Are baby formulas (milk-based and soy-based) good for gardening?

Hmmm. That's an interesting question to which I have no answer. But I'm still going to find lots to say about it! LOL

I can't see any reason it would be bad, although it does contain some artificial ingredients and artificial nutrients.

Personally, my biggest concern would be supporting the industry more than necessary. While I understand that some women must use formula for their babies, and I believe it is the right of women to choose formula even if they don't have to, I also feel that the formula manufacturers, while pretending to bow to the immutable fact that breastmilk is best, still employ unethical, subtle but powerful, tactics to get babies onto formula. It's big money for them.

So, personally, I wouldn't buy the stuff even if it were better than homemade compost tea. Which I can't imagine it is.

Now, if you just have some lying around that won't be used anyway, I suppose that's a different matter, and someone else will have to answer whether it's a good idea to try in your garden.

You could try it in your potted plants and see if they like it perhaps?

Good luck,

Heather

I'd dilute it with water and then water plants with the mixture. I'm pondering similarities to milk feeding a pumpkin.

This conjures a picture in my mind! :^O :^O :^O :^O :^O

Dirt

*chokes on coffee*

:O :^O :O

I would bet she has it leftover for some reason. that stuff is EXTREMELY expensive (and I am so glad my kids are past that stage!) (I was one who couldn't nurse (and I won't go into the physiology of it, that's too much sharing), so it was good to have it when I needed it.)

I would think it would smell too bad to do much with--maybe bury it way deep in a compost pile!

otherwise it would be similar to milk as some of the others pointed out.

Bump

hi - just a thought on the formulas - but you may want to consider that some brands are really high in sugar - not sure what that would do to the soil ?:| Maybe one of the pros around here will know more about that.
I posted a question last summer in New Gardeners about using my frozen breast milk and got some mixed responses on whether the plants can utilize the milk proteins or not - but it sounds like it can't really hurt either...

Bottle-fed, I hope! B-)

I absolutely agree it's good to have it when necessary. I'm REALLY glad there are alternatives out there for those who can't or don't breastfeed, and I'm glad those alternatives are better than the sweetened condensed milk of a few generations ago.



Heather