Any Decent Organic Orchid Fertilizer?

[orchidsamore]

Triffid

Your definition of organic is a general one but for food to be organic it needs a lot more than just coming from animals or plant material.

Cow manure is not organic since the cows are feed growth steroids and antibiotics. Those compounds go into the animal and into their manure. Worms however retain all these bad compounds and their manure is organic. You can feed non-organic cow manure to worms and the result is organic by every definition.

Worms can even filter mercury out of their food and retain it in their bodies.

My definition of organic is to avoid poisons.

Angela I am looking forward to meeting you at the open house.

Organic growing to me is to remove the poisons we spray in tremendous quantities.

When growing vegetables the lack of poisons reduces the crop and thereby increases the cost. I am willing to pay it not to have the poisons going into my body.

When I treat my orchids the wind will often shift and blow back into my face. Now I have no fear of exposure.

If you have ever read the OSHA safety sheets on the chemicals you hear recommended on the Internet for orchids, you will know you should use disposable garments, cover from head to foot long sleeves and an air respirator. They are dangerous.

Even the fertilizers we have used since the 1930s of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium are not good for the environment.

The Florida everglades are being destroyed by fertilizer runoff. The Florida legislature banned the use of Nitrogen and Phosphorus during the rainy season (orchid growing season) and require slow release all year long.

The removal of phosphorus could help the everglades but typical of our governments and the ability to bride them, the two biggest polluters, sugar cane and golf courses were exempted.

Organic though is not the equivalent of Eco friendly. They have many over lapping good features but they are not equivalent.

[secretasiansam]

Originally Posted by orchidsamore

Triffid

Organic though is not the equivalent of Eco friendly. They have many over lapping good features but they are not equivalent.

true, i believe there is controversy concerning harvesting guanos and the destruction of habitat.

[Triffid]

Originally Posted by orchidsamore

Triffid

Your definition of organic is a general one but for food to be organic it needs a lot more than just coming from animals or plant material.

Cow manure is not organic since the cows are feed growth steroids and antibiotics. Those compounds go into the animal and into their manure. Worms however retain all these bad compounds and their manure is organic. You can feed non-organic cow manure to worms and the result is organic by every definition.

I kind of agree, and as I said before I Have Never Used Cow Manure... but not for the Over fed with Steroids reason
Cows have 4 stomachs and primarily eat grass, what comes out can be burnt and used in housing (Wattle and Daub).
It's a complex subject. But by your definition no Human wastes could never be considered Organic again.
And yet it still is the By Product of a Organic Process which is how old....

I prefer to stick with Original definitions as much as possible. So I will stick with Dictionary definitions, which have potential for Entomological background checks.
Rather than a society who took the word and decided it meant that Cow Manure is not Organic... No offense meant.
(Sorry wasn't going to sit with the Dictionary on my lap and type it out )

I prefer the Terms "Eco Friendly" or "Living in Harmony with Nature"
Rather than Organic! A rotting mount of flesh is still Organic, but it's not necessarily safe for the environment.
Carnivore Waste is Organic, but you'd never catch me using it a fertilizer.
Just my way.

When the process to produce that waste product are completely synthetic I will agree that Cow Manure are no longer organic. But in this Country not every Farmer feeds their Cattle Steroids, so what does that mean?

If the waste has trace element of Steroids that's still the animals waste. Last time I looked Cows were not machines.

Nice to see this discussion has sparked a healthy debate.

Do "All" Steroids and Hormones actually effect the animals production of waste materials. (Like some "Pain Killers" can in humans) or does it just end up being part of the waste?

So in a really bizarre way I agree with you about "Not using Cow Manure" as a fertilizer. I just came at it from a different angle

My problem is, a lot of people who garden, and have veg patches do not bother with a "Vegetable Growers Association" definition of what's Organic.
And this is where the problem lies for me.

All these Rules, Regulations and Variations only lead to confusion.
Yes we need Rules and Regulations (Unfortunately) because not everyone out there is responsible or considerate.

But we also need Clarification.

So I understand where you are coming from. It's just with for me I see the evidence of Words changing meanings or having their original meaning altered over time can lead to misunderstandings.
For me the word Organic comes from Organism. When you talk about Manure, you talk about Organic matter. The Organic matter may have Toxins and Foreign synthetic bits within but in essence it has not been produced artificially but rather by a living Organism using age old Organic Processes.

I just hope I'm not offending anyone here with my personal opinions!