Disclaimer: I was curious so I read some stuff by Jerry Baker.

Is it true that adding table sugar to fertilizer is good for a plant. He
suggested boring a hole in the ground and pouring the mixture into that.

Is he for real?




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 08:58:35 -0700, "Mogie"
opined:

Disclaimer: I was curious so I read some stuff by Jerry Baker.

Is it true that adding table sugar to fertilizer is good for a plant. He
suggested boring a hole in the ground and pouring the mixture into that.

Is he for real?

Sugar is a good source of carbohydrates which soil organisms thrive on. When I
have a problem with my soil, I've used sugar to top dress the lawn. It's not a
bad thing to do, but I wouldn't put the sugar (carbon) with fertilizer (probably
way too high in nitrogen) together. It could heat up and destroy soil
organisms, or burn roots.

I would say to stay away from his many ridiculous claims. They are not good
recommendations for sustaining soils or biota. He is mostly interested in
appearance of plants, not much in what's happening in the soil.

IMO of course.

V

"Mogie" wrote:

Disclaimer: I was curious so I read some stuff by Jerry Baker.

Is it true that adding table sugar to fertilizer is good for a plant. He
suggested boring a hole in the ground and pouring the mixture into that.

Is he for real?

He has a lot of weird things.
My sister used a lawn tonic and said it worked great but not in any
comparative way (like treating half the lawn).

I used the Aphid spray (basically onions, garlic, cayenne, a little
dish liquid) and it worked and didn't hurt the plants at all. The next
day almost all the aphids had dropped off. (I used a hand sprayer-I
didn't jet-spray them off) I used a commercial one later in the season
and didn't pay attention that you can't spray it in sunlight. It fried
the plants. The next day the plants were dead and I still had a
hundred aphids on them.


I think much of what he writes reads silly and very bumpkine.

However we all have to realize that plants grow wildly when were
aren't around and even when we do nothing to encourage them. The idea
that basic substances might contain the traces and other elements that
could feed a plant isn't unreasoanble. We all know that NPK isn't
enough to maintain healthy plants. And if we are humble enough we know
that there are a few mysteries going on in the ground and plants that
we don't understand.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
1st Year Gardener