miracle grow?

Which do You like to use? how often. Do you mix it different than the directions? For containers and beds...Which is your favorite/

miracle grow, eww yuck!! all those nasty chemicals i like dehydrated cow manure and fish poo. nice and natural

I have soaker hoses throughout my gardens. When it is time to feed,I use the Miracle Grow containers that attach to my hoses and use the recommended amt.(of Miracle Grow) only' No more gallon milk jugs to haul everywhere anymore,save time and the bod,lol' Having clay soil(amend whenever I plant)I feed less than most gardeners as my soil holds the moisture/food'

My whiskey barrels get a topdress with manure only and mulch after the plants are tall enough. I continue to add worms,so no need to fertilize,let the worms do the work for me'

I also keep a container of "manure tea" and use it as a foliage spray on my plants'

I use it, also use manure tea. I've started mixing Osmocoate in with my soil now too. Brugs especially because they are such heavy feeders.

I don't use Miracle Grow, but have considered it for flats of seedlings because it's so easy. In the rest of the garden, I use cow manure on top of the beds like mulch an inch thick, bone meal under that and fish emulsion with an occasional adition of liquid seaweed every couple weeks.

I get the generic of MG at Wal-Mart. The ingredients seem to be identical and it works great. I will be using a time-release pellet fertilizer in my containers this year, I believe. For the flower beds, I like using manure and compost. Thought about Com-Til, too.

I really like the Alaska Fish Fertilizer; it works as well or better than MG.

Paul

I used to use a lot of Miracle Gro and the generic equivalents. But the more I study, the more I agree with those who say that Miracle Gro is like junk food for plants - sure it gives them a quick burst of energy, but doesn't have the "staying power" that comes with properly caring for your soil and adding amendments regularly.

"Take care of your soil, and let your soil take care of your plants." (Very good advice, IMO)

In containers of annual flowers (which tend to use up nutrients pretty quick) I use a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote.

I use Miracle grow to bottom water my seedlings when they lose their cotelydons and need a boost. My DH likes to add Miracle Grow to the flower beds every couple weeks...he calls it his "Miracle Grow Sunday"...seemed like an appropriate day to him...though I haven't witnessed any miracles! I have to agree with Go_vols that amending the soil is a better deal, since Miracle comes and goes like chicken nuggets!

You'd think I'd be a great advocate of the Alaska Fish Emolient, and I have had good results when I've used it, but my efforts to fertilize the house plants caused me to open all the doors and windows to air the "fishy" aroma!

LOL, Weezin! I bought Fish Emulsion (deodorized, nonetheless) and it has a very "unique" odor. When I've used it on my plants in my GH, the aroma tends to follow me back into the house according to my family.

Go_vols: Maybe there is some connection between bad smells and good fertilizer. A friend gave me some worm juice she had drained from her worm composter, telling me it was the Cadillac of fertilizer tea. I waited awhile to uncap it and use it, and I can tell you it would make your eyes water. I felt like rinsing out my nose to get the smell off my nose hairs!

I'm new to this forum, but have been gardening since about '64. 3 or 4 years ago we began making concrete block formed raised beds. At this time we have 8 or 9 beds and would like to make a couple more this season. We also collect old washers and dryers and salvage the tubs/drums from them for container gardening. Mostly poke weed and horseradish right now. We are able to get stable cleanings, years old rotted down to soil silage, and hundreds of bags of leaves nearly every year so there is plenty to fill everything.
Like many of you, I use both MG and organic methods of feeding my plants. Right now I have a box of Shultz that I got at a good price. The plants seem to be doing ok.