Im switching to organics, or at least im doing a side by side against my house and garden synthetic line. a few of the products i currently use are organic or at least say they are. the only products i'm not sure about is protekt, roots excelurator, and a year old floralicious bottle that i cant find organic on it cause the label are eaten up, but online it says veganic so i think im safe.
beyond organic
- Thread starter BUDies
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Nullis
Moderator
You might want to do a little more looking into the whole "organics" thing. It doesn't quite just come down to the labeling on a bottle or bag of a product. Try to understand what being organic has to do with nature and soil and what soil is all about. Then it is easier to try and refine or replicate the organics paradigm indoors to supply our soils\soil-less mix with with is needed to assist the biota and the plant.
Many people misunderstand organics and think it is all about carbon. Carbon is important, sure, but the other part of the definition has to do with being from the organism or derived from living matter which organically grown plants absolutely are. Soil is alive. Plants in nature are deriving most of their nutrition from microbes (bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, nematodes) which exist or roam about the rhizosphere; feeding plants by carrying out their normal functions or working in other ways directly or indirectly for the plant.
Nobody really even realized the complexity of it all and certainly not since before the introduction of the electron microscope have we been able to see what actually goes on in soil. But, it worked before anybody ever really understood all the details, and it can work for you. Luckily we do know some of the details now, and if you're able to learn some of them you'll have better luck with it, and in determining which products are acceptable or even necessary.
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/soil_food_web.html
Many people misunderstand organics and think it is all about carbon. Carbon is important, sure, but the other part of the definition has to do with being from the organism or derived from living matter which organically grown plants absolutely are. Soil is alive. Plants in nature are deriving most of their nutrition from microbes (bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, nematodes) which exist or roam about the rhizosphere; feeding plants by carrying out their normal functions or working in other ways directly or indirectly for the plant.
Nobody really even realized the complexity of it all and certainly not since before the introduction of the electron microscope have we been able to see what actually goes on in soil. But, it worked before anybody ever really understood all the details, and it can work for you. Luckily we do know some of the details now, and if you're able to learn some of them you'll have better luck with it, and in determining which products are acceptable or even necessary.
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/soil_food_web.html
thanks for the reply, ive been doing a lot of research lately about focusing on feeding the organisms in your soil and keeping it thriving with base soil recipes and occasional AACT feedings. I'm still pretty new to growing in general as well, and i think i have a good idea of what a healthy soil and tea would consist of, but thats just based on what others have told me mainly from this site. Since its my first run organic im not too worried about using something that maybe isnt completely "organic" but ive heard that many non organic nutrients will basically "nuke" the living organisms in your soil feeding the plant. What i was curious about is if roots excelurator or protekt would have any sort of negative effect on the rest of the soil like some salt based nutrients. the protekt bottle says beyond organic but i remember reading a thread saying that it wasn't really organic.
Rrog
Well-Known Member
Protekt or Agsil 16 (cheaper) is great in the soil. Bioavailable Silica.
Coot told me:
Potassium silicate is found naturally, Basalt contains this mineral compound. The problem is, as usual, that the cost of extracting it is prohibitive.
USDA NOP (National Organic Program) has a general regulation known as 205.208(e) (link) which covers bio-pesticides and bio-fungicides including mineral compounds.
Chemical compounds are contained in a database known as Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) which is part of the American Chemical Society. The listing for Synthetic Potassium Silicate is CAS # 1312-76-1
Under the general blanket regulation noted above, synthetic Potassium Silicate is approved with this stipulation:
Quote:
The silica used in the manufacture of potassium silicate must be sourced from naturally occuring sand. May be used if the requirements of 205.206(e) are met.
AgSil 16H from PQ Corporation was the product that brought about this ruling by USDA NOP whereas prior to that, synthetic sources were prohibited. Their application and final approval allowed if the restrictions were met.
Coot told me:
Potassium silicate is found naturally, Basalt contains this mineral compound. The problem is, as usual, that the cost of extracting it is prohibitive.
USDA NOP (National Organic Program) has a general regulation known as 205.208(e) (link) which covers bio-pesticides and bio-fungicides including mineral compounds.
Chemical compounds are contained in a database known as Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) which is part of the American Chemical Society. The listing for Synthetic Potassium Silicate is CAS # 1312-76-1
Under the general blanket regulation noted above, synthetic Potassium Silicate is approved with this stipulation:
Quote:
The silica used in the manufacture of potassium silicate must be sourced from naturally occuring sand. May be used if the requirements of 205.206(e) are met.
AgSil 16H from PQ Corporation was the product that brought about this ruling by USDA NOP whereas prior to that, synthetic sources were prohibited. Their application and final approval allowed if the restrictions were met.