June 28th: Visible results showing Better World is a better product.

June 28th measurements:

                          MiracleGro                                                                     Better World 

                          current height   recent gain /since May 25th       current height    recent gain/since May 25th 

• Raspberry           29.0 in               +2.0/ +13.5                                23.0 in                        +2.0/   +10.0

• Basil                    22.0                    +2.0/ +12.0                                  18.5                             +1.5/    +9.5

• Tomato               22.0                    +1.0/  +16.0                                19.0                             +0.5/ +13.0

• Marigold          7 nice blooms, finally                                               4 full blooms for the past week

Better World Plant Food clearly outperforms MiracleGro. I get a lot of leaves and more height with MiracleGro (shows most clearly with the basil). 

But I’m more interested in the actual, potential harvest. As you’ll see below, I’m getting earlier fruiting, and more of it, with the organic Better World.

MiracleGro leaves on the left. Better World on the right. 

 The first fruit finally appears on the Miracle Gro plants.

 Meanwhile, on the Better World side I already have four tomatoes coming in. 
And remember, these were the ones I underfed. 
(See blog: "Instructions?..." http://hasenfrass.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-26th-instructions-what.html  )

 Lookin' good to me! 

 Another tomato coming in on the Better World side....

...and another one.

This beans comparison speaks for itself.

Here’s an eggplant coming in on the water only.

Eggplant on MiracleGro is doing WORSE than the one on just plain water. 

It's smaller than the one on water. 

I had two coming in, but the other fell off when I took this picture. 

Meanwhile, in the Better World box I have two healthy, relatively large fruits coming in. 

(Ummmm... is it a fruit when it's an eggplant? Maybe I should call this a hatchling?)

Here’s the Columnar basil on MiracleGro. It’s the only plant that seems to be doing better on MiracleGro. 

And, after 4 weeks, the marigolds on MiracleGro are finally coming in. 

The Better World marigolds were at this stage over a week ago. 

Test Bed 2:

As per my posting of June 26th, http://hasenfrass.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-26th-test-bed-two-lets-start-again.html  I’ve started a second test bed to make up for my screw up. 

There’s not much to see yet. But I am being far more rigorous about making sure ALL the plants are getting the correct dosages (as indicated on packaged instructions), and giving each plot equal amounts of their respective feeds.  Hence the glasses as measuring tools. 

I've mixed up ten litres (approx 10.5 quarts, for my U.S. fans), of each. I give each container equal amounts of fluids.  I am NOT going to record how many glasses I’m giving to each plant. I’d have to give up my Lazy Gardener moniker if I did so. 

I’ll put some effort into tracking height growth, but as I’ve already pointed out, it’s the fruiting and flowering I have the greater interest in. 

June 26th: Test Bed Two. Let’s start again!

As I mentioned in my other blog today, I under-fed the Better World plants for the past month (and still got better results than with MiracleGro).  But I want to see how well Better World can perform if I actually follow the instructions, ie: use the recommended dosages. 


Here’s my new test beds, with Better World Plant Food mixed into the soil to start with. 

I’m doing this on the ultra-cheap. I’m using trays and containers from the Dollar Store, because clay pots (I know they’re better) are expensive. And heavy! I have to haul all this stuff up 3 flights of stairs.... 

The nice ladies at East End Garden Centre recommended I use container soil, instead of Triple Mix.

 Tomatoes.

 Peas from seed.

 Discounted ‘Mister Lincoln’ variety roses from my local IGA. 

The leaves were spotty when I got these plants. Probably one reason they’re on sale?

 Carrots from seed.

Lettuce from seed.

If I can find some more strawberries, I’ll add those too. And some decent basil. I hate the taste of the Columnar Basil. 

Stay tuned! You never know how I’ll screw up next! There’s a reason I chose the moniker: The Lazy Gardener.