Organic Choice from Miracle grow. Tough as I am, this gave me shivers

[Paper Roses]

I found the ingredients a little unsettling.

After the list of ingredients:(%'s of nitrogen, phosphate, potash)

Derived from :pasteurized, pelleted poultry litter and feather meal.

Somehow, I wonder if I want thin on my tomatoes.

Poultry litter??

[RedEarth]

1. You might want to look for Tomato Tone or Plant Tone

Both are organic and not as harsh as some other fertilizers. I'll use Miracle Grow Potting Mix to pot up seedlings, but really don't care for any of their other products.

[beac]

2. I don't blame you.

I highly recommend worm castings as a fertilizer. I found a local place that sold me a HUGE bag for about $18 last year. I used it on EVERYTHING and still had enough left over to get my seedling transplants going, pep up my perennials and augment a good bit of my saved potting soil this year. It's also great for starting seeds-- especially those wee-tiny ones that I can never seem to get to germinate in ordinary soil.

At first, I went through the hassle of making "worm tea" but after researching a little more, I found you can just sprinkle it on the soil and water it in. Can't over feed with worm castings, so it's idiot proof (a REAL bonus for a noob'ish gardener like me.)

The brand I used is called "Wiggle Worm"-- I just Googled around and found an online source with quite good prices that INCLUDE shipping (in case there isn't a local resource in your area): http://vermiculture.com/store_soil_builder.html?gclid=COTzhO37z6ECFRBx5Qod0G_NKQ

[JDPriestly]

11. I have a worm bin in a spare bedroom.

It's actually fun. Smells a bit but not too bad. And the worm tea is great. The only problem is that when I put the worm dirt out in the garden, I get raccoons and the like, maybe skunks? or possums digging around for a little while. I think those animals like to scoop up the worms. Just a theory.

[Kolesar]

3. Complete Organic Fertilizer--COF

by Steve Solomon
Because my garden supplies about half of my family’s yearly food intake, I do all I can to maximize my vegetables’ nutritional quality. Based on considerable research and more than 30 years of vegetable growing, I have formulated a fertilizing mix that is beneficial for almost any food garden. It is a potent, correctly balanced fertilizing mix composed entirely of natural substances. It’s less expensive than commercial organic fertilizers, and it’s much better for your soil life than harsh synthetic chemical mixes

In my gardens, I use only this mix and regular additions of compost. Together they produce incredible results

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2006-06-01/A-Better-Way-to-Fertilize-Your-Garden.aspx

I use coffee grounds from Starbucks for the seed-meal in my COF

[MajorChode]

4. Bird guano fertilizer is highly prized

Especially for vegetable gardens. It's been used as organic fertilizer for thousands of years.

[kurtzapril4]

5. Why wouldn't you want it on your tomatoes?

You'd use cow manure, right? Chicken poop..Its organic. Its pasturised, so it's safe. People have been using chicken poop for garden fertiliser as long as people and chickens have lived together. They didn't pasturise it, either. Good luck with your garden.

[Paper Roses]

6. I guess I questioned it because it sounded gross.

I do use cow manure(the bagged type.) I do remember as a kid, my Italian grandfather would go --some rural town-and come home with buckets of manure that he put into big drums and let sit. He then watered the garden at intervals with this fragrant solution.

Best gardens I ever say. I'll just have to resort to the store bought bags. No farm visits for me for of fresh cow poo.

[Blue Gardener]

7. Terracycle Worm Poop Fertilizer

My plants love it.

[hippywife]

8. We compost all of our chicken litter.

And after harvest, the chickens have full run of the garden to clean it up. They poo in all the boxes.

Not sure what your issue is. :shrug:

[Gormy Cuss]

9. "Poultry litter" just sounds nicer than "manure and bedding from the coop."

Aged chicken manure is a common fertilizer. The litter has feathers, sawdust, and whatever else was used for bedding. Poultry litter in of itself shouldn't be scary.

Now the Miracle Gro brand and organics? I'd avoid them unless and until the products are OMRI listed, but that's just me.

[LaurenG]

10. Yeah and my dogs want to eat it so be aware of that. nt