AboutThe Long Island Gardener Expertise Do you know the wrong fertilizer will keep your plants from blooming?
Do you know that too much Nitrogen can kill your grass, even if it does not burn the roots? Do you know that Roses need a LOT of Nitrogen to bloom -- and why is that?
There's some complex chemistry in those plant foods. The secrets behind N-P-K are the key to the ultimate lawn, the the biggest flowers, the most fruits and vegetables. And if you don't get it right, you could be sorry.
I'll show you what you did wrong, and how to fix it.
Experience Homeowner with gardens indoors and outdoors, lawns back and forth. I wrote my first gardening column for our college newspaper, teaching roomates about the right way to feed those windowsills gardens. Today I look for challenges. Organic Fertilizers are the key to proper feeding of all our plants. Can you make your own fertilizer? Some people think so -- but there are side effects. I have been there, done that for 54 years and there is nothing like the voice of experience when it comes to Horticulture and Fertilizers.
Publications Numerous and sundry but only in college did I write about plants.
Education/Credentials B.A., Botany and Mass Communications.
Question This morning I used Miracle Grow on all my outdoor plants, including flowers...I realized later that I had used miracle grow lawn fertilizer. We live in a very sandy soil region.
Will my plants die?
Thank you!
Answer This depends on how much you diluted it. If it was diluted for Lawns, your plants will be FINE! If you did not dilute it sufficiently, it will damage or destroy your plants just like it would destroy/damage Lawngrass. Which happens on a daily basis in the Summer.
Sandy Soil leaches Nitrogen with INCREDIBLE speed. 75 percent of Lawn Fertilizer evaporates almost instantly, before the Grass has a chance to use it. The remaining 25 percent in the Soil is available for a short time to the plant, but it quickly leaches through the Soil and down toward China. Allt his means that if you had overdosed on this fertilizer, and/or not diluted it enough, there is a good chance the damage would be minimal because the fertilizer does not stick to Sand.
Relax. I think it will be fine. By the way, you can get your money back on these Miracle Gro things if you submit the receipt to Scotts. They deal with so many mis-applications all Summer of their fertilizer, they just refund your money if you are not '100 percent satisfied'. Keep me posted. Thanks for your questioN.
