Dr Earth products

LoreD · June 11, 2016

This is first year that I have been using Dr Earth compost and garden soil. I never used it before because it is darn expensive. I mean really expensive. In some cases 50% more expensive than even other organic products. I saw it at the garden center and paid $12 (ouch!) for one bag of compost.

Since this stuff is expensive I used it sparingly. I trenched the tomatoes, when I planted, in 2-3 good sized scoops of the compost. When I planted seeds, I dug a hole, or small trench, and filled with the compost.

The plants really took off. I put my tomato plants in about mid May, and they are really getting huge. My gardening friend, at the community garden, put his in at the same time. His plants were about the same size, and he also trenched them. The main difference is that he used that MiracleGro blue crap when he watered them.

Mine are well over a foot high, and look like trees. His haven't grown hardly at all. I have never had tomatoes three weeks into the ground ready to be staked, and put in cages because they are flopping over, flowering, and forming tomatoes. They are easily 3-4 times the size of my friend's plants. The stuff I seeded in this stuff have taken off the same way. Huge monster sized (for this early in the year) squash plants and cucumbers.

I agree that weather this has been really good, but I have looked at the other gardens, and my plants are farther along.

I'm really pleased.

Tracydr · June 11, 2016

I've not used their compost but I have used their fertilizers. I think it's real good stuff.

Chucker · June 11, 2016

I use their kelp meal (mixed with tomato tone) and agree it is really good stuff.

Lindalana · June 12, 2016

My garden is going nuts as well. I think Dr Earth is good stuff but really overpriced.
I like being my own alchemist and create things on my own so I have lots of varied things, including my own compost and worm factory.
Was wondering to compare TomatoTone to Dr Earth products- anyone? It is double the price for sure.

LoreD · June 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lindalana

My garden is going nuts as well. I think Dr Earth is good stuff but really overpriced.
I like being my own alchemist and create things on my own so I have lots of varied things, including my own compost and worm factory.
Was wondering to compare TomatoTone to Dr Earth products- anyone? It is double the price for sure.

I have done that, too. I have found that a mixture of fish meal and kelp meal works really well. I found a feed store that sold it by weight, so it was less expensive.

Chickity Doo Doo was really good. I just scattered the dried chicken doo doo pellets all over the garden. Unfortunately, I accidentally left the bag out, it rained, all the dried doo doo rehydrated , and became a big bag of doo doo. I won't make that mistake again.

Bulldog · June 12, 2016

I used the Pot of gold potting soil this year as a big box store carries it. It is very good, but expensive. I used it to pot up some tomatoes into large pots. It was great to just do it quickly.

jillian · June 12, 2016

I make my own potting mix, and this year am using Dr. Earth fertilizer. Wow is all I can say. Tomatoes and peppers are loaded. I also use Neptune's Harvest every three weeks or so, as a foliar spray.

maxjohnson · June 13, 2016

I don't think they are the most environmentally friendly by the look of it, if you consider the ethic of how bat guano and kelp may be harvested. Also kind of funny that they tried to trademark the word Probiotics, I'm not even sure USPTO even granted them that even though they put the TM logo on the word.

With that said I'm a bit hypocritical because I saw their stuff at Home Depot, so I'm giving them a try. I'm in the middle of the city and can drive 1hr to buy local compost and to get free horse manure, but it's such a drag especially without a truck.

I bought some of their potting mix soil, seems to be a lot of woodchips in it, and very heavy, but at least it doesn't have that ever lasting biosolids/amonia smell (or whatever it is) that you typically get from the "Vigoro organic" and MiracleGro bags, where the smell sticks to your hands even after washing. So my excuse is that I'm settling for the lesser evil. Also bought a bag of their 4-6-3 vegetable fertilizers, it's not the most impressive I've seen, but it is better than the rest of the selection at Home Depot in term of dry organic fertilizers.

So I will grow something in pots with Dr. Earth Potting Mix + 4-6-3 and report the results later in the season.

HudsonValley · June 17, 2016

Has anyone used the granular Dr. Earth fertilizer called "Home Grown," for tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs? I bought the liquid kind and applied it a few days ago. The plants seem to have liked it, but I had a few issues with the hose applicator and wound up smelling like rotting fish.

Once I finish the bottle, I'm thinking about switching to the dry kind if it's any good. (Last year, and at planting time this year, I used Mater Magic. While it works really, really well, those cute little tomato-shaped bottles get expensive.) Thoughts?

maxjohnson · June 17, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by HudsonValley

Has anyone used the granular Dr. Earth fertilizer called "Home Grown," for tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs? I bought the liquid kind and applied it a few days ago. The plants seem to have liked it, but I had a few issues with the hose applicator and wound up smelling like rotting fish.

Once I finish the bottle, I'm thinking about switching to the dry kind if it's any good. (Last year, and at planting time this year, I used Mater Magic. While it works really, really well, those cute little tomato-shaped bottles get expensive.) Thoughts?

That's what it is in the photo I posted above. I don't know if they have a more granular type, but I bought the 12lbs bag for $25, it is more powdery than granular. I will have to grow some tomato in the container over the summer in order to find out, but it seems like decent stuff. It have some seaweed smell, but not that bad.

HudsonValley · June 17, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

That's what it is in the photo I posted above. I don't know if they have a more granular type, but I bought the 12lbs bag for $25, it is more powdery than granular. I will have to grow some tomato in the container over the summer in order to find out, but it seems like decent stuff. It have some seaweed smell, but not that bad.

Thanks for the info! I'll give it a try in a few weeks.

LoreD · June 27, 2016

I had been concerned about the rate of growth in my tomato plants. I thought that the Dr. Earth products may have over-fertilized the plants. They were pretty bushy and growing really fast. Some are over 3 ft, which is pretty big for this early in the year.

I took a look today and saw quite a few tomatoes on the lower branches, and the upper branches were covered in flowers, so I don't need to worry about that.

Lindalana · June 27, 2016

Thing is weather is really good this time of the year. my neighbors on community plots using plain ole Miracle grow and plants look fantastic. I keep thinking how good my methods are and how I improved with my alchemy- then I look at other people gardens and oops,theirs are just the same LOL

June 11, 2016	#1
LoreD Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 306	Dr Earth products This is first year that I have been using Dr Earth compost and garden soil. I never used it before because it is darn expensive. I mean really expensive. In some cases 50% more expensive than even other organic products. I saw it at the garden center and paid $12 (ouch!) for one bag of compost. Since this stuff is expensive I used it sparingly. I trenched the tomatoes, when I planted, in 2-3 good sized scoops of the compost. When I planted seeds, I dug a hole, or small trench, and filled with the compost. The plants really took off. I put my tomato plants in about mid May, and they are really getting huge. My gardening friend, at the community garden, put his in at the same time. His plants were about the same size, and he also trenched them. The main difference is that he used that MiracleGro blue crap when he watered them. Mine are well over a foot high, and look like trees. His haven't grown hardly at all. I have never had tomatoes three weeks into the ground ready to be staked, and put in cages because they are flopping over, flowering, and forming tomatoes. They are easily 3-4 times the size of my friend's plants. The stuff I seeded in this stuff have taken off the same way. Huge monster sized (for this early in the year) squash plants and cucumbers. I agree that weather this has been really good, but I have looked at the other gardens, and my plants are farther along. I'm really pleased. __________________ Its not what you get to keep in life, its what you get to give away.

June 27, 2016	#12
LoreD Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 306	I had been concerned about the rate of growth in my tomato plants. I thought that the Dr. Earth products may have over-fertilized the plants. They were pretty bushy and growing really fast. Some are over 3 ft, which is pretty big for this early in the year. I took a look today and saw quite a few tomatoes on the lower branches, and the upper branches were covered in flowers, so I don't need to worry about that. __________________ Its not what you get to keep in life, its what you get to give away.

June 11, 2016	#2
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I've not used their compost but I have used their fertilizers. I think it's real good stuff.

June 11, 2016	#3
Chucker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 180	I use their kelp meal (mixed with tomato tone) and agree it is really good stuff.

June 12, 2016	#4
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	My garden is going nuts as well. I think Dr Earth is good stuff but really overpriced. I like being my own alchemist and create things on my own so I have lots of varied things, including my own compost and worm factory. Was wondering to compare TomatoTone to Dr Earth products- anyone? It is double the price for sure.

June 12, 2016	#6
Bulldog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Georgia Posts: 126	I used the Pot of gold potting soil this year as a big box store carries it. It is very good, but expensive. I used it to pot up some tomatoes into large pots. It was great to just do it quickly.

June 12, 2016	#7
jillian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 880	I make my own potting mix, and this year am using Dr. Earth fertilizer. Wow is all I can say. Tomatoes and peppers are loaded. I also use Neptune's Harvest every three weeks or so, as a foliar spray.

June 17, 2016	#9
HudsonValley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Hudson Valley, NY, Zone 6a Posts: 626	Has anyone used the granular Dr. Earth fertilizer called "Home Grown," for tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs? I bought the liquid kind and applied it a few days ago. The plants seem to have liked it, but I had a few issues with the hose applicator and wound up smelling like rotting fish. Once I finish the bottle, I'm thinking about switching to the dry kind if it's any good. (Last year, and at planting time this year, I used Mater Magic. While it works really, really well, those cute little tomato-shaped bottles get expensive.) Thoughts?