"symplastless" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry Miracle Grow, but you are a prime example of what I mean. They
claim they can sell you plant food.

~snipped for efficient band width usage~

What are you thoughts?

Interesting that this topic was covered in about 4 minutes, in simple
layman's terms, on Seattle's Cisco show a few days ago. Essentially his
message was nourish and build the soil, don't feed the plant. If the soil is
healthy the plant will take care of its self. Test your soil and go organic.
Miracle Gro was mentioned, after a quick sucking of air through the teeth,
nervous chuckle and "Oooo, la la" his answer was pretty much; You'll get
fast lush growth, very pretty for the short term but creates a plant magnet
for sucking insects and disease. Healthy soil, healthy plants more resistant
to insects, disease and extreme weather. Compost, compost, compost and go
organic.

I use no pesticides. My only soil amendments and additions are from a small
worm bin (no longer have a large garden and there's no room for a compost
bin on my apartment balcony) and a bag of organic alfalfa pellets purchased
at a feed store, has been for years. I have a wide variety of exceptionally
healthy trees, vines, flowers (mostly perennials), herbs, various bulbs (the
same ones I planted 6 years ago and they keep right on blooming and
multiplying, like I was told they wouldn't) and plants, many of which I was
told would not grow in containers but are doing beautifully, with only an
occasional spring aphid infestation that is quickly staunched by a good
blast of water. I have also not changed out any of the soil in the pots for
over 6 years and IMO it's now better than the original bagged stuff I
started with. Oh, and not to forget, I give everything a good drink in early
spring and mid summer with liquid kelp. It all works well for me. I have
people from 3 stories below on the sidewalk call up to me when I am working
on my balcony to tell me how incredibly lush and beautiful it looks.

Val