Miracle Gro

[sixshooter]

Someone build a case against it for me. I planted my first garden this year, and it exceeded my expectations. However my uncle, who lives approx. 2 hours north of me here in michigan, had even bigger meatier peppers. He used Miracle Gro and it burned my a-- a bit because I wanted to out do him. He claims some of it has to do with his garden being on lake property, something about the steam in the morning.

anyways. I used organic plant food last year, and it helped. why should I continue to use organic next year? honest open minded question. thanks!!

[webmaster]

Salt based fertilizers hurt the soil, is harmful to it. Romans used salt to sterilize the soil of countries they wanted to punish.

Maybe the reason for your smaller tomatoes might have something to do with the amount of sunlight and temperatures? Tomato is a fruit. How well do fruit typically grow in your area?

[sixshooter]

so salt based fertilizers are good for your garden for like a year and then become harmful?

alot of varitities of tomoato grow great here in michigan. actually mine produced an amazing amount of fruit.

the main difference I saw was in his bell peppers. he had huge red bell peppers that were just slightly smaller than a softball. my bell peppers were about 50% smaller than his. But I planted late. proboly has a lot to do with it. I decided to plant a garden on a whim last year and fell in love with it.

[applestar]

It could be difference in the variety you planted?

Why don't you spend this winter looking for bigger varieties and start from seed?
You might also start with better grown/bigger transplants if you manage it right.

Pepper transplants are a bit more delicate than tomatoes, but I believe early season extenders like wall-o-water or bubblewrap around the smaller tomato cages that are useless for tomatoes but great for peppers and eggplants would allow you to plant earlier too.

Have fun and good luck!

[David Taylor]

It's a matter of sustainability as well. Over time the salts build up, and certain nutrients simply disappear. Miracle Gro is mostly ammonium nitrate, a very limited commercial-style chemical fertilizer. I know the people who grow the thousand-pound pumpkins use Miracle Gro, and it's hard to argue with that kind of bragging right. Organic gardening is not instant gratification, its a complete system, a well-thought out philosophy, which, while it gives you a product, is also a learning experience that no book of wisdom can impart. Embrace it or reject it, you better first do some research and find out what it is. I've been gardening on the same land for fifteen years, now, and because I'm organic, I'll be getting food year round for another fifteen years, God Willing.

You might want to try Square Foot Gardening. You can get some huge production out of one of Mel’s plots, and you can blow a lot of money on it.

[sixshooter]

It's a matter of sustainability as well. Over time the salts build up, and certain nutrients simply disappear. Miracle Gro is mostly ammonium nitrate, a very limited commercial-style chemical fertilizer. I know the people who grow the thousand-pound pumpkins use Miracle Gro, and it's hard to argue with that kind of bragging right. Organic gardening is not instant gratification, its a complete system, a well-thought out philosophy, which, while it gives you a product, is also a learning experience that no book of wisdom can impart. Embrace it or reject it, you better first do some research and find out what it is. I've been gardening on the same land for fifteen years, now, and because I'm organic, I'll be getting food year round for another fifteen years, God Willing.

You might want to try Square Foot Gardening. You can get some huge production out of one of Mel’s plots, and you can blow a lot of money on it.

wow. well put. sold on keeping it organic. me and my uncle are just kinda competitive by nture. hes retired and single though, so he has all the time in the world. I was beyond happy with my garden last year and found a peace while working in the garden and watching the plants grow that I havent felt in a long time. I hope to plant a garden every summer ofmy life from here on out, so I will stay organic and treat the ground proper.