Okay, this is for those of you that don't use chemicals...how do you feel about using miracle grow? I haven't used it, mostly because I'm ignorant to what's in it and don't know if there are non-organic additives in it. My stuff is not near as big or flowers as long as my SIL who uses it on everything. What's your take on the subject?

Miracle-Grow All-Purpose Plant Food Contains 15% total Nitrogen; 30% available Phosphate; 15% soluble Potash; and minor amounts of Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, and Zinc.

Miracle-Grow for tomatoes...
1.4% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
2.6% Nitrate Nitrogen
14.0% Urea Nitrogen
18% Phosphate
21% Soluble Potash
0.50% Magnesium
0.10% Iron
0.05% Zinc

Hi Mary,

miracle gross is definitly not organic.

I'll try to explain how it works.

Using a synthetic formulation that consists of various forms of sodium and other ingredients, the stuff forces the cells at the growth stage of a plant (leaves, flowers, fruit) to open more than designed by Nature, in order to accelerate nutrient transfer which concentrates energy at the "visible" areas.

Problem is that, if you stop using it, the process collapses. Ergo you are told to keep using it.

That is the "junkie aspect". Aside from affecting the natural order of a plant's intake/transfer of nutrients, the stuff also sours the soil by dumping excess sodium near the stalk. This in turn hurts the micro organisms that make a soil work, thus sterilizing a soil after prolonged use.

duckie

Wow

I had no idea.

Thanks Duckie! That was excactly the kind of info I was looking for. Though I can't help but wonder...

When I didn't see any form of sodium (at least not that I recognize) on Rugby's list, I went digging for the MG site, and looked at their label for plant & veggie soil. They list the N/P/K content, but nothing else really - of coure the percentages don't add up to 100, so I wonder what else is in there - meaning, is the sodium and other stuff not listed, or is what not listed just the compost variables that are in the soil. Hmm.

So, I figured I'd check out their organic soil mix - without getting into a science thesis, the mixture is similar, but the contents are derrived from manure alone, rather than additives, but seem to contain close to the same mix of NPK. So, I'm still confused about what's in their stuff, 'organic' or not...

They refered the reader to a website to see levels of metals in their mix - which only gives you an option for the Oregon and Washington depts of agriculture - which in turn lead me in yet another circle, finding no results in their search engine for 'miracle gro' - but finding reports in oregon that Scotts had violated some of their testing requirements, and had a cease and desist order to stop the distribution of their product in Oregon! Hmmm!

If you've read this far, thanks If you find any other info about MG, please pass it along - it's peaked my interest now!

DUCKIE~~~~~~~~~>
Very Nice Explainion!!!!!!!!

I have to admit, being organic here....
Butttttt, on very few occassions,
I will use it....
Mainly for shock and transplanting, ONLY!!!
*a quick shot of it, if I can, before transplanting, and a dose or two afterwards..
the plant has lost it's ability to soak up stuff
from the dirt or whereever, so I only give it a quick fix until it can re~establish it'self......

I use the slower to release types of fertilizers,
Compost, Bone Meal, Magnesium *Epsom Salt*, and manures...when planting in the hole or mixed in the dirt/soil mixture I mix up...