I’ve been posting all spring about the progress of my little backyard garden.  While it’s nothing compared to the mini-farms that some of my friends do in the summer, it’s just enough for us.  I love tending it and watching the plants grow. My happy plants are thriving and I’m going to share my secret with you today.   I received a sample of a product that has been really effective on my plants (opinions shared are mine).  My kids were so excited a few days ago  when they realized that the potatoes that they planted in February have grown into this big bush!

So what have I done differently this year?  Here’s a hint.  I spray, they grow. 

This year I’ve tried a new product called Spray-N-Grow.  I received their catalog and wondered if the product could possibly be as good as the pictures made it seem.  When I received my package, I had to smile when I saw the instructions. They are totally made for someone like me.   Although there are different components to this magical formula, they  can all be combined in the same spray bottle.  These are my kind of people, I tell ya!

Here’s the cast of characters.  The micronutrient Spray-N-Grow (the bit bottle) is the star of the show.  Then we also have Bill’s Perfect Fertilizer and Coco Wet.  I’m not really sure how they all work together but they do.  You also need a bottle in which to mix it all (a quart size was perfect because I didn’t have to refill, plus it makes it easier to do the ratio for measuring).  They also sent me this handy dandy battery-operated sprayer.  My trigger finger was SO thankful!!  I’ve used the manual spray bottle to apply foliar fertilizer in the past and boy, did it make my hands ache.   I never did figure out what that little white gadget is for.  Thankfully the kind lady at Spray-N-Grow enlightened me!  You put it on the bottle before attaching the spray gun.  Pull up on the handle and it makes the bottle easy to carry.  Genius!

So as I said, follow the instructions.   The mixture needs lukewarm water to properly blend.  I have found that the water in my garden hose is just right in the morning (which is when I typically mix this magic.)  The water is still warm from the day before.  I fill the spray bottle with water and add the ingredients.    It’s surprising how very little I needed to put in the bottle.  For example, for this quart-size spray bottle I used 1/8 teaspoon of Coco Wet.   The mixture needs to sit for about 15 minutes to achieve the ideal color.  During that time, I walk around and water the plants.  I also pick the harvest for the morning and do a little weeding if needed.  By then, the mixture is usually ready to use.    You’ll know it’s ready when it looks slightly amber in color.

So now we just spray the leaves.  My kids love to do this for me!   Like I said, the battery operated sprayer makes it really easy to apply the fertilizer to the plant.  It has a bit of an earthy scent to it.  It’s not overpowering but it is definitely detectable.  It reminds me of the organic fish fertilizer I used last summer on my plants.  This is way more effective than what I used last year though.  My tomato plants are already heavy with fruit, and we’ve enjoyed fresh snap peas all through the spring.   There have been several days when I’ve walked outside and been astounded at how much my plants grew—literally overnight!  I apply this fertilizer once a week or so.  Sometimes I skip a week if we’re busy; there’s no real rule about it.

I start with the top of the plant so that the fertilizer can drip down onto the lower leaves.  As you can see in this picture, the mixture will drip. That’s okay.  My plants seem pretty happy with Spray-N-Grow, don’t you think?  The tomato plant pictured above was put in the soil just today.  The plants below have been in for about a month and were treated with Spray-N-Grow several times.

You can see on the Spray-N-Grow website that they’ve taken great pains to find out what works for gardeners of all skills.  Even farmers use Spray-N-Grow products!   Knowing that these products are safe for my family and pets is such a relief.  Since we’ve gone through a lot of trouble to practice earth-friendly gardening, I don’t want to ruin our efforts by using dangerous chemicals.  Using Spray-N-Grow is a really effective way to feed my plants so that I can later feed my family.

Check out the customer testimonials on the Spray-N-Grow page.  There’s even someone from Johnson City, TN featured on the page!  I’m thinking of sending some of this to my stepdad so that he can get the garden looking really great at his house.

Do any of your plants need Spray-N-Grow?

Updated – many of you have asked if this product is organic.  I received this information from Spray N Grow, and hope that it helps you make an informed decision about trying it in your garden.

Our catalog offers many products including our own products. We sell products that are ‘safe for people, plants and pets’ and some of the products are OMRI Listed, others are natural or organic based.

As for our products, Spray-N-Grow and Bill’s Perfect Fertilizer are both organic based and contain organic ingredients. However, both products have very small amounts of elements that keep them from being OMRI listed or USDA NOP approved. 

Bill’s Perfect Fertilizer has 2% feed grade urea which in the 1990’s (when it was developed) was approved by many agencies.  Once the USDA took over, it was no longer allowed.  At that time Bill considered dropping the urea, but after research decided that the product needed it to perform as he deemed necessary.

Spray-N-Grow is a natural product and is made from ore that we mine here in Texas.  Each batch is tested at the end of the cycle and Fe and Zn are bumped up to meet label requirements with ferrous sulfate and zinc chloride. 

Both products are 98% or more  organic but do not qualify to be used on certified organic farms.