FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Review (2026)
By Nate Sawyer, Editor · Updated July 2026
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- Containers
- Vegetables
- Transplants
A rich, well-aerated premium container soil loaded with earthworm castings, bat guano and crab meal, feeding hungry container vegetables and transplants straight from the bag, with a pre-adjusted 6.3-6.8 pH. It is worth the premium for transplants but not everything: it costs more per cubic foot, its high nutrient load can burn seedlings, and it is not OMRI listed.
Pros
- Loaded with earthworm castings, bat guano and crab meal for a rich, ready-to-plant nutrient base
- Light, aerated texture drains well while pH is pre-adjusted to 6.3-6.8 for strong nutrient uptake
- Natural, organic-input formula favored by vegetable and transplant growers
Cons
- Costs noticeably more per cubic foot than mass-market mixes
- High nutrient load can burn seedlings and cuttings, so it is not ideal for seed starting
- Not OMRI listed, so it falls short of strict certified-organic requirements despite natural inputs
Specifications
| Type | Premium container potting soil |
|---|---|
| Composition | Aged forest products, sphagnum peat, earthworm castings, bat guano, fish emulsion, crab meal, perlite |
| Organic | Uses natural/organic inputs (not OMRI listed) |
| With fertilizer | Yes (from natural amendments; pH 6.3-6.8) |
| Bag size | 1.5 cu ft (also 12 qt, 3 cu ft) |
| Best for | Nutrient-hungry container vegetables and transplants |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you start seeds in Ocean Forest?
- It is not ideal. The high nutrient load from guano, castings and crab meal can burn seedlings and cuttings, so use a light seed-starting mix and pot up into this later.
- Does Ocean Forest need extra fertilizer at planting?
- Not initially — it is a ready-to-plant nutrient base with pH pre-adjusted to 6.3-6.8 for good uptake. Feeding starts mattering weeks in, once transplants have drawn the base down.
- Is Ocean Forest certified organic?
- No. It uses natural and organic inputs but is not OMRI listed, so it falls short of strict certified-organic requirements. It also costs noticeably more per cubic foot than mass-market mixes.