As a chemistry geek, it's so refreshing to see someone take down the 'organic is better' non-sense with facts and science.

How dare this man speak so truthfully and factually with good examples and good arguments

Thank you for an excellent understandable breakdown of synthetic versus organic fertilizers. In the future, I won’t be opposed to using Miracle Gro. It was quite entertaining to hear you debunk all of the fantastical incorrect beliefs. 👏

I am so glad to hear that. There is sooo much misunderstanding in gardening.

I think people use the word "hot" to refer to an over-concentration of nutrients. Like planting into straight compost may be described as "hot". It can also mean stuff that is still breaking down. Like how you can't use horse manure when it's "hot" and it has to break down a while first.

Great video ! I too was converted into thinking that only compost and organic fertilizers in my garden and orchard. I now realize that both can be used for different purposes, and both are beneficial when used properly. Thank you for helping me understand how soil works!

TY Robert for bringing science to the surface. I'm so tired of many making a bad rap of blue. I continue to use it as part of a hybrid fert program in conjunction with soil building additives compost,manures I use.

17:11 At last!! A mind and voice of reason in a desert of misconceptions, rumors, and twisted information. A thousand blessings to you. I used to farm and naturally read farming information. One study I read about said that tests showed suburban and urban dwellers that had grass and used insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers generally used more of these products per acre than informed farmers did, probably why kids can't find lightning bugs anymore. Reminds me of my mother in law's saying: tend to your own rat killing first before you start on somebody else. Thanks, great info well presented.

Thank you for presenting this detailed information. It really is frustrating to hear how the word chemical is misused to perpetuate fear. Water has a chemical structure.

Just finished reading your Soil Science book. Great stuff. I also finished a horticulture science technical certificate recently. Your book was spot on and actually brought it all together better than some of my other texts. I highly recommend it to any home gardener of any level.

Yes, been using it for many years with success. 🎉

The main issue with chemical fertilizers is they do not add organic matter to the soil.

I love that purple box of bloom booster ....got my budz big n dense!! Ppl just like to believe anything to stir controversy

Thank you for this video. After watching this video I bought the Miracle grow feeder and 10lbs of miracle grow fertilizer!!

Thank You Sir... this is what you call critical "THINKING," of which many are without these days. Very informative.

Chemical companies make some nasty products and lye about their dangers but not all of the products are bad. Thanks for demystifying fertilizers for those who don’t understand chemistry! Well done, personally I garden organically due to the soil building benefits but I don’t think synthetic fertilizers if used at minimum recommended levels are a problem.

I would like to remind everyone that the government of Sri Lanka forced the farmers to become organic growers and not use synthetic fertilizer. This resulted in a nationwide famine that led to incredibly high food prices, hunger and disease. Let that sink in.

This broadcast is tremendous.

Sir, you are logical and rational !!! Thank You Sir For All Your Knowledge !!

Wow, so much common sense. I enjoy how you build your story so we can chuckle with you.

Just came across your channel and I've rarely seen so much sense talked about in a video. Immediately subbed. Thank you 🙂

Found your channel today, and your channel is my new favorite. I love all the Chemistry explanation.

A salt is any combination of a metal and a non-metal. Source: my high school chemistry teacher (RIP Ms. Davis)

Very interesting. I had no idea what to expect when starting the video. Learned a lot.

Roundup is a good product when used AS DIRECTED. It has a very short life in the soil. You can plant in the area sprayed 24 hours later with no traces of it in plants. Used in very large quantities, in higher concentrations than recommended, where there is high runoff right after spraying, yes it is harmful. As are all things used incorrectly.

About the 'no too smart' comment: I get a giggle when I read comments by 'informed' people who can't even check their own text for errors. I like the straightforward way you address stupid comments - while presenting the facts.

There are thousands of politicians and celebrities that believe Carbon is a pollution. So gardeners worried about certain fertilizers is almost understandable. Thank you for the short science refresher.

True, it may be misleading to say that adding nitrates to your soil "kills" microbes, but it is fair to say that doing so prevents certain microbes from growing/reproducing, namely the ones you alluded to which break down larger nitrogen-containing compounds into plant-available forms of nitrogen. By stunting those populations, you make your soil dependent on continual additions of nitrates, whereas if you avoid nitrate fertilizers and apply compost and/or grow nitrogen fixing plants, you don't have to be dependent on remote, large-scale fertilizer producers. The trade-off is likely lower (but not always radically lower) yields vs. the elimination of fertilizer cost and independence from large corporations and their supply chains. It's more relevant for farming and homesteading than backyard gardening.

You do a great service in this day and age. You bring truth, knowledge and science to the people. Thank you Sir!

Robert, thank you so much for the info. I have learned so much and you explain topics so well. You have a common sense approach that I really appreciate! Keep the videos coming.❤

"The one, main problem, is nutrient salts getting into the water", lol. I'm hoping she ment "One of the main problems, is nutrient salts getting into our water". I hope so, lol. That was a fun story. Regarding microbes, I did always hear that Endomycorrizae colonies didn't like a Phosphorus % higher than 7%, or 0-7-0, and larger amounts can diminish their numbers. This was Organic or Synthetic nutrients, so not a "Salt" problem, at all. Haven't heard this lately, though, so maybe not so bad..?! Thanks for the simple, honest answers. Couldn't ask for more!👍💯🙏✌️.

Your Chemistry is very good, thank you for letting the proponents of organic fertilize to know that same elements are found in both synthetic or organic fertilizers!

Regarding hot vs. cold fertilier, I am not the expert but I had always understood that a cold fertilizer such as rabbit manure has nitrogen in a complex organic form that is not available to plant roots until it is broken down by microorganisms in the soil to an ionic form that can be dissolved in water and absorbed by the roots, whereas a hot fertilizer like chicken manure has a high percentage of ionic compounds that can be too quickly absorbed by the roots. Roots absorb water because the plant juices are 'saltier' than the water in the soil and through diffusion through the root cell membrane there is an imbalance of salt ions, therefore more water diffuses throuigh the membrane until the concentration of ions is equal on either side of the membrane. So when a fertilizer burns the roots, that means that the process is reversed and the plant juices diliute the fertilizer in the soil and the roots essentailly dry up. So this is what people mean when they say that cold fertilizer does not burn the roots is because the ionic form of the nitrogen is released slowly. It then follows that so-called chemical fertilizers will also not burn as long as ionic content of the fertilized soil is not higher than the ionic content of the plant juices in the roots. Slow release chemical fertilizers like Osmocoat solve the burning problem, though for any fertilizer the ionic concentration in the soil must be kept below the ionic concentration of plant juices in the roots to prevent burning. Corrections welcome.

Thank you so much! I have been using Miracle Grow for years and recently began hearing it was bad so I was concerned. But it's always worked so well for me so I didn't understand what the problem was. I was going to use up what I have and stop using it. Thanks to you I know I don't have to worry about it anymore. Thanks again!!

Good Day Sir! Thank you very much for your calm demeanor and informative content. I particularly enjoyed your video on 10-10-10 fertilizers. I have been gardening professionally for a couple of decades, and still learn something new almost every day. My understanding of Miracle-Gro, and similar fertilizers, is they are best used for annual containers. This is based in the idea that these nutrients are not complex and so attach to like molecules and leach down into the soil and become unavailable to growing plants over time....say maybe 3 years. I imagine this is similar to the way our bodies respond to vitamin pills as opposed to actual food wherein the nutrients in food are more complex and not so easily "washed out" of our body (you know what I mean). I certainly see your point that these water soluble fertilizers are useful if you need to deal quickly with a deficiency issue, but long term use in garden beds just doesn't seem right. Slow-release granular fertilizers, even used coffee grounds, seems like a better choice for most situations. Hoping someone will see this and enlighten me with more information. Thank you so much!

Miracle grow is great. People planting / growing Tomatoes need to put down Gypsum a few times a year. I tell people to use miracle grow at half the dose on the directions.

I like to use all the above. I use both fish fertilizer and Miracle-Gro. I really like slow release fertilizer like Osmocote. Am all about results. The world would starve to death without herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizer.

Thank you for explaining this in a manner most will understand. I use Peter's 20-20-20 water soluble and inexpensive Walmart 13-13-13 granular, but I also use compost and add a lot of mulch and kitchen scraps back into to the soil to aid in soil consistency and health. As you say, the key is using it correctly. Fertilizer is a useful and necessary tool in my garden. Success is a multi-faceted approach that utilizes the tools that have been developed over centuries to help with growing food. Throwing them away because they don't say organic on the labels is silly.

It's amazing how many horticulturalists don't see the bigger picture. Perhaps consider how these products are made, where they are made, where the profits go, how production affects local communities and environments... Ethical options are widely available. There's really no excuse to continue using these types of products.

Where have you been all this while? thank God i got you now.

Good videos from this channel. Clear and concise. No BS.

This video is such an eye opener. thank you so much.

I can remember back in the 90's when the parent company (Scott's) that made Miracle-Gro at the time got caught putting certain chemical wastes into their professional AG grade products to make up their mineral content. It caused a few big AG farmers to poison their food crops. Luckily the soil recovered after a year going fallow but still many of farmers that used the bogus products in drier areas lost a full year's worth of crops. Their consumer grade fertilizer Miracle-Gro was never part of the problem but nevertheless took a big hit in trustability. These days Miracle-Gro is owned by a different investment company. There was never any danger to give the consumer grade Miracle-Gro to your plants, just the perception of danger.

I use synthetic fertilizer when growing over the winter when temperatures are low and soil microbes are less active. Then, in spring I go back to organic. Never had a problem.

This is a very good informational video. I notice that most of garden chanels promote the same fertilizers and bad talk others. I think it's just for profits for them.

Thank you for presenting this logical, scientific perspective to the gardening community. The scientific method is the only way to discover truth.

A lot to think about. I appreciate this information.

Lots of good information here. The truth is your tomato plant doesn't know the difference between your compost or miracle grow. I predominantly use my own compost. I do however use bloom buster to push flower production when I am ready. The only issue with box fertilizers is that the only thing you get out of miracle grow type products is exactly what is on the box, nothing more. There are a plethora of other compounds your plants can use that can be available in your own compost.

You know your shit! So glad I found you😊

Thank you for approaching this topic in a sane & sensible manner. While it really wasn't news to me, you probably talked a lot of people off the ledge in the way you related the content of inorganic fertilizer to what we already eat and drink on a daily basis.

Using a garden tiller is a microbes killer in my opinion. I use organic liquid, fish fertilizer, green sea weed and molasses for my apple trees and blueberry bushes and they are doing great.

Great video! Thank you for explaining this through science you broke it down so the common beginner gardener to the experts Lol. Most labels are so deceiving.Thanks again ❤️🙏🏽❤️

I think the "hot" ideas comes from the fact that synthetics will burn plants if it touches leaves directly. Great video

Thank you for the very informative videos. I am learning and remembering so many things. I am just getting back to growing and gardening again. I have big plans for the next few seasons. Thanks and I will be watching.

It seems to me that natural , organic compounds were fertilizing plants Way Before synthetics ever existed . Good enough for me , thank you

Thank you so much. I appreciate the evidence you present in these videos!

Great information as always! Thanks for doing what you do :)

regarding eating fertilizer. Some people grow fruits and vegetables. In that case they would be eating the fertilizer.

It’s like saying I prefer organic gold to synthetic gold, they’re both gold.

Salt build-up is what they're talking about. Synthetics can leave salt build-up in ur soil causing nutrient lockout but this can be prevented by a watering with plain water every so often to wash out excessive salt n nute build-up

I solarize Miracle Gro until in changes to a green or algae begins to grow. I think steer tea is better for instant feeding.

We do eat Iron sometimes. Breakfast cereals sometimes contain very fine iron filings that are coated with a substance to give the same appearance as the cereal. The iron filings will be dissolved in the stomach acid which is hydrochloric acid at a pH of about 2. But you are correct we mostly eat metal salts as nutrients in the food or as supplements.

I wonder how they think hydroponics works.

Excellent video. I'm glad I stumbled upon this channel.

Thank you for your cleat and concise explanation!

Very good explanation thank you. If you have a lot of wildlife like I do, the “organic” fertilizers like fish draw the raccoons and skunks like a magnet to metal.

Would be beneficial to use both synthetic fertilizer for instant result and organic materials for sustainable nutrients for soil?

Miracle grow only gets used in my houseplants, if I don't forget to feed them😊

12:44 "Is there a difference between nitrate from an organic source and a synthetic source?" No, there isn't. Years ago I tried to explain this to the owner of a health food store. She thought I was crazy. LOL

So it's good 👍 is what I am gathering without finishing the video because the sound quality and or voice is distracting..have a good day !!

MiracleGro/Scott’s are subsidiaries of Monsanto/Bayer. I try to boycott this group of companies.There are other blue waters, please go find them! But! Your main point is on point, thank you. Most of the objections to “chemical” fertilizers - and often the use of the word - stem from scientific ignorance. If however our soil got compost as a nutrient source instead of blue water, our soil would be healthier. I use both.

Thanks for all the valuable information

Hi Robert, great informations you given us in this so confusing agriculture traders, one question I have please if you don't mind answering , a friend who studied agriculture, told me that beetroots juice, whole beetroot sliced and soaked in water for 24 hours can be a good fertiliser , is that true? Many thanks 😊

Thanks for the chemistry class

I put a lot of ammonium sulphate in a very large compost pile to feed the thermopolic bacteria and it got steaming hot which was good, but it killed off the worms. I had a hard time getting worms to live in it even after it cooled down. So I'm unsure about chemical fertilizers.

Hippies don't want to hear about this!!! LOL I use the blue stuff to give my plants that instant boost when my "organic" soil can't handle my fruit tree production... I don't use it solely to feed my plants but from where I am, due to lack of natural organic materials, I'm still building my soil in the past 5 years. The blue stuff helps mitigate that deficiency in between growing season until one day, hopefully my organic soil can support all my plants.

I think that HAT has special powers.

JUST DONT DRINK IT

Farmers were sued by Monsanto for planting saved seed from their own crops because it was roundup ready. Monsanto claimed that they still had the rights to the seeds. Yes Monsanto is a great company.

Great talk and explanation of fertilizer.

Thank you Mr. P. Professor P. 🌷💚🙃

I use human urine as a fertilizer . Works just as good as Miracle Gro but is free. So I don't care if Miracle Gro is safe or not. Research it. I would love to hear this man's opinion of urine vs Miracle Gro.

There’s just a great deal of anti-Miracle-Gro (the company) sentiment out there. However, one does get great results with their products, hence their success. I just like to do things myself if I can, so I make my own soils and fertilizer, full well knowing I could get equal- or better- results with Miracle-Gro. If I was a more casual gardener I’d feel no anxiety whatsoever using their products.

Thank you for this video✊🏼🙌🏼

I've been using Bone Meal and Fish oil 5-1-1 and after tomato plants start blooming I switch to Fish oil 0-10-10. Would I be better off just using Miracle Gro Tomato formula ? I also use mulched leaves, grass clippings and wood ash. The leaves and grass clippings are used to cover the root area around the plants

Great myth-breaking here. Hat off to you buddy.

Thanks for the education

Bottomline is use ANY with appropriate amounts possibly underestimate the amounts.

Your videos are very good and factual.

Wow, thank you so much for putting that on

High levels of soluble nitrogen and phosphorus have been shown to reduce the amount of root exudates the plant releases. My question is are the studies referring to bulk soil microbes or the microbes of the rhizosphere?

I used miracle-gro years ago in my pots and flower beds and although there was great growth it came at a price. There was a huge amount of aphids on my plants. I now use tomato feed on my pots and use fish blood and bone meal with mulch on the garden beds. I now have very few aphids on my plants.

Question: if miracle gro is so bad, how is it the #1 selling fertilizer and soil? I mean if it kills plants why would anyone buy it?

you make me subscribe to your channel thanks for clearing it all up

Awesome video and thank you for saying what I've known a long time but the die hard organic people will never believe it and that's ok.

Great video Robert!!!!

Thank you again for excellent, truthful information!

That's why I just make it simple and just water my plants with Brawndo! It has what plants crave! It's got electrolytes!

Monsanto on Nicholas road in Dayton when birds landed there immediatly dead

The number of less than bright people in the world always suprises me. Thanks for the video!