1) I mix the MG at 1 scoop per gal so 3 scoops in my bucket. I have been using a 2 cup measuring cup and pouring one around the base of my tomatoes (1-2 feet tall) every week. I don't know if thats too much or too little.

When I fertilize I fully water the container with the fertilizer water. It's just a normal watering, but with fertilizer added. As far as whether the total amount of fertilizer is too little or too much for a plant I really can't say. You have to watch the plants and get a feel for what they need. If you want a generic starting point go full strength every 2 weeks or half strength every week and adjust as the plants indicate.

As a rule I would go easy with the fertilizer unless/until you find their growth rate just isn't what you expect or you see symptoms of a deficiency. Tomatos are very easy to turn into monster plants with low yields by overdoing the N, so be conservative. Did you add any CRF when mixing the container media? If so, that's adding N too, so you are going to do well to back off and wait until the plant shows signs it needs nutrients and that will help you get a feel for how often to fertilize (it will change a bit as the plant gets larger). If I make a batch of the MG and a seperate batch of the foilage pro, I assume the MG is stronger? Pouring a cup of it (foliage pro) around the plant would be less than pouring a cup of the MG. If what I am think is correct, would this be a way to decrease the N (with pro-tekt added to foliage pro). Would I use the same amount (my measuring cup) for both type of mixes.

Both batches should be about the same. The concentrates are of different strengths, but when mixed according to instructions will be about the same.

Using less of the fert reduces the total N (and everything else), but not the ratio of N to P to K etc. Using the Pro Tekt doesn't reduce the total amount of N, but does reduce the ratio of N to K. With plants in the ground, would dumping the whole batch on the ground around the plants be too much and how would you know how much to apply if not spraying?

Who knows? Depends on what is already in the ground. In the ground you only need add what isn't present at adequacy levels and a soil test is about the only reliable way to know what is and isn't present in what amounts. Be careful fertilizing the ground without knowing what is already in it. My own soil has excessive P (as an example) therefore I avoid using fertilizers with P in them.

A lot of folks will find that their soil likely contains most, if not all, nutrients needed other than nitrogen. This certainly isn't universal though so get a soil test then you know.

Thanks JAG,

"Both batches should be about the same. The concentrates are of different strengths, but when mixed according to instructions will be about the same"

I'm at work so I can't look, but are you implying that where the MG may say 1 TBLS the foliage Pro may say 2 TBLS and therefor the one gallon batch ends up the same?

As for the cups of fertilizer I pour around the plants. I have them in SWC but wasn't sure how long it takes the fertilizer strip to get fertilizer to the plant. So I have been pouring a cup (well, 2 cups since its a 2 cup cup, lol nevermind) around the plant. On the tomatos that I didn't use a fertilizer strip I have poured more but wasn't sure if I was overdoing it. On a side note, I have some liquid iron but didn't know if that should be added, especially to the foliage pro. These DO NOT have CRF added, but I do have pots with roses and such that do have. The uncovered SWC did have CRF as well. There are a few plants that the leaves have started to curl, but not sure its the fertilizer. I have close to 30 of them planted and only 2 are doing that.

I'm at work so I can't look, but are you implying that where the MG may say 1 TBLS the foliage Pro may say 2 TBLS and therefor the one gallon batch ends up the same?

No, just that it should work out the same or close to it in terms of how much fert the plants get. The nutrient analysis is by weight so it won't match up between a powder and a liquid due to different weights for the same amount of volume.

The *volume* of MG to use (1 tablespoon) is higher than the amount of FP to use (1-2 teaspoons). I couldn't tell you what 1 TBS of MG weighs nor could I tell you what 1 TSP of FP weighs.

In the end it isn't the numbers on the fert that matter, it's the ratio of those numbers. When mixed according to label recommendations the amount the plants get is going to be about the same.

Thank you JAG,'

I didn't think about one being liquid and one being powder. I just wasn't sure since the numbers were different about how much was getting to the plant. I would assume it does still make a difference on how much of it is poured around the plant though. I guess thats another question when it comes to diluted or weakly feedings whether its based on the whole gallon or not. Maybe my 2 cup dose is really 1/8 of what it needs or something. Anyway, its just a matter of getting the knowledge with practical application. When Al said to reduce the N in the MG I got really depressed because I dumped my MG on the table in order to remove the N's. It seems I got package where the manufacurer forgot to label whether the granules were N, P, or K and they were all blue :)

That's funny!