Terminology Clarification...Organic, Inorganic Chemicals and Organically sourced!

Although many growers on this network are very well versed in this subject, I realize a lot of new growers may confuse or not understand the descriptions.

Inorganic chemicals- All of the major and minor ESSENTIAL nutrients we use in growing plants. They are all chemical ‘salts’…that is they dissolve in water into ionic + and - ions.

“Organic nutrients” describes the SOURCE of the nutrients…they are simply not synthetically produced.
Please understand I have absolutely no issues with any grower that demands all his nutrients be organically sourced. However, I must also point out that TO THE PLANT the nutrient ions are exactly the same regardless of the source. Many will point out that organically sourced nutrients also may contain some neat organic acids that may be beneficial and I agree!

Organic Chemicals- These are any molecules that contain part of a carbon chain. They include amino acids, peptides, enzymes, hormones and the vast majority of biochemicals that exist in the plants metabolic pathways. (Basically all biochemistry is involves organic chemistry to a large extent!)

So both inorganic and organic chemicals can be sourced from organic origins and be referred to as “organic”
LOL It may have been a academic scheme to make sure you had to take at least 4 years of chemistry to belong to the club!!

5 Likes

Thank you for sharing that insight of yours. I am glad I can say organic is the right way forward for our future. I think all the difference are the amino acids, peptides, enzymes, hormones, its the reason why people eat hemp seeds for instance. Damn now a couple decades after leaving highschool, I wish I had listened more in biology class.

3 Likes