# miracle grow



## naturalman91 (Jul 30, 2014)

i was recently given some plants that were grown with miracle grow? is there anyway to purge it out of the plants?


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## pfara (Jul 30, 2014)

There is a "leaching" process where you water heavily. However, you can also repot the plant, shake off as much of the existing dirt and pot into an additive-free mix. Then you'd just have to wait a while for whatever chemical was taken in by the plant to be used up.


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## Tom (Jul 30, 2014)

Miracle-Gro and any other fertilizer is fine, as long as the tortoise does not have direct access to the raw product. All plants need fertilizers to live and grow. Once the fertilizer is assimilated into the plants tissues it is fine for the tortoises to eat.

What must be avoided are the "weed n feed" types that contain herbicides, or the types that claim "insect control" and contain pesticides.

Plain old fertilizer is fine, just don't let the tortoise eat or drink actual fertilizer.


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## naturalman91 (Jul 30, 2014)

Tom said:


> Miracle-Gro and any other fertilizer is fine, as long as the tortoise does not have direct access to the raw product. All plants need fertilizers to live and grow. Once the fertilizer is assimilated into the plants tissues it is fine for the tortoises to eat.
> 
> What must be avoided are the "weed n feed" types that contain herbicides, or the types that claim "insect control" and contain pesticides.
> 
> Plain old fertilizer is fine, just don't let the tortoise eat or drink actual fertilizer.



ah ok so it's fine if he eats a plant grown with miracle grow (nothing else)? it's mostly the leafs of the plants i want to give him like some squash leafs and stuff, would a rose of sharon grown with miracle grow be alright for him to eat the leafs and flower?


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## Tom (Jul 30, 2014)

Totally fine. I've been doing it for years.

Just read the label and make sure it is just plain fertilizer without any "extra" stuff added.


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## naturalman91 (Jul 30, 2014)

Tom said:


> Totally fine. I've been doing it for years.
> 
> Just read the label and make sure it is just plain fertilizer without any "extra" stuff added.



thanks sorry for all the question's im not really plant smart tho, i'm tryin tho!


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## Star-of-India (Jul 30, 2014)

Even better to use organic fertilizers rather than MiracleGro, as they tend to build up soil quality and are easier on the smaller creatures such as worms living in healthy soil. But definitely avoid the weed and feed's which are likely used on most of the nursery grown plants we buy which is the issue with feeding recently bought plants to torts.


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## ascott (Jul 30, 2014)

I would not offer any item for food that has been treated with any fertilizer....nor would I offer a tort (nor human) any produce that is not organic....fertilizer is not all natural as some folks believe....just sharing the other side here...


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## naturalman91 (Jul 30, 2014)

ascott said:


> I would not offer any item for food that has been treated with any fertilizer....nor would I offer a tort (nor human) any produce that is not organic....fertilizer is not all natural as some folks believe....just sharing the other side here...



how would you grow with using fertlizer then?

I'm not very plant smart and don't have much of a green thumb lol


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## ascott (Jul 30, 2014)

Surprisingly, if you offer water and sun ...this awesome thing happens....stuff grows naturally


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## jaizei (Jul 31, 2014)

naturalman91 said:


> how would you grow with using fertlizer then?
> 
> I'm not very plant smart and don't have much of a green thumb lol



Plants need nutrients to grow. If you do not want to use chemical fertilizers, you can use 'natural/organic' fertilizers such as compost & manure.


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## turtlelou (Jul 31, 2014)

I use fish emulsion fertilizer. Works great .


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## johnsonnboswell (Jul 31, 2014)

Compost is wonderful fertilizer. I use it for all my houseplants, and for substrate. 

Another source of fertilizer is to capture the water & gunk when you wash the filter medium from a fish or turtle aquarium or pond.


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## zenoandthetortoise (Jul 31, 2014)

Some clarification of terminology might be helpful here. As all plants need nutrients to grow (not just 'water and sun'), particularly the macronutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK on the label ) there are three ways to provide:

1) a well developed layer of humus and nutrient recycling as found in a meadow or other developed soil structure

2) Addition of 'natural' fertilizers such as compost, blood meal, guano, kelp, etc

3) addition of 'synthetic' fertilizers, such as the aforementioned miracle grow. 

The downside of the later is that it addresses immediate needs for vegetative growth but does not add to the development of the soil biome, which is relevant if longterm cultivation and overall plant health (such as disease resistance) is a consideration. 
This is the reason I typically don't use it, not health of the consumer, either tort or human. Opinions on this are often varied and emotional- ask for evidence before letting the paranoids freak you out. 

Lastly, I think an often overlooked component is the mineral content of the soil. You can grow 'calcium rich' plants such as collards and mustard, but no calcium in the soil, no calcium in the plants. You can get a soil test for about. $29 bucks, but I find it just as effective (and slightly less compulsive ) to apply slow release minerals such as azomite, oystershell lime and greensand to the beds before planting. Hope this helps.


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Jul 31, 2014)

I grow my plants with miracle grow, I just make sure my tort isn't in the area when I water (for a few hours)


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## ascott (Jul 31, 2014)

> (not just 'water and sun')



I disagree....anytime, here in the high desert, that I want to propagate natural vegetation --I simply add water to the desired area and that along with the sun absolutely offers a great grazing area....so, yes, water and sun are a great combination to the awesome soil that is provided here....thank you.


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## zenoandthetortoise (Aug 1, 2014)

ascott said:


> I disagree



You actually aren't disagreeing; you're choosing option #1 on providing nutrients, i.e., whatever is in the soil already. Excellent method for growing natives, as you say. In most locations, options 2 or 3 might become necessary to address the needs of exotics, like tomatoes or melons.


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## ascott (Aug 1, 2014)

> tomatoes or melons.



LOL.. the rabbits/squirrels/birds/ants/beetles and any other wild desert creatures would love it if I grew these here, the only fruit that can be grown here successfully without being totally looted or totally guarded, are the cactus fruits....


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## zenoandthetortoise (Aug 1, 2014)

ascott said:


> LOL.. the rabbits/squirrels/birds/ants/beetles and any other wild desert creatures would love it if I grew these here, the only fruit that can be grown here successfully without being totally looted or totally guarded, are the cactus fruits....



LOL indeed! I thought you were referring to cultivation in general, which is how I interpreted the OP. Instead, it sounds like you are saying that cactus grown in the desert doesn't require extra fertilizer. Point made, point taken.


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Aug 1, 2014)

We tell people to resurch but when we do some call us " Paranoids " that's not nice I think we can choose better words . And to help your soil you can as a lot of people say use compost but we can use live plants as well like plant beans they get nitrogen right out of the air .


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Aug 1, 2014)

Thank you Jodie .


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## zenoandthetortoise (Aug 3, 2014)

Grandpa Turtle 144 said:


> We tell people to resurch but when we do some call us " Paranoids " that's not nice I think we can choose better words . And to help your soil you can as a lot of people say use compost but we can use live plants as well like plant beans they get nitrogen right out of the air .



Hi Grandpa Turtle,

I wasn't calling you or anyone else paranoid for doing research. My point was that in doing research, you will encounter paranoid information. For example, type "fertilizer dangers' in a search engine and see what you get. Some data and lots of ranting. I'm not advocating miracle grow ( I have cultivated hundreds of varieties every year, for over 20 years and never used a synthetic fertilizer) I was simply trying to answer the OP query regarding safety of produce grown using it.


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## ascott (Aug 4, 2014)

> I wasn't calling you or anyone else paranoid for doing research.



Call me paranoid and I reply..."and.. your point is what?"....lol....like paranoid is a bad word....????? Member of the OCD club, crazy ---all acceptable terms as well....


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