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If you listen to my radio garden show, you know I love to grow tomatoes. So, I was a just a little skeptical when the folks at Naturize asked me to try their product. They said my tomatoes would be heartier, more vigorous plants.
They told me that the patented Naturize advanced plant nutrition system combines two proven technologies: naturally-occurring, beneficial soil microorganisms, the basic component of life in the soil, and fertilizer. They said that naturize's microorganisms stimulate plant root development, which improves the plants abilities to take in nutrients.
OK, I wasn't a little skeptical; I was a LOT skeptical. So, i conducted my own greenhouse tests this spring, using my favorite tomato plant, the Sweet Million. I put each of the tomato seedlings on special diets. Each got its own brand of a popular fertilizer; one was fed Naturize.
In just a few weeks, the tomato plant fed with Naturize was taller than all the rest. And not only was the tomato plant fed with Naturize taller, the leaves were a deeper green; the stem, thicker; the rooting, more vigorous. The difference was astounding. You can see the results for yourself below. You can bet I'll be using Naturize to feed my tomato plants this year, and I'm going to try it on my roses, too.
First Fertilization applied 3/24/03; 2nd -5/3/03; 3rd-6/5/03; 4th-7/22/03
Fish Emulsion & Maxicrop (5-1-1) (2 TBS/gal)
DynaGro (7-9-5) (1 tsp/gal)
Miracle Gro (15-30-15) (1 TBS/gal)
Naturize (15-4-7) (While in containers: 1/2 tsp/plant. While in ground: 1 TBS/per 9 sq. ft.)
|
3/24/03 |
4/8/03 |
4/21/03 |
5/2/03 |
5/19/03 |
6/5/03 |
6/20/03 |
7/22/03 |
|
|
ht." |
ht." |
ht." |
ht." |
ht." |
ht. / # of green tomatoes |
ht. / # of all tomatoes |
ht. / # of ripe tomatoes |
|
|
no fertilizer |
2.25" |
3.25" |
6.5" |
8.25" |
10" |
17" / 3 |
17" / 9 |
32" / 7 |
|
fish emulsion & Maxicrop |
2.25" |
6.0" |
9.0" |
11.75" |
16" |
26" /12 |
29" / 21 |
37" / 17 |
|
Dynagro |
2.25" |
5.5" |
8.75" |
10.75" |
16" |
22" /3 |
24" / 19 |
38" / 7 |
|
Miracle-Gro |
2.25" |
5.0" |
9.25" |
10.5" |
19" |
29" /10 |
34" / 18 |
34" / 6 |
|
Naturize |
2.25" |
3.5" |
9.0"* |
12.5"** |
24" |
32"/16*** |
36" / 50 |
42" / 19 |
* leaf color is a deeper green than the other sweet million tomatoes
** Main stems are floppier than other test subjects. Supporting more weight?
*** Tomatoes beginning to turn from green to red.
From left to right: no fertilizer added; fish emulsion & Maxicrop; Dynagro; Miracle-Gro; and, Naturize.
Root mass of test subjects, early May:
|
no fertilizer |
fish emul./Maxicrop |
|
|
|
5/19/03: no fert.; fish & Maxicrop; Dynagro; Miracle-Gro; and, Naturize.
6/9/03: no fert.; fish & Maxicrop; Dynagro; Miracle-Gro; and, Naturize.
Click here to see the Naturize Rosecam in action in a Florida Rose Growing Test !