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If you are into gardening, you probably have heard all about Miracle-Gro by now. These are largely used as fertilizing potting mixes to help the germination process of new seedlings. But many people often wonder if they are really the right choice for their plant babies. So, how does Miracle-Gro affect seed germination? The fine texture of Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix allows the air to move through frequently and improves seed germination. This water-soluble all-purpose plant food can feed any unhealthy plant straightaway. It contains a high nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentration that helps your plant with stronger roots and steady growth. Now, if you are interested to know all about this product, how it works, and how to use it correctly, go through the full article and give it a read. Does Miracle-Gro Affect Seed Germination? Although there is an ongoing debate about it, most users believe that Miracle-Gro is actually worth the hype. The Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix mostly contains lightweight peat moss, perlite, fertilizer, and wetting agents. If the soil mix is too dense, the roots of the seedlings will struggle to spread and poke through and eventually grow up weak. This is where the lightweight mix of Miracle-Gro comes in handy. The perfect blend of the elements provides a fine and airy texture that improves air circulation as well as helps the young roots of the newborn seeds. This way, the seeds have a better chance of germinating and growing up strong and healthy than other soil mixes. Apart from this, the wetting agent allows the soil to retain a balanced amount of moisture so that there is no chance of drying out or root rot. It also contains the perfect NPK ratio of 3-1-2 (24% Nitrogen, 8% Phosphorus, and 16% Potassium) making it the best choice if you are longing for your plant seeds to germinate. To get the best result, apply Miracle-Gro fertilizer on the base of the plant every 7-14 days. Facts about Miracle-Gro? The packaging of this product indicates that the mixture has a ratio of 24-8-16 blend. This means there is 24% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus, and 16% potassium present in there. Nitrogen is one of the three most important nutrients required by plants for sound and healthy growth. Fertilizers that have a high nitrogen concentration encourage more foliage growth. It is one of the main components of most fertilizers due to its ability to produce high-yielding crops. In the second position comes phosphorus. It is one of the most important components of the DNA in plant cells. Fertilizers with a large amount of phosphorus are often used to promote flowering and ensure seed development. The third and final essential element for all plants is potassium. Potassium is important for plant nutrition and the formation of proteins. Most functions within the plant require the presence of potassium. It thickens stems, roots, and leaves. Using potassium in the right amount can enable a plant to grow faster, resist disease and even resist drought. There are several Miracle-Gro products available on the market that are fully enriched with these essential elements. They are specially formulated to fulfill the different needs of plants. There’s Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix, Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food, Plant & Grow Lightweight Compost for All Plants, and many other products. The main goal of all these products is to ensure the healthy and sturdy development of a plant. How does Miracle-Gro Work? If you are new to gardening and are facing difficulties to germinate new seeds, Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix is just the product that you need. It is a ready mix water soluble instant fertilizer that can immediately help plants with a burst of nutrition. Plants require the right nutrition in the right quantity to thrive in nature. The perfect balanced NPK ratio of Miracle-Gro helps them to grow up healthier with stronger roots. It is most effective especially if you are working with new seeds or starting plants from leaf, stem, or root. The high concentration of ammonium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium balances each other out flawlessly. Many users stated that using Miracle-Gro products made their plants grow bigger than their usual size and develop green foliage faster without any high level of toxicity. Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Fertilizer has developed a formula to double-feed your plants. It supplies nutrients to the plant through the roots as well as the leaves and makes them grow bigger, stronger, and brighter than ever. This formula is delicately tested so that it doesn’t cause any sort of burn or damage to the young plants. It is safe for all kinds of plants so you can use it without any worries. Simply feed them every 1-2 weeks and watch them flourish gracefully. How does Miracle-Gro Affect Seed Germination? Those who regularly grow plants indoors know how delicate the process of germination can be. The accurate amount of moisture, the proper blend, and the right texture of the soil, everything affects the possibility of germination. If you overwater the seeds, the air holes of the soil will get filled and the roots of the seedlings won’t have enough oxygen to grow up. You can easily solve this problem by replacing your soil mix with Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix. The light and airy texture of this maintains a balanced amount of moisture and ensures the presence of oxygen. Thus it prevents any sort of diseases that develop due to over or under-watering and the plants grow up with healthy and strong roots. The seed starting mix is enriched with plant food that provides the seedlings with their necessary nutrients. Although the benefits of these products are mostly highlighted, there are also some downsides to using them. Now, let’s discuss the positive and negative sides of Miracle-Gro: Positive Affects 1. Prompt Action The best thing about Miracle-Gro is that it’s a water-soluble fertilizer. So it can be directly applied to plants that are badly in need of instant nutrition. Nutrients like sodium, phosphorus, and potassium ions get dissolved in the water. After that, they seep into the root systems and soil surrounding the roots of plants very easily. This produces bigger and heartier plants that are less prone to withering due to pests or other weathering effects. 2. Stronger Roots Miracle-Gro plant food is rich in nutrients that are directly supplied to your plants. This ensures the root system grows in the best way possible. A strong root system is critical if you want the plant to bloom and bear fruits or flowers. Your plant can’t flourish and produce healthy foliage if it is too busy just trying to survive. 3. Continuous Growth You can use Miracle-Gro plant food for an extended period so that it can feed the plants continuously. To get the best result, use it once every 7-14 days. This way, the feeding promotes a steady and uninterrupted growth of the plants. Most Miracle-Gro products have a formula that makes it very easy to feed your plants on schedule. All you need to do is just mix and apply them to your garden or landscape alongside your regular watering routine. 4. Bigger Plants Strong roots and a healthy diet promote the growth of the plants and they become bigger very fast. Most users say that the direct and continuous feeding system enables them to grow bigger than usual. As your plant babies don’t have to worry about nutrients or surviving, they solely focus on growth during the growing season. 5. Promotes Fruit Growth As you can guess, bigger and healthier vegetation can promote fruit growth. These strong and well-fed plants will bear more fruits than other plants that are not properly fed. When they begin to sprout flower buds, start feeding them Miracle-Gro fertilizer that has a high potassium concentration. It will encourage the plant to bud more flower and help to produce a lot more flowers and fruits. Negative Affects 1. Not Suitable for Organic Plants Although Miracle-Gro helps a plant in unimaginable ways, they are not perfect in every aspect. As they are synthetic fertilizer that is produced in a lab, you can’t use them in any of your organic plants. The soil microbes present in an organic garden cannot cope and live entirely on a synthetic fertilizer like Miracle-Gro. So, if you use a large amount in your organic plants, they can get burned and eventually die. 2. Health Risk You should be extremely careful while using these products. Always use safety measures so that you don’t come in contact with it directly. The ingredients that are used in Miracle-Gro can be harmful to human health if it is exposed directly. The nitrogen and ammonium sulfate present in these products can create greenhouse gas and affect human lungs. If not detoxified properly, the nitrogen can build up in your body and you might experience nausea or diarrhea. How do You Use Miracle-Gro for Seed Germination? Although most products of Miracle-Gro are used for seed germination, you can also use it if you are trying to start a plant from a stem or root cutting. In this segment, I’ll be discussing step-by-step how you can use them to ensure seed germination or cutting growth- For Seed Starting: To achieve the maximum benefit from Miracle-Gro, use it on container plants rather than outdoor in-ground plants. First, select a shallow container and make a hole into it. This hole will let the excess water drain through it. Then fill the container with Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix. Place the seed at a 1.5-2.0-inch depth inside the pot and gently cover it with the mix. Water the pot lightly and wait for the excess amount to drain. Water it regularly and always keep the soil moist. Keep the pot away from direct sunlight and after a few days, you should be able to see the germination of the seeds. For Establishing Cuttings: Just as I mentioned earlier, take a pot and make a drain hole inside. Fill the container with the potting mix. Pour water all over it thoroughly. Then, with the help of a pencil, make a hole inside the wet mixture. Next you can place the cutting in that hole and gently press the mix around the stem. Keep the soil moist and store it away from direct sunlight. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is Miracle-Gro Good for Seeds? Miracle-Gro is very good for seeds to germinate and the little seedlings to grow. Once the seedlings start growing their first pair of leaves, transfer them to their individual small pots and fill them with Miracle-Gro potting mix. Then you can apply a little amount of MG fertilizer to each plant. This water-soluble all-purpose fertilizer will provide them with all the nutrients that they’ll need to thrive. Does Miracle-Gro Damage Soil? The plain and simple answer is yes. This synthetic fertilizer should not be mixed with soil in large quantities. Especially the one that comes with blue crystals. This blue color is from copper sulfate. Copper sulfate is a very strong fungicide that can kill even the good and necessary fungi that are present in the soil. Copper sulfate is also a strong bactericide that is extremely harmful to soil life. Using too much of this can cause soil erosion and strip the soil from all its beneficial properties. What Helps Seeds Germinate Faster? To ensure that the seed germinates faster, you must create the optimal environment for it. Maintain a balanced moisture content. Don’t overwater or let the seed get dry. Use lightweight and airy textured soil so that the seeds have an easy time sprouting out. Also, don’t plant the seeds too deep or too shallow under the soil. burying them too near the surface can cause them to get dried easily. On the other hand, if you bury them too deep, they’ll have to use all their strength just trying to reach the surface. This way, the seeds won’t even have enough energy left to focus on their healthy or strong growth. Wrap Up Just like every other product, Miracle-Grow also has its positive and negative sides. Although from what you read till now, its positive effects outweigh all the downsides. If you can use it in the right amount, this can be just the thing that your plants need to get improved and healthier growth. So, follow the instructions that come with the packaging and use it accordingly to help your seed germinate faster. 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