The dosage recommendation to use 1 tablespoon per gallon of the granulated product (24-8-16), which I see on the manufacturer's web site, is rather obscene by my standards.... if you do the calculation this turns out to be 950 ppm N, which is about 20 times higher than the amount I would regularly use to water my garden of mostly succulents. I think the manufacturer just wants to sell more product and that is the reason for the number. I would caution all users against following this recommendation, for the good of the planet if nothing else. If you are going to fertilize regularly (like when you have a rain barrel full of fertilizer water) you need to cut back on the amount you use.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/A...

You had good instincts in using less than 30 Tbsp and skipping the fertilizer with the next barrelful. I like your idea of having it ready to go in your water.

I seldom use MG outside, but with houseplants I use 1/4 strength, probably less often than every other watering.

DrDawg recently reminded me of the adage, "water weakly, weekly."

Yes, instead of 30 tbl I used 15 to keep it on the weaker side.