Sometimes no matter how much I read on a subject, it takes me months to implement what I've learned. I know you know what I'm talking about. For instance, my relationship with fertilizer. I grew up only knowing Miracle Grow; with its green scooper and bright, green crystals bubbling up in my watering jug. Or better yet, the attachment that fit right on the hose allowing you to spray your plants with this chemical food for hours. But as our world grew more organic and Earth conscious and my interest on these matters grew, I decided to read up on organic fertilizers a couple years ago and wade through the endless amounts of information on this matter. And what I found delighted me. Just the benefit of utilizing organic fertilizers not only for your garden, but also for the environment is sheer delight. One in particular caught my eye: fish emulsion. I finally decided to purchase a bottle and to my surprise, it made me want to puke from the smell. It reminded me of what it would be like to sit around in fish sauce all day. Disgusting, but kind of wonderful too.
I enthusiastically applied this new find to my edible garden and flower pots throughout my garden. The smell didn't last long and in the coming weeks my plants flourished! My garden last year produced a summer full of vegetables. My tomatoes were still producing into October. So, this year I decided to include this wonderful, smelly stuff onto my seedlings for my 2010 crop! I planted my seedlings in late February and fertilized about a month later and whoa-la, my seedlings are stronger than ever before. I produced so many healthy starts this year I've contemplated having a neighborhood plant sale. Luckily though, I had a long-list of friends ready to 'em off my hands.
So, I'm sold on this stuff. I won't go it alone.
Goodbye, Miracle Grow.
