miracle gro plant stick food

[joshvito]

Found these at the dollar store the other day.
Anyone ever use these in their aquarium?
I was going to cut them and stick them under my crypts and swords for extra fertilizer, but thought I'd check to see if this has been attempted.

http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/pr...temId=cat50108

 

[Biollante]

Label, Can You Post The Label?

Hi,

I tried Jobe’s plant stakes years ago and I do not know if I did not do something right, but it was an unmitigated disaster.

My understanding is that Miracle-Gro products provide (derive?) potassium via muriate of potash, which contains excess chlorine that can (will?) burn plants and inhibit the uptake of nitrogen."

Further, I have read that the big-time golf course maintenance folk say that the Miracle-Gro plant spikes kill the worms in the soil, I take this to be a bad thing, I like living things in my substrates (and soil, for that matter). Sorry I cannot locate the source for proper attribution, but I am sure that was the gist anyway.

{This just in… Amazing what a little Googling can do… Though strangely, I cannot find the label from Scotts.}
I just found this; http://www.ehow.com/way_5637340_do-fertilizer-spikes-harm-plants_.html that references the above and I would note:

• “The website davesgarden.com says: "Soil fertility authority Garn Wallace, Ph.D., of Wallace Laboratories in El Segundo, California, points out that Miracle-Gro contains muriate of potash [their version of potassium], which contains excess chlorine that will burn plants and inhibit the uptake of nitrogen."”

I think I would take a pass on the plant sticks, though should you precede please keep us informed.

Biollante

 

[scottward]

Joshvito, are you EI dosing? If (diligantly) dosing EI, I think plant sticks would be redundant anyway?

If not dosing EI, I would probably leave them out altogether and see how your plants go without them. If your plants aren't doing the best, post again later on...chances are the solution won't be to add plant sticks, it will most probably be add CO2. ;-)

 

[joshvito]

I am EI dosing. I was thinking of using them to supplement the heavy root feeding plants. ( e.g. Swords, crypts.)

It sounds as though I shouldn't even use them in my house plants. Good thing I only invested $1.50.

 

[scottward]

As far as I'm aware, because you are EI dosing, the plants have all the nutrients they will ever need anyway (EI is essentially carefully managed overdosing).

Yeah I'd forget about the root dosing, the swords and crypts can pull what they need from the water column.

Scott.