Upset, Appalled, and Aghast

Evelyn Q. Gorfram

Gorfram’s Community Garden Plot
Housing Complex Community Gardens
Seattle Area Suburb, WA   %@#&!

September 25, 2008

M. T. Hedd
Building Manager at Housing Complex 
Seattle Area Suburb, WA   %@#&!

 

RE: My Request for Approval of “Dr. Earth 7″ Organic Fertilizer

 

Dear M. T. Hedd,

I am upset. I am appalled. And I am aghast. 

I submitted a request for approval of “Dr. Earth 7″ Organic Fertilizer for use in our Community Gardens was submitted over a months ago. Tuesday, I asked (your  colleague) to follow up on this request.  Wednesday, I received the following e-mail:

 ”I spoke with M. T. Hedd about the Dr. Earth fertilizer. She states that the best fertilizer to use is the Walt’s Organic fertilizer which is on the approved list.

If you have further questions about this, please feel free to contact M. T. Hedd.”

So, which one of you is sleeping with Walt?

 
The present list of Approved Gardening Products includes:
- Walt’s Rainy Pacific NW Blend Regional Natural Fertilizer
- Miracle-Gro Organic Choice All Purpose Plant Food
- Miracle-Gro Tomato Plant Food 
- Miracle-Gro Shake n’ Feed All Purpose Plant Food 
- Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed Bloom Booster
- Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food
- Cedar Grove Compost

 So, which of you is sleeping with Walt, and who owns stock in the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company? 
(And who is sleeping with Scott?)

To the best of my knowledge, “Miracle-Gro Organic Choice All Purpose Plant Food” and “Cedar Grove Compost” are organic, pesticide-free, and an entirely suitable garden products. However -

“Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food”

This product is not described as “organic”  anywhere on the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Company website (www.scotts.com/smg) , and no list of ingredients is given. This is usually the case when the product is not, in fact, organic.

“Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder”
The Scott’s Miracle-Gro Company website does not show any product by this or a similar name.

“Miracle-Gro Shake n’ Feed All Purpose Plant Food” 

“Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed Bloom Booster”

“Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food”

None of these three products are described anywhere on the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Company website as “Organic,” nor are any lists of ingredients given.  This is usually the case when the products are not, in fact, organic.

However, the website does specify that any unused portion of any of these products must be disposed of as Household Hazardous Waste. This can only mean that these products contain Hazardous Household Materials.

 

If a conventional garden product, a product that does not exist, and three conventional products containing Hazardous Materials can be considered approved Garden Products; what the hell could possibly be so wrong with “Dr. Earth 7″? 

 
Irately yours,
Evelyn Q. Gorfram

 

PS. No, I am not sleeping with “Dr. Earth,” nor do I own any part of the company that makes “Dr. Earth.” I do, however, own 3-1/2 pounds worth of a 4 lb. box of “Dr. Earth 7″ purchased in 2005.

And I have no intention of, nor budget for, buying a 4 lb. box of “Walt’s Rainy Pacific” just so that I can still have 3-1/2 pounds of *that* in 2011.

Tags: community gardens, garden, hazardous materials, miracle-gro, organic gardening, scotts