Oregon Department of Agriculture

Fertilizer Program

Microbial Analyses Results

January 1 December 31, 2013

Official samples of fertilizer, agricultural mineral, agricultural amendment, and lime products are collected by the Department on
a continuing basis. Samples are collected to determine if label guarantees are being satisfied. Routine product sampling
provides a two-fold benefit: 1. Consumer protection for buyers; and 2. Identification of potential process problems for blenders
and manufacturers.

The products listed below were sampled in the marketplace to assess their label guarantees of live microbial content. All were
selected to be well within their label displayed expiration dates.

Three commonly guaranteed bacterial genera were chosen for evaluation:

Bacillus spp.
Trichoderma spp.
Pseudomonas spp.

Individual species within genera were not identified. Rather, the measured count of a specific genus was compared to the sum of
the genus guarantee(s) listed on the product label.
 Oregon Department of Agriculture Fertilizer Program

Sample Reg. Status Lab Label

Company Product Matrix at Sampling Genus Analysis Guarantee

Dr. Earth Company 5-7-3 Home Grown Dry Registered Bacillus spp. 2,000,000 CFU/ml 5,720 Prop/cc
Winters, California Premium Tomato,
Vegetable & Herb
Fertilizer

Easy Gardener Jobe's Organics Natural Dry Registered Pseudomonas spp. Not Detected * 27.8 CFU/g
Waco, Texas and Organic Fertilizer
4-4-4 All-Purpose

Espoma Company 4-3-3 Bio-tone Starter Dry Registered Bacillus spp. 2,500 CFU/g 1,248 CFU/g
Millville, New Jersey Plus

FoxFarm Soil & Fertilizer Bush Doctor 1-0.2-0.03 Liquid Registered Bacillus spp. 500 CFU/g 4,411.3 CFU/cc
Company Microbe Brew Plant Pseudomonas spp. Not Detected * 630.2 CFU/cc
Arcata, California Food Activator Trichoderma spp. Not Detected * 508.1 Prop/cc

Happy Frog Natural & Dry Registered Bacillus spp. 15,000 CFU/g 2,450 CFU/g
Organic 5-8-4 Fruit
Flower Fertilizer

Kellogg Garden Products Gardener & Bloome Dry Unregistered Bacillus spp. 9,000,000 CFU/ml 7,250,000 CFU/ml
Carson, California 4-6-3 Natural Organic
Tomato, Vegetable &
Herb Fertilizer

Rod McLellan Company Whitney Farms 4-2-3 Dry Registered Bacillus spp. 450 CFU/g 75,000 CFU/g
Independence, Oregon All Purpose Plant Food

CFU = colony forming units Prop = propagule g = grams ml = milliliter cc = cubic centimeter

* None of the bacterial colonies consistent with the noted Genus were detected by serial dilution plating onto potato dextrose agar, water agar, and / or nutrient agar.

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Microbial Analyses Results
January 1 December 31, 2013