the amendments - one of the best ones is mycorrhizal fungi added to some of their bag lines.

[@DeTroiT187]

My suggestion for pro mix never use it inside. You’ll get fungus Nas from their soil outdoor use. It’s semi OK but you pay for what you get.

[@alonefungi2559]

Yes, this is the missing "control arm" in this experiment.

[@erikahuxley]

@@DeTroiT187Funny you mention that because miraclegro is king of fungas gnats. Promix only sell potting mix, they don't sell soil far as I know. You have to be aware of how the seller stores your potting mix, if the bags are left outdoor and gets rained on it will much more likely to have fungus gnats.

[@MotoChili]

Good review. I've been using Ocean Forest for the past 3 years and always have great yields/results. Might buy some Happy Frog bags next year to mix with the Ocean Forest I used this year.

[@jenniferjames346]

I love Happy Frog. I don’t even grow seedlings anymore, just add the soil to my beds and direct sow. Haven’t had an issue with growing anything, however I should mention I live in zone 9 so we don’t get a lot of freezing weather.

[@nedweeks6964]

Great test. I've tried lots of soils over the years. The mixes we use here is happy frog and the standard promix. Straight promix for cuttings. 1:1 happy frog:promix for seedlings and 2cu ft happy frog to 3.7cu ft compressed promix with 1 gallon Epsoma garden tone and 12 oz neem seed meal. I'm sure there is a better mix but it grows nearly anything and they hold all season with little care besides watering

[@Decoder2040]

Premium Potting Mix: 3 parts Peat, 3 parts Compost, 1 part Perlite Outdoor Potting Mix: 1 part Topsoil, 1 part Compost, 1 part Perlite (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Heavier Potting Mix (Prevent Tipping): 1 part Topsoil, 1 part compost, 1 part sand Seed Starting Mix: 1 part Peat, 1 part Screened Compost (⅛") (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Optional: ½ part Perlite Raised Bed Mix: 2 parts Topsoil, 1 part sand, 1 part vermiculite 1 part Compost There are 25.71 dry quarts in 1 cubic foot If not using compost, transplant 2nd set leaves

[@franceshoward7112]

yes lots more experiments like this one, they are illuminating

[@Omegawerewolfx]

I use the basic Miracle Grow. Sam's Club blows them out at the end of the season for $4.91 a bag. Just load up on as many as I want. For in season use, I use compost and coco coir with mulch on top. Water retention is pretty good and as long as you fertilize on schedule you should get a bazillion peppers and tomatoes. After the season, just mix in more compost and leave it. I do like the comparisons though. If I ever down sized and only focused on 20 or less pots I would consider the Happy Frog.

[@Ellienollie]

Pro mix stuff is usually more marketed as a substrate or component in a potting mix intended to be fertigated professionally. Its performance will shine in these conditions

[@StephenFrank9090]

I always recommend mixing Ocean Forest and Happy Frog in a one bag to one bag mix.

[@SBJ696]

I'm a professional cannabis grower and we use PRO-MIX HP MYCORRHIZAE because it has no nutrients, it's basically a medium for the plant to thrive in while YOU control the nutrient intake. I've used it with regular plants as well and I highly recommend it if you like controlling the nutrient intake manually than using a slow release fertilizer soil that can often give your plants too much nutrients than not enough causing nutrient deficiency or toxicity. For the average grower that doesn't want measure how much nutrients get over time, I would definitely recommend Happy Frog but I would monitor the ppm and EC (parts per million and Electrical conductivity) of the runoff water throughout the live of the plant.

[@user-wy9xs1xq3r]

6month miracle grow potting soil is hands down the best. I've tried everything over 20yrs

[@amyschmelzer6445]

I grow in-ground with plants that I start from seed in potting mix. The last couple years I have used Pro Mix because that’s what was available locally. I haven’t been impressed by the texture of it. Before that I used a brand that sounds French that I would recognize if I saw it. It was better than Pro Mix. After seeing your results, I feel validated in my meh feelings about Pro Mix even though so many people rave about it. I will seek out Happy Frog next time I need to buy more potting mix.

[@jamess1787]

Find a mix that works for you and your soil. If you have really sandy native soil: get a denser bagged soil. If you have very loamy/dense native soil: get a better draining soil. For where I live: I like to use a lot of coco, vermiculite and peat mix. It helps break up the clay-soil that I have. I like promix because it's OMRI listed, but trying to use more coco then peat (just expensive and doesn't mix as well when earth is wet)

[@erikahuxley]

Are you adding promix into the ground soil? Promix is a potting mix, not a soil, it is intended to be used in containers and for seeds starting. Furthermore they do not add much extra fertilizer, you have to add your own fertilizer to it, it was designed that way so the grower can control their own nutrient input.

[@amyschmelzer6445]

@@erikahuxley Like I said in the first sentence, I have used Promix to start seeds

[@fishstix4209]

Happy frog and promix have always been my goto.

[@pattithompsett9540]

I aee a lot of comments saying different soils for different plants, i think a lot of homegrowers have to keep it simple and are looking for a good multipurpose organic compost. This was extremely helpful

[@wranther]

Both an enjoyable and interesting video comparison Calvin! But then that is typical of the two of you. Perhaps a side competition with your FoxFarm winner with some others able to access the mix, same pepper variety, same container size, and see how location impacts the growth. -Bob...

[@asc3998]

I'm in Windsor Ontario Canada - right across the border from Detroit MI. I can't find happy frog anywhere.

[@biggredone5809]

I love Happy Frog. My bucket pepper plants have done so well using it and love it for my seedlings too. I have also used the Miracle Gro Performance Organics for my flower bed that surrounds our 55 gallon goldfish pond and it has produced very well also. Finally, Miracle Gro Potting Mix, it's just trash bark in a bag and will never ever use it again as my bucket tomatoes did so terrible compared to others. I went cheap as it was on sale and paid the price with very little output, lesson learned.

[@LileCremeans]

I'm a data geek and love experiment videos like this. Thanks for the data. World love to see more in the future.

[@maddielane3084]

Same!

[@MikeDawson1]

question: if you had fertilized them throughout the growing season like normal, would it have mattered which potting mix you went with?

[@garethbaus5471]

Adding a little bit of slow release fertilizer would probably help with just about any fertilizer.

[@TheNetsrac]

Great and interesting experiment, thank you very much. I don't think we have any of these brands here in Denmark, but it's interesting to get to know what difference the soil makes 👍🏻 I usually go with a standard good-quality potting mix and add in some perlite (20%) and bit of vermiculite (5-10%) I add some finely crushed eggshells and some dried grass clippings to the mix as well. I don't know if this Is the right or perfect way to grow peppers, but hey it works for me 😊 Thank you for all the good advice here and on Geeky Greenhouse 👍🏻 Best wishes and keep up the very good work

[@LuigWollknaeuel]

I would love to see a comparison between bought soil and a homemade compost/garden soil/perlite/vermiculite/slow-release fertilizer mix

[@PepperGeek]

Maybe we can try that next season - pit the winner of this test against our own mix... hmmm

[@GREENHALGH6969]

also fertilize them all as you normally would. Or do a fertilizer comparison test.@@PepperGeek

[@KaizenB]

Great Idea!@@PepperGeek

[@ThatOpalGuy]

i would love to do a bigger compost pile but i dont generate much kitchen waste and i am hesitant to use lawn or garden waste as I dont think I can get the pile big enough to make it sterile.

[@brucemalakwa]

Made the mistake of using Miracle Gro for a house plant, the soil is not sterilized, it was contaminated with fungi spores and developed mushrooms after a few weeks the soil began to smell musky and I had to repot the plant using a different brand of soil.

[@Steady4word]

I have a plant that smells musky and o couldn’t figure out for the life of me what was going on. Mushrooms galore.

[@erikahuxley]

Yep no surprise. One of their ingredient is "compost" which should mean anything from landfill materials. Not only that the bag is left outdoor so you get fungus gnats too. This is why pro growers avoid MiracleGro. ProMix is one of the higher quality brand with clean ingredients, you just have to add your own fertilizer. For indoor you want their HP or high porosity mix though, or buy perlite and add it to your existing mix.

[@rozsmith6850]

This summer I used the MG Performance Organic plant food. I yielded more peppers overall than I have ever grown before, just using a pelleted organic plant food.

[@montibrown1408]

What size grow bag was used ? What was your water schedule / amount per week per pot and or moisture decision process? You are providing a process of growing peppers with actions that provide results which provides a knowledge base to add to the learning curve of growing peppers . Thank you ! happy frog over ocean forest

[@jamiehairstuff783]

Fox farm is totally worth it. I have tried both and liked both. I get mine at my local farm store. They have it on sale regularly and at that cost it is only $3 difference from Miracle grow.

[@sherrilackey-rn8rg]

Love the comparison. Helps new gardeners for sure

[@Stinky1337]

Perhaps a mix of Fox Farms’ Ocean and Happy Frog will yield a large number of larger fruits? I also heard good stuff from Gaia Green.

[@nowaistedspace4946]

I've used Pro Mix for 50 years and grows as well as anything out there. 30 bucks a bale.

[@anneishaseaton3186]

Hi all. I love when you guys do videos like this. It tickles the scientist side of me. Lol. I'm seeing a lot of other recommendations here and would like to add another. Espoma Organics Land and Sea compost. I know its not a potting soil per se but I've seen its supporters get some great results using it in their gardens. It may need to be amended with some fertiliser to last an entire season though but its worth giving it a try.

[@olafemio]

I love a comparative analysis!

[@anthonyMLTC]

Nothing but good things to say about happy frog. Used it the last 2 years and a few problems here and there but I don't think it's the mix. I will say you don't need to fertilize as much with seedlings.

[@BreedonNoah]

Really important thing to consider in this: there's enough variation in the process of mixing these soils that from bag to bag of the same product on the shelf you have extreme variations of nutrients. A lot of people assume the bags are the same but they're very much not.

[@middle-agedmacdonald2965]

I'd bet most of these bagged mixes have a bunch of city folk's grass and yard clippings in them. It's no big deal, because it's organic, and it breaks down the same as anything else organic, but it does probably have chemical fertilizers and pesticides mixed in it. It's probably not worth thinking about.........but for the prices they are asking, and the fact most people are buying it to grow as "organic" as possible, it seems like a bad investment, UNLESS, you're growing cannabis and selling it to other people. That's Fox Farm's main buyer, pot growers. We all know how much drug dealers care about how safe their product is.....and we all know they're too lazy to figure out how to mix up a "clean" soil. But, results, are results.

[@orkids5551]

I just bought happy frog soil & can’t wait to plant my peppers. Watched a lot of videos even using it on citrus containers. It’s very pricey from nursery. Thanks for sharing

[@PepperGeek]

It's a great soil, but fairly pricey. I've seen good deals on it in the fall when nurseries aren't busy

[@I-Go-Viral]

Lambert is by FAR the best I have tried!

[@KaizenB]

I love your videos. You guys have really helped me learn a lot about growing peppers. You guys provide great content in general as well, thank you for your videos!

[@PepperGeek]

So nice of you, it’s our pleasure!

[@davidandrews-lq6vy]

Just subscribed and looking forward to learning about everything chilli 🌶️ shame that over here in GB our outside season is very short but will have to adapt . All the best 👍

[@anthonyalegria7096]

I used peat moss this year to grow strawberries and watermelons and it really worked out great.

[@PepperGeek]

Just plain peat moss? All of these mixes have peat moss as a primary ingredient, but also include other things for nutrients and drainage

[@lindacook8819]

I have used Pro Mix, Miracle Grow and some generic brands. I sometimes mix them all together when refreshing my containers for the spring, add more perlite, trace minerals, diotamaceous earth

[@carolina_girl7795]

This was very interesting! FoxFarm does sell smaller bags of Happy Frog and Ocean Forest. It’s $9.99 /bag for a 12 quart bag at the nursery where I work. We really like their soil conditioner too

[@janderson5224]

Thanks for this video. I've been unhappy with my current potting mix and will be happy to give Happy Frog a try.

[@AnthonysFishyFriends]

Definitely sticking with happy frog. I'm able to pick up bags locally for $13 that's only $6.50 per cuft!😊

[@Redline6ix]

HAPPY FROG FOR BABY PLANTS, OCEAN FOREST FOR TRANSPLANT TO FINAL HOME!

[@billierichter1379]

I'm going to have to get some Happy Frog this year. My husband stopped and got some potting mix for me on his way home from work several years ago, and my seedlings did the best that years that they've ever done. I had completely forgotten that it was this brand until I saw this video. Thanks!

[@garyssimo]

Been growong things since 1965. Dr earth powdered fsrtilizers are the best. I dont sell it ....just love it for everything including begonias I almost lost.

[@DavidWilmering]

I use the happy frog with homemade compost. I also use it for seed starting after a good screening with a riddle.

[@galamonkey]

One thing I’ve done that has worked well is the bags of Earthgro Compost and Manure. They are crazy cheap and they say it is just a soil additive, but I have grown purely in the compost and manure and just throw a slow release fertilizer in at the start and I am having great results with it

[@ZAPATTUBE]

It is cheap because they use human manure. Look at the prices for cow manure.

[@galamonkey]

@@ZAPATTUBE Any source for this info? I'm looking around and I don't see anything claiming this.

[@johncarey5513]

I was able to get a 112 litre bale of the Promix Organic at Lowe's for $30 Canadian last year. Usually a bag the size you bought is $12 up here. I've used it for a few years now with good results, but I do fertilize starting about a month after transplant. This year I've switched to a soil made by Fafard, and aside from having to add perlite I'm pretty happy. It's also $6 for a 30 litre bag.

[@NanaPelletier]

I had great luck with fafard. I need to go back to my local nursery next spring to get more. .

[@peewee4346]

Fox farm never disappoints me.

[@WynterDragon]

I loved this! Thanks for doing the comparison. I also liked the fertilizer comparison from a while back.

[@tiffanyi5645]

Wow Fox Farm Ocean Forest has been my go-to! sometimes I supplement with orchid mix and perlite to make it suitable for more fussy/sensitive plants…maybe I’ll try Happy Frog next

[@adamschaafsma5839]

This was great! I am extremely curious if there was any flavor difference. A blind taste test would have been an excellent addition.

[@Sharkdog11b]

Seeing a new pepper geek video is always a bonus.

[@rosalindhb]

I use Fox Farm and Promix. I believe the Promix has coco coir in it. So probably way its holding water. My local Lowe's brand is pretty good too and Gardener Supply store's brand is good, but expensive.

[@denniskartes1302]

Pro mix is a peat moss based product,with some perlite thrown in there for drainage,and lime to balance ph.

[@MsSwitchblade13]

I just bought my first bag of Happy Frog yesterday. Here's hoping my plants love it

[@j-r485]

How’s it going with your plants so far

[@MsSwitchblade13]

@@j-r485 they're doing very well!

[@stevemcnally6471]

Ive been using fox farm products for a while now and have never been disappointed

[@voodoorecon8070]

I grew 24 varieties this year and only 19 germinated enough to pot. Of those 19, 15 lived long enough to fruit. Half of those remaining varieties had some amount of disease. All of my soil was Miracle Grow Potting Mix.

[@choccolocco]

Had nothing but bad experience with MG dirt. It’s not that great, it can sometimes burn, and more often than not comes with fungus gnats….

[@ricksanchez2010]

I did this study ten years ago with groups of 8 Dr. Greenthumb/Iranian Auto G-13s in 5 gallon buckets under 2000 watts of 60/40 Sodium Chloride/Metal Halide. Also I included my own soil mix and used a fellow grower to do the work to keep the study from my bias.

[@spawn1086]

I'm done with all organic soils! The mites drive me crazy! I started using sterile soil and adding nutrients, no more bugs and my plants do very very well, harvest was good. The ocean mix is tooo strong for most plants it needs to be mixed, the regular happy frog is full of bug eggs! I called the company to talk about their soils, I recommend everyone do so especially for expensive seeds!

[@PhilLesh69]

I found a pdf on some obscure university of Kansas ag extension site for a good general purpose potting mix to start from. Theirs used peat moss, but I prefer coconut coir. It's three simple ingredients. Composted cow manure, peat moss and builder's sand. Some people add vermiculite or perlite, but I think both are messy or troublesome and less environmentally friendly. From that base you can grow a lot of stuff, and you can tailor it with all kinds of stuff like egg shells, green sand, epsom salt, coffee grounds, compost, worm castings, coffee grounds, egg shells, chicken p oo, etc.

[@Drualeaf]

The mites are harmless. They’re actually beneficial. If you have an overpopulation of mites, then you’re doing something wrong… like, overwatering or overfeeding. Foxfarm ocean Forest isn’t too strong. People have been using that brand to start seedlings for decades now. 😂

[@Drualeaf]

You should probably stick to synthetics.

[@henryknox4511]

You gotta cook the soil at ~200 for an hour or 2 to kill the eggs. Springtails will survive but they're beneficial.

[@larryg2705]

There's several things you could do. You're likely overwatering. Try putting mulch after you plant/sprout. Mites and any other critter are organic. And a part of the decomposition process. I'd actually be worried if organic soil had no bugs in it.

[@enragedwookie7863]

Daddy Pete’s farm and sea is an amazing mix available in the SE USA they run a dairy farm and they raise chickens for eggs.

[@WillieWeed]

The best you didn't include. I'm a huge fan of Dr. Earth products. They help me build in basically red wiggler worm beds. I feed them and my soil, and they feed my plants. I add some alfalfa or seaweed meal to their natural fertilizers. And their soils can't be beat. Maybe the next one. ✌️💛

[@brianmorris364]

Dr earth is great

[@bbtruth2161]

Dr. Earth pretty good stuff.

[@REALTORJL8]

In the beginning, I have used Dr Earth with very good results. But I have found out, 3 years ago, from an Amazon review, that Many Dr. Earth products had CA cancer risk warning sign on them. I checked in 2023, Dr Earth products at Home Depot still have the yellow CA cancer risk warning sign on them. Big disappointment that the company did not make an effort to change that.

[@Americae_Primum]

@@REALTORJL8 CA puts the Prop 65 risk stickers on just about EVERYTHING. I live in CA too and those stickers are EVERYWHERE. I can't even have a certain shower head shipped to me from Amazon because it doesn't come with a CA P65 warning label. 🙄IMO, the nanny state of CA goes a bit over the top with all that.

[@WillShattuck]

I’m just trying to start getting into container gardening. I did not know you could grow peppers like that and grow bags. You have opened my eyes.

[@Decoder2040]

Premium Potting Mix: 3 parts Peat, 3 parts Compost, 1 part Perlite Outdoor Potting Mix: 1 part Topsoil, 1 part Compost, 1 part Perlite (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Heavier Potting Mix (Prevent Tipping): 1 part Topsoil, 1 part compost, 1 part sand Seed Starting Mix: 1 part Peat, 1 part Screened Compost (⅛") (Vermiculite can be substituted for Compost) Optional: ½ part Perlite Raised Bed Mix: 2 parts Topsoil, 1 part sand, 1 part vermiculite 1 part Compost There are 25.71 dry quarts in 1 cubic foot If not using compost, transplant 2nd set leaves

[@pamelaspooner7183]

You can grow in cardboard boxes! Works fine …just get the corrugated cardboard, not thin like beer cartons or Amazon boxes for instance.

[@79PoisonBreaker]

I use promix #4 for starts and chicken or turkey pelleted fertilizer at planting 4 per 20 gal pot (filled with recycled potting soil) and side dress at harvest. the pro mix makes great roots for transplants but does need some type of fertilizer .

[@kenbirkin7753]

I had a good year with promix, zone 7 Vancouver Ca , $15/cu ft. chilies in 5 gal cloth bags, in the past i blended peat soils for 16 years, best and biggest co in my area., dont skimp on quality, and a bit of wood compost ( organics) is ok, Fox farm is expensive in Canada

[@budj13]

I do appreciate analytical gardeners! Thanks for your data. I find experiments are a huge part of the fun of gardening.

[@Rick-ne9os]

If done right with all the information, this video did neither

[@Zenlatin]

For the first time, I used Just Natural Organic potting mix and had the best pepper harvest ever. I still freak out thinking of the gallon of hot peppers from the final harvest.

[@Rick-ne9os]

Pro-Mix with Dr. Earth added to it is the best soil to use IMO

[@curtisngl]

I'll have to try happy frog sometime. It was interesting to see how they did when stretched beyond their intended limit, I'd bet gaps in how some perform would be made up for with fertilizers depending on what each is lacking. It would be interesting to see how different natural fertilizers affect peppers (such as adding compost to the potting soil, or organic fertilizer like dr earth)

[@SirDydimus86]

It's sad when you have to amend your potting soil.

[@ZeitGeist_TV]

@@SirDydimus86Not really because it can only contain but so much organic material before it becomes to hot to plant in. If you don't want to amend your soil at all for an entire grow cycle then making terra Preta will help. Inoculate some charcoal in an aerated tea for a week and mix with your soil.

[@PacificGardening]

It’s interesting - I watched a similar yet less involved video where both Happy Frog and Ocean Forest were clear winners with Ocean Forest inching ahead. IMO it just goes to show how high quality all Fox Farm soils are. I’ve had tons of success with Ocean Forest personally. Edit: Just caught the last line of the video. The growing and tasting comparison videos are hands down my favorite content you do. Highly recommend you do more. 🎉

[@PepperGeek]

Appreciate the feedback - we’ll keep that in mind as we plan for 2024!

[@travschula]

I most always choose fox farm ocean forest. I have just started useing Cost of main. Soil. But hands down I really like Ocean forest out of all the soils that I have tried. Ocean forest is a nice base. Dr Earth applied every few weeks.

[@thomassiegfried5409]

Update on the coast of marine products they look to be great

[@EricCheetoh]

What are you talking about? The numbers show miricale performance won ...🤡

[@bentgenetics8623]

Great results with black gold potting soil

[@GardenisLife]

When doing a side by side, my favorite way to do it, is to take clones off of a plant that are all around the same size, and once rooted, planting them in the different soils, or whatever it is im comparing. But by doing this, you have genetically the same plant in each soil, only being effected by things outside of the plant. love the video!

[@waynemonroe2203]

Coast of maine soil rocks!

[@durban64]

Really helpful very good presentation I dare you to do more vid's like this

[@foodnwords]

I'm a fox farm ocean forest girlie, but have used foxfarm happy frog here and there.. maybe I will add it more often to my regular rotation!

[@michaelvillarreal8838]

Live on the west coast so we retail Happy Frog for $13.99 2 cu ft bag. Sells well where I work, I’ve used Ocean Forest and didn’t see a big difference between the 2. Tested soil on same variety of White CBG plants great yield on both plants.

[@REALTORJL8]

I live in the Bay Area CA. ACE Hardware sells Happy Frog 2 cu for $41.99! We need to be more creative here.

[@michaelvillarreal8838]

$41.99 crazy

[@nwrkrican]

Great video and yes we need more like these.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks, more to come!

[@johnfstockland]

Interesting and valuable research, very hard to find any objective information about soil mixes. That said, I feel like there could be a lot of factors, genetics, randomness influencing this with such a small sample size to really know if these results are accurate. Would be nice if there were some independent organization that can do testing on a larger scale to do these things.

[@truthiseverything9511]

I'm very happy with Happy Frog.

[@Americae_Primum]

I really like the Fox Farm mixes. But while I haven't used it yet, it's worth noting that Smokin' Ed Currie, the king of peppers uses the Miracle-Gro Performance Organics in all of his pepper pots.

[@daphlavor]

I always use Miracle Grow moisture control, and it works well, only recently I have begun to use fishnure liquid fertilizer. Both available at my Home Depot.

[@matthawkins4579]

I am experimenting with potting soil this year. I have 5 different varieties of peppers (Pepperonchini, Habanero, Paprika, King of the North (a bell pepper) and a Serano that I will be using. I will have one plant of each variety growing in 4 different potting mixes. The first mix is Miracle-Gro, the second is Promix, third is a diy mix of two parts peat, two parts compost and one part perlite with some slow release fertilizer added. The last mix is the same as the previous but with vermiculite instead of perlite. I may also do a mix using sand instead of the perlite or vermiculite. Have to say, I really hope the diy mixes work out as they are so much cheaper.

[@user-yx8hk1jc2n]

Fox Farm helped me grow some amazing flowers