C
CANNATOPIA
I have tried both. Very good Organic & Very good other. Differences are very little as long as the grower is good with his methods.
Because of the different sourcing under what is and what is not an acceptable source of 'soluble potash' and without the correct identifier (like potassium sulphate K2SO4 vs. potassium chloride KCl) it's difficult to ascertain what they're using.And why is it the main ingredient in these supplements seems to be soluble potash from diff sources. The kelp is soluble potash primarily I think and the protekt is another form derived from silicon,...... what gives with that product? Diff sources do diff things or is it triple redundancy?
thanks
smiley
Dignan
There are standards set by USDA and various state groups (Oregon Tilth, et al) that define precisely what is and is not organic as it relates to federal and state laws.
Why those definitions seem to be dismissed out of hand by some posters on this thread is baffling to say the least.
There's conventional. There's transitional. There's organic. There's approved for organic growing. Etc.
BUT in the area of some nursery/growing products, the laws don't apply. Like potting soils. The use of the terms 'organic' and 'natural' are often used in place of the other which only adds to the confusion.
How in the world can seabird guano be organic? Were the insects eaten by the birds dining on organically grown insects? It gets stranger and stranger as you move through the various products allowed to use the term 'organic' on the label.
And OMRI doesn't mean diddly-squat as it's nothing more than a listing service for which OMRI receives money from the registrants - the larger the company the more money they have to pay to be 'OMRI Registered' - and then there's the rather anemic board of directors as it relates to education - not exactly the 'A Team' as things turn out.
CC
Dignan
There are standards set by USDA and various state groups (Oregon Tilth, et al) that define precisely what is and is not organic as it relates to federal and state laws.
Why those definitions seem to be dismissed out of hand by some posters on this thread is baffling to say the least.
CC
emphasis by me.
is none of this getting through? organic means "acting as an organism" (among other things). When we say food web, we are talking about interaction not mere presence.
Again the whole point is the interaction between organisms and the specific results and adjustments possible through said interaction. So not harming any particular organism (I noticed fungi were not mentioned - fyi fungi are the ones I worry about most) or even a majority or totality, says absolutely nothing.
I will say that you have a point as well, there is no need to get hysterical. But in the long run, synthetic fertilizer use will cost you. I guess you could discard your media after 3-6 months, but that is wasteful and - to me - distasteful.
To learn about how nutrient cycling is vital to a functioning food web, re-read microbeman's posts. Or maybe read some right-wing views on the social safety net. If you put your plants on social assistance, it's not going to bother working and trading, and its trading partners will disappear. The result is perpetually sick plants that get more disease, pests, and other problems. Since I lean to the left, I like to say "save the welfare for those who really need it".
Once again the link provided did not produce the paper in full readable format. When I clicked on the PDF download I was asked to log in. Are you able to post the PDF?
What I did read from what you posted only supports that one can feed bacteria chemical fertilizers. As I have stated many times, this is no secret. There was no assay as to species of bacteria (mentioned). I can pour diesel on a patch of ground and the bacteria which thrive in diesel will blossum. This is not the point.
The point is that when ionic form chemical fertilizers are used the bacteria/archaea>protozoa (bacterial feeding nematode)>plant interface is bypassed. Different species of bacteria and fungi are (potentially) advanced often of a pathogenic nature. Besides this the plant can end up intaking the amount which humans believe is the correct amount of nutrient, rather than what is probably the actual correct amount for normal tissue structure.
A proper study would list species and numbers of bacteria, archaea, protozoa, nematodes and fungi before and following the application of chemical fertilizers.
If the study only looked at N fixing bacteria this is a very tiny portion of the nutrient contribution.
DignanThanks CC. I tried to post a reply earlier but it didn't post? My question was, do you agree with most of the language in those definitions you mentioned, or are there a lot of things you don't agree with?
The "working and trading" you're speaking is the creation of phytohormones by the plant and the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. The first study I posted proves that this process does not stop with the addition of synthetic fertilizers.
The link I provided shows the entire document, with its original formatting preserved. If you don't want to read it online, just sign up.
.I've posted this elsewhere before, but this peer-reviewed paper pretty much backs up what p4p is saying
there is more to the forest than a few trees. And more to The rhizosphere than phytohormones. It's simplistic reduction that has led you astray.
Also, I disagree with your conclusions, plain and simple. It's also difficult to exchange information if my partner chooses to ignore what I say in favor of a point he can refute. I did not bring up arbuscular mycorrhizae, I said fungi. As in all fungi.
The PGPR study does not focus on nutrient cycling. The long term comparative study on turf grass systems is the one which discusses it further. I will post both articles in downloadable form in the next couple of minutes...standby for edit with links.
These are not my conclusions, they are the conclusions of multiple PhD
If the plant is grown indoors and you call it organic, it had better be grown using lights made out of and housed in products made out of organic materials. Same thing goes for the solar panels or totally organic bio-diesel powered generator (also made of organic materials).