Score: 4/5

Introduction

FoxFarm is a reputable soil mix and fertilizer company that has been around for more than 30 years and is known for its high-quality products.

The Happy Frog Potting Soil is no exception, containing a mix of natural ingredients that provide all the organic material and natural fertilizers necessary to grow marijuana successfully. These include premium ingredients that many companies often overlook, including forest humus and bat guano. These contribute to higher production rates and better yields in general, both in terms of quantity and quality. This is mainly as a result of a strong plant structure, improved flower production rates, and rapid speed of growth.

As the Happy Frog Potting Soil is pre-mixed, it’s ready to use straight out of the bag. This makes it easy for first-time growers to use. It also minimizes wastage and preparation time for experienced growers. At just under $20 for a 12-quart bag, the FoxFarm Happy Frog Potting Soil is one of the more reasonably priced products in the market.

Ingredients

Base and Composts

The Happy Frog Potting Soil contains an excellent blend of natural ingredients that make up the base.

Sphagnum peat moss is the main ingredient, which helps to improve water retention through its ability to retain up to 20 times its weight and thereby hydrate plants as necessary over a fairly long period of time. This is not only good for the plant, but it also cuts down on maintenance time for the grower. Moreover, peat moss contains micronutrients that get passed to the plant. It also contains elements such as sulfur. These encourage the plant to produce and express its natural terpenes, which are responsible for color, smell, and taste. The peat moss will, therefore, contribute to the overall flavor of the flower.

Another innovative ingredient is composted forest humus, which is a natural compost taken from a forest floor in order to be used as a soil conditioner. It’s extremely effective as a natural fertilizer, as it holds nutrients that can help the plant’s growth. However, unlike synthetic fertilizers, these are released over a period of time, as and when they are required by the plant. It also enhances the soil itself in a number of ways—mainly by encouraging the proliferation of soil organisms, which, in turn, provide the plant with nutrients. It also helps water retention and drainage, as well as aeration. As it’s still a relatively rare ingredient in many pre-mixed marijuana soils, FoxFarm’s use of composted forest humus puts the Happy Frog Potting Soil above some similar products on the market.
Another natural ingredient that acts as a fertilizer is worm castings. Many growers have found these to increase their overall yield, protect plants from disease, and shorten the germination cycle. This is all without the use of any chemicals, so there’s no risk of any synthetic elements finding their way into the end product.

Aeration and Drainage

Perlite has been included in this product for its effective aeration and water drainage properties. It is a coarse substance originating from volcanic glass, which is ground down and mixed with soil to help to create a soil environment that is optimal for growing plants in general. Perlite provides spacing between particles of soil, thereby aiding both aeration and water drainage. It effectively makes it extremely difficult to overwater the plant, meaning that the risk of the soil or the roots rotting is minimal. As this is an easy way to kill any plant and ruin the overall yield, perlite is a great addition to this soil.

Additionally, the coarse texture of the oyster shells included in this product helps to loosen the soil, allowing water to run through and minimizing the risk of the soil becoming waterlogged.

Mineral Additions

FoxFarm has included dolomite lime in the Happy Frog Potting Soil, which is an effective ingredient to help regulate the pH levels in the soil. Oyster shells are also a fantastic mineral-providing addition to this product as they too help to maintain correct pH levels due to their high levels of calcium and micronutrients. Overall, this contributes to general plant health and development, as well as a high-quality yield.

Soil Amendments

The Happy Frog Potting Soil contains an excellent blend of natural soil amendments to fertilize and deliver nutrients to plants. Some of these are relatively innovative and overlooked by many competing marijuana soil companies in favor of those that are cheaper and more easily available.

One of these is bat guano, which is essentially bat feces – something you don’t often see on an ingredients list! It is used for its nutrients and beneficial bacteria, which are present in the guano as a result of the bats’ diet of fruit and insects. Not only does it act as a natural fertilizer, but it is also a fungicide and an inoculant. This is an excellent ingredient that really sets the Happy Frog Potting Soil apart from others on the market. It’s worth noting that the exact type of bat guano is not specified, which can affect the stage of the growth cycle that it should be used. However, as it is used as a general ingredient among others, this shouldn’t pose too much of a problem whenever it is used.

Humic acid is another fantastic natural plant growth enhancer that helps to increase the uptake of nutrients, support the health of plant roots, and ensure the plant’s overall health during all stages of the growth cycle. Again, it’s not something you see every day.

Quick Summary – Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Made by an established, reputable company.
  • Contains a good mixture of innovative ingredients to promote growth.
  • Contains a good mixture of innovative ingredients to help water retention, drainage, and aeration.
  • Ready to use straight out of the box.
  • Reasonably priced.

Cons

  • Some of the company’s alternative potting soil products contain a more extensive mix of ingredients.