Why is Miracle Grow junk?

[Mike Allen]

I have a dislike for garden/plant chemicals. Recently I decided to treat the Peace Lily and the Maranta, both plants proud possessions of my late dear wife. She had cared for them for about thirty years... As Mentioned. I am not a fan of chemicals, so a careful study of the directions for use, and a re-read. Correct preparation and here goes. Here goes!!!!!!! and the plants went. Within a couple of days, these long-lived plants popped their clogs. So from now on. Chemicals and me, are even more distanted.

 

[roadrunner]

You gotta be careful of where you get your hay/straw/manure

Dear MOTHER: February/March 2013 – Mother Earth News

Reader letters about killer compost, broody hens, setting out to farm, the beyond-monetary riches of a garden, pollution from nuclear weapons, genetically modified foods, composting meat and fat, and more.

www.motherearthnews.com

Excerpt:

Killer Compost Keeps On Killing: ‘I Feel Completely Violated’
In fall 2011, I picked up a double load of composted cow manure from a local farmer. I diligently spread it into my new garden beds and around my young fruit trees and blackberries. After doing so, I noticed the leaves on my blackberries started to curl a bit, but I wasn’t too worried at that point.

Come spring, however, almost everything I had planted in my garden beds exhibited bizarre growth — if it grew at all.


I was completely perplexed until I realized the manure was the only constant between all of the plants that were having issues. I called my friend Jo, who had used some of the same manure, and she, too, had damage to her crops.

Googling terms such as “manure,” “distorted growth” and “leaf curl” finally led me to discover that my supposedly organic amendment had been contaminated by a persistent herbicide known as aminopyralid.

This stuff is an ecological WMD, and we have Dow AgroSciences to thank for it, along with the many extension offices that recommend it for treating spiny amaranth and other broadleaf weeds. After a field has been sprayed, it’s supposedly safe for livestock to graze on. But after being eaten, digested, excreted and composted — even for years — aminopyralid will still destroy plants.

I feel completely violated. My ground was poisoned, about $1,000 worth of perennials and veggies were ruined, and I still have a pile of toxic manure sitting in my yard. The cattle farmer refunded the $60 I’d spent on his manure, and also confirmed that he had indeed sprayed his fields in the summer with “Grazon,” an herbicide that contains aminopyralid. He had no idea it would go through the cows and ruin the manure — but he does now. I’m telling anyone who will listen: Watch your back. There’s hardly anything safe anymore, especially if it has come in contact with Big Ag.

David Goodman
Ocala, Florida

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Well, for many boxes of the stuff @ $2.00 per box at least they weren't overcharged too much. As they say "One man's garbage is another man's treasure."

$2.00 for "many boxes" .

 

[mgmine]

Here is the thing, go to any large nursery and look above their plants. You will see a tube and that tube is attached to a fertilizer tank. So if you buy annuals or vegetables you are buying things that have been grown with the likes of Miricle Grow. If it didn't work and work well they wouldn't use it. If they didn't use it then their plants would look like what the average gardener has in his or her garden a month after they plant their previous beautiful healthy plants. That is the answer for all those that ask why their plants don't look as nice as they did when they bought them. A nursery can grow 50,000 beautiful healthy plants but the average person struggles to grow a handful of plants. As far as anything else, as I have said, no matter how often or how loud you say something it doesn't make it true. To get straight facts before turning on your computer call your local cooperative extension. The internet is full of misinformation and personal opinion. Yes, this is my personal opinion but go to a nursery, look at their spring plants, and decide for yourself whether Miricle Grow works or doesn't work.

 

[Chuck]

Here is the thing, go to any large nursery and look above their plants. You will see a tube and that tube is attached to a fertilizer tank. So if you buy annuals or vegetables you are buying things that have been grown with the likes of Miricle Grow. If it didn't work and work well they wouldn't use it. If they didn't use it then their plants would look like what the average gardener has in his or her garden a month after they plant their previous beautiful healthy plants. That is the answer for all those that ask why their plants don't look as nice as they did when they bought them. A nursery can grow 50,000 beautiful healthy plants but the average person struggles to grow a handful of plants. As far as anything else, as I have said, no matter how often or how loud you say something it doesn't make it true. To get straight facts before turning on your computer call your local cooperative extension. The internet is full of misinformation and personal opinion. Yes, this is my personal opinion but go to a nursery, look at their spring plants, and decide for yourself whether Miricle Grow works or doesn't work.

No one has said it didn't work. It works fine IF USED CORRECTLY. What everyone is saying is to look at all of the negatives when using this stuff. A serious pollutant and a soil destroyer. These are proven facts. And it is not just Miracle Grow, it is ALL chemical fertilizers.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Well, there goes another otherwise useful and informative thread @Esther Knapicius

Not certain what is meant by that statement. hummmm.

 

[Tetters]

Here is the thing, go to any large nursery and look above their plants. You will see a tube and that tube is attached to a fertilizer tank. So if you buy annuals or vegetables you are buying things that have been grown with the likes of Miricle Grow. If it didn't work and work well they wouldn't use it. If they didn't use it then their plants would look like what the average gardener has in his or her garden a month after they plant their previous beautiful healthy plants. That is the answer for all those that ask why their plants don't look as nice as they did when they bought them. A nursery can grow 50,000 beautiful healthy plants but the average person struggles to grow a handful of plants. As far as anything else, as I have said, no matter how often or how loud you say something it doesn't make it true. To get straight facts before turning on your computer call your local cooperative extension. The internet is full of misinformation and personal opinion. Yes, this is my personal opinion but go to a nursery, look at their spring plants, and decide for yourself whether Miricle Grow works or doesn't work.

Having worked in a nursery for many years, I have to say I have never seen a fertiliser tank with a tube attached. The internet is indeed full of misinformation and personal opinion. My own personal opinion is formed by years of experience, not reading the internet.
It is this experience that some of us older and more experienced gardeners try very hard to share with those who still have much to learn and much time to learn it. It is what we like to think of as being helpful.

'' Miracle grow''
In the UK amongst the growers I know, none of them would entertain using this particular rubbish.

 

[marlingardener]

Don Perry, "sheep tea" is simply sheep manure in water. I use "steer tea" for my vegetable plants because in Texas there are a lot more steers than sheep!
Just put about 3" of manure in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket, add about 3 to 4 gallons of water, stir, and before using, stir again. The manure tends to settle, so you have to keep stirring to make it dissolve. It's a very mild fertilizer so you don't have to worry about burning the plants.

 

[Mike Allen]

I totally agree with Tetters. Leaving aside ones qualifications and all that. We as gardeners or garden or plant lovers, enjoy sharing with others our joys and up's & downs of our hobby or profession. I for instance learned what perhaps is known as the correct way. However. We all at some point deviate from the 'straight & narrow' and do things our way. If it works for ME then, I will do it or use it.

Personally. I so often disagree with all this feeding of plants. I would never dash a fellow gardeners method and say. I am right and you are wrong. Commercial growing is so much more scientific and COSTLY. We home gardeners have to watch the pennies and continue to enjoy gardening and plants.

 

[headfullofbees]

I have used Miracle Grow in the past and had very good results. I have been told to throw that JUNK away. WHY?

If it wasn't Chuck who told you to throw it away, it was probably I.
It's a poisonous salt, which will kill your soil.
Why would you think that anything BLUE would be a good idea to put on your food?
It also kills mycorrhizal fungus, which benefits your plants, because of the high levels of phosphate.

 

[headfullofbees]

Here is the thing, go to any large nursery and look above their plants. You will see a tube and that tube is attached to a fertilizer tank. So if you buy annuals or vegetables you are buying things that have been grown with the likes of Miricle Grow.

Yup. Get it home and it dies.
I grow from seed, & my plants are healthier, cope better with adverse weather & temperatures, and are less inviting to pests and disease.

 

[headfullofbees]

I totally agree with Tetters. Leaving aside ones qualifications and all that. We as gardeners or garden or plant lovers, enjoy sharing with others our joys and up's & downs of our hobby or profession. I for instance learned what perhaps is known as the correct way. However. We all at some point deviate from the 'straight & narrow' and do things our way. If it works for ME then, I will do it or use it.

Personally. I so often disagree with all this feeding of plants. I would never dash a fellow gardeners method and say. I am right and you are wrong. Commercial growing is so much more scientific and COSTLY. We home gardeners have to watch the pennies and continue to enjoy gardening and plants.

I get yields as good as farmers, study organic methods like a geek, and it seems that the only extra cost is labour intensiveness, e.g. you can't autofeed through a hose anything with lumps in it.

 

[headfullofbees]

My wife because of her disability, buys a lot of stuff on shopping channels. For this reason I'm aware and have used this stuff for years.
It works fine, but is expensive. £25 for 2.5kg plus postage.

View attachment 77706

This is also weapons industry grade poison.

 

[Tetters]

I would be very interested to hear what comments might be made on these two products - especially from @headfullofbees, and @Chuck.

Also, this product

(pretty) please

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Above mentioned "Sheep Tea". The Amish go about on their fields and use "Cow Tea". it is sprayed from the back end of a wagon as the horses pull the wagon about. If the wind blows just right it can be a horrid drifting smell.

Kind of humorous someone mentioning Blue Dye on their foods, when people love that red velvet cake which has a 1/4 cup of yucky red dye in it. I myself can taste that type of dye in foods.

Having supervised many people over the 55 years in management I learned that all ages and experiences can add to conversations, or can trigger the outcome to solve a problem. It is important to value the opinion of others, not necessarily embrace and change your life over it, but value it.