June 7th: Five days of neglect and...

... wow!  Lookit all this stuff!

I’ve been out of town for 5 days; part of The Lazy Gardener credo, Rule 3: take as much time off as possible.  Rule 4: get someone else to do the work.
     I had someone add water in my absence. The results?  Just look!

Look! I’ve got a fig growing in the Better World box. 

Figgin’ awesome! 

The boxes are getting full very quickly.  

Measurements as follows:

                                   MiracleGro      gain                    Better World        gain 

• Raspberry                  19.5 in            +3.5                  16.0 in                      +2.5

Originally smaller than the MG plant, the BW is quickly catching up.

• Basil                             12.5                 +2                      12                               +1.5

See the close ups below for more comment.

• Tomato                         10.0           +3.0                     11.5                            +4.5

Wow! Better World is really kicking MiracleGro’s butt here.

• Marigold         2 blooms, 20 buds*                          4 blooms, 15 buds**

*  this is the original 2 blooms, plus 20 very tiny new buds  

**  this is the original 4 blooms (including the one with the damaged stem), plus 20 medium-sized new buds

Basil, not Fawlty, compared:

Here’s the basil on MiracleGro. Looking good, filling in nicely, gaining height. 

Still retains a bitter taste though. 

Basil on Better World. 

I’m not sure if it shows in this, but there is a colour difference in the leaves and stems when compared to MGro basil.  The BW basil has slightly more new grow filling in on the stems, making for a bushier plant. And a noticeable improvement in the taste. Still not as sweet as I’d like, but definately not bitter, as it was when first planted.  Seems to be taking on a peppery flavour. 

Raspberry compare-y (okay, a bad headline):

Raspberry on Miracle-Gro. Slightly more new growth than BW.

Raspberry on Better World. 

Compare the three-way grow-off:

Water only. 

Water & Miracle-Gro.

Water & Better World Plant Food.

Check out the close-ups on the strawberries:

Water only.

Water & Miracle-Gro.

Water & Better World Plant Food.  

!!!

Beans on Better World Plant Food. 

With luck I’ll be climbing this beanstalk soon. 

I’m not sure why these beans are doing so well, but the comparison beans (see small pots above) are not sprouting at all. 

Radish comparison. 

Left to right: water only; Miracle-Gro; Better World. 

Strawberries on Better World; compare after 6 days: 

June 1st

June 7th

Safe to say that strawberries seem to really like BetterWorld Plant Food.