I've been curious about this for awhile. I don't want to seem hostile to organic growing but I can't figure out where we draw the line between organic (carbon or derived from carbon base) and non-organic.

Aren't all nutrients derived from carbon-based ingredients? what would make them non-organic? And i have heard the term "chemical" bandied about like it is something bad - but water is a chemical substance too - and water would be considered organic, right?

I really am not trying to start shit or cause a fight - i am really curious.

Or should i just butt out and my MMOFB (mind my own fucking business)?

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OK - i have been doing some research and discovered:
Organic farmers use natural fertilizers, like manure and compost
and conventional farmers use chemical fertilizers but i still can't get down to the nitty gritty of the difference between "chemical" fertilizers and "natural" fertilizers as those terms are not opposites. It is not like saying wet or dry, light or dark or something like that since there are organic chemicals - i guess this is part of my confusion.

I also learned that conventional growing uses insecticides and organic growers use helpful insects to control pests. But it would still be organic if the insecticide were made from organic chemicals i think - not very sure about this either.

I will continue to look into this as time permits.

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OK - found something significant i think... the difference isn't really organic vs. non-organic - the difference seems to be naturally occurring vs. synthetic! Though i still don't see the value in using strictly naturally occurring nutes/ferts/pesticides if the synthetic versions are safer and more effective (that is a hypothetical if btw).

But we use synthetic light to grow our plants (unless we're outdoor growers) so that doesn't seem to be a consistent choice either.

The more i look into this the more confused i get!

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OK - i think i got it - please let me know if this is correct..
organic (for marijuana growers) means
no synthetic nutrients/fertilizers
no pesticides


sorry for the multiple posts but i am keen to learn about this.

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It's a good question. I am no expert in this area by any means, but I do have a couple of thoughts that I came up with after doing some reading. Synthetic fertilizers are usually made from naturally occurring substances that are changed to yield the desired nutrient (N-P-K, and others). Some of the chemical processes used to produce the end product, produce byproducts that can be harmful to people and to the environment. Sometimes the synthetic nutrients that are produced and used can run off from the soil or leach into the ground water, causing other health and environmental problems.

Organic fertilizers such as various plant and animal byproducts are more easily used by the diverse ecosystem found in the soil and used by the plants or converted to harmless products. These are safer for people and for the environment. In my mind, it is all about the circle of life... plants and animals eat other plants and animals producing wastes... those wastes are then used by smaller, less sophisticated plants and animals to produce wastes... and so on until you get dirt.

Just my .2 Thanks for jump-starting my brain.

~Rock~

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Silence is a true friend who never betrays. ~Confucius~

Thank you for your response. I think impact to environment for both use AND manufacturing of product is a great addition to what makes something organic!

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check out the OTA (organic trade association) online. you can find a lot of people that are very informative and willing to take the time to explain the ups and downs.
*** dont you think its funny that they call inorganic methods conventional? thats like saying hold on let me fill up my natural styrofoam cooler.

Thanks Spoot,
Saw myself in a bombed out wilderness...the smell of miracle grow mixed way to strong in the air.
For me the Plant gets its nutrients from the break-down of matter through microbial means. Like bug that rotted in the gut of the bat that shat on the floor that sat there and gained potassium. Then I come along and buy it from some Peruvian, put it in my pot of soil along with fungi (and many other soil organisms). The fungi break it and other things down (To a molecular level) for the roots to use. They also make the soil (living environment of the roots) eazier to grow and exchange molecules in.
Unscientific I Know
Try these guys:
http://www.fungi.com/mycogrow/amaranthus.html

Untitled Document
Acres Usa is about farming but I totally want to hang with these guys!