people pour on their flowers or yards?
When I increase power to about 800 I see upwards of 1500-2000 bacteria per FOV with these little working 24/7 360 for you when soil temps are in their optimal range’
Ok so I recently invested in a decent microscope and I’m willing to do a small experiment and post it here anyone interested in seeing what happens to great soil microbiology after addition of Osmocote , Scott’s fertilizer or Miracle grow or any other synthetic people pour on their flowers or yards?
people pour on their flowers or yards?
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The Debate over Organic vs. Chemical Fertilizers
By: Julie Day
Ask most any gardener whether they prefer organic or chemical fertilizer, and chances are you’ll spark a lively debate. However, if you could ask your plants the same question, you’d find out that at the most basic level, they really can’t tell the difference – nutrients are nutrients.
Yet there ARE significant differences between organic and chemical fertilizers in terms of nutrient availability and the long-term effects on soil, plants, and the environment. So how does a conscientious gardener decide?
Terminology
To begin with, the terminology can be confusing, since labels and gardeners freely throw around words like organic, natural, inorganic, chemical, synthetic, artificial, and manufactured. The good news is that the choice can be reduced to either organic or chemical fertilizers.
Organic Fertilizer
The words “organic” or “natural” in this case simply means that the product is only minimally processed, and the nutrients remain bound up in their natural forms, rather than being extracted and refined. In the case of fertilizer, “organic” does NOT refer to the standards of processing associated with food.
Organic fertilizer is usually made from plant or animal waste or powdered minerals. Examples include manure and compost, as well as bone and cottonseed meal. They are usually sold as “soil conditioners” rather than as fertilizer, because the nutrient ratios are difficult to guarantee. Organic fertilizers may be processed in a factory, or, in the case of manure and compost, at a farm.
There is also a growing selection of more highly processed products now available, with labeled analysis of nutrients and contents. For example, Scotts Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Plant Food is a manufactured product composed entirely of chicken litter and ground up feathers, with an N-P-K ratio of 7-1-2. Garden Safe Organic Plant Food is made of poultry manure with a label very similar to chemical fertilizers.
Advantages of Organic Fertilizer:
In addition to releasing nutrients, as organic fertilizers break down, they improve the structure of the soil and increase its ability to hold water and nutrients. Over time, organic fertilizers will make your soil–and plants–healthy and strong.
Since they are the ultimate slow-release fertilizers, it’s very difficult to over fertilize (and harm) your plants.
There’s little to no risk of toxic buildups of chemicals and salts that can be deadly to plants.
Organic fertilizers are renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
Although rather expensive in packages, you can make your own organic fertilizer by composting or find inexpensive sources—such as local dairy farms—that may sell composted manure.
Disadvantages of Organic Fertilizer:
Microorganisms are required to break down and release nutrients into the soil. Since they need warmth and moisture to do their job, the effectiveness of organic fertilizer is limited seasonally. The good news is that these microorganisms obtain energy from decaying plant and animal matter, so an application of organic fertilizer provides a complete package of nutrients for your soil.
Organic fertilizers break down according to nature’s rules, so they may not release nutrients as soon as you need them. You have to be patient – you won’t see improvement overnight. In fact, you may actually see a deficiency in your plants during the first couple of months until the first application breaks down. Hang in there! You’ll most definitely be rewarded.
Nutrient ratios are often unknown, and the overall percentage is lower than chemical fertilizers. However, some organic products are actually higher in certain nutrients.
Chemical Fertilizers
Chemical fertilizers (also called inorganic, synthetic, artificial, or manufactured) have been refined to extract nutrients and bind them in specific ratios with other chemical fillers. These products may be made from petroleum products, rocks, or even organic sources. Some of the chemicals may be naturally occurring, but the difference is that the nutrients in chemical fertilizers are refined to their pure state and stripped of substances that control their availability and breakdown, which rarely occurs in nature.
Advantages of Chemical Fertilizer:
Since nutrients are available to the plants immediately, improvement occurs in days.
They are highly analyzed to produce the exact ratio of nutrients desired.
Standardized labeling makes ratios and chemical sources easy to understand.
They’re inexpensive.
Disadvantages of Chemical Fertilizer:
Chemical fertilizers are primarily made from nonrenewable sources, including fossil fuels.
They grow plants but do nothing to sustain the soil. The fillers do not promote life or soil health, and even packages labeled “complete” do not include the decaying matter necessary to improve soil structure. In fact, chemical fertilizers don’t replace many trace elements that are gradually depleted by repeated crop plantings, resulting in long-term damage to the soil.
Because the nutrients are readily available, there is a danger of over fertilization. This not only can kill plants but upset the entire ecosystem.
Chemical fertilizers tend to leach, or filter away from the plants, requiring additional applications.
Repeated applications may result in a toxic buildup of chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, and uranium in the soil. These toxic chemicals can eventually make their way into your fruits and vegetables.
Long-term use of chemical fertilizer can change the soil pH, upset beneficial microbial ecosystems, increase pests, and even contribute to the release of greenhouse gases.
Making a Choice
If you wish to live in harmony with nature and make a lasting improvement in your own patch of earth for generations to come, organic fertilizers outweigh chemicals by leaps and bounds.
Can a shot of chemical fertilizer make your containers spill over with blossoms, and give you the biggest tomatoes and greenest lawn in the neighborhood? Absolutely. Just be sure you understand what’s really happening to the earth under your feet, so that you’ll make your choice consciously.
If you’re a hydro guy it’s a no brainer. If you’re a soil guy, it’s a no brainer.
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This is too good to not have its own thread. 
Please, @Tinytuttle provide more scope shots. Please!
Stay Hazed
Jake
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Well said! Synthetic fertilizer just make your plants more dependent on it as time goes on making them into junk food junkies ! Plus creating major waterway issues with an overload of phosphates in runoff ,increasing algae blooms and creating areas of death which can be seen in the Gulf as the “DEAD ZONE”!
Thanks MONSANTO for making the world a better place to live!
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Will do!!!
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A great vid that everyone should watch!
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Same thing every single chemical based grower sends me😂
They mention organic miracle grow.
Also they dont mention how force feeding your plants isnt correct and can cause your plants stress. But if you allow them to do what they will at their own pace they will preform exactly how they are supposed to.
Oh wait shit this isnt my rip it up threadXD
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I beg to differ with this part - It’s actually quite easy to burn up your plants with organic dry nutes:
Since they are the ultimate slow-release fertilizers, it’s very difficult to over fertilize (and harm) your plants.
also no mention of “secondary flavonoids” which are a big reason to go organic, here’s a good study:
Overall, however, across the six years of the study, the total flavonoid content was 10-50% higher by dry weight in the organic onions. Consistently higher levels of individual flavonoids were also present in the organic onions, and the extracts had higher antioxidant activity in two assays that measure radical scavenging activity.
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No. Si tomas en cuenta su aporte total de nutrientes, (NPK, etc)…el abonado orgánico seco es el que menos quema: piensa en meterle a la planta la misma dosis en forma de abono liquido de síntesis química…
Si tu le das a la planta todo el K y P que yo le meto con mis mezclas (hasta 1-20-30) de kilos por planta, la colapsarías por bloqueo de nutrientes…
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I don’t feed my plants… I feed my soil
When the soil is fed, its like a 24/7 buffet. I’m just working out the right way for the soil to be fed just enough for my plants to eat everything by the time they have 2 weeks left. Then from there they just get raw carbs/sugar from the molasses to give them energy as they feed off the rest of their nutrients stored in the plant/leaves so by harvest everything has faded and the leaves easily pluck off the plant. The only thing left with color are the smallest fan leaves on the buds, and even most of those are fading yellow/red/purple
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i like your style. now instead of stopping the feed continue feeding till finish. and say a week before harvest throw down some clover seeds and mulch.keep watering and pop some seeds or clones right into those pots!
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Haha I have clover seeds just starting on my 10 gal Fainting Goat in veg.
Will top feed if she needs it
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I think It is funny people think that the plants feed off of the organics. people also think the “sugars” are for making the plant sweeter! hahahah lmao. plants can’t take up large organic molecules. also, Nutrient stress is great for raising the brix of a plant.
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Sugars do feed bacteria in the soil that release enzymes that bind with amino acids and minerals that can be taken into the plant to raise Brix or “sweeten” the plant.
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In hydroponics plants will treat these bacteria as a patagen and actually repel them. There is no need for them, they have everything they need.
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Thats why this is a soil discussion and not hydroponicsXD
Plants feed off of nutrients that bacteria and microbes release for them. Check out the cation exchange capacity.
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Do you recommend I check for tropical soils?? I live in Mexico. Or do you think they are all the same? Should I also check on anions, or only cations?
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Nah no soil is the same. Unless you buy the bagged crap. Then its basicly all kiln dried and steamed garbage. Id say you could find some good soil somewhere. If not you could definatly make your own. And if you want you should def check out both anions and cations.
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Yea! Have you organic guys ever collected mycorrhiza(e) from the woods from next to the biggest tree? With a panti hose and rice? Pretty cool.
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That wouldnt be mycorrhizae. What you are collecting are IMOs indigenious micro organisms:) i collect them every spring summer and fall:)
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