Thread: Miracle Grow?
View Single Post
  #9   Report Post  
Old 24-06-2013, 09:48 PM posted to rec.gardens
mj mj is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Mar 2009
Posts: 191
Default Miracle Grow?

On Monday, June 24, 2013 3:38:13 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote:
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...


Gosh I guess I will stop complaining about our lake level being down 18 inches. There is still plenty for the irrigation system I use to water.
MJ