Thank you for an excellent understandable breakdown of synthetic versus organic fertilizers. In the future, I won’t be opposed to using Miracle Gro. It was quite entertaining to hear you debunk all of the fantastical incorrect beliefs. 👏
@@I_remember_Tobin_Rote I am a retired scientist. I grow organically, however I agree with what he is saying. His science is well thought out and factually correct. I do not and will not use pesticides or herbicides. When I started growing on my allotment (a piece of land rented for growing in the UK) the soil was impoverished badly. The first few years I used well rotted horse manure plus synthetic fertilizer. I gradually used less synthetic fertilizer as the soil improved. Once the soil was fertile I stopped using synthetic fertilizer. Adding synthetic fertilizer to a very fertile soil would just be a waste of money. I get free well rotted horse manure. The choice was purely, was it necessary to use synthetic fertilizer as it is cheaper not to use it. Lastly some organic substances are highly toxic. For example venemous snake venon. Black widow spider venom, some toadstools. All parts of the potato plant except for the potato itself are poisonous. Parsnip sap is phyto activated to cause burning of the skin and cherry stones contain cyanide a few crushed and eaten can kill a human. Some synthetic chemicals but not all are toxic, but then some are harmless.
Great video ! I too was converted into thinking that only compost and organic fertilizers in my garden and orchard. I now realize that both can be used for different purposes, and both are beneficial when used properly. Thank you for helping me understand how soil works!
I think people use the word "hot" to refer to an over-concentration of nutrients. Like planting into straight compost may be described as "hot". It can also mean stuff that is still breaking down. Like how you can't use horse manure when it's "hot" and it has to break down a while first.
Just finished reading your Soil Science book. Great stuff. I also finished a horticulture science technical certificate recently. Your book was spot on and actually brought it all together better than some of my other texts. I highly recommend it to any home gardener of any level.
Thank you for presenting this detailed information. It really is frustrating to hear how the word chemical is misused to perpetuate fear. Water has a chemical structure.
About the 'no too smart' comment: I get a giggle when I read comments by 'informed' people who can't even check their own text for errors. I like the straightforward way you address stupid comments - while presenting the facts.
TY Robert for bringing science to the surface. I'm so tired of many making a bad rap of blue. I continue to use it as part of a hybrid fert program in conjunction with soil building additives compost,manures I use.
When I think something needs immediate attention, I'll use the blue too. Like you said, it's not the only fertilizer to use. Just one decent option. The stuff works.
Chemical companies make some nasty products and lye about their dangers but not all of the products are bad. Thanks for demystifying fertilizers for those who don’t understand chemistry! Well done, personally I garden organically due to the soil building benefits but I don’t think synthetic fertilizers if used at minimum recommended levels are a problem.
he didnt. de anything he lied and made it seem that its ok to poison our water ways because there not as bad as we think but are still bad. no logic all lies
17:11 At last!! A mind and voice of reason in a desert of misconceptions, rumors, and twisted information. A thousand blessings to you. I used to farm and naturally read farming information. One study I read about said that tests showed suburban and urban dwellers that had grass and used insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers generally used more of these products per acre than informed farmers did, probably why kids can't find lightning bugs anymore. Reminds me of my mother in law's saying: tend to your own rat killing first before you start on somebody else. Thanks, great info well presented.
Your Chemistry is very good, thank you for letting the proponents of organic fertilize to know that same elements are found in both synthetic or organic fertilizers!
Thank you for clarifying this for us. I bought into the fear of using miracle gro. I will be using it from now on in my hanging baskets. My friend uses it and I envy her luscious flower baskets.
"The one, main problem, is nutrient salts getting into the water", lol. I'm hoping she ment "One of the main problems, is nutrient salts getting into our water". I hope so, lol. That was a fun story. Regarding microbes, I did always hear that Endomycorrizae colonies didn't like a Phosphorus % higher than 7%, or 0-7-0, and larger amounts can diminish their numbers. This was Organic or Synthetic nutrients, so not a "Salt" problem, at all. Haven't heard this lately, though, so maybe not so bad..?! Thanks for the simple, honest answers. Couldn't ask for more!👍💯🙏✌️.
Good Day Sir! Thank you very much for your calm demeanor and informative content. I particularly enjoyed your video on 10-10-10 fertilizers. I have been gardening professionally for a couple of decades, and still learn something new almost every day. My understanding of Miracle-Gro, and similar fertilizers, is they are best used for annual containers. This is based in the idea that these nutrients are not complex and so attach to like molecules and leach down into the soil and become unavailable to growing plants over time....say maybe 3 years. I imagine this is similar to the way our bodies respond to vitamin pills as opposed to actual food wherein the nutrients in food are more complex and not so easily "washed out" of our body (you know what I mean). I certainly see your point that these water soluble fertilizers are useful if you need to deal quickly with a deficiency issue, but long term use in garden beds just doesn't seem right. Slow-release granular fertilizers, even used coffee grounds, seems like a better choice for most situations. Hoping someone will see this and enlighten me with more information. Thank you so much!
@@shawnsg I grow my courgettes in 30 litre tubs of my own compost. They thrive. In the past, I've even planted them directly into a bay of 6-9 month old compost. Again, they thrive.
Robert, thank you so much for the info. I have learned so much and you explain topics so well. You have a common sense approach that I really appreciate! Keep the videos coming.❤
Thank you for explaining this in a manner most will understand. I use Peter's 20-20-20 water soluble and inexpensive Walmart 13-13-13 granular, but I also use compost and add a lot of mulch and kitchen scraps back into to the soil to aid in soil consistency and health. As you say, the key is using it correctly. Fertilizer is a useful and necessary tool in my garden. Success is a multi-faceted approach that utilizes the tools that have been developed over centuries to help with growing food. Throwing them away because they don't say organic on the labels is silly.
Thank you for approaching this topic in a sane & sensible manner. While it really wasn't news to me, you probably talked a lot of people off the ledge in the way you related the content of inorganic fertilizer to what we already eat and drink on a daily basis.
Thank you for this video. I wasn't sure if I could use Miracle-Gro to test the start of a hydroponic vegetable garden. I reviewed the ingredients compared to Grow Big by Fox Farms, and they have the ingredients as Miracle-Gro. I'll see how things go for my test.
Make sure your plants are old enough to take Fertilizer. Hydro systems can Go Bad Fast... At one time in life had buckets all interconnected with a chiller growing To MatOs.... he he
Regarding hot vs. cold fertilier, I am not the expert but I had always understood that a cold fertilizer such as rabbit manure has nitrogen in a complex organic form that is not available to plant roots until it is broken down by microorganisms in the soil to an ionic form that can be dissolved in water and absorbed by the roots, whereas a hot fertilizer like chicken manure has a high percentage of ionic compounds that can be too quickly absorbed by the roots. Roots absorb water because the plant juices are 'saltier' than the water in the soil and through diffusion through the root cell membrane there is an imbalance of salt ions, therefore more water diffuses throuigh the membrane until the concentration of ions is equal on either side of the membrane. So when a fertilizer burns the roots, that means that the process is reversed and the plant juices diliute the fertilizer in the soil and the roots essentailly dry up. So this is what people mean when they say that cold fertilizer does not burn the roots is because the ionic form of the nitrogen is released slowly. It then follows that so-called chemical fertilizers will also not burn as long as ionic content of the fertilized soil is not higher than the ionic content of the plant juices in the roots. Slow release chemical fertilizers like Osmocoat solve the burning problem, though for any fertilizer the ionic concentration in the soil must be kept below the ionic concentration of plant juices in the roots to prevent burning. Corrections welcome.
I would like to remind everyone that the government of Sri Lanka forced the farmers to become organic growers and not use synthetic fertilizer. This resulted in a nationwide famine that led to incredibly high food prices, hunger and disease. Let that sink in.
Stories that begin like "The government of X forced the farmers to..." always end in famine lol. Bureaucrats a thousand miles away making edicts about a topic they don't understand because they think they're some kind of aristocracy.
Hi Robert, great informations you given us in this so confusing agriculture traders, one question I have please if you don't mind answering , a friend who studied agriculture, told me that beetroots juice, whole beetroot sliced and soaked in water for 24 hours can be a good fertiliser , is that true? Many thanks 😊
Thank you for the very informative videos. I am learning and remembering so many things. I am just getting back to growing and gardening again. I have big plans for the next few seasons. Thanks and I will be watching.
I can remember back in the 90's when the parent company (Scott's) that made Miracle-Gro at the time got caught putting certain chemical wastes into their professional AG grade products to make up their mineral content. It caused a few big AG farmers to poison their food crops. Luckily the soil recovered after a year going fallow but still many of farmers that used the bogus products in drier areas lost a full year's worth of crops. Their consumer grade fertilizer Miracle-Gro was never part of the problem but nevertheless took a big hit in trustability. These days Miracle-Gro is owned by a different investment company. There was never any danger to give the consumer grade Miracle-Gro to your plants, just the perception of danger.
what about the danger of killing of our water table. this guy is wrong. do more research and make sure their not piping out lies for the petrochemical companies
He discusses that in other videos and says thats why you don't use a balanced fertilizer because the excess will run of into the lakes and streams @@lukebagi
This is a very good informational video. I notice that most of garden chanels promote the same fertilizers and bad talk others. I think it's just for profits for them.
There are thousands of politicians and celebrities that believe Carbon is a pollution. So gardeners worried about certain fertilizers is almost understandable. Thank you for the short science refresher.
has nothing to do with the carbon bone head, its to do with the water ways. not all of us are climate alamrists that hate cars, but our water is the most important thing in the universe and we are killing it...
True, it may be misleading to say that adding nitrates to your soil "kills" microbes, but it is fair to say that doing so prevents certain microbes from growing/reproducing, namely the ones you alluded to which break down larger nitrogen-containing compounds into plant-available forms of nitrogen. By stunting those populations, you make your soil dependent on continual additions of nitrates, whereas if you avoid nitrate fertilizers and apply compost and/or grow nitrogen fixing plants, you don't have to be dependent on remote, large-scale fertilizer producers. The trade-off is likely lower (but not always radically lower) yields vs. the elimination of fertilizer cost and independence from large corporations and their supply chains. It's more relevant for farming and homesteading than backyard gardening.
How does it prevent them from growing/reproducing? If microbes are "adding nitrates" to the soil aren't they the ones preventing "certain microbes from growing/reproducing?" Fwiw microbes can take inorganic nitrogen (nitrates and ammonium) and convert it to organic in a process called immobilization. Nitrates exist in the soil. NO3 - or NO3 - Which of those came from miracle-gro and which came from soil microbes?
@@shawnsg Yes, there's an equilibrium either way. I'm just saying that the ecological niche those microbes occupy is being made obsolete. The mechanisms and consequences of that are more complex than "there's X amount of nitrogen present"
@@alecio000 that's just not how it works. Fertilizers add nitrogen either in the form of urea, ammonium and or nitrates. The nitrogen cycle is always going on in the soil. Urea turns into ammonia that's turns into ammonium if it's in the soil. Ammonium turns into nitrites that turn into nitrates. Plants use nitrates and ammonium. That's why what you're saying make 0 sense. It's not a niche becoming obsolete. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus whether it's origin is miracle gro or compost is bad.
@@alecio000 I didn't mean it to be offensive. The most widely used nitrogen fertilizer is urea. The synthetic fertilizers and the nitrogen in organic materials go through the same processes. Those niches, as you say, aren't going anywhere. Nitrates are the most mobile which make them bad for ground and surface water though.
Thank you so much! I have been using Miracle Grow for years and recently began hearing it was bad so I was concerned. But it's always worked so well for me so I didn't understand what the problem was. I was going to use up what I have and stop using it. Thanks to you I know I don't have to worry about it anymore. Thanks again!!
12:44 "Is there a difference between nitrate from an organic source and a synthetic source?" No, there isn't. Years ago I tried to explain this to the owner of a health food store. She thought I was crazy. LOL
It's amazing how many horticulturalists don't see the bigger picture. Perhaps consider how these products are made, where they are made, where the profits go, how production affects local communities and environments... Ethical options are widely available. There's really no excuse to continue using these types of products.
Not disagreeing but I think the biggest issue for all companies regardless of selling organic or manmade is that the majority of soils where folk garden do not need the P and the K. This leads to a slow but constant run off of the P in particular that then pollutes water down hill all the way into the bays. I would wager that the most sold item is balanaced, like 10-10-10, that millions of folk use without even having a real lab soil test. I know I was once one and I know most of the people I know in gardening have no idea of their NPK present. A strong consistent message is needed from the EPA or USDA explaining this to gardeners (farmers know the issue) and I believe if people realize that they are wasting their money in the first place.....over-fert should decline.
@@sixmillionsilencedaccounts3517 wow you guys are dim.. im gonna do my good deed for the day and explain basic english to a random troll. "Ethical options" referred to the means and inputs used in global agricultural production. You seemed to have confused this with the products being created, as opposed to the ethical concerns in their creation. Don't forget to blink today, your eyes will get dry. Have a good'n
I like to use all the above. I use both fish fertilizer and Miracle-Gro. I really like slow release fertilizer like Osmocote. Am all about results. The world would starve to death without herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizer.
Great video! Thank you for explaining this through science you broke it down so the common beginner gardener to the experts Lol. Most labels are so deceiving.Thanks again ❤️🙏🏽❤️
I've been using Bone Meal and Fish oil 5-1-1 and after tomato plants start blooming I switch to Fish oil 0-10-10. Would I be better off just using Miracle Gro Tomato formula ? I also use mulched leaves, grass clippings and wood ash. The leaves and grass clippings are used to cover the root area around the plants
I put a lot of ammonium sulphate in a very large compost pile to feed the thermopolic bacteria and it got steaming hot which was good, but it killed off the worms. I had a hard time getting worms to live in it even after it cooled down. So I'm unsure about chemical fertilizers.
Lots of good information here. The truth is your tomato plant doesn't know the difference between your compost or miracle grow. I predominantly use my own compost. I do however use bloom buster to push flower production when I am ready. The only issue with box fertilizers is that the only thing you get out of miracle grow type products is exactly what is on the box, nothing more. There are a plethora of other compounds your plants can use that can be available in your own compost.
High levels of soluble nitrogen and phosphorus have been shown to reduce the amount of root exudates the plant releases. My question is are the studies referring to bulk soil microbes or the microbes of the rhizosphere?
he being purposely misleading. bottom line is that the salts build up if you dont wash them through the medium and where do they go? they kill the water table and you are left with what we have now
I use synthetic fertilizer when growing over the winter when temperatures are low and soil microbes are less active. Then, in spring I go back to organic. Never had a problem.
Roundup is a good product when used AS DIRECTED. It has a very short life in the soil. You can plant in the area sprayed 24 hours later with no traces of it in plants. Used in very large quantities, in higher concentrations than recommended, where there is high runoff right after spraying, yes it is harmful. As are all things used incorrectly.
Using a garden tiller is a microbes killer in my opinion. I use organic liquid, fish fertilizer, green sea weed and molasses for my apple trees and blueberry bushes and they are doing great.
Miracle grow is great. People planting / growing Tomatoes need to put down Gypsum a few times a year. I tell people to use miracle grow at half the dose on the directions.
Is it safe to use Uria for vegitable grower? Will chemical content in Uria be harmful for both human consumption and Natural earth to survive. Plz respond me
Very good explanation thank you. If you have a lot of wildlife like I do, the “organic” fertilizers like fish draw the raccoons and skunks like a magnet to metal.
I have 2 questions. 1)My raised beds are pressure treated. I can see the copper sulfate on the wood. Is there any risk of this harming me? 2) I have used only compost, no native soil. I know you're against this but how bad is it to only use compost?
Hippies don't want to hear about this!!! LOL I use the blue stuff to give my plants that instant boost when my "organic" soil can't handle my fruit tree production... I don't use it solely to feed my plants but from where I am, due to lack of natural organic materials, I'm still building my soil in the past 5 years. The blue stuff helps mitigate that deficiency in between growing season until one day, hopefully my organic soil can support all my plants.
idk, the chicken manure bags and dehydrated cow manure bags and other bags of organic plant food pellets are very powerful in my garden. i see results almost right away and the results last
people who say that salts are bad for plants are NOT confusing NaCl with fertilizer salts. The issue is that those fertilizer salts have both anions and cations, and only 1 of those is actually useful as a fertilizer. so the other ion stays in the soil and builds up into greater and greater concentrations, even if you're using the correct amounts. eventually they become concentrated enough to be toxic to the microbes, unless you're flushing your soil but I believe that would cause you to lose a lot of the beneficial organics that have been broken down into usable forms
Is Uria safe for vegitable grower to use mixed with other organic fertilizer? Im using earth worm waste fertilizer produce in india for growing vegitable
I wish that I could send you a soil sample and have you analyze it. I’m sure I would get much better information from you. According to my soil test kit results I have a PH of 7 buffer PH 7.7 what the heck is that? Anyway I’m very high in B, Ca, K, P and Zn. So why the heck don’t my plants grow very well? I think I need to send in another sample to a different company. 🌷💚🙃
Hello Judy. So your Ph is too high. You will need to add sulfur to lower your Ph. This allows the plants a better opportunity to absorb key elements. Your high P & K is typical. This means you only really need nitrogen, which is soluble and so decreases quicker than P & K. Now sulfur takes months to lower the Ph. So, it might be fall before you will see an effect. Typically the recommendation is to get your Ph right in year 1 and start planting in year 2. For right now in real time, you might see the effect in the fall. The good news is that you will not need "balanced" fertilizers like 10-10-10 in the near future with all of that P and K. In fact, avoid it. Same with anything using a lot of B oron Ca lcium and Zn zinc. Truth is, there is a LOT of fertilizer sold that is simply not needed. If your Ph is right (6-6.5 for a vegetable garden) and you have the P and the K, you really only need to add nitrogen. And for that, you can use blood meal or anything that excludes the P and the K. So, the bag would read "12-0-0" or "15-0-0" - but whatever it reads it will include specific instructions for amount per bed, plant, etc. Nitrogen is an element. So it does not matter if it is organic or manmade, other than any residual elements that might remain in the manmade product. Just peek at the label. :) Did you send your soil kit to your state extension office?
@@JulesGardening Thank you and no I didn’t send it to the state extension office, I bought the kit off the internet and sent the sample in. Thank you so much for your advise, it is greatly appreciated! 🌷💚🙃
Hey could you do a video on biostimulants? I’ve seen these products online called N-Ext RGS and Air8, all these other stuff that don’t really describe much but claim to be good for turf. I would like to hear what you have to say about these products.
Farmers were sued by Monsanto for planting saved seed from their own crops because it was roundup ready. Monsanto claimed that they still had the rights to the seeds. Yes Monsanto is a great company.
There’s just a great deal of anti-Miracle-Gro (the company) sentiment out there. However, one does get great results with their products, hence their success. I just like to do things myself if I can, so I make my own soils and fertilizer, full well knowing I could get equal- or better- results with Miracle-Gro. If I was a more casual gardener I’d feel no anxiety whatsoever using their products.
I heard that Monsanto was behind genetically modifying vegetable as so the seeds produced from purchased seeds; would not produce good fruit; creating a situation where the seed had to be bought directly from Monsanto for every crop and other modifications were also genetically modified/ bred to be Monsanto product reliant for pest resistance and survivability. Can you speak on the GMO market Monsanto has created with it's sister companies; creating the monopoly they have on the agricultural markets around the world?
MiracleGro/Scott’s are subsidiaries of Monsanto/Bayer. I try to boycott this group of companies.There are other blue waters, please go find them! But! Your main point is on point, thank you. Most of the objections to “chemical” fertilizers - and often the use of the word - stem from scientific ignorance. If however our soil got compost as a nutrient source instead of blue water, our soil would be healthier. I use both.
Um no actually they aren’t. Scott’s is not owned by bayer, completely separate company. A simple google search shows the only affiliation Scott’s has with bayer/Monsanto is they are a re distributor for some watered down roundup products. This is part of the problem. People hear something once and take it at face value without reading up on it.
Thank you for an excellent understandable breakdown of synthetic versus organic fertilizers. In the future, I won’t be opposed to using Miracle Gro. It was quite entertaining to hear you debunk all of the fantastical incorrect beliefs. 👏
How dare this man speak so truthfully and factually with good examples and good arguments
Thanks for teaching us common
sense “chemistry”. Knowledge and
moderation are the key.
Why should we believe this guy's opinion over any other so-called "expert"?
@@I_remember_Tobin_Rote I am a retired scientist. I grow organically, however I agree with what he is saying. His science is well thought out and factually correct. I do not and will not use pesticides or herbicides. When I started growing on my allotment (a piece of land rented for growing in the UK) the soil was impoverished badly. The first few years I used well rotted horse manure plus synthetic fertilizer. I gradually used less synthetic fertilizer as the soil improved. Once the soil was fertile I stopped using synthetic fertilizer. Adding synthetic fertilizer to a very fertile soil would just be a waste of money. I get free well rotted horse manure. The choice was purely, was it necessary to use synthetic fertilizer as it is cheaper not to use it.
Lastly some organic substances are highly toxic. For example venemous snake venon. Black widow spider venom, some toadstools. All parts of the potato plant except for the potato itself are poisonous. Parsnip sap is phyto activated to cause burning of the skin and cherry stones contain cyanide a few crushed and eaten can kill a human. Some synthetic chemicals but not all are toxic, but then some are harmless.
Great video ! I too was converted into thinking that only compost and organic fertilizers in my garden and orchard. I now realize that both can be used for different purposes, and both are beneficial when used properly. Thank you for helping me understand how soil works!
I think people use the word "hot" to refer to an over-concentration of nutrients. Like planting into straight compost may be described as "hot". It can also mean stuff that is still breaking down. Like how you can't use horse manure when it's "hot" and it has to break down a while first.
Generally only refers to N concentrations.
I am so glad to hear that. There is sooo much misunderstanding in gardening.
i'm just starting to realize how true this is....
@@zachyweezerWe are really no different then plants... Groot ? Lol
I Go M.G. and I got 7 Footers...
As a chemistry geek, it's so refreshing to see someone take down the 'organic is better' non-sense with facts and science.
They're right, organic chemistry is better ;)
I always tell my organic friends to drink a cup of "organic" CN and we''ll pick up the debate after the refreshment.
@@maxpolaris99 With a totally natural arsenic smoothie chaser!
@@theangrycheeto Better than what? Facts and science?
Just finished reading your Soil Science book. Great stuff. I also finished a horticulture science technical certificate recently. Your book was spot on and actually brought it all together better than some of my other texts. I highly recommend it to any home gardener of any level.
Hi, just curious what is that horticultural certificate called?
And what’s the name of the book?
Maybe I'll try it
all brought to you by the petroleum industry. the whole world cannot be putting this shit in their gardens and ruining the water levels period
Thank you for presenting this detailed information. It really is frustrating to hear how the word chemical is misused to perpetuate fear. Water has a chemical structure.
Thank you for this video. After watching this video I bought the Miracle grow feeder and 10lbs of miracle grow fertilizer!!
This broadcast is tremendous.
About the 'no too smart' comment: I get a giggle when I read comments by 'informed' people who can't even check their own text for errors. I like the straightforward way you address stupid comments - while presenting the facts.
TY Robert for bringing science to the surface. I'm so tired of many making a bad rap of blue. I continue to use it as part of a hybrid fert program in conjunction with soil building additives compost,manures I use.
When I think something needs immediate attention, I'll use the blue too. Like you said, it's not the only fertilizer to use. Just one decent option. The stuff works.
@@larryspiller6633I am outdoor running the pink M.G. 18 18 21. Going into flower soon at 7 feet.
@@peterparker9286 I actually like that one best. Harder to find bigger packages of it around here. So I usually get the blue. Peace.
@@larryspiller6633 There is a Rose bud Formula also 18 24 16. I have never had any problems with MG.. Stay Safe and Peace Brother.
Chemical companies make some nasty products and lye about their dangers but not all of the products are bad.
Thanks for demystifying fertilizers for those who don’t understand chemistry! Well done, personally I garden organically due to the soil building benefits but I don’t think synthetic fertilizers if used at minimum recommended levels are a problem.
he didnt. de anything he lied and made it seem that its ok to poison our water ways because there not as bad as we think but are still bad. no logic all lies
Found your channel today, and your channel is my new favorite. I love all the Chemistry explanation.
Yes, been using it for many years with success. 🎉
Sir, you are logical and rational !!!
Thank You Sir For All Your Knowledge !!
A salt is any combination of a metal and a non-metal. Source: my high school chemistry teacher (RIP Ms. Davis)
Or in the case of potassium sulphate, two metals & oxygen.
17:11 At last!! A mind
and voice of reason in a desert of misconceptions,
rumors, and twisted information. A thousand blessings to you. I used to farm and naturally read farming information. One study I read about said that tests showed suburban and urban dwellers that had grass and used insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers generally used more of these products per acre than informed farmers did, probably why kids can't find lightning bugs anymore. Reminds me of my mother in law's saying: tend to your own rat killing first before you start on somebody else. Thanks, great info well presented.
So is using Uria for vegitable and baddy field save or not.
In long term use will it destroy Natural soil? Plz respond me lm confuse
Wow, so much common sense. I enjoy how you build your story so we can chuckle with you.
Very interesting. I had no idea what to expect when starting the video. Learned a lot.
Your Chemistry is very good, thank you for letting the proponents of organic fertilize to know that same elements are found in both synthetic or organic fertilizers!
You do a great service in this day and age. You bring truth, knowledge and science to the people.
Thank you Sir!
Thank you for clarifying this for us. I bought into the fear of using miracle gro. I will be using it from now on in my hanging baskets. My friend uses it and I envy her luscious flower baskets.
Thank You Sir... this is what you call critical "THINKING," of which many are without these days. Very informative.
Just came across your channel and I've rarely seen so much sense talked about in a video. Immediately subbed. Thank you 🙂
"The one, main problem, is nutrient salts getting into the water", lol. I'm hoping she ment "One of the main problems, is nutrient salts getting into our water". I hope so, lol. That was a fun story.
Regarding microbes, I did always hear that Endomycorrizae colonies didn't like a Phosphorus % higher than 7%, or 0-7-0, and larger amounts can diminish their numbers. This was Organic or Synthetic nutrients, so not a "Salt" problem, at all.
Haven't heard this lately, though, so maybe not so bad..?!
Thanks for the simple, honest answers. Couldn't ask for more!👍💯🙏✌️.
A lot to think about. I appreciate this information.
Good Day Sir! Thank you very much for your calm demeanor and informative content.
I particularly enjoyed your video on 10-10-10 fertilizers.
I have been gardening professionally for a couple of decades, and still learn something new almost every day. My understanding of Miracle-Gro, and similar fertilizers, is they are best used for annual containers. This is based in the idea that these nutrients are not complex and so attach to like molecules and leach down into the soil and become unavailable to growing plants over time....say maybe 3 years. I imagine this is similar to the way our bodies respond to vitamin pills as opposed to actual food wherein the nutrients in food are more complex and not so easily "washed out" of our body (you know what I mean).
I certainly see your point that these water soluble fertilizers are useful if you need to deal quickly with a deficiency issue, but long term use in garden beds just doesn't seem right. Slow-release granular fertilizers, even used coffee grounds, seems like a better choice for most situations.
Hoping someone will see this and enlighten me with more information.
Thank you so much!
I seen this and agree with you 100%. I am a long term ORGANIC gardener and trust Gods Science and not money making chemical added fertilizers.
I love that purple box of bloom booster ....got my budz big n dense!! Ppl just like to believe anything to stir controversy
Good videos from this channel. Clear and concise. No BS.
The main issue with chemical fertilizers is they do not add organic matter to the soil.
You can have too much organic matter.
It gives Is the organic material the nutrients it needs
@@shawnsg no you can't been running high organic matter for years with excellent results.
@@shawnsg I grow my courgettes in 30 litre tubs of my own compost.
They thrive.
In the past, I've even planted them directly into a bay of 6-9 month old compost.
Again, they thrive.
Robert, thank you so much for the info. I have learned so much and you explain topics so well. You have a common sense approach that I really appreciate! Keep the videos coming.❤
Where have you been all this while? thank God i got you now.
This video is such an eye opener. thank you so much.
Thank you for explaining this in a manner most will understand. I use Peter's 20-20-20 water soluble and inexpensive Walmart 13-13-13 granular, but I also use compost and add a lot of mulch and kitchen scraps back into to the soil to aid in soil consistency and health. As you say, the key is using it correctly. Fertilizer is a useful and necessary tool in my garden. Success is a multi-faceted approach that utilizes the tools that have been developed over centuries to help with growing food. Throwing them away because they don't say organic on the labels is silly.
You should be using a 312 ratio
Thank you for approaching this topic in a sane & sensible manner. While it really wasn't news to me, you probably talked a lot of people off the ledge in the way you related the content of inorganic fertilizer to what we already eat and drink on a daily basis.
Thank you for this video. I wasn't sure if I could use Miracle-Gro to test the start of a hydroponic vegetable garden. I reviewed the ingredients compared to Grow Big by Fox Farms, and they have the ingredients as Miracle-Gro. I'll see how things go for my test.
Make sure your plants are old enough to take Fertilizer. Hydro systems can Go Bad Fast... At one time in life had buckets all interconnected with a chiller growing To MatOs.... he he
Regarding hot vs. cold fertilier, I am not the expert but I had always understood that a cold fertilizer such as rabbit manure has nitrogen in a complex organic form that is not available to plant roots until it is broken down by microorganisms in the soil to an ionic form that can be dissolved in water and absorbed by the roots, whereas a hot fertilizer like chicken manure has a high percentage of ionic compounds that can be too quickly absorbed by the roots. Roots absorb water because the plant juices are 'saltier' than the water in the soil and through diffusion through the root cell membrane there is an imbalance of salt ions, therefore more water diffuses throuigh the membrane until the concentration of ions is equal on either side of the membrane. So when a fertilizer burns the roots, that means that the process is reversed and the plant juices diliute the fertilizer in the soil and the roots essentailly dry up. So this is what people mean when they say that cold fertilizer does not burn the roots is because the ionic form of the nitrogen is released slowly. It then follows that so-called chemical fertilizers will also not burn as long as ionic content of the fertilized soil is not higher than the ionic content of the plant juices in the roots. Slow release chemical fertilizers like Osmocoat solve the burning problem, though for any fertilizer the ionic concentration in the soil must be kept below the ionic concentration of plant juices in the roots to prevent burning. Corrections welcome.
hes wrong and youre much more right, imho
I would like to remind everyone that the government of Sri Lanka forced the farmers to become organic growers and not use synthetic fertilizer. This resulted in a nationwide famine that led to incredibly high food prices, hunger and disease. Let that sink in.
Stories that begin like "The government of X forced the farmers to..." always end in famine lol. Bureaucrats a thousand miles away making edicts about a topic they don't understand because they think they're some kind of aristocracy.
Hi Robert, great informations you given us in this so confusing agriculture traders, one question I have please if you don't mind answering , a friend who studied agriculture, told me that beetroots juice, whole beetroot sliced and soaked in water for 24 hours can be a good fertiliser , is that true? Many thanks 😊
Would be beneficial to use both synthetic fertilizer for instant result and organic materials for sustainable nutrients for soil?
very much so but watch your salt build up
Thank you for the very informative videos. I am learning and remembering so many things. I am just getting back to growing and gardening again. I have big plans for the next few seasons. Thanks and I will be watching.
I can remember back in the 90's when the parent company (Scott's) that made Miracle-Gro at the time got caught putting certain chemical wastes into their professional AG grade products to make up their mineral content. It caused a few big AG farmers to poison their food crops. Luckily the soil recovered after a year going fallow but still many of farmers that used the bogus products in drier areas lost a full year's worth of crops. Their consumer grade fertilizer Miracle-Gro was never part of the problem but nevertheless took a big hit in trustability.
These days Miracle-Gro is owned by a different investment company. There was never any danger to give the consumer grade Miracle-Gro to your plants, just the perception of danger.
what about the danger of killing of our water table. this guy is wrong. do more research and make sure their not piping out lies for the petrochemical companies
He discusses that in other videos and says thats why you don't use a balanced fertilizer because the excess will run of into the lakes and streams @@lukebagi
This is a very good informational video. I notice that most of garden chanels promote the same fertilizers and bad talk others. I think it's just for profits for them.
There are thousands of politicians and celebrities that believe Carbon is a pollution. So gardeners worried about certain fertilizers is almost understandable. Thank you for the short science refresher.
has nothing to do with the carbon bone head, its to do with the water ways. not all of us are climate alamrists that hate cars, but our water is the most important thing in the universe and we are killing it...
True, it may be misleading to say that adding nitrates to your soil "kills" microbes, but it is fair to say that doing so prevents certain microbes from growing/reproducing, namely the ones you alluded to which break down larger nitrogen-containing compounds into plant-available forms of nitrogen. By stunting those populations, you make your soil dependent on continual additions of nitrates, whereas if you avoid nitrate fertilizers and apply compost and/or grow nitrogen fixing plants, you don't have to be dependent on remote, large-scale fertilizer producers. The trade-off is likely lower (but not always radically lower) yields vs. the elimination of fertilizer cost and independence from large corporations and their supply chains. It's more relevant for farming and homesteading than backyard gardening.
How does it prevent them from growing/reproducing?
If microbes are "adding nitrates" to the soil aren't they the ones preventing "certain microbes from growing/reproducing?"
Fwiw microbes can take inorganic nitrogen (nitrates and ammonium) and convert it to organic in a process called immobilization.
Nitrates exist in the soil.
NO3 - or NO3 -
Which of those came from miracle-gro and which came from soil microbes?
@@shawnsg Yes, there's an equilibrium either way. I'm just saying that the ecological niche those microbes occupy is being made obsolete. The mechanisms and consequences of that are more complex than "there's X amount of nitrogen present"
@@alecio000 that's just not how it works. Fertilizers add nitrogen either in the form of urea, ammonium and or nitrates. The nitrogen cycle is always going on in the soil. Urea turns into ammonia that's turns into ammonium if it's in the soil. Ammonium turns into nitrites that turn into nitrates. Plants use nitrates and ammonium.
That's why what you're saying make 0 sense. It's not a niche becoming obsolete.
Excess nitrogen and phosphorus whether it's origin is miracle gro or compost is bad.
@@shawnsg "0 sense" is a bit harsh. Those "turn into" steps are the ecological niche I'm talking about. I said "adding nitrates to soil."
@@alecio000 I didn't mean it to be offensive.
The most widely used nitrogen fertilizer is urea. The synthetic fertilizers and the nitrogen in organic materials go through the same processes. Those niches, as you say, aren't going anywhere.
Nitrates are the most mobile which make them bad for ground and surface water though.
You know your shit! So glad I found you😊
Thank you so much! I have been using Miracle Grow for years and recently began hearing it was bad so I was concerned. But it's always worked so well for me so I didn't understand what the problem was. I was going to use up what I have and stop using it. Thanks to you I know I don't have to worry about it anymore. Thanks again!!
fantastic Information, thank you so much. I love the way you present your knowledge
12:44 "Is there a difference between nitrate from an organic source and a synthetic source?"
No, there isn't.
Years ago I tried to explain this to the owner of a health food store. She thought I was crazy. LOL
Oh please don't argue anything with those fanatical purists!
It's amazing how many horticulturalists don't see the bigger picture. Perhaps consider how these products are made, where they are made, where the profits go, how production affects local communities and environments...
Ethical options are widely available. There's really no excuse to continue using these types of products.
Not disagreeing but I think the biggest issue for all companies regardless of selling organic or manmade is that the majority of soils where folk garden do not need the P and the K. This leads to a slow but constant run off of the P in particular that then pollutes water down hill all the way into the bays. I would wager that the most sold item is balanaced, like 10-10-10, that millions of folk use without even having a real lab soil test. I know I was once one and I know most of the people I know in gardening have no idea of their NPK present. A strong consistent message is needed from the EPA or USDA explaining this to gardeners (farmers know the issue) and I believe if people realize that they are wasting their money in the first place.....over-fert should decline.
"Ethical options are widely available."
Like what? Eating bugs?😅
@@sixmillionsilencedaccounts3517 wow you guys are dim.. im gonna do my good deed for the day and explain basic english to a random troll.
"Ethical options" referred to the means and inputs used in global agricultural production. You seemed to have confused this with the products being created, as opposed to the ethical concerns in their creation.
Don't forget to blink today, your eyes will get dry.
Have a good'n
Don't forget to wipe your mouth next time you take a dump
🤣
I like to use all the above. I use both fish fertilizer and Miracle-Gro. I really like slow release fertilizer like Osmocote. Am all about results. The world would starve to death without herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizer.
Thank you for presenting this logical, scientific perspective to the gardening community. The scientific method is the only way to discover truth.
Great video! Thank you for explaining this through science you broke it down so the common beginner gardener to the experts Lol. Most labels are so deceiving.Thanks again ❤️🙏🏽❤️
I've been using Bone Meal and Fish oil 5-1-1 and after tomato plants start blooming I switch to Fish oil 0-10-10. Would I be better off just using Miracle Gro Tomato formula ? I also use mulched leaves, grass clippings and wood ash. The leaves and grass clippings are used to cover the root area around the plants
It seems to me that natural , organic compounds were fertilizing plants Way Before synthetics ever existed . Good enough for me , thank you
So it's good 👍 is what I am gathering without finishing the video because the sound quality and or voice is distracting..have a good day !!
I think the "hot" ideas comes from the fact that synthetics will burn plants if it touches leaves directly. Great video
you cannot use too much organics is why they probably called it hot
Excellent video. I'm glad I stumbled upon this channel.
I put a lot of ammonium sulphate in a very large compost pile to feed the thermopolic bacteria and it got steaming hot which was good, but it killed off the worms. I had a hard time getting worms to live in it even after it cooled down.
So I'm unsure about chemical fertilizers.
Thank you for your cleat and concise explanation!
Great information as always! Thanks for doing what you do :)
Thanks for all the valuable information
Lots of good information here. The truth is your tomato plant doesn't know the difference between your compost or miracle grow. I predominantly use my own compost. I do however use bloom buster to push flower production when I am ready. The only issue with box fertilizers is that the only thing you get out of miracle grow type products is exactly what is on the box, nothing more. There are a plethora of other compounds your plants can use that can be available in your own compost.
High levels of soluble nitrogen and phosphorus have been shown to reduce the amount of root exudates the plant releases. My question is are the studies referring to bulk soil microbes or the microbes of the rhizosphere?
he being purposely misleading. bottom line is that the salts build up if you dont wash them through the medium and where do they go? they kill the water table and you are left with what we have now
Thanks for the chemistry class
I use synthetic fertilizer when growing over the winter when temperatures are low and soil microbes are less active. Then, in spring I go back to organic. Never had a problem.
So you are saying Elaine ingham is wrong?
Roundup is a good product when used AS DIRECTED. It has a very short life in the soil. You can plant in the area sprayed 24 hours later with no traces of it in plants. Used in very large quantities, in higher concentrations than recommended, where there is high runoff right after spraying, yes it is harmful. As are all things used incorrectly.
I solarize Miracle Gro until in changes to a green or algae begins to grow. I think steer tea is better for instant feeding.
Using a garden tiller is a microbes killer in my opinion.
I use organic liquid, fish fertilizer, green sea weed and molasses for my apple trees and blueberry bushes and they are doing great.
Miracle grow is great. People planting / growing Tomatoes need to put down Gypsum a few times a year. I tell people to use miracle grow at half the dose on the directions.
Is it safe to use Uria for vegitable grower?
Will chemical content in Uria be harmful for both human consumption and Natural earth to survive.
Plz respond me
Great talk and explanation of fertilizer.
Very good explanation thank you. If you have a lot of wildlife like I do, the “organic” fertilizers like fish draw the raccoons and skunks like a magnet to metal.
Yep. I e found that a light dusting of garden lime seems to keep them from digging up the plants.
Trying to grow potatoes trying to grow vegetables and potatoes will the 20/20/20 well with these vegetable
Miracle grow only gets used in my houseplants, if I don't forget to feed them😊
I have 2 questions.
1)My raised beds are pressure treated. I can see the copper sulfate on the wood. Is there any risk of this harming me?
2) I have used only compost, no native soil. I know you're against this but how bad is it to only use compost?
(1) No, and (2) youll be fine.
Hippies don't want to hear about this!!! LOL
I use the blue stuff to give my plants that instant boost when my "organic" soil can't handle my fruit tree production... I don't use it solely to feed my plants but from where I am, due to lack of natural organic materials, I'm still building my soil in the past 5 years. The blue stuff helps mitigate that deficiency in between growing season until one day, hopefully my organic soil can support all my plants.
idk, the chicken manure bags and dehydrated cow manure bags and other bags of organic plant food pellets are very powerful in my garden. i see results almost right away and the results last
people who say that salts are bad for plants are NOT confusing NaCl with fertilizer salts. The issue is that those fertilizer salts have both anions and cations, and only 1 of those is actually useful as a fertilizer. so the other ion stays in the soil and builds up into greater and greater concentrations, even if you're using the correct amounts. eventually they become concentrated enough to be toxic to the microbes, unless you're flushing your soil but I believe that would cause you to lose a lot of the beneficial organics that have been broken down into usable forms
Great myth-breaking here. Hat off to you buddy.
Great video Robert!!!!
Your videos are very good and factual.
Is Uria safe for vegitable grower to use mixed with other organic fertilizer? Im using earth worm waste fertilizer produce in india for growing vegitable
Wow, thank you so much for putting that on
I wish that I could send you a soil sample and have you analyze it. I’m sure I would get much better information from you. According to my soil test kit results I have a PH of 7 buffer PH 7.7 what the heck is that? Anyway I’m very high in B, Ca, K, P and Zn. So why the heck don’t my plants grow very well? I think I need to send in another sample to a different company. 🌷💚🙃
Hello Judy. So your Ph is too high. You will need to add sulfur to lower your Ph. This allows the plants a better opportunity to absorb key elements. Your high P & K is typical. This means you only really need nitrogen, which is soluble and so decreases quicker than P & K.
Now sulfur takes months to lower the Ph. So, it might be fall before you will see an effect. Typically the recommendation is to get your Ph right in year 1 and start planting in year 2. For right now in real time, you might see the effect in the fall.
The good news is that you will not need "balanced" fertilizers like 10-10-10 in the near future with all of that P and K. In fact, avoid it. Same with anything using a lot of B oron Ca lcium and Zn zinc.
Truth is, there is a LOT of fertilizer sold that is simply not needed. If your Ph is right (6-6.5 for a vegetable garden) and you have the P and the K, you really only need to add nitrogen. And for that, you can use blood meal or anything that excludes the P and the K. So, the bag would read "12-0-0" or "15-0-0" - but whatever it reads it will include specific instructions for amount per bed, plant, etc. Nitrogen is an element. So it does not matter if it is organic or manmade, other than any residual elements that might remain in the manmade product. Just peek at the label. :)
Did you send your soil kit to your state extension office?
@@JulesGardening Thank you and no I didn’t send it to the state extension office, I bought the kit off the internet and sent the sample in. Thank you so much for your advise, it is greatly appreciated! 🌷💚🙃
@@judymckerrow6720 most welcome.
you make me subscribe to your channel thanks for clearing it all up
Hey could you do a video on biostimulants? I’ve seen these products online called N-Ext RGS and Air8, all these other stuff that don’t really describe much but claim to be good for turf. I would like to hear what you have to say about these products.
Great idea. Some people say its snake oil while others love it.
Farmers were sued by Monsanto for planting saved seed from their own crops because it was roundup ready. Monsanto claimed that they still had the rights to the seeds. Yes Monsanto is a great company.
make sure to say that they are connected but not the same company. you are right
Your mad about a nothing burger how would they even enforce that ?
What is your theory on 100/ organic neem oil
Thanks for the education
Takes an hour and a half to spray one packet. That’s with shaking. Is there supposed to be a Down Tube, to the bottom of the Jar?
Monsanto on Nicholas road in Dayton when birds landed there immediatly dead
Thank you Mr. P. Professor P. 🌷💚🙃
“Crap it” thanks for clearing this fecal matter up!
There’s just a great deal of anti-Miracle-Gro (the company) sentiment out there. However, one does get great results with their products, hence their success. I just like to do things myself if I can, so I make my own soils and fertilizer, full well knowing I could get equal- or better- results with Miracle-Gro. If I was a more casual gardener I’d feel no anxiety whatsoever using their products.
I heard that Monsanto was behind genetically modifying vegetable as so the seeds produced from purchased seeds; would not produce good fruit; creating a situation where the seed had to be bought directly from Monsanto for every crop and other modifications were also genetically modified/ bred to be Monsanto product reliant for pest resistance and survivability. Can you speak on the GMO market Monsanto has created with it's sister companies; creating the monopoly they have on the agricultural markets around the world?
Please learn about Punnett squares and how hybrids work.
Very interesting young man, thank you.
I wonder how they think hydroponics works.
MiracleGro/Scott’s are subsidiaries of Monsanto/Bayer. I try to boycott this group of companies.There are other blue waters, please go find them!
But! Your main point is on point, thank you. Most of the objections to “chemical” fertilizers - and often the use of the word - stem from scientific ignorance.
If however our soil got compost as a nutrient source instead of blue water, our soil would be healthier. I use both.
Um no actually they aren’t. Scott’s is not owned by bayer, completely separate company. A simple google search shows the only affiliation Scott’s has with bayer/Monsanto is they are a re distributor for some watered down roundup products.
This is part of the problem. People hear something once and take it at face value without reading up on it.
@@drewa4235 still. owned by petrochemical company.. take your head our of your assss
The number of less than bright people in the world always suprises me. Thanks for the video!
thast cause you see the world in black and white and youre one of the simple ones