Organic? Plant Food

[sensilights]

Hello first time poster here....was traveling through my local big box hardware store the other day and noticed this
Plant-tone�® - Espoma Natural Gardening Solutions (http://www.espoma.com/content.aspx?type=p&id=24&intCategoryID=4)
it says its organic but i dunno cuz i'm new with this whole organic thing
Also is this a good food for a couple of 17-21 day old seedlings?

Thanks!

[Mr. Clandestine]

One of the biggest things to remember about these kinds of fertilizers is that many of them are granular and time-release. Many of them should say on the package what percentage of the fertilizers are soluble, and what percentage isn't. If you plan to use these, get acquainted with learning how to accurately determine your pH, and also watch out that you don't overfertilize later. Much of those chemicals may still be present in the soil, while some may get depleted faster.

I think that same company markets a similar fertilizer that's complete with, like, twenty something beneficial bacterias, including mycorrhizal fungi. This is great stuff for roots, and it also acts as a fairly complete fertilizer if I remember correctly. Bear in mind though, I'm sure it's in slow-release granular form, too.

And welcome to the boards! :jointsmile:

[sensilights]

Thanks :thumbsup: It is a timed release with monthly feedings...it looks kinda like wheat germ lol but smells horrible. Can I use standard ph test strips to test soil?
Would you recommend more than/less than the recommended monthly feedings?

[Mr. Clandestine]

You'll come to find that many/most organic products aren't exactly the best smelling substances in the world! But many of them are absolutely fantastic once you get used to them.

The pH test strips work fine to a certain degree, along with the other chemical/color changing kits, but they begin to lose much of their accuracy as soon as you start testing runoff water. Especially if you're using powdered and other substances that aren't instantly soluble in water. I've got a cheap, crappy electronic pH pen that I sometimes use, but honestly, I use one of the chemical test kits more frequently. They seem to give me better readings. And I wouldn't get close to the recommended monthly feedings that it suggests, remember that many of those fertilizers are intended for use on much heartier plants and shrubs. Go with about half of what is recommended, and ease your way up from there if the plants are tolerating it.

...and I guess I should clarify my earlier statement about the company's other product; mycorhizae a fungus, not a bacteria. That came out all wrong and kinda made me look silly! :D

[sensilights]

excellent, thanks for all your help :)