Miracle Grow Organic Plant Food
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At The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, anything plant or animal based is considered organic. For example, organic mulch would be derived from a plant, such as fir bark. Ornamental rock mulch, while natural, would not be considered organic.
The chemistry of being organic
In chemistry, the definition of organic is any substance that contains carbon atoms. This definition is more inclusive in that it includes synthetically derived substances, as long as they contain carbon atoms.
An organic garden is natural
The last definition of the word organic comes from gardening, and is probably the first you’d think of. Anything natural applies in this category. An organic garden would not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and would not grow genetically engineered plants.
Now that you understand what Scotts® think “organic” means, you can now see the way their products can help you grow the organic way.
Types of Organic Plant Food
Some of the most common organic plant foods are bone meal, cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, activated sewage and manures. Parts of your yard are better suited for certain kinds of organic plant food than others. Here’s a brief description of organic plant foods and how they are typically used.
* Bone meal: a mixture of crushed and coarsely ground bones that decomposes slowly. Use it when you’re planting bulbs.
* Cottonseed meal: a by-product of cotton manufacturing. It is somewhat acidic, so it’s ideal for your acid-loving plants, such as azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons.
* Blood meal: dried powdered blood from cattle slaughterhouses. It is a very rich source of nitrogen, so use it carefully. It’s also effective for keeping deer out of your garden.
* Fish emulsion: a decomposed blend of finely pulverized fish. It is high in nitrogen, so you want to be careful. The fishy smell goes away after a day or two.
* Sewage sludge: a recycled product of municipal sewage treatment plants. Activated sludge is usually sold in a dry, granular form for use as a general purpose, long-lasting, non-burning fertilizer. It’s popular for use on lawns and golf courses.
* Manures: commonly available manures include horse, cow, pig, chicken, and sheep products. Not all manure is alike, or equally effective. For Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Plant Food, recycled poultry litter is used from a poultry company. The litter is pasteurized in a unique process that kills harmful bacteria and weed seeds, and converts it into a high-quality, low-odor plant fertilizer.
Other materials
Sometimes, you just want to take a walk on the wild side of organic plant food. In case you do, try alfalfa pellets. Sold as animal feed, they are rich in nitrogen and make excellent plant food. You can dig the pellets into the soil or add them to a compost pile. Also, if you live near an animal- or plant-processing factory, the by-products produced there may be usable. Contact them for more information.
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