The Changes in Miracle Grow

Well there has been talk about the all purpose Miracle Grow numbers changing..I havent had to buy fertilizer since last year and now today I had to find some bloombooster...All of the garden centers are out of it except Home Depot... I found the nice big box of it and looked at the numbers...what the heck happened to 52 as the middle number..it is now 30...Does anybody know the reason we are seeing change...I did see that the all purpose isnt even the same so now to look for old containers of fertilizer...Im swearing since our Big Lots had buckets the beginning of the year and I thought I had enough to get me through the season...duh!!!!!!!!...Judy

I have Green Light Super Bloom, 12-55-6.

Schultz Bloom Plus 10-60-10.

Miracle Grow 15-30-15.

Hibiscus, Ive never heard of Green Light and Shultz doesnt seem to be around here other then specialty fertilizers for cactus, orchids and such....will have to google that one...Judy

We have a Lowes, Home Depot, Andersons, DeHavens, all Garden Centers. Some are locally owned, I know Lowes, Andersons(Columbus, Toledo) and Home Depot are all over.

Might be able to order it online? Much luck!

I just went to Menards and they have the Shultz Bloombooster..I think it was on sale for 5.98 for the big container...I should go back and get more...I think its time to boycott Miracle Grow....lolol..Judy

Ill tell you what i use i use Expert Gardener ive switch to it about 3 years ago i find its a lot better but thats my opion i all so use there soil to its 2 bucks cheaper then Mircle grows and a lot better to No sticks no stones you dont need its really great and ive been growing plants for close on to 50 years Regards Paul

Paul, who makes the Expert Gardener?..I have found at Lowes the most wonderful soil for Brugs and actually anything else you want to use it for..Its called Sta-Green tree and shrub soil..its 6.95 and I believe its 2 cu.ft of dirt..its the fluffiest, well draining and has time released fertilizer in it...I love this stuff......Judy

I agree w/phicks that Expert Gardener which I get at Walmart is the best buy and stays around while I have to go far afield for the other "name brand" stuff. I personally like time release fertilizers and if I use the stuff that you are supposed to mix up I just put some at the root area of the plant and water in - just a bit of fertilizer one a week. It works for me. Also, I like to use epsom salts. dry, around my tropicals and other things. We have really, really clay soil from this area having been old cotton fields. Horrible as it is to dig in it is also rather rich.
I'm a little old lady now but have been gardening for a lifetime all over Harris county and down in Victoria cty. so I don't do much digging.

I thought I heard that Scotts bought Miricle Gro. Wasn't it Miricle gro that bought Peters triple 20? They go around buying out the competition.

Jeanette

I use the Sta Green potting soil from Lowes', much nicer than Miracle Gro which has begun to have wood , stones etc. for fillers. Sta Green is also cheeper.

Have not heard that Scotts bought out Miracle Gro??

With all these companies buying out each other pretty soon we aren't even going to have a choice to pick from, we may think we have but in reality it will be the same company that owns them all.

But what's new.

Juttz they make it

Phosphorus Pollution

http://www.lcbp.org/phospsum.htm
Quote: Phosphorus is a nutrient essential for plant growth. It is found in lawn fertilizers, manure, as well as human and other animal waste. Too much phosphorus in water causes algal blooms and excessive aquatic plant growth. These plants and the water quality problems that occur when they decompose can harm fish and other organisms and limit our use and enjoyment of the Lake.


The below explanation came from this website.
http://www.sciencemaster.com/jump/earth/fertilizers.php

Excessive phosphorus runoff has long been recognized as associated with eutrophication of lakes and other nonflowing bodies of water. Eutrophication is the response of a body of water to enrichment by nutrients. The results include heavy growth of aquatic plants and algal mats and deoxygenation. Although industrial and sewage discharges of phosphate have been reduced greatly during the past 25 years, eutrophication remains a major environmental issue. Most phosphorus enters bodies of water through soil erosion from agricultural lands. Improved planting methods, fertilizer management, and soil conservation techniques are being used to reduce phosphorus runoff (Potash and Phosphate Institute, 1999).

Fertilizer production also is an environmental concern. For every ton of phosphoric acid produced, five tons of phosphogypsum are generated. Phosphogypsum is a solid material that results from the reaction of phosphate rock with sulfuric acid. Although it is nearly identical to natural gypsum, it may contain small amounts of sand, phosphate, fluorine, radium, and other elements present in phosphate ore. Federal regulations restrict both use and research involving phosphogypsum because of its radium content and require phosphogypsum to be stacked on the ground. A limited amount of phosphogypsum, with a minimal radium content, is used as an agricultural soil amendment. During the past 50 years, more than 700 Mt have accumulated in Florida alone. These enormous stacks, some covering an area of more than 300 hectares and up to 60 meters high, have settling ponds on top that contain highly acidic water that can overflow into waterways. New regulations have been enacted to guard against potential spills (Johnson and Traub, 1996).

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Therefore I suspect we will see further declines in the middle number!! Are you going to stock up!!

Judy









phttp://www.a2gov.org/PublicServices/SystemsPlanning/Environment/Fertilizer.html

Yep it's Scott's Miracle Gro

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0904/066.html

Judy

I so need a good soil. I bought expensive stuff this year and it was a disaster. I really think it was the coir I added. I am going to definitely try the Sta Green. I will stop in at Lowes tomorrow to see if they carry it. THANKS Gloria and Judy for the heads up. I will also have to stop at Walgreens which is close to Lowes and check out Expert Gardener, I have never heard of it before.

Last week I decided the new MG in the fancy new sprayer was not doing much for me. So I went to HD to get the old MG that is 15-30-15 which I loved as a foliar spray. And they do not carry it anymore so I wonder if it has been discontinued! However a nursery nearby had a new MG called I think Expert Formula that was 20-20-20 which I am going to try.

Kell, I found the MG in the blue tall box at Home Depot with the numbers of 15-30-15..I bought it but wanted the good stuff...I went to Menards and found the Schultz bloombooster with the good numbers...and you will love the Sta-Green..just make sure its the tree and shrub.....Judy

I just bought 15-30-15 at Lowe's on Saturday. Like Judy said, look at the colored strip at the bottom of the box. The lower numbered stuff has a green line, the 15-30-15 has a blue one. I've been buying the Sta-Green seed & sod soil, and mixing it with miracle grow potting soil for about a year now. I mix equal parts of the two soils, and about half as much coarse vermiculite (HAS to be coarse, I hate the fine stuff!). The Sta-Green was on sale, so I loaded up! Of course, it rained buckets that afternoon, when we had the truck bed full of bags of soil, and I managed to break two fingernails off at the quick unloading them, but it was worth it!

I can't wait Judy, I have been miserable for 2 years with my soil. So you use 10-60-10 on your brugs? I have never used such numbers but you know a friend of mine Eva used to use similar if not the same fertilizer and when she switched to a low middle number she said her bloom numbers just declined. I am really going to get my act together for next year and come out of the box soaring. LOL

Hi Ronna, I do not think they have coarse vermiculite around here. But to be honest I have never looked. A couple of years ago some one on here was telling us that she used the Sta-Green seed & sod soil to top her pots off and it really helped hold in the moisture so she didn't have to water all the time. I think I will try some of that too!

I really like it. It has something to hold moisture, but not too much moisture. The coarse vermiculite is harder to find around here, but definitely worth it. The finer kind doesn't open up the soil mix at all.

Kell and Ronna, just buy 1 bag of the sta-green tree and shrub and you will find that its really nice stuff...and only 6.95...I was using some other stuff last year that was almost 9.00 and it wasnt as nice as this stuff.....I dont have to mix it with anything and I use it for all potting up of plants....and Kell I use the 20/20/20 at the beginning of the year and when I see buds I start with the high numbers in the middle...I think its either....52 or 53 for the middle number...I have tons of blooms all summer and into the fall..Judy

I was such a bust this summer, I am sure up for changing my MO! I swear I am going work more next summer. Thanks for telling me what has worked well for you.

I was looking at pictures of past summers and everything was blooming but the kitchen sink. This summer has been so bad, partly due from my late start, some from what I used for soil and fertilizer, partly from my mind being on other things, partly from the worst weather and partly from these mites.

What a wonderful picture of color...this really pumps me for about 4 more months of summer...wont happen but I can dream.....I love the purple...judy

Must get cold where you live Juttz just about five years ago i use to buy wal mart top soil and compost manure. then it got so bad the compost was full of rocks and stick the top soil was about 60 percent sand they are allowed so much sand to a ton of top soil. that soili use is what you are useing lol . and i use the expert Fertz. Regards Paul

Paul, I have seen the stuff WalMart sells and its like shoveling gravel out of a road and putting some muck in it....the stuff I buy is beautiful potting soil....alot of people use Miracle Grow potting soil and to me I think its way too fluffy...you have to soak it with a ton of water to get it to hold and moisture...the Sta-green is like going to the nurseries around here and getting their good secret stuff....
I couldnt get my hands on teh Sta green awhile ago since Lowes was too lazy to get a pallet down for me so I tired the Miracle Grow tree and shrub soil...well tis sitting in my front yard geting ready to try and mix it with a ton of compost/perlite/and anything else to lossen it up...I call it muck in a bag..hard as a rock ..gee now that I think of it..it looks like Walmart stuff without the gravel...lolol...Judy

Short story - small orchid bark with epson salt as top layer - kills snails slugs and seemed to need less water .
Long story had knee operation , wife was repotting orchid - I tripped and spilled epson salt into the pot [ I buy cooking pots at thrift store - they have good handles ] . Nephew was helping - Eric , please go wash off white stuff , no hole in pot - so orchild bark turned white and I used as a top dressing .

It's possible, isn't it, that different parts of the country have different types of potting soil? Also, where you have a lot of lakes, etc. you have a different type of problem w/runoff of ferts. I don't understand why anyone would want to spend more money for potting soil w/fert when there is plenty of potting soil w/o the fert and you can put in the fert you want for the type of plant you are growing i.e. low mid no for hibiscus, hi mid no for plumerias, etc. I tend to think of the long run as we have such a long growing season here and most plants can go in the ground. The 15plus tropical hibiscus at my house - I inheirited the plants w/the house when we bought in "05 - are all at least 10' tall, growing in the ground and if we have a good frost or freeze just the tops get browned and we cut them off in Feb or early Mar so as not to encourage new growth until growing season really starts. Pots are a pain when the temps stay in the mid 90's so much of the summer so if we have such we try to sink them - pots and all - in the ground so that they stay cooler and damper. The brug I bought for $10 at Houston Garden Center in July '06 had already been cut back so I did repot that w/pkgd. top soil, top dressing w/potting soil and topping all that w/ Cypress mulch which doesn't float like Pine Bark Mulch. I haven't yet learned if the brug will withstand the winter but I would like to sink it also and if the weather looks threatening to go below freezing I can cover that dude. I grow Pride of Barbados and Bird of Paradise in the ground as well as bouganvilla. The Pride of B is deciduous and has to be cut back when it loses its leaves in fall so as long as it is established there is no problem w/frost or freeze. The B of P doesn't seems to be troubled at all - it may get a little brown on some of the leaves but that is easily remedided (boy is my spelling off these days!) in the spring. I like to plant all my avocado seeds in the ground - they make nice small trees but will never bear- and if they freeze back all I do is cut them off and they come right back branching out and not lanky. Our growing season is from March thru October and beyond. Oh, yes - is the brug deciduous? The one I got is supposed to be a pale yellow and is a no name. It looks quite healthy and I'd like for it to remain that way so I'll take it in if y'all think that's necessary. Help!

plantladyhou - Brugs will do just as well as your other plants in the ground. I don't live in TX but my sister lives in Houston and only mulches them well.

As far as fertilizer goes please read what Monika of Germany, World Known Grower of Brugs, has to say on this thread. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/642161/

Judy

This message was edited Aug 31, 2006 12:37 PM

Juttz homedepot sells the Sta green to Paul

Paul, gosh, I dont think I saw it there the last time i was there but I will look again since its way closer then Lowes...thanks...Judy

GREAT information. I am presently looking into MSU Fertilizer. Don't ask...that's all I have... I have heard it is wonderful. More later!!!

Gee Plantladyhou, have you noticed it is not just fertilizer and water retention crystals they are adding to packaged soil these days but insecticde also? That creeps me out. Soon those insecticides will be no good at all when so overused when you do not even need them. Not to mention now you can't let your kids touch it without gloves. It is getting hard to find ones with nothing in them but good dirt.

If you are worried about your brug overwintering, I would take a cutting as insurance just in case something happens to it. It is a good idea anyway for all of your favorites. An insurance policy! though from what overwinters at yro house, I bet yoru brug swill make it just fine. Mine do with some winter dieback.

I need HELP Gloria and Juttz! I went to Lowes and they did have Sta Green.... BUT............. of the 7 different kinds they had no Tree and Shrub!!

And 3 more. LOL! Do you believe it and not the one you recommend. Could one of you take a picture of the ingredients of yours so I can see which one is of these is closest to you? THANKS

LOL Carol, another toy to track down. We are forever looking for the perfect fertilizer for the perfect brug. LOL

Kell, I will check my bag when it gets light out but the closest I can see is the nursery blend....I cant read the smaller print on that bag but it would seem to be the one out of all you showed....Judy

I purchased the MG yesterday and the numbers are 24-8-16 not the same as they used to be.

I went out and looked at mine. It is the Sta Green Flower Planting Mix.

I would think the Premium Container Mix and All Purpose Potting Mix with Fertilizer all would be good. It's according to price. I know My Fl. Planting Mix was cheaper than MG same size bag, so I bought Sta Green.

Can you believe all these choices.........decisions, decisions!

Many thanks, Judy. What I would do without DG I don't know. This is my first brug and I'd like to do everything right. I have loved all the pics people send in and have seen brugs in bloom around here. After slaughtering many plants in over 60 yrs of gardening thru ignorance I haven't a lot of time left for mistakes. Guess I shouldn't have taken up gardening in the first place but it gets in your blood.

Thanks Judy! And thanks Gloria. You are right, too many choices. Too confusing and I bet most are the exact same thing. Supersoil I bought for years and years and now there are about 10 kinds of theirs too, I think MG soil started all of this. The money I pay for dirt too. I think it is my biggest garden expense besides the plants themselves.

Doris, you have the new kind. The old kind is 15-30-15 which I believe they are not making anymore. I was looking at their site and it is no longer listed.
http://www.miraclegro.com/index.cfm/event/ProductGuide.category/category/%2FCategories%2FProducts%2FMiracle-Gro+Plant+Food.

Last year I tried the tree spikes, I put them in late this year. But that is a way to go too if you are not so great about watering them with ferilizer which I am not.

Kell it looks like MG just changed the name of the original MG 15-30-15 to Bloombooster. Bloombooster is listed under the procucts. It looks like they just dropped there line of the Original Bloombooster which was 10-52?-10.

I have been using Peter's 20-20-20 for a couple of yrs with excellent results and it has disappeared from the Lowe's shelves here. MG is now selling a 20-20-20 in their professional nursery line. Unfortunatley the only place I have found it local is in the nurseries and it is pricey. I did find Expert Gardener 15-30-15 and will be switching to it. EG is a product line at Walmart.

I really wish they would stop all this new improved crap. Everytime I find something that works best for me they go and change it and it's not always for the best.

Dott

Dott you are a good investigator! LOL. MG has a 20-20-20. I saw it for the first time at a nursery the other day, I am going to try it.
Miracle-Gro® Nursery Select™ All Purpose Water Soluble Plant Food
http://www.miraclegro.com/index.cfm/event/ProductGuide.product/documentId/f44b43a2b77678e73f1962aea7c6af6f

I notice they are doing the same thing with candy bars. Gone are the days when you had just a candy bar now one kind of chocolate bar can have 10 products with it in.