[Lowe's] Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro All purpose Food (24-8-16) $11.99 PM Home Depot

Everytime I see Miracle Gro I think of Monsanto. Try to avoid if you can, plus these heavy synthetic fertilizers are not good for the soil in the long run.

ZxExN wrote: ↑ Everytime I see Miracle Gro I think of Monsanto. Try to avoid if you can, plus these heavy synthetic fertilizers are not good for the soil in the long run.

lolwut

ZxExN wrote: ↑ Everytime I see Miracle Gro I think of Monsanto. Try to avoid if you can, plus these heavy synthetic fertilizers are not good for the soil in the long run.

isn't this just phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium?

$1 more at Checkout51, keep your bill

supremePug wrote: ↑ isn't this just phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium?

Synthetic fertilizers are good for a quick hit of nutrients for the plants, however over time it kills the beneficial microbes in the soil responsible for breaking down organic matter that feeds the plants. It also increases nitrate levels which over time, kills the soil itself (like salting the earth). There also a good chance at such a high concentration, you'll burn the roots of the plant.

ZxExN wrote: ↑ Synthetic fertilizers are good for a quick hit of nutrients for the plants, however over time it kills the beneficial microbes in the soil responsible for breaking down organic matter that feeds the plants. It also increases nitrate levels which over time, kills the soil itself (like salting the earth). There also a good chance at such a high concentration, you'll burn the roots of the plant.

What do you recommend instead? Looking for vegetables in Garden bed

Thx

You guys sure know your sh*t

I still find it funny how many people are disgusted by using urine as fertilizer but poop is ok.

makaveli80 wrote: ↑ What do you recommend instead? Looking for vegetables in Garden bed

Thx

Any type of compost would be fine. 2 inch of it as top dressing. You can also buy some organic fertilizer and work that into the soil. Organic fertilizer requires the microbes to break it down before the nutrients are available to the plants. Takes longer but will be better for the plants as they generally include alot of the micro and trace minerals that plants need.

ZxExN wrote: ↑ Any type of compost would be fine. 2 inch of it as top dressing. You can also buy some organic fertilizer and work that into the soil. Organic fertilizer requires the microbes to break it down before the nutrients are available to the plants. Takes longer but will be better for the plants as they generally include alot of the micro and trace minerals that plants need.

I am no expert, but I recall someone telling me even when people cut flowers and it dies, or prune dead leaves and so on, to throw it back into the soil so that it will break it down to serve as fertilizer. Is that true?

ZxExN wrote: ↑ Everytime I see Miracle Gro I think of Monsanto. Try to avoid if you can, plus these heavy synthetic fertilizers are not good for the soil in the long run.

Evertime I see Miracle Gro, I think about Tomacco

kenchau wrote: ↑ I am no expert, but I recall someone telling me even when people cut flowers and it dies, or prune dead leaves and so on, to throw it back into the soil so that it will break it down to serve as fertilizer. Is that true?

Generally it's ok to use the dead leaves as a mulch as it will break down and feed the soil however if the leaves looks diseased, get rid of it or it will spread to your plants.

We are using the orange bag of Miracle Gro and our plants look amazing. I am thinking it is because of the Miracle Gro which we started using when we got rid of our composter which was attracting too many rodents. The rodents actually gnawed their way through the composter into the inside so we found that our only real option was to green bin our household organic waste.

There's a good argument on both sides of the fertilizer issue - adding processed fertilizers or using compost and the like. Most of the increases in food production over the past 100 years has been due to using processed fertilizers as compost will only go so far in terms of creating a crop yields. However, processed fertilizers can't provide the micro-nutrients (ie anything other than N-P-K) that needs to be replenished in the soil over the years like a good compost can.

In other words, you need both in order to have a good long term yield.

geoffs wrote: ↑ Evertime I see Miracle Gro, I think about Tomacco

Mmmm tomacco....

makaveli80 wrote: ↑ What do you recommend instead? Looking for vegetables in Garden bed

Thx

Worm castings are also great for plants, but they tend to be expensive.