A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Miracle Grow?

What's the difference between Miracle Grow water and Miracle Grow pills (little beads)? I got the new kind that has continous release used every 3 months.

I think the water one washes away with every watering and the beads one will slowly release particular amount with every watering.

Miracle Gro powder mixed with water gives instant nutrients to your plants and it won't burn them, even if you pour it directly on the plant (don't put it directly on houseplants, only in the soil), as a matter of fact you're supposed to also pour it on the plant itself. I still use the water/powder on everything I grow, along with the slow release fertilizers. It gives them an instant boost.

You'll find there's a difference in the taste of vegetables, and all plants are healthier, less pests and diseases, if you garden organically. Meaning, no chemical fertilizer. It takes some research, don't quit what you're doing now, but fans of organic love it. Keep reading and posting and you'll see what I mean.

Hey Dave, You know I had been useing that MG too, can I switch now and save the "taste" of my garden? What should I use once I put them out there or should I start now (seedlings indoors) YOu mentioned that "fish stuff" Do you know of any web resourses for telling you what to use and when to use it?

I doubt it will affect the taste using it now...besides, you'll love your home grown tomatoes no matter what! They are worlds apart from anything you'll ever buy.
The best thing to do is add lots of good stuff to the soil. Compost, manure that has aged or composted, blood meal, bone meal, cottonseed meal, coffee grounds...the list goes on. There's a lot of discussion of it here, both in this area and the "Organically Speaking" section. You might want to Google "lasagna gardening" and look at that method. One brand of fish emulsion I buy is "Alaska" brand. I'll try and Google that and see what comes up. Hey, we're all learning all the time...
Oh yeah...one thing some people love is liquid seaweed extract...Longy uses it when he transplants, and then every couple of weeks after that...I've never used it yet, but I'll be looking for it.

the Miracle grow "powder" is what is called a water soluble plant food. This is good to use on seedlings because you can give them low doses by sub irrigation. And you CAN burn your plants up easy if you mix a higher rate then what is recommended.

The tiny beads are CRF, control released fertilizer. It is similar to Osmacote. They are best incorporated into the soil, so that all sides of the beads have contact with the soil. Also if your pot falls over your fertilizer does not spill out.

Once the fertilizer has been applied, the water will fill the beads fill up with and slowly release fertilizers consistently. There are differing release times on different products, anywhere from 3-12 months.

Me personally, I like the Nutricote brand the best for CRF. It is also sold under the brand name Dynamite. It is a gray colored bead or pearl as they are called in the nursery industry.

I could go on and on about this subject but wanted to keep it short....