Ozmacote & Miracle Grow

silverseed · July 6, 2015

A man here in this area has a weekly gardening show on the radio and this week he advised everyone to apply Ozmacote and use Miricle Gro as a folilar spray to give tomatos & vegatables a boost because we have had a bad growing season so far with too much rain causing many to be late on planting. I have never used Ozmacote and only use organic fertilizer, Just wondering if anyone does this or has an opinion on this method.

Mike723 · July 6, 2015

I used Osmocote when I was practicing the synthetic route, it's an effective time release fert.. I used miracle gro with a tbs of epsom salt in those days as well, but never as a foliar feed.. You'd be asking for burn, although it is doable, but not necessary.. IF I were going to use it as a foliar I'd go with 1/2 strength at the very most, and spray before sun-up to give them time to dry before the sun hits them.. But again, not necessary IMO.. Hope this helps..

Redbaron · July 6, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverseed

A man here in this area has a weekly gardening show on the radio and this week he advised everyone to apply Ozmacote and use Miricle Gro as a folilar spray to give tomatos & vegatables a boost because we have had a bad growing season so far with too much rain causing many to be late on planting. I have never used Ozmacote and only use organic fertilizer, Just wondering if anyone does this or has an opinion on this method.

Since you prefer organic then I guess that means no, don't. Neither product is organic. They are fertilizers though. There are organic alternatives. Compost is a good slow release fert alternative and so are things like tomato tone. Compost tea is a good alternative organic foliar spray, and so are any number of other organic foliar sprays like kelp etc...

The concept though is certainly valid. Want plants to grow faster? Fertilize them. Excess rain has the tendency to leach water soluble nutrients from the soil making early growth slow. Fertilizer fixes this short term, and a slow release fertilizer for later in the growing season.

The idea you have to specifically use Miracle grow and osmacote instead of any number of alternatives though? Completely woo. They likely simply were the brands that sponsored the radio show. Sure they work, but so do a gazzillion other products, both conventional and organic.

silverseed · July 6, 2015

Maybe I should have posed that question differently I suppose, As I said I don't use chemicals myself and don't intend to, only organic. I guess the better question would be what would you use instead or do you agree with the radio host. I don't. I use various organic fertilizers including Tomato Tone, rock dust and others, fish emulsion & liquid sea weed as folliar sprays. Just interested in hearing other gardeners opinions on the subject .Thanks

Redbaron · July 6, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverseed

Maybe I should have posed that question differently I suppose, As I said I don't use chemicals myself and don't intend to, only organic. I guess the better question would be what would you use instead or do you agree with the radio host. I don't. I use various organic fertilizers including Tomato Tone, rock dust and others, fish emulsion & liquid sea weed as folliar sprays. Just interested in hearing other gardeners opinions on the subject .Thanks

My opinion is that you are just fine, as Ray pointed out.

Mike723 · July 6, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverseed

Maybe I should have posed that question differently I suppose, As I said I don't use chemicals myself and don't intend to, only organic. I guess the better question would be what would you use instead or do you agree with the radio host. I don't. I use various organic fertilizers including Tomato Tone, rock dust and others, fish emulsion & liquid sea weed as folliar sprays. Just interested in hearing other gardeners opinions on the subject .Thanks

ahh haa.. Sorry I took this wrong.. If the question is organic vs synthetic, I'd say organic all the way.. To heck with that radio host.. But be careful, this may spark a debate that takes me into my senior years.. I'm only 30

Pick up the book "Teaming With Microbes" if you haven't read it already... You won't regret it http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microb...+with+microbes

RayR · July 6, 2015

The liquid fish and seaweed is just fine and effective for a foliar.

Jonnyhat · July 6, 2015

well aerated compost tea with kelp and sea minerals, i top dressed my soil with glacial rock dust before applying the foliar tea and drench to give some added minerals. a week later I used a pure protein a 100% hydrolized fish protein. I am a noob. and my weather here in PA has been pretty bad and my plants look happy and are producing

Cole_Robbie · July 6, 2015

I use those two fertilizers for container plants, but not for plants in the ground. Osmocote is too expensive to use on a large area.

KarenO · July 7, 2015

I use a combo of slow release and miracle grow on co trainers and baskets of flowers. It's a great combo for those things. I don't use it on edibles but recommend the two for flowers.

Lindalana · July 13, 2015

Foliars are like a set of commands to the plant. It could be very useful. But it should be done right. Just taking something and applying to the leaves is asking for a problems.

Slg Garden · July 22, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lindalana

Foliars are like a set of commands to the plant. It could be very useful. But it should be done right.

Can you expand upon this? Are you saying that different foliars would give different commands?

Lindalana · July 23, 2015

Absolutely. You can send plant into growth phase or production phase with different foliar combos.
Overall foliar spray can add to nutrition but is not main way to feed. It is rather like adding salt to your food. Without it food just taste bland but it takes very little to bring up flavors.
But it has to be done right. Just taking liquid MG product and applying it as foliar does not cut it.

Slg Garden · July 23, 2015

Another topic to research. DH laughs at all the time I spend reading about growing tomatoes It keeps me out of trouble.

July 6, 2015	#1
silverseed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Stow, Ohio Posts: 41	Ozmacote & Miracle Grow A man here in this area has a weekly gardening show on the radio and this week he advised everyone to apply Ozmacote and use Miricle Gro as a folilar spray to give tomatos & vegatables a boost because we have had a bad growing season so far with too much rain causing many to be late on planting. I have never used Ozmacote and only use organic fertilizer, Just wondering if anyone does this or has an opinion on this method.

July 6, 2015	#4
silverseed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Stow, Ohio Posts: 41	Maybe I should have posed that question differently I suppose, As I said I don't use chemicals myself and don't intend to, only organic. I guess the better question would be what would you use instead or do you agree with the radio host. I don't. I use various organic fertilizers including Tomato Tone, rock dust and others, fish emulsion & liquid sea weed as folliar sprays. Just interested in hearing other gardeners opinions on the subject .Thanks Last edited by silverseed; July 6, 2015 at 02:32 PM.

July 6, 2015	#2
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	I used Osmocote when I was practicing the synthetic route, it's an effective time release fert.. I used miracle gro with a tbs of epsom salt in those days as well, but never as a foliar feed.. You'd be asking for burn, although it is doable, but not necessary.. IF I were going to use it as a foliar I'd go with 1/2 strength at the very most, and spray before sun-up to give them time to dry before the sun hits them.. But again, not necessary IMO.. Hope this helps..

July 6, 2015	#7
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	The liquid fish and seaweed is just fine and effective for a foliar.

July 6, 2015	#8
Jonnyhat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Downingtown, PA Posts: 337	well aerated compost tea with kelp and sea minerals, i top dressed my soil with glacial rock dust before applying the foliar tea and drench to give some added minerals. a week later I used a pure protein a 100% hydrolized fish protein. I am a noob. and my weather here in PA has been pretty bad and my plants look happy and are producing

July 6, 2015	#9
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I use those two fertilizers for container plants, but not for plants in the ground. Osmocote is too expensive to use on a large area.

July 7, 2015	#10
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	I use a combo of slow release and miracle grow on co trainers and baskets of flowers. It's a great combo for those things. I don't use it on edibles but recommend the two for flowers.

July 13, 2015	#11
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	Foliars are like a set of commands to the plant. It could be very useful. But it should be done right. Just taking something and applying to the leaves is asking for a problems.

July 23, 2015	#13
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	Absolutely. You can send plant into growth phase or production phase with different foliar combos. Overall foliar spray can add to nutrition but is not main way to feed. It is rather like adding salt to your food. Without it food just taste bland but it takes very little to bring up flavors. But it has to be done right. Just taking liquid MG product and applying it as foliar does not cut it.

July 23, 2015	#14
Slg Garden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Seattle area Posts: 76	Another topic to research. DH laughs at all the time I spend reading about growing tomatoes It keeps me out of trouble.