Thread: Miracle Grow?
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Old 24-06-2013, 09:38 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Miracle Grow?

On Monday, June 24, 2013 8:20:22 AM UTC-7, David E. Ross wrote:
On 6/21/13 3:42 AM, mj wrote:

I seem to be having better luck using Miracle Grow instead of 10 10


10. My question is does it have to diluted and poured at the plant


base or because I have an irrigation system can I just sprinkle some


around it? Has anyone tried this? Would it burn the plant even if it


does not come in direct contact with the plant? With the installation


of the electric fences things are growing well, I just would like to


optimize the season. Thanks for any help or ideas.




MJ






For general fertilizing, I use a house-brand of lawn food that is

21-0-6. Yes, I use it in my shrub and flower beds. I do this only once

a year, early in March. I am sure my garden would be more lush if I fed

it more often; but then the additional growth would require additional

water, which is quite precious here. (Counting electricity, natural

gas, and water, water amounts to 58% of my total utility bills,

averaging almost $140 per month for my two-person household and less

than 1/5 of an acre of garden.)



The zero in 21-0-6 represents phosphorus. Phosphorus is generally

wasted when applied to the soil surface. It does not readily travel

through the soil to plant roots. Instead, it should be applied as

superphosphate or bone meal to the bottom of the hole when planting,

where the plant roots will find it. Furthermore, phosphorus is a major

pollutant of streams and lakes. A good handful of bone meal will last a

flowering plant many years.



Some of my plants require special fertilizing at special times. My

camellias and azaleas are fed once a year after all blooming is finished

with a slow-acting commercial camellia-azalea food. My dwarf citrus are

in very large pots with fast-draining mix; since nutrients tend to leach

out, they are fed every three weeks from March until October with either

commercial citrus food or ammonium sulfate, with an additional large

pinch of zinc sulfate. Roses require abundant nutrients; mine are fed

monthly from March through October, alternating between ammonium sulfate

and a commercial fertilizer containing a systemic insecticide.



One size does not fit all.



--

David E. Ross

Climate: California Mediterranean, see

http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html

Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary


Yes, David, water is very, very expensive here. For our NG friends, the So.. Calif area is basically a desert. Not until water was brought here via "Chinatown" aqueduct machinations as the theft of Owens Valley water, etc. could the greater LA area begin to gro and gro and gro, thereby earning Miracle-Gro beaucoup bux.

In the course of some heavy-duty changes like taking out a huge old hedge and moving plants from elsewhere in the garden to avoid huge expense for mature plants in the vacant area, I was bracing for my next water bill.

Right... highest in [censored] years on the plantation.

People do turn to xeroscapic gardening, promoted by City Hall, as well as covering the soil with stones/pebbles/bark, but I guess I'm not ready for such major change. At least not until I have recovered from recent month-long exertions...a few hours a day...light at end of tunnel...