If you’ve been shopping for potting soils or plant nutrients, chances are you’ve come across a FoxFarm product. This FoxFarm nutrients review evaluates whether their hydroponic nutrients are worth purchasing.
For starters, it’s hard not to notice the attention-grabbing psychedelic product images and packaging FoxFarm uses.
But have you ever paused to wonder if their mixes were reliable and worth forking over your hard-earned cash?
After all, in a sea of sketchy fertilizers and plant nutrients, it’s difficult not to be skeptical.
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Keep reading as we take an honest look at FoxFarm to see if there’s actual substance behind their trippy packaging.
FoxFarm Nutrients Review: Our Quick Take
FoxFarm has been one of the most consistent and reliable fertilizer manufacturers around. Their plant nutrients are geared toward both rapid vegetative growth (Grow Big) and serious flower/fruit production (Big Bloom).
They also make several potting soil blends carefully crafted with a select range of ingredients, such as fish emulsion, coconut coir, and crab meal.
They certainly cost more than most of their competitors, but it’s a worthy tradeoff when you consider the quality of the product. After all, your plants are only as good as the food you give them.
Whether you’re a hobbyist, homegrower, or gardener, you can’t go wrong with FoxFarm nutrients.
Who is FoxFarm?
To answer, we have to rewind to the good ol’ 1980s.
FoxFarm is a family-run fertilizer manufacturer based out of sunny California (Humboldt County to be more specific). It’s something they’re very proud of.
Established in 1984 (that’s nearly 40 years in the business) FoxFarm began with the aim of providing pure sterilized gardening soil before expanding over the decades.
The FoxFarm website is fast, intuitive, and follows the brand’s overall theme. Users can easily access their product catalog online, and their social media profiles are always up-to-date with interesting content on their history, products, and applications.
What products does FoxFarm sell?
Today, buoyed by the boom in e-commerce, they offer eight categories of products, ranging from pest control to liquid plant fertilizer, while their ’80s-era branding helps FoxFarm stand out from the crowd.
They attribute their consistency and quality to a policy of handcrafting formulas in small batches rather than mass production.
You can find a comprehensive support page on their website that includes feeding schedules, product support, and FAQs.
FoxFarm offers help with your feeding schedules
One look at the feeding schedules tells you they aren’t joking around. It may look over the top for some, but if you’re willing to spend the time getting to know FoxFarm and their products, you can really reap (sorry, not sorry!) the benefits.
The schedules utilize a vast array of fertilizers that aim to enhance your grow, sometimes using up to eight fertilizers in one application.
It’s understandable if you don’t have the time or patience to follow the suggested schedule, but if you want to take your grow a notch up, you can’t go wrong with FoxFarm’s feeding recommendations.
Note: Be careful of the fertilizer quantity for small plants. Too much and you’ll easily burn the plant!
8 Categories of FoxFarm Products
FoxFarm has 8 categories focused on developing good root systems and increasing nutrient cycling.
- Pest Control
- Soluble Fertilizers
- Liquid Fertilizers
- Slow Release Fertilizers
- Soils and Soil Conditioners
- Starter Packs
- Dry Fertilizers
- Adjusters, Supplements, and Inoculants
All products are made in small batches for superior quality control and consistency.
Soil conditioners feature generous helpings of bat guano, earthworm castings, and other beneficial microbes that stimulate root development.
Some potting soils contain coco coir for lighter soil with enhanced aeration while other mixes include fish emulsion for additional nutrition. You’ll also see mixes for growing fruits, mixing with garden soil, and seed starting. Ideal for indoor gardening during winter or getting plants ready for your hydroponic setup.
Struggling with diseases and pests or Environmentally conscious? FoxFarm’s organic pest control products are for you. They use garlic extracts to repel insects and pyrethrum for insect control. All-natural! Time to do your part for the environment.
What Are FoxFarm’s Bestsellers?
Scouring through FoxFarm’s (pretty long!) catalog can be time-consuming so here’s a quick rundown of their 5 bestsellers:
- Ocean Forest Potting Soil
- Big Bloom Liquid Fertilizer
- Happy Frog Potting Soil
- Grow Big Liquid Fertilizer
- Soluble Trio Fertilizer Pack
Let’s review them in detail below.
1. Ocean Forest Potting Soil
Best For: Novices or those who can’t put a lot of time towards their crops.
Indoor Grow Tech is big on hydroponic grow tech and systems, but you can’t mention FoxFarm without talking about one of their flagship products: Ocean Forest Potting Soil.
It has a reputation as one of the better potting soils on the market. The product comes ready-for-use and doesn’t require any other mixes or fertilizers.
With natural fertilizers like bat guano, it’s a great soil for container plantings. The pH ranges between 6.3-6.8, allowing the included nutrients to do their job.
Additionally, the fertilizer formulation lasts for 30 days, so you won’t have to bother with additives when the soil begins breaking. This is why Ocean Forest is great for novices and those short on time.
Ocean Forest is a little more expensive than other options, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Using poor soil is among the worst things you can do to your plants, and buying subpar soil to save $10 just isn’t worth it.
2. Big Bloom Liquid Fertilizer
Best For: Pushing your crops into a vigorous flowering and fruiting phase for maximum yields.
Big Bloom is your environmentally safe and sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers. With 100% organic fertilizers, the formula is geared toward encouraging extra blossoms, thicker seed pods, and sweeter fruits.
The micro-brewed formula uses earthworm castings, Norwegian kelp, and other organic ingredients that deliver a balanced range of nutrients.
Big Bloom is ideal for fruiting and flowering plants. It intensifies flower fragrances and increases essential oil production, leading to stronger flavors in fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
For best results, use Big Bloom late into the grow cycle to extend the fruit and flowering season. For struggling plants, Big Bloom is akin to giving lifesaving CPR.
3. Happy Frog Potting Soil
Best For: Nearly any type of plant but great for herbs.
While all of FoxFarm’s potting soils are top-notch, Happy Frog has one characteristic that sets it apart: This formula includes mycorrhizal fungi.
Wait, that sounds gross. Well, your plant will thank you for it.
Mycorrhizal fungi form a symbiotic relationship with your plant for mutually beneficial nutrient exchange.
- The fungi provide micronutrients and minerals.
- The plant returns the favor with sugars the fungi need.
The fungi extend underground, forming a network far beyond a plant’s roots, thus extending the total area for nutrient absorption. They also make your plant more resistant to environmental stress and disease.
While the fungi are crucial for the plant’s well-being, container plants need more fertilizer than ground plants. To ensure long term health, combine Happy Frog with Ocean Forest, giving your plant the best of both worlds.
Happy Frog has been especially popular among cannabis growers.
Again, while you could argue it’s pricey, the old adage, “you get what you pay for” applies with all of your plant’s nutritional products.
4. Grow Big Liquid Fertilizer
Best For: Strong vegetative growth to get your plants started on the right leaf.
Grow Big is best used early in the grow cycle when young plants need that crucial boost to grow strong stems and healthy leaves. This formula promotes healthier stems while trace minerals create the healthy branching that’s required for abundant bloom and buds.
Grow Big can also function with foliar feeding. Apply it on both sides of the leaves, ideally in the morning. When your plant starts flowering, use a bloom enhancing fertilizer like Big Bloom Liquid Fertilizer and get your plants a bunch of red spectrum light (HPS grow lights are awesome).
Speaking of bloom enhancing fertilizers, no FoxFarm nutrients review is complete without mentioning their trio pack.
5. Soluble Trio Fertilizer Pack
Best For: Insane floral and fruit growth.
The Soluble Trip Fertilizer Pack comes with three formulations for different uses:
- Open Sesame (4-45-10): An early flowering formula for blooming. A clever name if you ask me.
- Beastie Bloomz (0-50-30): Nutrients to maximize blossom and produce heavyweight fruits.
- ChaChing (9-50-30): Nutrients that promote heavy resins in fruits and flowers and increase the production of essential oils.
Each soluble, dry fertilizer comes in 1 lb containers.
The trio of soluble fertilizers works well together in a sequential feeding schedule that focuses on hyper-boosting the flowering and fruiting processes. It allows you to push your plants into bloom (almost) at will.
Consider the three as a sort of supercharger for higher quality and stronger yields.
Will it work for your crops? The Soluble Trio Fertilizer Pack works on soil plants and both indoor and outdoor hydroponic applications.
FoxFarm Nutrients Review: Final Thoughts
All-in-all, it’s difficult to find fault in FoxFarm’s product range. They’ve been in business for close to 40 years, so they clearly know what they’re doing.
If I were to nitpick, their biggest flaw is their higher prices, but you get what you pay for with consistent formulations that achieve the desired results.
- If you want vegetative growth, get their Grow Big Fertilizer.
- If you want flower/fruit production, get their Big Bloom Fertilizer.
How has your experience with FoxFarm been? Let us know in the comments below!