Just what the hell is Miracle-gro?
It really does pretty much double your yield. That can’t be good.
The only time I’ve used it was many years ago when I decided to do a test. I bought a box of the dry stuff then planted four tomato plants on one side of my yard following their directions. Then, the same day and using plants bought from the same store at the same time, I planted four more on the other side of the yard using normal tomato plant food.
Well, the Miracle-gro plants grew almost twice the size and yielded a lot more fruit than the normal ones. That kinda scared me, so I never used the stuff again.
I can say that the normal tomato fruit tasted better, Tomato-ier, but the others didn’t taste bad. They (the s-m ones) were better than the supermarket ones.
So what the hell is Miracle-gro, and what does it do to plants.
BTW; don’t accidently spill any on your venus fly traps. :eek:
Peace,
mangeorge
As far as I know, Miracle Gro is just an ordinary synthetic NPK fertilizer. (The N=Nitrogen, P=Phosporous, and K=Potassium.) You can read the analysis on the side of the package, as it is required by law. It also has some other trace nutrients. These are things that plants need for optimum growth, though unless your soil is nutrient deficient, the Miracle Gro probably contains higher concentrations than are absolutely necessary.
There is nothing special or particularly sinister about it, although non-synthetic fertilizers are likely kinder to the earth.
Miracle Gro is simply an example of good marketing. Yes, it works quite nicely and we use it here in Las Vegas where local soil has all the nutrients of gravel.
Sure, we could buy the generic brand, but generally the cost difference is minimal and we know Miracle Gro does the job well. One large box usually lasts an entire summer of feeding potted flowers/bushes and other plants. Mix a bit in with the water. Only need to use it about every 4 weeks or so, tops.
Yeah - nothing special about Miracle-Gro other than the convenience - for which you pay a substantial premium.
20+ years ago when we ought our first home, I put out a few impatiens near the front door. Watered them, but they remained short and spindly. Then one day I saw some stunning mounds of color in a neighbor’s beds. When I asked what kind of plants they were, they said “Impatiens,” and said they used Miracle-Gro once a week. I don’t use it that frequently, but I do give an occasional sot to my (few) veggies, annuals, and containers.
Their claims are for their fertilizer against no fertilizer in a soil that is not overly nutrient rich unlike say something you incorporated manure into every year. I use it or other water soluble fertilizer and the plants and fruit do better than the ones I don’t use it on. Only the potted plants get a regular feeding with the stuff because the daily watering leach out the fertilizer. The other plants get a dose twice a year at peak growth times. On something like Tiger lilies applied yearly it can mean I get a couple feet extra of height and 25 flowers or more on a plant instead of 15 flowers. The bulbs have been 6 inches across when I dig them up. I can do just as good if I was willing to lay down a 6 inch deep layer of cow manure around the yard and work it in but I’m not.
I use it sparingly and it seems to do the job. I use it only for flowers, and I usually use new potting soil. I generally dose the plants about once a month. They come out all purty and colorful.