Organic Vs. Inorganic Nutrients

[hofner67]

There are organic and inorganic fertilizers. I've heard that if you use inorganic(like miracle grow) your product will have heavy metals and that is presumably true and bad. And that inorganic fertilizers kill beneficial micro organisms.

 

Is there any science behind this?

 

I mean...what if you use inorganic in veg (cause is smells better than sea bird or bat poop) and then go organic in bloom?

 

While I know its easy to go organic, is it really any better?

[Timmahh]

this is a largely debated topic. you ll find a thousand and one supporters and supporting info on both sides.

 

many many many things are grown both with organics, petro chemical, and zero additional nutrients. fwiw, all produce good, bad, or indifferent qualities imo.

 

Handled correctly, attention and understanding of the plant, ect.... i would contend anyone can grow quality (meaning Safe and Potent)cannabis with any of the options, as it is more than just food, or just environment or just light type, ect.

[MightyMightyMezz]

Salt based ferts will grow plants great but at the end the soil will be full of salts and devoid of microbial life. I guess a lot of people actually throw their soil away at the end of each grow cycle.

 

Personally I find organic medicine has the smell, taste and smokability that I like.

Edited January 29, 2012 by MightyMightyMezz

[hofner67]

I had always heard that the soil shouldn't be reused. U reuse?

Salt based ferts will grow plants great but at the end the soil will be full of salts and devoid of microbial life. I guess a lot of people actually throw their soil away at the end of each grow cycle.

 

Personally I find organic medicine has the smell, taste and smokability that I like.

[MightyMightyMezz]

I had always heard that the soil shouldn't be reused. U reuse?

 

Oh yeah! You kidding? It still has organic matter breaking down from previous runs. I just keep mixing amendments and adding in the old stuff.

[Timmahh]

ya, it seems a recycle woud be more than doable. Im putting all my used soil in one spot. once spring brakes, i ll be mixing it up into a soil mix.

[pergamum362]

yah the reason most people dont reuse there soil is for fear of contaminants.It is true synthetics kill microbial life, that is why it is nesseccary to replace these up until about the middle of flowering...but also I would like to point out that the micro life in your soil is not needed for synthetics..synthetics are readily available for the plant to consume..for organics there needed because those lil microscopic beasts have to break down the material so the plant can absorb it...also you really shouldnt have that much salt build up, if you water to a good runoff every time it doesnt build up as much.

[CaffeineForAll]

The reason I don't re-use my soil is not that its contaminated, but that its NOT contaminated. While I do a pretty good job recreating the food web in the soil, I do not have a level of arthropod life sufficient to really cycle the nutrients as they should be. All my soil is added to my compost, and then that compost is used for teas and veg/flower beds outside.

[hofner67]

You guys(and gals) ave been great on this thread....thanks. most informative.

[HeartoFgreen]

Organic nutrients are easier to work with. Such as, you are able to mix teas with bat guano, mychorihizae, blood meal, or whatever you feel your plant needs to fed. To put it in better words, compare the two this way. Would you want to purchase food that was organic or inorganic at your 5 star fine-dining establishment?

Also, I like traditional methods of growing. I don't believe our early ancestors had inorganic procedures to produce crops (I think)

[TheGanz]

I use a recipe similar to subcools super soil and only use water throughout the grow. And after mixing I let my my soil cook for at least a month. I reuse my soil like mezz said there are still organic matter breaking down and microbes in the soil. So I throw the used soil back into the 55 gallon tub where my soil is cooking.

 

IMO, it's a waste to throw it out when going organic. Especially when sexing, there are a ton of nutrients in it still.

[Estimated Prophet]

My seedlings love recycled soil.

Also mix in about 25% spent soil with transplants since it is already fully inoculated with all the fungi and critters.

[projectmayham]

Yea amending soil can be done. Just use good soil to begin with, and make sure you flush with a flushing agent, and use some hgrozyme to get rid of the dead root matter.

 

I'm very anti-organic's to a certain degree. Ton's of organic products contain high levels of arsenic and mercury. The two deadly heavy metals. So many organic products are produced from fish or ocean related materials. And our oceans are full of mercury, that why we are suppose to limit our canned tuna intake to one can a week.... (ridiculous)

 

Whereas synthetics are made with really high quality standards. And they can limit the heavy metals. And most heavy metals are essential, like zinc, and selenium. Its mainly Arsenic, lead and Mercury, you need to worry about. And even lead isn't absorbed by plants until its above 300ppms, which is super high. So its mainly just Arsenic and Mercury.

 

Here is the link to Washington Agricultures website for Heavy Metals in fertilizers http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Fertilizers/ProductDatabase.aspx

 

You can see for yourself what fertilizers contain lots of mercury or arsenic. I only use Supernatural Nutes, because they contain like 100's of % less than other brands.

 

For example here's Supernatural's bloom fertilizer for soil growers: http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Fertilizers/FertDB/prodinfo.aspx?pname=4660

 

And compare it with like Botaincare's Pure Blend Pro Bloom http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Fertilizers/FertDB/prodinfo.aspx?pname=4561

 

The pure blend pro contain's 10ppms of Arsenic and 0.02ppms of Mercury, and Bloom Terra is only 0.002 of Arsenic and 0.001 of Mercury. Pure Blend Pro, no so freaking pure is it? I highly suggest you look up your own nutrients your using and find out for yourself.

 

Hope this helps...........