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Miracle grow organic potting mix
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There is nothing organic about miracle gro. Even the "Organic Choice" stuff isn't organic, or at least not what gardeners and horticulturist mean by the term 'organic soil'.
You see, organic soil really means the soil is alive with a thriving and diverse population of various micro-organisms, and the necessary organic matter for them to subsist off of. It is there waste production that fertilizes the plant. In organic soil, the nutrients are locked up from the plant until the micro-organisms release it to them, at a slooooow steady rate. The only way to get this is to compost the soil, and keep the micro-organisms healthy. Unfortunately, the term 'Organic' is currently just a marketing label that is slapped on many things to make them more appealing in the face of the growing health food trends. Many things labeled as 'organic' are just using a buzz word and they're about as organic as anti-freeze.
I certainly wouldn't put water-soluble chem ferts in the soil because everytime your soil gets wet, the water is now tainted with POISON.
I would play it on the safe side and not take the risk since it isn't necessary. Same as with feeding wild caught prey.
You see, organic soil really means the soil is alive with a thriving and diverse population of various micro-organisms, and the necessary organic matter for them to subsist off of. It is there waste production that fertilizes the plant. In organic soil, the nutrients are locked up from the plant until the micro-organisms release it to them, at a slooooow steady rate. The only way to get this is to compost the soil, and keep the micro-organisms healthy. Unfortunately, the term 'Organic' is currently just a marketing label that is slapped on many things to make them more appealing in the face of the growing health food trends. Many things labeled as 'organic' are just using a buzz word and they're about as organic as anti-freeze.
To some extent you are correct, but with miracle-gro pre-fertilized soil, you usually only have one concentration as an option. The real difference between Miracle-gro soil, and truly organically fertilized soil; is like the difference between caffeine and meth, or vitamins and steroids. Water soluble ferts like you find in miracle-gro, force feed your plants; whereas with real organic soil, nutrients are much much much much lower and released at a slow, steady rate. Also, with organics, if the plants have had enough, they can stop eating, whereas with chem ferts being water soluble, the ferts will keep being absorbed by the plant as it tries to take up water.
Soil that has an N-P-K value of 10-10-10 throughout is certainly not "properly fertilized soil". Regular Miracle-Gro soil is much lower than that. (if you were using 10-10-10 you'd likely have had a problem by now) I think you may be confusing pre-fertilized soil N-P-K with fertilizers that you supplement the soil with. They can have N-P-K values of 10-10-10, 24-8-16, 15-30-15, and many other insanely high numbers that demonstrate how concentrated they are. Once again there is a huge difference between water soluble chem ferts, and non-water soluble organic ones. In the wild the various nutes in the soil are fractionally smaller than what you'd buy from miracle-gro, and most are only released to the plant root through the action of life in the soil. Of course they don't all make their burrows in 'leached out soil' in the wild because most organic ferts CAN'T leach out as they aren't water soluble. They stay in the soil until they're used up by either the plant or the micro-organisms, usually both.
I certainly wouldn't put water-soluble chem ferts in the soil because everytime your soil gets wet, the water is now tainted with POISON.
I completely agree that the mushrooms aren't a problem, and can happen to any soil, as spores are airborne. If I had to guess I would say the reason you haven't had any problems with it is because pre-fertilized soil has very small amounts of N, P, and K. Maybe they are small enough not to have an affect on your Ts. But they are poisons, and while T's don't eat dirt, any water that comes into contact with the soil will contain traces of poisons. It could be a case of it has to build up over time (years maybe).This can occur from almost any commercially available potting mix and peat. And, the typcial white shrooms aren't a big deal anyway IMO.
Ok, over and out.
Basically, if you're worried about using it... don't. But I don't worry
Eric
I would play it on the safe side and not take the risk since it isn't necessary. Same as with feeding wild caught prey.
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Don't use miracle grow on anything. Poison :wall: :wall: :wall:
You should be aware that this doesn't make your soil unable to be colonized, since it will still be dirt (often moist) sitting around in an unsealed container. It makes your soil 'open season' for whatever does colonize it(no competition), and makes you have a better chance of infestation.
I agree the chemical phobia is often unproductive as everything, natural or not, can be expressed as chemicals. This is the kind of hype that many manufacturers rely on when they label something "organic" when it isn't.
As I said in my other reply: Miracle-gro is water soluble, most organics aren't. This has tremendous ramifications. You are over simplifying when you say that there are traces in the wild. Most N, P, & K is locked up in other compounds until released by the decomposers present in natural soil, it isn't just sitting there; if it is, that's called pollution.
Thanks for bumping this thread as I seemed to have overlooked it the first time around.
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I agree. Every time I've nuked or cooked soil I've gotten bad fungus out breaks.
John
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I have. No problems.
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Use bed a beast or eco earth that's what I use
I wonder if anyone could give any evidence whatsoever that the fertilizer contained in Miracle-Gro potting mix is harmful in any way to spiders or the environment. On the contrary, all I see in this thread is evidence that it is not harmful to spiders. I also see a lot of unsubstantiated claims. I agree, the term "organic" is essentially meaningless.
Nak
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OMG! A ZOMBiE THREAD!
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Miracle grow makes my spiders grow up strong and healthy! haha.
Really though, I've had nothing but success using miracle grow peat moss for many years now... if it's a problem, i've yet to see it.
If you're concerned about it, don't use it.
Eric
Really though, I've had nothing but success using miracle grow peat moss for many years now... if it's a problem, i've yet to see it.
If you're concerned about it, don't use it.
Eric
what N-P-K are we talking about exactly? Is this what you're using? According to the link it's N-P-K is 0.05-0.02-0.04. I said that it had to be a small amount, and that's why you haven't had problems. You were the one talking about 10-10-10, which is 10 times the amount you have in the peat. I certainly would be shocked if 10-10-10 didn't cause problems.
I don't think it's very responsible to be telling people MG won't cause any problems without saying what N-P-K you're talking about(what if someone researching this subject gets the idea that 10-10-10 is okay?), or making poor analogies about "in nature..."(water soluble vs. non-water soluble, BIG difference). Sweeping generalizations can be dangerous when talking about something as complex as fertilization.
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Asking people to use the search function is now bullying??? Most of the time, you can find the answers you are looking for by doing a search and it isn't bullying to ask people to use the resources already here.
seriously? :wall: :wall: :wall:
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Ok. I don't wan't to be "responsible" for anything. Use it if you want... if you worried about it, don't use it.
I've used nothing but MG peat moss for many, many years... for uncountable thousands of spiders. I'm cool with it...
Hmm, ya know what... I think some tests are overdue.
Eric
I hate to say this, but are you reading my entire posts????? Did you look at the link I gave?
I AM NOT SAYING YOUR SUBSTRATE IS GOING TO KILL YOUR SPIDERS!
I never did. I was only addressing the inaccuracies/broad generalizations of your posts.