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New Castle, Indiana

Or really any other water soluble ferts in addition to the amendments? I've been talking back and forth with Eric about this and I know MG has some products that are just bad...like their potting soil apparently. But I was already planning to use the 18-18-21 MG on the rest of my garden and just wondered if it wouldn't hurt to do it on the amended patch as well.

5/10/2023 4:31:49 PM

San Diego

No, it kills pumpkins

5/10/2023 4:43:59 PM

Syracuse, NY

Wow- I guess I'll have to be REALLY lucky for yet another season. Well, Steve, I did say to seek the advice of others as you saw fit, so in not knowing that it was 18-18-21 which I did not know of or about, and although I may have even used it before, (CRS?) I did also mention that they make different formulations of it, and that doesn't appear to matter in our case butt if it were all I had or saw at the store, other than the ones I recommended, I would use it until I got another round of 24-8-16 or the 10-52-10 I mentioned. I have NEVER had a plant die, become malnourished, malformed, fail to pollinate nor wither and die nor turn different colors using Miracle-Gro. SO, use your judgement and continue to evaluate MG;
I will, also and will post my entries depicting my use of it.
I'd be happy to get the 18-18-21 and use it, butt I have all that other two I mentioned, lol---eg
PS - High Nitrogen for rapid growth, High P for root development and
eventually, High K for fruit maximization all sound good to me.
DO NOT put it on a pumpkin!!! eg

5/10/2023 5:24:02 PM

Syracuse, NY

I hope I didn't sound too 'Un-chillada', there, folks;
Just telling it like it is for muah;
It's all good and if there've been other, less-than-wonderful experiences with Miracle-Gro, I do not dispute that and consider myself lucky to have had good luck with it - eric g

5/10/2023 5:38:45 PM

Grittyville, WA

I've never heard a top grower advise using it, but thats not to say they dont... I know of one top grower who does.

5/10/2023 7:05:18 PM

Ironton, ohio

I use soluble fertilizer of different names and nutrient ratios, and would wager most do. Can you grow a world record on just m.g.? Probably not. Can you impress the neighbors using only the different varieties of m.g? I’d say almost certainly. Have fun and grow big!

5/10/2023 7:56:00 PM

Syracuse, NY

I have never had the containers out there for display, although
I HAVE shipped seedlings in a couple of the 5 lb. pop-top plastic boxes inside another plain cardboard box;
Just right!
Oh, wait...I see.
Well, we'll see...won't we...
Hmmm, maybe a tee-shirt...eg

5/10/2023 11:34:04 PM

Partlow,Va

Miracle Grow = too much N. Unless you are in terrible soil.

5/11/2023 9:05:06 AM

New Castle, Indiana

Fortunately, I do have ways to test this out. I'll use it a few times on one of my FP's and see what happens. Either way I'll have my answer.

5/11/2023 10:02:23 AM

Roseville CA

Miracle gro is just fine for watering, especially when your plants, when they are in their early stages. Mike Schmitt advises using it, and he uses a similar product which is an all-purpose rose food. The reason MG FERTS are good for early plants is that it has everything in them, including the micros.

5/11/2023 10:05:46 AM

Roseville CA

I would not recommend ammending it in ur patch that would just be a waste of money.

5/11/2023 10:06:17 AM

Syracuse, NY

I use it every time I water, which might be more than the recommended frequency - since I just put my plants out today with 2.5 gals of H2O with 2 Tbsp. MG 10-52-10 for each, it is actually a little weaker than the recommendation, butt the plants have never been fertilized this year, yet. Up until this year, I'd have hit them with the same dosage every time in the basement, on an as-needed basis. In the running, up until they outgrow the 8' X 8' floating row cover greenhouses, they get the 10-52-10 (the norm used to be 15-30-15) and then, once they are freed, it is 24-8-16 until I start seeing male blossoms about to pop open in about a week; This is when I switch to the 10-52-10 again until I'm set with the sets, lol. After that, I may use Urea-Mate 5-10-27 for the remainder of the season (not much N, adequate P and exaggerated K) at the recommended dosage, lol, which is yet TBD, lol. I have my own regimen, I'm sure there are plenty of others for others and it is based mostly on cost and willingness to adhere to a strict schedule, which I am not a fan of, but I know it might be good for my pumpkin weights if utilized.
I doubt anyone amends their patch 100% and then never fertilizes again via foliar, Sankalp, and I doubt that that is what you meant.

Steve, the only reasons I would NOT use fertilizer when watering is if I were out of it
(no, not hung over) and/or I didn't have the time to add it to the water or if simply watering-only was mandatory for a drought situation. Any other time? I will have the MG of my choice in my water, not alternating nor skipping usage of it unless for the reasons above.
Give that FP Hell, lol! eg

5/11/2023 11:42:30 PM

Colorado

Jacks 20-20-20, has everything in it if don't know your soil, just use an EC meter so you know you aren't going to hot. Otherwise, get a test and only use what you actually need throughout the stages of growth, and remember don't be a moron by putting More on

5/12/2023 10:15:04 PM

Wisconsin

There is no problem using a water soluble fertilizer in season with your waterings. I use a water soluble fertilizer almost every watering from when the plants are inside the house to when the pumpkins are on. In season I use master blend tomato fertilizer which is a 4-18-38 plus micros.

5/15/2023 10:22:30 AM

Syracuse, NY

Well, their sales just went up, Mike;
I think I'll try this one:
To Hell with the roots -
Gimme the plant and fruit only, lol!

https://www.masterblend.com/12-0-43-cut-mum-finisher/

eg

5/16/2023 2:22:50 AM

Boston

As others have said there is not one Miracle-Gro but various NPK levels. For some reason Miracle-Gro has this awful reputation with all kinds of myths that it will destroy your soil. Compare the ingredients in Miracle-Gro, Jack's, Plant Marvel, etc...they are basically the same.

5/17/2023 4:03:25 PM

Syracuse, NY

Each of my plants has been in the ground only a week, tops and
we may have a frost in CNY by early morning butt they each showed the initial signs of progress right off the bat, as per usual;

I will, since the first two waterings have been WITH 10-52-10 at
2 TBSP/2 gals then 1 TBSP/1 gal (recommended) only a day apart because we had a very dry bunch of days, make this next watering of tomorrow or Friday strictly water-only; Even III don't wanna overdo it, lol---
Thanks, Boston2021 - eg

5/18/2023 12:14:47 AM

Austin MN

Last year I used a mix similar to master blend tomato fert. I also used some left over orchid fert. (Really good stuff as it had every micro you need and nitrate nitrogen)

I would go every other day with synthetic fertilizer than every other day with organic fertilizers. I did a bunch of teas and biologicals in my organic days.

I jumped my pb from 1305 to 1989.5. In my opinion not that it matters lol having a good balance really was the ticket!

5/18/2023 7:17:41 AM

Seattle, WA

If you're going to add chemical fertilizers, I'd consider supporting a family business like Jack's (JR Peters) vs Scotts Miracle Grow. They will have better customer support and the owners are nice people (Cari Peters).

6/1/2023 11:30:03 AM

Syracuse, NY

I had ordered a Jack's 7-15-30 last year but the INdirect company (not knowing yet to do as you suggest) was not reputable and I never got my fertilizer. Got my money back because my bank did its thing butt by then I had already gotten something else;
Will consider again for late-season, directly-bought, although I did see some
WS XX-XX-46 recently, lol---eg

6/1/2023 12:30:41 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

No, miracle Gro is crap!! Just look at the diaries of proud MG users and you decide.

8/1/2023 10:02:15 AM

Syracuse, NY

I've secretly replaced all of Glenn's fertilizers with Miracle-Gro;
Let's watch! ha ha ha ha ha eg

8/1/2023 12:21:09 PM

Syracuse, NY

Awww, crap, now he'll have anew PB!
1362!!!
Backfire!
Abort! Abort! Abort!
Awww, too late.
Well, it would all be for the better, now wouldn't it?
I'll say 'yeahhhhhh,,' for now---eg

8/1/2023 12:32:23 PM

Grittyville, WA

Slamming miracle grow is gonna confuse some folks, it really is used by very respected growers... but it is also used as a short cut around better ways of doing things.

For example, it would be better if I had adequate phosphorus already in the ground, but instead I'm burning my leaves up with excess salts that it doesnt need just to put more phosphorus into the plant. Hmm... yes indeed, maybe I should order something different online.

8/1/2023 6:25:26 PM

Syracuse, NY

LK - If you're 'burning your leaves up' it isn't from the Miracle-Gro, if that's what you're using. You'll soon see the condition of my plants in my diary. I certainly have no complaints and therefore, no one else should make a stink about it. It's all a matter of...well, there I go again.
Use MG if you want, or else if you don't because of another's negative opinion (do you CARE???) you are just another puppet.
Please recall all the BS you have taken in the last month alone, lol---eg

8/1/2023 11:36:23 PM

Grittyville, WA

Every day is a new day... Thats a philosophy that works for me...

As for my leaves, some look great but others are bloated, curled, suffering from excess iron, or whatever... the point is the MG adds things I dont need, things that the poor leaves are already stuffed full of. Also, it lacks other things that I'm finding to be really important. But in favor of MG... its what they have at the hardware store, and silly me I am so old fashioned, I actually like going to the store, even though to the younger generation its the equivalent of a rotary telephone.

I had no idea how much of a dense skulled novice I was when I started posting on here... I had a lucky second year and thought I knew enough to deserve a little respect but in hindsight, I didnt deserve any then, and I'm not sure I deserve any now.

So I'm going to play victim.

This is an amazing website for sharing and learning. Lets all keep it that way as best we can.

8/2/2023 1:25:09 AM

Syracuse, NY

Yeah, okay, you go do that while I wonder how
in Hell it is 49.5 F here.
Pffffttt!!!
Perhaps a trigger for my loaded itsy-bitsies!
At least my heater in my car is up to it---eg

8/2/2023 3:42:56 AM

Partlow,Va

"The best fertilizer for your garden is your footprints"

8/2/2023 7:51:12 AM

Syracuse, NY

...which reminds me to get a LOT more walking boards,
butt I get the sentiment, lol---eric g

8/2/2023 10:22:30 AM

Torrance, Ca.

lol Hank!



Good luck to you this year! You have that extra push from Jesus on your side!:)

8/2/2023 11:46:22 AM

Partlow,Va

"It takes less time to do a thing right, then to explain why you didn't". This is probably my favorite saying. I have a block of wood with this on it that has been on my dresser since I was 10 or 12 I guess. See it every morning.

8/3/2023 9:16:58 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Love it ! You will have that block of wood for the rest of your life!

That block of wood can be used in all aspects of our life to make us better people.:)

8/3/2023 10:04:13 AM