So done with Miracle-Gro

Just watching TV today and saw a new ad for Miracle-Gro. I guess now they want to be considered the "sexy fertilizer"??? What the heck is with this commercial? I guess some folks really do believe that sex will sell anything. For goodness sakes. I'll give my money to another company, thank you. I found this disgusting.

By the way, Scotts is the maker of Miracle Gro.

I am with you! I use organic fertilizer from here: http://www.mcgearyorganics.com/Fertilizer/OrganicFarmFertilizers.html

They are in Lancaster, PA but have dealers that distribute. I mostly use 5-3-4 and mix in with the planting hole as well as broad distribution when tilling.

-Kim

Kim, how nice to see a post from you...how's the gardening going?

Hi Betty, It is going under a few inches of rain at the moment! LOL and it is 45F here today - this is MAY?!? I have my tomato babies protected at the moment as they are not in the ground yet. I am off to FL on Wed. for a week to see my family so they may have to wait..... good luck Wednesday to you. I will be thinking good thoughts.

I love organic. I try to stay as close to organic as I can, but sometimes it's not always easy...we all know how that goes. I just bought 2 bags of MG potting soil 3 days before I saw their new commercials. I'll have to find something that's not from Scotts from now on.

I know a lot of folks may not agree with me...a lot of folks may not understand where I'm coming from with this post...but I just find it so aggravating. They can't sell their products on merit to gardeners or what? They have to go low and sex things up. It really does make me sick.

I really didn't realize how "sex crazy" things were in this world until a few years ago I went to buy clothes as a gift for my 11 yr old niece. Holy Cows! I couldn't believe what I found in the stores. Mini-mini skirts, shirts to let her tummy show...just unbelievable to me.

I'm not a prude. Believe me. I have worn my share of mini-skirts (growing up in the 80's who didn't?). But, I guess it's all just gotten to me lately or something.

I mean, c'mon...which is going to sell MG to us better? A commercial showing a young model's bare midriff with some flowers tucked into the top of her way too low pants...and music in the background saying "Oh, you sexy thing." Or a commercial telling us what is in the products and how they work to make our plants and flowers happier and healthier.

Whenever I see something like this I also can't help but wonder if the company is going downhill fast and if this is a last-ditch effort to try to regain sales and customers. I'm assuming this ad was targeting young folks who really don't know a lot about gardening, lol. It sure seemed so to me, because I just can't see a knowledgeable gardener buying MG because of the sexy models. At least that's not what I base my fert purchases on anyway.

This year I will be using compost and manure tea. I was luck enough to get a truck load of both already this spring! Oooh, yeah! Now, let's see some sexy models dipping out some manure tea in their half shirts and shorty shorts...actually I think I would like to see that. mwahahahaha

Anyone have a link? I am trying to picture an ad that meets this description, and am failing.

I have not seen the advertisement you are talking about because I rarely watch TV. Although I am a man and do enjoy seeing a beautiful work of art that God has created. Not naked. I can't imagine how a beautiful lady holding a bag of Miracle-Gro would help to sell their product. I get all the pop ups showing a beautiful girl and a handsome man who are looking for a date or someone to marry. For crying out loud these people should already have a date or be married. Something must be wrong with them. Enough enough enough.

They're probably trying to get men to buy. Men are visual and carry images with them their whole lives, easily called up by memory. If they get a man to associate a product brand with a sexy woman, that is a powerful thing when advertising to men. I'm not saying it's right to advertise that way, but that's why they do it.

The marketing peoples are hard at work out there. Good for you Heather to cry foul! No smellavision for the manure tea please:)

Gardenwife, I agree 100% with what you said. Just because it's true and things work that way doesn't mean we should exploit them. I CAN see how a beautiful woman (or a handsome man) holding a bag of MG could help their sales...the same way it helps sell cars, soda, dog food, coffee and everything else that we buy. I have nothing against beautiful people...I used to be one (please read the sarcasm there).

This ad, even though it's actually mild compared to many ads out there, is just too much for me. For some reason I honestly felt let down by the company when I saw it and it made me angry. Of course I also believe that MG has been changing some of their products lately and lots of folks aren't happy about what they are putting out now. They also seem to have joined the "let's wrap our product up in every conceivable way possible and make more money!" group. I've never seen so many MG products on the shelf as I have this spring. Some of them seem useful and a good idea, like the liquid feed introduced a few years ago...but some of this stuff is just plain stupid. They now have "MG Singles"...small packets of MG that I guess are enough to make up one or two gallons of MG liquid fert. Why does anyone need that...other than the company who's making more money off of it. I guess I take it personally when any company starts treating their consumers like they are idiots.

This commercial, as mild as it may have been compared to others, was the last straw for me. It just seemed to remove any and all benefit of the doubt I was giving this company. I was holding out hope that maybe they still cared more about gardening and making a good product than mass marketing and money making...how silly am I?

So, that's what I think about MG now.

BTW, I found a really great synthetic fert I like as well as MG. It's called "Super Bloom". I'll be using that for liquid syn ferts this year. Also, if anyone doesn't know it, the slow release ferts in MG's soil is the exact same thing as Osmocote (the pink bottle). I guess sometimes doing your homework is worth it, at least in gardening. Now, math, that's another story altogether...

Like I said, I don't agree with it. We are really turned off by the registrar/hosting company GoDaddy because of their last few years' ads.

Where did you find Super Bloom?

Oh, yeah, GoDaddy. That place is something. I hadn't seen their commercials...I don't watch much TV either (and I think when you don't watch TV often and then see these commercials it's much more of a shock). When I did see their commercials I switched my hosting to doteasy as soon as my time was up.

Really folks, I'm not a prude. I do believe there is a big difference between beauty and sex though. Beauty should be everywhere. Sexy has it's time and place...and really doesn't need to be where the kids can see it so often and openly. Sheesh, by the time the 6 yr olds now are 20 what will there be for them to discover?

I found Super Bloom a couple years ago when I was doing a fert experiment...I tried making my own MG potting soil (and it came out better than the bagged stuff). While I was at it I tested some other ferts side by side...organic vs. synthetic was one of the tests. I had been telling the lady who owns one of our local nurseries about it and she talked me into trying the Super Bloom that she uses. I really like it.

It's a granular just like MG and you mix it basically the same way. You use it every 10 days, which makes it somewhat easier to remember than the 2 week cycle for MG. I use it on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month. That makes it simple for a forgetful person like me. I haven't seen it at Wal-Mart yet, so I buy it at the nursery. I know I've found it online before too. I'll look up the company and post a link here.

Here's the link to the site of the company who makes it, the Super Bloom is the last one listed on this page
http://www.greenlightco.com/products/_PlantCare.htm

Super Bloom is 12-55-6 plus iron. MG all purpose is 24-8-16. Osmocote (pink bottle) is 19-6-12. (I didn't realize that Osmocote is made by Scotts...same co as who makes MG.)

NPK - the P (phosphorus) is what promotes blooms and fruit (if there's anyone on DG who didn't know that already...I had to look it up tho). Too much N (nitrogen) will produce lots and lots of gorgeous deep green leaves...and no flowers. And K (potassium/potash), well, nobody really cares about that and that's why it's always listed last. ^_^

Thanks for the info on Super Bloom. I Googled it and it comes up on Home Depot's site. I'll have to check around locally.

If you try some please let me know what you think of it. I'm really interested in what other, more knowledgeable gardens think of it.

Heathrjoy -
I've seen the MG commercial and I think it's a little too slick and sends out the wrong message to would-be gardeners. I've never been a big MG fan and have had a hard time believing that feeding a water-soluble fertilizer alone is good for plants (hydroponics aside). I don't even like to use it in spring as a "jump start" to the growing season. I am interested in your recipe for potting soil. I've been buying the big bag of MG at Sam's because it's convenient but I'm not crazy about the way it cakes up in the pot after watering several times. Would you be willing to share your recipe?
Many thanks.

Certainly, Cindy. I have it in my DG Journal...or Diary...or, um...let me find it, lol.

Right after I came up with this recipe MG changed the mixture for their potting soil. I've heard a lot of complaints about the new mixture and experienced some bad things myself. Everything from whole sticks in the mix to being water resistant to turning into a sludge like the really cheap potting mixes. I wrote up a LOT about the experiment I did and how I came up with my recipe, so I'll include the link to where I have it posted (once I find it). But, here's a warning...it's a long read! LOL!

Here's the recipe...

Base Recipe
2 parts Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss
1 part Composted Mini Pine Bark Nuggets
1/4 part Perlite
3 teaspoons Water Crystals in 3 Quarts (12 cups) Water

For the MG Mix I used Base Recipe and then added enough Osmocote for the size of the pot I was planting into, following the directions on the Osmocote packaging.
Here's the link to my LONG "blog" on this...
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/heathrjoy/3606/


My "Base Recipe" was used to test other ferts right up against MG. I wanted to have everything the same except for the ferts, so this is what I used. If you're not crazy about synthetic ferts like MG or Osmocote then you could easily substitute an organic fert or add whatever you'd like to bring up the NPK.

To come up with this recipe I "translated" the ingredients that were on the bag of MG potting soil...before they changed their recipe to the newer stuff that no one seems to be too happy with now. For the composted pine bark nuggets I just went to Wal-Mart and got a bag of the smallest sized pine bark nuggets I could find. If you look at the bags you'll find some bags have crushed stuff in them from being thrown around...these are the bags you want. Bring them home and empty out the bag and set up a pile just like you would a compost pile. In other words, get a partly sunny spot out of the way and water and turn the pile now and then. Then you'll have composted pine bark nuggets before you know it. When I was doing the experiment I didn't have time to wait for it to actually compost so I sat and took handfuls of the nuggets and chopped them up really fine with a pair of pruners. Yeah, fun. But it worked and was worth it.

For the water crystals (polymers) I used something from a local nursery called "Soil Moist". The owner told me to mix 1 teaspoon per quart of water. That's what she uses. Let it set overnight somewhere that's cool and the sun won't be hitting it or it'll dry out (experience!). I don't like putting dry crystals into my pots because you're never really sure how much they are going to expand. If you put too many in they can actually pop your plants right out of the pot. (again, experience!)

I think that's about it. Have fun with this. I usually mix all this up in a big wheelbarrow and then store it in 33 gallon totes so I have it on hand. Writing all this makes me want to go mix some up!

You can get 4 pounds of those polymer crystals at http://watersorb.com for $30, including priority mail shipping. They have smaller quantities, too. I just ordered 4 pounds last night. :)

Thanks GW! I think I'm going to order some of those. Hey did you follow the link to the lighted ice cubes? How cool (and cheesy) are these things? I just gotta get some!!

http://www.litecube.com/

Those are crazy! LOL They'd make interesting centerpieces, but I don't think I'd want to have them in my drink even though they're supposed to be food safe.

Well, just don't put them in YOUR drink...just everyone else's! tee hee hee

I would also add some coir to the mix - very lightweight and holds lots of water without added wetting agents. I love the stuff and use it instead of peat. Those crystals are the best for containers!

-Kim

Kim, great advice. I'd love to play around with that kind of idea, but we are so limited by what is available to us here. We really are in the boonies. I traveled 2 1/2 hours one way for my first plant swap...and it was worth it! Yes, DH thinks I'm crazy...but that's nothing new...

Heathrjoy -
Thanks for sharing your info! I used to use the mini nuggets for mulching but found that it washed away into unwanted places. Do you think hardwood mulch would work? I've been using it for general mulching purposes as opposed to cedar or pine. I have clay soil and will occasionally dig it in to help break up my soil. From your experiment, do you think there's a way to amend the widely-available MG potting soil or is it a hopeless case?
I would love to find an organic fertilizer. I generally just buy a balanced fertilizer for general use. Does anyone know of a brand to look for? I've got the box stores here and am in semi-rural area but no one seems to be going the organic route. Would love to also find one for lawn purposes.
I'm all for mixing my own so any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks again.

Cindy -

I've heard good things about Gardens Alive. The reviews at DG are mixed, but I've had good experience with them in the past. They carry a good range of natural products. http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/146/

Kimberley

Gardenwife -
I've ordered several things from Gardens Alive over the years and will have to check into their catalog again. I was hoping to find something locally (to save on shipping) but am having a hard time with this. I'm not always a good planner to order ahead of time but perhaps I need to fight the spontaneous nature of my gardening chores.
Thanks for the tip.