BetNC said:Regardless of the N-P-K analysis of a fertilizer, one usually adds 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water.
Not me. That may be what they put on the box but it is an obscene amount of fertilizer. For the good of the planet if nothing else, try a quarter or a tenth that much first (use the teaspoon instead of the tablespoon if you want an easy unit of measurement). If you aren't adding the minimum amount of fertilizer required to achieve the results you want, you are spending too much money and putting too much nutrients into the ground. My usual weekly dose in the container garden (50 ppm N) is 1/20 the suggested tablespoon dose recommended on the MG box.
You have to remember that fertilizer companies generally base their recommendations on what will sell the most product, not what you need in the garden.