Alaska Fish Emulsion is an excellent product for leafy crops like collard greens, chard, lettuce, spinach, and endive, with a 5-1-1 NPK ratio. It provides the necessary nitrogen for healthy leaf and shoot growth, phosphorus for root development, and potassium for flower and fruit production. To ensure optimal results, it is recommended to under-fertilize than over-fertilize.
Nitrogen promotes healthy leaf and shoot growth, phosphorus supports root development, and potassium helps plants withstand stress from heat or cold. A good all-purpose fertilizer would be a 10-10-10 NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), which works well for most plants and soil types. Phosphorus supports root growth and fruiting, while potassium supports disease resistance and plant hardiness. Most gardeners should use a complete fertilizer with twice as much phosphorus as nitrogen or potassium, such as 10-20-10 or 12-24-12.
A balanced liquid fertilizer with a slightly higher nitrogen content can promote healthy foliage growth and vibrant colors. The ideal fertiliser for producing vegetables, fruits, and other plants is a balanced, slow-release all-purpose fertilizer. Slow-release fertilizers are better for sandy soils and include synthetic, time-release products, and organic fertilizers. Fertilizer is made of three essential elements for plant growth: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
📹 Best fertilizer for indoor plants
Are you wondering what house plant fertilizer to use for indoor plants? I go over a few basic types of house plant fertilizers.
Is 20-20-20 fertilizer good for tomato plants?
To properly grow greenhouse tomatoes, use a premixed soluble fertilizer formulated specifically for these plants, rather than an all-purpose fertilizer like 20-20-20. Tomatoes require a grade with lower nitrogen and higher potassium, along with other essential elements. Companies like Total Plant Industries offer excellent fertilizers for greenhouse tomatoes, and follow the mixing instructions provided.
Is 10-10-10 a good fertilizer for vegetables?
A common recommendation for vegetables is to apply 1 pound of a 10-10-10 fertilizer or 2 pounds of a 5-10-5 fertilizer per 100 feet of row. This fertilizer contains 5 pounds of nitrogen, 10 pounds of phosphorus, and 10 pounds of potassium. Excessive nitrogen application can cause problems with vegetables, such as having all vines and no fruit, poor ear production in corn, many leaves and small roots in turnips, carrots, and parsnips, and killing off symbiotic mycorrhizal-forming fungi required by the plant.
Excess soil phosphorus also shuts down the plant’s ability to produce phytochelates, organic molecules produced by roots to increase iron uptake. Therefore, it is crucial to apply the correct fertilizer proportions for each type of vegetable to avoid potential issues.
Are coffee grounds good for plants?
Coffee grounds are beneficial for plants as they contain essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and trace minerals. They are rich in nitrogen, making them ideal for composting and improving soil structure and water-retaining abilities. However, there are some drawbacks to using coffee grounds.
To give your coffee grounds a second life, opt for used grounds instead of fresh grounds. Fresh grounds are ground-up coffee beans that haven’t been used to brew coffee, while used grounds are leftovers from coffee production. Both types of grounds can be beneficial for plant growth and sustainability.
Can I use 20/20/20 fertilizer on all my plants?
This comprehensive formula has been developed to enhance the size, brightness, and attractiveness of plants, while ensuring a robust and balanced NPK ratio. The product promotes the growth of foliage and stronger roots and is suitable for use with a wide variety of plants, including flowers, vegetables, shrubs, trees, and houseplants. The formula is designed to be used with the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate search results.
How do nurseries grow plants so fast?
To accelerate plant development, growers can increase greenhouse air temperature, which controls crop timing. However, when light is limiting, such as when the daily light integral (DLI) is less than 10 molm–2d–1, poor plant quality can be achieved. High temperatures during the night can delay flowering of short-day plants, such as chrysanthemum and poinsettia, which require a maximum night temperature of around 70° F.
Light intensity can also directly and indirectly accelerate plant development, especially when the DLI is low. For most high-light crops, plant quality also increases with DLI. However, light can be limiting in greenhouses, especially when plants are excessively shaded from hanging baskets or whitewash or shade curtains. It is essential to continuously monitor the DLI to ensure plants receive sufficient light.
What brand of fertilizer works best?
The five most efficacious lawn fertilizers are as follows: Milorganite Slow Release Nitrogen, Organic Lawn Food by Jonathan Green, Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass, and Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed. Of these, Milorganite Slow Release Nitrogen is the most optimal fertilizer overall.
What is the king of fertilizer?
Urea fertilizer is the most important nitrogenous fertilizer due to its high nitrogen content of 46% and its neutral nature. It is a waste product formed naturally by metabolizing protein in humans, mammals, amphibians, and some fish. Urea is widely used in agriculture as a fertilizer and animal feed additive. Its main function is to provide nitrogen to plants for green leafy growth and photosynthesis. However, it can only provide nitrogen, no phosphorus or potassium, making it primarily used for bloom growth.
Urea fertilizer has several advantages, including its high nitrogen content, relatively low production costs, and lack of fire or explosion hazards. It can be used for all types of crops and soils without harming the soil. Its wide application allows it to be used for all types of crops and soils without causing harm.
What is the best homemade fertilizer to promote plant growth?
Rice water, pasta water, potato water, eggshell water, vegetable water, banana peels, coffee grounds, and fish tank water are easy organic fertilizers that can be made at home using everyday ingredients. These fertilizers help plants grow more food by feeding them naturally and avoiding harmful synthetic toxins. By using organic, natural fertilizers, plants can use up nutrients in the soil and avoid harmful toxins that can harm microbiology and kill beneficial insects and pollinators. By using these simple and natural fertilizers, you can ensure your plants receive the nutrients they need to grow.
What fertilizer helps plants grow best?
Gardeners should use complete fertilizers with twice as much phosphorus as nitrogen or potassium, such as 10-20-10 or 12-24-12. Some soils have enough potassium for plant growth, but a slight excess is generally best. Avoid lawn fertilizers as they contain too much nitrogen and may contain harmful chemicals for weed control. Lime is essential for soils with pH levels below 5. 7, as it adds calcium and reduces acidity, raising the pH to an acceptable level.
What does Epsom salt do for plants?
The use of Epsom salt has been demonstrated to positively impact plant growth, flower production, and color, enhance seed germination, and deter slugs and other garden pests. These observations have been documented by generations of horticulturists.
How often should you use 10-10-10 fertilizer?
Applying 10-10-10 fertilizer to your lawn is crucial for its health and growth. Warm-season grasses need four times per annum, starting with the first dose around March/April for mild winters. Cool-season grasses need two doses in spring and twice in fall, spaced 30 days apart. Before starting fertilization, a soil test is recommended to identify any soil deficiencies and potential needs for organic matter.
Fertilizer should be applied in the morning, preferably before 10am, when the weather is expected to be cool and there is no rain forecasted. This allows the fertilizer to soak in before it gets too hot and reduces the risk of being washed away. Choosing the right time to apply fertilizer depends on the type of grass and climate.
📹 What is the Best Fertilizer for Seedlings?
I’ve been on a mission to find the best fertilizer for my seedlings. This video covers the experiment I set up to test what the best …
Oh my gosh! Finally!! I’m in zone 6b!!! I just saw where you are in another article. I’m so tired of sandy soil, southern ca websites! I need a website w/clay soil, snow storms in march & the perpetual cloud of sadness! 😂 I’m in NE Ohio & the beach is my backyard. Im having a hellava time! Can’t wait to dive into your episodes! 💞💞
Thank you Jenna for all of the great information you provide; it has helped me immensely in my gardening in both growing and organizing my garden. This article was very informative and I appreciate all of the effort you put forth to complete your testing articles. You are by far my favorite gardening info provider; It makes my day better when I see you have dropped a new article. Take care!
First of all, I think your experiments are one of the best parts of your website. This one was fascinating. Keep them coming! Second, holy smokes, I’ve been using Agrothrive as my primary water soluble fertilizer in the garden, but I never thought of using it for seedlings. But I sure am sold now! Lastly, I actually use diluted synthetic fertilizer for my seedlings and they are doing really well. It’s something like 1/8 tsp in a whole gallon of water. I’m also using ProMix for the medium, though last year it was coco coir and I didn’t get the negative results that you did with Miracle Gro, so perhaps it’s the concentration.
I kept seeing a Gurney’s commercial and I could swear you were in it and then your wrist tats confirmed it. I found the full length article on Gurney’s website, what a beautiful thing to be a part of. Anyways, I’m in 6b Ohio (Dayton) and love that your information is relevant to what I’m doing in my garden. I’ve always used a syn/org combo for seedlings and small plants but I’m going to pick up the Agrothrive grow and bloom formulas and see how they perform. I’m so excited, most of my seeds are planted/sprouting and it’s almost time to till in my cover crops and start rebuilding my badly depleted soil. Oh, and halfway through the article and looking at the interior of your greenhouse, I bit the bullet and hit the purchase button on a 6×8 poly greenhouse. I hope my wife understands my impulse buying when that thing shows up 😟
I have used “TP-64G Trident’s Pride Organic Liquid Fish Hydroponic Soil Fertilizer” which is pretty much the same as Alaskan’s. But I cannot use this for seedlings that are inside. The odor is overwhelming. My trial of Miracle Grow ($ advantage and no smell) was a disaster for my seedlings this year. Glad to learn of these alternatives. Thank you.
Great article as usual. Been gardening for over 60 years, and always happy to learn more. I have been bottom watering my seedlings with half strength Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed (2-3-1), and have had very good results. Odor not too bad, but NOT perfume! Would love to see a comparison of this with your winners.
Thank you for the incredible articles you recently shared. 🌟 Your content is not only educational but also captivating, and I find myself eagerly awaiting each new upload. Thank you for your dedication, passion, and the valuable insights you provide. Your articles have enriched my understanding and sparked my curiosity. Keep up the fantastic work! Sending you warm wishes and looking forward to more enlightening content from you. 🙌
I never considered the impact that the growing medium could have on my seedlings. I’ve been focusing solely on which liquid fertilizer I use. I wonder if Agrothrive has better mineral content than the others. It’s hard to tell from their label. I bought a small bottle this summer for supplemental feedings in the garden, and I was very happy with the response in my plants. I plan to try it this winter for my seedlings. Thanks for this article. You always teach me something new.
Fantastic information! I wanted to add that I started my cauliflower seeds February 15 in Jiffy sterile seed starting mix. I up potted them March 5th in old miracle grow potting soil. I fertilized with half strength miracle grow fertilizer. Mine are big and beautiful! I also live in Ohio (Wayne county) zone 6a and I am getting ready to plant out! Wish I knew how to send a picture;
Love my AGRO-THRIVE and like the old saying goes “If it ain’t broken…..”! And a great big THANK YOU JENNA! for doing this experiment article! Having a pro like you compare the many product options there are for getting our babies started in life is saving others from what could be years of wasted time and $$$. And some possibly giving up on gardening altogether.
Whoa. Just finished the article. That was freaking awesome: Contenders: NPK ratios: Smell test: Grow test: Root test: Results and Opinions: Mind blowing setup. Honestly, that was a bloody bonzer experiment. Poor MG still not shown any love (rightfully so 😅), and geez did the results speak volumes. Yucky stuff. I’m still processing your results. Sincerely appreciate the transparency too btw. Thank you again Jen. Well done mate, awesome topic and content.
I learned a lot from your article! Thank you!!! One thought, in my experience the Fox Farm products are really good. I think the Fox Farm Grow Big would be the better product to use for seedlings than the Fox Farm Big Bloom. Ohhh, can you add Alaska fish fertilizer if you conduct another experiment? This gave me so much helpful information! Thanks for investing the MONEY and time to do this experiment for all of our benefit!
What a great experiment! Those AgroThrive plants look great, and it was nice to hear it wasn’t too stinky. I use synthetic fertilizers inside and exclusively organic fertilizers outside. My main reason was how stinky many of the organic fertilizers were since we start our seeds below our kitchen in the basement. My other rationale is that outdoors I’m developing a healthy soil ecosystem while indoors there is no real ecosystem to speak of (a sterile seed starting mix in a plastic pot). I bought a bag of Jack’s (25-5-10) a while back that I’ve been using for a few years. But in theory it’s not really much different than the miracle gro products. Some thoughts on the synthetic fertilizer performing badly: I looked up the product you used and it’s not really meant for seedlings. It’s meant as a one time application at time of transplant of an already established plant. It has way too much phosphorous compared to nitrogen (4-12-4). On the instructions it says to start using traditional miracle gro (which is 24-8-16) after 1 week. If you repeat I would suggest trying a different synthetic!
Thanks! very informative. I’ll add one note here. The superthrive vitamin supplement (not the plant food you used) has produced produced better results for me when used with a fertilizer than any fertilizer alone. I’ve used it in conjunction with several different fertilizers and it has always boosted the plants. In one case, adding it to fertilizer revitalized a bush that was not doing well and the fertilizer alone was not doing it.
Wonderful article Jenna. I appreciate all of your effort, time and expense for creating valuable information for us all. I think of you daily as I check on my winter sowing of brassicas in the snow. I never had tried this until you taught me how. One thing I have learned with my tomato seedling starts is that the water I use for washing my laying hen eggs (12 hens) is a bit too strong to use as a fertilizer, despite being diluted. Kind thoughts and regards.. Craig
What a great experiment. Always love your articles. I started my cabbage and broccoli seeds on February 23rd in jiffy peat pods . After they get maybe around 2 inches I unwrap the pod and repot them in miracle grow potting soil. We’ve had a warm week here in N.Y so I planted them out last week because they were as big as yours seedlings that you used the Dr Earth with. I have not fertilized them at all. Just threw some blood meal in the hole when I planted them out. Next week only in the 40s for the high opposed to the 50s and 60s we had last week. Can’t wait to see your tomatoe comparison. I start my tomatoe seeds the same way and do the same as my cabbage and broccoli.
I really appreciate your honesty and sharing that you didn’t want Miracle Grow to be as successful. 😂 I was a bit surprised honestly. Your explanation that perhaps the salts in the coconut coir may have inhibited nutrient uptake was not something I even thought of. Thank you so much! Now I know what to spend my money on. I’ve tried Espoma for citrus and avocado blend and honestly I feel like my worm castings and home compost provided my orange tree with more healthy growth.
Lovely article as usual, Jenna. If you do more testing, maybe try Foliage Pro (by Dyna-Gro, I believe now owned by SuperThrive)? It’s good for houseplants, but doubles as a nice seedling fertilizer. Seems to be the most complete fertilizer on the market. Last year I did soil blocks made of 80% regular pro mix and 20% worm castings, bottom watering every time the blocks were dry (almost daily), with ~1/4tsp Foliage Pro per gallon every other watering. This year I may compare fertilizing on that schedule with a weekly dose that’s a little stronger, with a control of just water, probably using basil seeds.
So informative! Thanks for helping me as an average gardener get better results with my seedlings. Last year I used Neptune’s Harvest with my seedlings and they seemed to do well but I was really impressed by the differences you found between these 9+ fertilizers. I’ll keep my eye open for the AgroThrive or Dr. Earth products in Southern Ontario.
I used the AgroThrive all purpose last year and repurchased a couple gallons for this year. It was so easy to use, and forgiving if I was mixing up a big bucket outdoors. I never had issues with burning plants or even when it was applied at noon by one of my kids rushing through one of “mom’s garden chores”.
This was awesome. I’d be tempted to try a test with some of those fertilizers on a simple grow medium that’s got some micorrhizae in it. I‘ve used Neptune’s Harvest on seedlings in the past, and the roots have typically come out similar to your mid level root development. Then again I’ve always done half strength for seedlings.
Very interesting! I use either Espoma or Hoffman seed starting mix for seedlings and once true leaves emerge a half strength Miracle grow tomato granular fertilizer solution – mostly for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. My rationale for that is for seedlings they don’t care where the NPK comes from, just that it is readily available. And they are only in cells for a few weeks so I’m not trying to create a diverse growing medium. Of course the garden is different. That environment has all sorts of micro nutrient goodies for the plants once planted. But I really appreciate you trying all the different fertilizers. I may try a few you recommended just to see how they do!
Thanks so much! Jenna! Always wanted to do this but haven’t. When you do tomatoes will you try a fertilizer called Mater Magic? I used it two years ago on outdoor tomato plants and they were wonderful! So many tomatoes I was giving them away. I used a different brand last year and just no where near the same results even tho others had raved about it. I actually may try it on my tomato seedlings this year. Again, thanks so much for doing this experiment.
I use Masterblend (tomato and vegetable) for indoor seed starting and my indoor houseplants, because it contains micronutrients. I’d be curious how it compares. It’s a synthetic, but I’ve been impressed with it indoors. I reserve the natural fertilizers like compost, leaf mold, and manure for outdoors in nature.
Thanks Jenna I always get a lot our of your experiments. The differences are amazing! I’ve been using a fertilizer called ReviverX for my indoor seedlings and most things look good although I’ve had difficulty with parsley, celery and oregano. Usually it’s my brassicas but so far they look good. That may be because of the way I sterilized my potting mix this year though and may be totally separate from the fertilizer. I will try the ago thrive next year. So many variables. I can’t wait to get these things out into my compost beds where I know they’ll be ok.
This just goes to show, throwing money at plants does not always work. Really enjoy when you present real world comparisons of commonly used products. Me personally, I will stick to my homemade compost and worm casting extracts, it is free, just a bit of labor. I did purchase a bag of EndoBoost Pro Mycorrhizal Fungi, I used mycorrhizal fungi in my potting mixes a few years ago and I did see a difference. Nice experiment, a lot of good information. Thanks for all the work you put into it. Stay Well!!!
Thorough and informative. Many thanks. My soil blocks are made from vermicompost and ProMix BX and all seedlings are grown out using diluted urine. I’ve found that combination to be incredibly cost effective and I produce 1000s of healthy seedlings every year. Once in the ground, everything is fertilized using JADAM liquid fertilizer (aka plant juice). While I’m sure these products are great, and the results you show speak for themselves, their cost is outrageous IMHO when mostly free and excellent quality alternatives are available which reduces the cost barrier of entry for gardening for many people.
Glad to see a fair comparison test. Positive your number 3 method last year work better for myself. I’m having great peppers and tomatoes but onions and broccoli and their relatives. I’ve been having problems with . I am trying perlite and Canada peat myself as I’ve almost given up. I have been using MG to mix half strength after seeing any yellowish problems and at transplanting into my garden. Really surprised I’ll try that winner soon..You worm casting does seem great. Thanks
Thank you for the great information! I was so surprised by Espoma. I had horrible results with their seed starting mix this year when last year I used it and had great seedlings. I had to transplant all my seedlings to try and save them. So far they have perked up. I hesitate to use any Espoma products this year.
My best experience in the 4 seasons with seedlings has been with the added micros and worm casting as you had 3 years back and I experienced trying to adding potting mixture and gardening soil this season that I’m thinking root rot has damaged this season problems but my notes are mixed up so I’m not positive just what plants are damaged due to the roots damage but seems like my plants do have a problem. Going with your seedlings mixture but only half the worm coming. Perhaps I’ll keep better records hopefully next season Thanks
Please please please do this again with another growing medium! Also, I would love to see you use the biostimulant with a couple different fertilizers, as well as by itself, (as well as the sake fertilizers by themselves) I’m a huge Espoma user, so those results definitely shocked me! However I use Alaska fish or Neptunes Harvest Fish Fertilizer for seedlings usually, & then I use their organic granular Fertilizer in the garden.
I laughed out loud at your reaction to the smell of the Espoma fertilizer, and actually replayed that part and laughed again! I know I have reacted that same way and wonder why I, without thinking, repeat that sniff every year. (As far as molasses fertilizers go, MI Gardener has one called Sassy Lass that I have used before). Will you be fertilizing the rest of the underdeveloped seedlings with Agrothrive to give them a boost?
Interesting. One parameter I’d like to have seen is the cost per application. Also, as you kinda suggested at the end, I’d like to see how your top few did with different crops. IS it a good all around fertilizer or did it just happen to be good for what you tested on. OH and one more thought. Were all these actually for seedlings? Forgive me if I missed that with them. But you definitely have got me thinking I should be adding something to my plant starts.
I use granulated miracle grow which is higher in nitrogen. I mix at 1/4 strength and used about three times a week. I get good results. I’m starting seeds indoors because I live in AZ. It is either too hot or too cold to start seeds in order to get them ready for the proper planting time. The lack of odor is my main reason for using this product. Once things get planted, I use organic fertilizers.
Happy Frog is really popular be curious what the results would be. Thank you for doing this. As a first year gardener it’s daunting seeing so many options for granular not too many liquid and everyone recommends something else. I also wonder how much of the results have to do with the location no matter how much you amend the soil.
That is a well-conducted and informative trial. I too was surprised by the poor results using Miracle Gro. I’m not against using synthetic fertlilizers. Anything I’ve read indicates that plants uptake NPK in the same form whether these molecules are produced synthetically or organically. Although I use only compost (and on occasion, fish fertilizer) in my main garden, I use synthetics for feeding my seedlings. I’ve used several different brands of synthetic fertilizers but I don’t recall using Miracle Gro. After seeing your trial, I’ll make a point not to use that product. As well, if I can get those natural fertilizers easily, I’ll probably give them a try. Many thanks for your efforts.
Very well reasoned as always; I am quite surprised at some of the results. I would love to try this experiment sometime; I don’t think I currently have the space to do this, but maybe when the weather is consistently warm. I typically use Neptune’s harvest for my seedlings; I feel like my results are good but I have never compared to other fertilizers. Thanks, for the great experiment! It would be interesting to see this experiment continued with the cauliflower (if you can get them planted out with the weather). It would also be interesting to see it repeated with tomatoes.
This was a very timely article as I tried to figure out why many my early seedlings withered away. Initial results in coir starting medium were great with high germination and strong developing roots. I started light fertilization with MG Quick Start, and everything went downhill. I couldn’t believe how poorly the root systems had developed, after such a promising start. I had plucked a bunch of extra sprouts early in the process (with very healthy roots), repotted in separate containers, and watched those seedlings perform much better (without fertilization). Your thorough and informative experiment definitely shed some light on my issues. Thanks. Still time to regroup!
Excellent article! So surprised about the Espoma. Just ordered some of the AgroThrive to try myself! I typically use the Alaska Brand Fish Emulsion Fertilizer which has a 5-1-1 breakdown of nutrients. I wish you would have tried that one also as it seems to be the one most readily available in stores. Would be curious how that compares.
Good to see AgroThrive tied for first place. Travis at Lazy Dog Farm uses that a lot, and I was wondering about it. I just recently started using Neptune’s Harvest Tomato and Veg because of Brian at Next Level Gardening. I’ve always been confused about what, when and how much when it comes to fertilizers, the hardest part of gardening for me (except for pests). Thank you for your experiment!
I use Neptune’s harvest, Alaska fish emulsion and Garden tone for granular. I do use Miracle grow in my potted flowers only with great results with all of them. I have a feeling the outcome will change drastically if used with better potting soil or in ground beds. I also watch lazy dog farm YouTube website and he uses agro thrive with great results, I have been wanting to try it but it so expensive for a small amount if you buy a larger jug it’s reasonable just don’t want to miss with what’s already working.
Very interesting. Thank you! Can you do different soil mixes? Last year the house was for sale so I opted to grow my peppers in pots with MG Organic soil mix. They did not produce much at all. Previous year I had used just regular DIY soil mix and used an inch of sheep compost as topper and got much better results. Both had also been fertilized with MG as it needed to be used up. This year I get a fresh start and will be adding fertilizer you just tested soon to my seedlings that just appeared yesterday.
Thank you 🙏👏 I’ve been asking but always get told I don’t need to fertilize seedlings. I just know that’s not right in my case. Plus I can’t take the fish stench since my plant room is also my office and closet 🫠 I’ve tried but I’m done. Also, I’m guessing that hemoglobin is maybe a source of iron? It’s an ingredient in malt extract that is often used as a supplement by folks with anemia, etc.
Great job with the experiment – did you use half or quarter strength for the fertilizers? I’ve used Alaska Fish fertilizer, and Fox Farms Grow big at half or quarter strength also use 1/2 cup of pelleted chicken manure to 1 gallon of water soaked overnight (from article from Daisy Creek Farms) all three seem to work well – I just use what I have available at the time.
Hey Jenna, I have some questions about the fertilizers- any idea what the purpose of sucrose and dextrose are in the Espoma brand? Seems strange to include sugar… and also, in the Dr. Earth, does digested food materials and by-products suggest that this is from some sort of processed sewage? Thanks for your great articles, love the approachable science.
Heya Jenna! First, thank you very much for the experiment. The information will come in quite handy. I am going to be trying to start my seedlings hydroponicly, then transplant to the garden. The device came with Miracle Grow (which I refuse to use), so I’ve opted for FoxFarm’s Grow Big Hydroponic Liquid Plant Food. I’ve only heard good things about FoxFarm, but after perusal this, I definitely don’t know if it’s necessarily the best option. And ideas??
Firstly thank you for the test! Secondly, I’m still in the weeds with fertilizers… As a Hungarian I have no chance buying those you tested. I can buy maybe close similar but… The N-P-K profiles of the first three were 3-3-5, 4-4-2, and 4-1-1 as I see they are very different and not much common they have. The 1th and 2nd has nearly similar N and P but really diffrent K, the 3rd has high N but nearly nothig P K… The results shows that all work but how can they work nearly similar with these so much different profiles? Im really confused… Can you please help what guidelines shuld I follow to find a good fertilizer here? 😇☺️
Thanks for all the work put into this. What I noticed is some of the big names and one that many have high marks for are failing to produce quality products. The potting soil in particular! The only reason I bought it was because everyone seems to like these two brands with organic sounding names. I found one to be just Awful! It molds! It’s heavy! And just weird with bits of bark. And this is the first time ever I had algae 🙄. Those fine seeds you can’t bottom water until they are big enough. Lol, another soil of a product you’re not a fan of had a plastic cigar tip in it with other bag plastic. It’s really getting out of hand! Especially when it says organic and most of us know that tobacco can spread disease to other nightshades. I think sometimes we need to look no further than the soil we start seeds in. The first time coir came on market I had no idea how to use it nor about the salt! It molded. It needs a ton of perlite added to it. This year the issue is garbage and too much compost in organic soil. I added more perlite and it’s just too much bark and the fuzz balls from coir. I failed to sift in the beginning and when I did I found more than fuzz balls and bark! Our local Menards’s I believe discontinued Promix. Not sure, but heard another warmer state couldn’t get it there. For me seed starting starts with a fluffy medium that drains WELL. Most of us tend to overwater. I’m trying out starting some seeds in trays because they are either older or tiny seeds of flowers new to me.
You did such a good job on this. Oh, you used AgroThrive 3-3-“5,” not 3-3-2. I’m already using that with great success when my plants have fruit. The shocker is Miracle Gro. That used to be the go-to cheap, quick, weak(?), safe, stuff everyone uses. Control (just water) did well with just living off its seed. A lot of these liquid organic fertilizers are bird poop or fish guts. And are very, very, BROWN.
To be fair, having had a greenhouse at one time, how close to the side makes a large difference. Also, some times, some plants in a pack don’t get enough water. The almost dead ones look like they may have gotten a little too dry.? Did you move around placement daily, so all got an even assortment of the light?
I think Quick Start planting and transplant starting sol’n should not be used for fertilizing seedlings, it’s used when you plant the seeding out in the ground or when dividing or transplanting any other plants. It helps with transplant shock, not a fertilizer. Ratio is 4/12/4. I’ve used it for decades when setting out and dividing.
The best presentation compare all brand fertilizer, by the way try to make by own self .. use indgredients (cow milk + honey bee + chicken egg + rice water washed) putting into bottle until 2 week and then ready to serve (spray to the leaf) that its for free organic fertilizer (amino acid,potash,phospate,calsium)
no calcium at all? i use the commercial grade peat and perlite bale of seed raising mix. despite some drawbacks, synthetic fertilizers feed the world. organic fertilizers are over 90% water, which i have at tap much cheaper. organic proponents–i usef to be one–have been duped into believing that weird concoctions will save the world.
Interesting topic but I very strongly recommend to never directly sniff on a bottle containing any type of chemicals, fertilizers, cleaners, etc. Some of them can really hurt you when inhaled. If you want to know how something smells hold it at a slight distance to your nose and with your hand slightly wave some of the fumes toward your nose.
I don’t understand why you’re trying organic fertilizers at the seedling stage. They depend on the microbiome to break them down and make them available to the plant. Seedlings should be kept sterile to avoid damping off. Also, the Miracle Gro you used was heavy phosphorus. At the seedling stage, nitrogen should be the highest. I do not know why MG even offers this product, as it’s practically commanding the plants not to grow. I’m not surprised the MG samples did poorly.