Some innovative products meant to make gardening more convenient leave me shaking my head

Some innovative products meant to make gardening more convenient leave me shaking my head
                        
The makers of Miracle-Gro must think gardeners are lazy idiots. A few years ago I noticed a product they call Gro-ables. They are seedpods complete with a seed, growing medium and according to them, plant food. They even trade marked Seed Pod as two words. Their website says, “Each little pod comes with everything you need to start growing your own food. Just pop them in some soil, add water and watch them grow.” They neglect to mention the nurturing part and the weeding part. Okay, I think they’re trying to sell convenience. I mean you barely have to get any dirt on your hands. Trouble is, gardeners want to get dirt on their hands. That’s why they’re gardeners. They like dirt. I’ll admit, I have never liked Miracle-Gro or any other fertilizers that do nothing to improve the condition of soil. Because Miracle-Gro Seed Pods (imagine the little TM after the word Pods to designate it is trade marked) contain a man made chemical fertilizer that is slowly released to “feed” plants, it isn’t going to do anything but artificially stimulate plant growth. Good soil comes over time with the addition of plenty of organic matter including compost that you can make yourself with kitchen and yard scraps or buy from a reputable business. We are fortunate to have such businesses in our region. If you ask, I’ll tell you where I buy compost. I do make my own, but it is not nearly enough for my needs. It is cool to watch food scraps and plants rot. It doesn’t stink if you do it correctly. Plants need light, water and the nutrients found naturally in good soil. Plants don’t need Miracle-Gro and I certainly don’t need to be insulted by their lame products that condense the joy of gardening into popping a pod into soil. Further reading on their website revealed each seedpod only contains one seed. Seriously? Experienced gardeners know seeds are not guaranteed to germinate. But, Miracle-Gro Seed Pods are guaranteed to germinate or your money back. It would go like this if you bought the cherry tomato variety. Remove entire lid from Seed Pod. Choose a sunny spot. Push seedpod into loosened soil until pod top is level with soil’s surface. There is no need to cover the pod with soil. Space seedpods 36” apart. Keep seedpod moist. Seems easy enough, right? Seeds germinate at different times depending on soil temperature and a host of other things. Enough time passes you realize your seedpod isn’t going to sprout. If you were a pessimist like me you would have saved the receipt and been able to get your money back. What you can’t get back is the time you invested in waiting for one little seed to sprout. You’d be better off spending a buck and a half on a packet that contains hundreds of seeds. You could share them with friends or donate extra to your local library’s seed bank. Experienced gardeners know if you’re going to start plants from seeds you always plant more than what you think you’ll need. Miracle-Gro Seed Pods have a seven-page material safety data sheet, and while they don’t appear to be a health hazard they do nothing to celebrate the magic that is a seed. You can’t even see the seed. A simple seed contains everything it needs to grow once planted in soil warmed by a changing season. It is something to hold that seed in your hand before you place it in the soil. It’s magic.


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