Mumsey's Magic Mix...who can analyze it? Mumsey, are you here? Can you tell us more about this magic? What's the chemical composition of Cornmeal and Powdered Milk and how do they help plants? Bonemeal is obvious (to some of us, at least), and the answer to Epsom Salts is quoted below.

The following quote is snipped from the recent Sweet Pepper thread...

quote:

Originally posted by Judy57:
This past year, for the first time, I planted each plant with 'Mumsey's Magic Mix' and had a bumper crop of the most beautiful peppers I've ever grown.
<snip>
Also used it on tomatoes and eggplants and have never had such enormous harvests.

Mumsey's (original) Magic Mix

Handful Bonemeal
Handful Cornmeal
1/2 Handful Powdered Milk
1/4 Handful Epsom Salts

And this bit of history came from a thread titled "Sul-Po-Mag" in 2002...

quote:

Originally posted by Ohiorganic 11-Feb 2002:
Sul-Po-Mag is chemically different from epsom salts (ES is magnesium sulfate and SPM is sulfate of potash magnesium), but the two provide similar results, though SPM has potash (potassium) which ES does not. SPM has been naturally mined and ES have been processed.

Interesting thoughts. Maybe it depends on where you are: Epsom Salts article

Ellen

Check out that posting I made about googling Manures.. I think the first "Website" I reference has a break down of that Mumsey's materials provide. It's a great article about organic gardening. It starts out talking about organic gardening and it's potential.. then goes into what manures do, then into the various Meals, etc and what they provide. It also includes cover crops.

The bonemeal of course is phosporous and some nitrogen, the corn meal acts as a fungicide, the milk is calcium (no tomato blossom end rot for me!), and the epsom salts is magnesium (also helps with the blossom end rot thing).

I have never done a soil test, but after reading all Kimm1's thoughts, I'm curious and MIGHT do one this year. But then I think, why fix something that ain't broke?

I'm also altering the recipe and adding/replacing some ingredients. Experiment, experiment, experiment!! I'll let you know how it turns out.

I do understand about bonemeal and phosphorus. What I still haven't decided is:

how long does it take for the bonemeal to break down and be available to plants?

I if I add it at planting time, does it work right away or in 4 months, when the season is winding down?

That's all I want to know, and thank you for letting me know if you find something out!

Lisaan,
What does your bag of bonemeal say on the label?
From all that I know about bonemeal...it is a ROOT stimulator...that's why it is used when transplanting trees and shrubs, and to plant bulbs in the fall(to help the bulbs make roots before winter)Supposedly the very existence of bone meal causes the mycorrhizal fungi to stimulate root growth.
Thus,'Mumseys Magic' causes transplants to produce root growth...I think it is not ALL about the phosphorous;the phosphorous is more long term over the growing season...it is about root formation.
Also, when you think about long term feeding of plants it makes sense...slow phosphorous prohibits rapid phosphorous( chemical fertilizers that have high phosphorous numbers...liquids to 30-60%! Bloom busters or some such stuff) these release phosphates into our waterways and cause pollution!
Here in Z4, my garden beds are frozen solid by November...even this year!
What would the bonemeal be doing if frozen?
I don't know, never did that experiment.
Seriously, don't turn gardening into a science
exam or college science class...'tis supposed to be fun.
Some people are not comfortable handling bonemeal.
I think if you have GOOD compost, you don't need anything else!

I love you Franeli, that's all I wanted to hear.

I have been reading and reading. Nothing was satifying me, till I read your post.

Okay, I'm using it at planting time, and then the rest of the bag in the fall, and that's the end of that! 5lb bag will go into 138 square foot of ground, till all is said and done!

Bag reads: Espoma All natural Bonemeal: 4-12-0

Nitrogen is water insoluble. Available phosphate 12%

That's the end of my story. HaHa

Good point Franeli. While it helps to know WHY chemicals are harmful and natural ingredients are not, like anything else in life, it's possible to go overboard. I agree with you that gardening should be fun. If you can't enjoy it, why do it?