Actually, I just e-mailed Linda Chalker Scott (Head of horticulture at U of Washington)
Here's a copy minus my e-mail address...

From: (Rusty Trichome)
Sent: Sun 6/27/2010 8:11 AM
To: Chalker-Scott, Linda K
Subject: Organic nutrients versus chemical...


Hi. Love the myths page y'all host. Very informative.

I contacted you a couple years ago regarding moon phase gardening, in which you provided a very quick and concise response. Thank you. I've refered others to your myths page many times, and this insight has helped solve disagreements many times, and has caused a few as well.

Anyway, I do have another question I can't find a straight answer to, and hope you can help me again...
Are organic nutrients better for plants, (or the people that ingest those plants) than non-organic nutrients and additives? I'm a cannabis caretaker, and prefer not to subject my wife I'm caretaking for, for her T-cell lymphoma, to weird additives and crap. But we are not in a financial position to be spending money on expensive organics, if Miracle Grow type chemical nutrients are equally 'safe'.

Is there evidence you could point me to that would help me determine if I should pay the extra price for the organic label, or should I worry about the effects of chemical nutrient residue?
Thank you again.

Rusty Trichome.

Her response:
Hi Rusty -

Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you've found the information helpful! (If you haven't seen it yet, check out our blog page - 4 of us taking on various gardening topics from a scientific perspective - link below.)

I did a column on organic vs. inorganic nutrients several years ago - you can find it here: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%2...uperiority.pdf.

Short answer: plants don't distinguish between sources of nutrients. So don't waste your money!

Linda

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Linda Chalker-Scott
Associate Professor and Extension Urban Horticulturist
WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center
2606 W. Pioneer
Puyallup, WA 98371

Phone: (253) 445-4542
"The Informed Gardener" webpage: Linda Chalker-Scott
"The Garden Professors" blog: http://www.gardenprofessors.com

I'm bummed I wasted her time, as it was apparently in her archive, but alas, there's no new contradictory studies, or she'd have mentioned 'em. The links she provided are pretty darned informative, and something every gardener can benefit from. The gardenprofessors are just that. A blog for/by horticulturalists. They evaluate products, test myths, analyze data...all that geeky stuff. Very informal and easy to read. And yes, the science does/can translate to indoors.
Rusty Trichome Reviewed by Rusty Trichome on . Watering pH in Organic Soil Based Systems ...doesn't matter. In fact, the guidelines of watering with a pH around 6.5 could actually harm your plants in certain circumstances. It doesn't matter because there is a huge colony of bacteria and fungi living in your soil, and you feed them, not your plant directly. They will use what you give them and the pH of the SOIL will ADJUST ITS SELF in a properly running system. Now, I'm not saying pH isn't important, because the pH of the SOIL is very important. It's just how you feed the Rating: 5