Comments on: Chemical-free Gardening http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:25:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Twine Prode http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-2#comment-635244 Twine Prode Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:11:26 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-635244 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Chemical-free Gardening — Sciencebase Science Blog http://cli.gs/vPHaz</span></span> Chemical-free Gardening — Sciencebase Science Blog http://cli.gs/vPHaz

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-2#comment-633580 David Bradley Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:48:25 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633580 The term mole most certainly has a different meaning depending on whether you're wielding a Bunsen burner or a spade (that's a spade, not a shovel ;-) I always call a spade a spade. Incidentally, chemists themselves have not yet decided whether hydrogen should best be describes as a metal atop the alkali metals or a type of halogen above fluorine... The term mole most certainly has a different meaning depending on whether you’re wielding a Bunsen burner or a spade (that’s a spade, not a shovel ;-) I always call a spade a spade. Incidentally, chemists themselves have not yet decided whether hydrogen should best be describes as a metal atop the alkali metals or a type of halogen above fluorine…

]]> By: Robert Bowen http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-2#comment-633579 Robert Bowen Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:23:52 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633579 Let's remember that we're discussing terms from a different language here. Terms like "organic" and "chemical-free" and "mole" have different meanings when we're gardening than when we're in the lab. After all, I've read that astronomers call oxygen and chlorine metals. by the way, nice shovel. I still prefer my longhandled fiberglass roundpoint to the d-handles. Let’s remember that we’re discussing terms from a different language here. Terms like “organic” and “chemical-free” and “mole” have different meanings when we’re gardening than when we’re in the lab. After all, I’ve read that astronomers call oxygen and chlorine metals.

by the way, nice shovel. I still prefer my longhandled fiberglass roundpoint to the d-handles.

]]> By: David Brown http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-1#comment-633562 David Brown Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:09:15 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633562 Speaking of pansies, my "extreme" gardening style (I make enormous amounts of compost, dig holes two to three feet deep, and fill these nutrient reservoirs with a mixture of topsoil and compost) generates an enormous amount of plant material. My pansies grow to knee height and nearly as wide. By midsummer I generally have about two heaping wheelbarrows of pansies to compost. Well, two years ago I decided to dry most of the pansie plants and blast them into powder in a blender. I now have about 20 liters of pansy powder that makes a wonderful fertilizer when mixed with boiling inorganic solvent and allowed to cool. I think it works better than Miracle Grow which one doesn't have to add to boiling inorganic solvent. I've also used spinach leaves (not powdered of course) to produce do the same effect. I eat the cooked spinach, of course. Hate to let it go to waste. The valuable liquid (spinach) fertilizer makes houseplants grow vigorously. I suspect many kinds of leaves could be boiled to make a fertilizer tea. My question is; can I consider this an organic fertilizer? Technically, it contains mostly inorganic solvent. Of course the inorganic solvent is natural, not manufactured. So maybe I should call this kind of fertilizer Natural Grow or Combination Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer (COIF). Speaking of pansies, my “extreme” gardening style (I make enormous amounts of compost, dig holes two to three feet deep, and fill these nutrient reservoirs with a mixture of topsoil and compost) generates an enormous amount of plant material. My pansies grow to knee height and nearly as wide. By midsummer I generally have about two heaping wheelbarrows of pansies to compost.

Well, two years ago I decided to dry most of the pansie plants and blast them into powder in a blender. I now have about 20 liters of pansy powder that makes a wonderful fertilizer when mixed with boiling inorganic solvent and allowed to cool. I think it works better than Miracle Grow which one doesn’t have to add to boiling inorganic solvent.

I’ve also used spinach leaves (not powdered of course) to produce do the same effect. I eat the cooked spinach, of course. Hate to let it go to waste. The valuable liquid (spinach) fertilizer makes houseplants grow vigorously.

I suspect many kinds of leaves could be boiled to make a fertilizer tea. My question is; can I consider this an organic fertilizer? Technically, it contains mostly inorganic solvent. Of course the inorganic solvent is natural, not manufactured. So maybe I should call this kind of fertilizer Natural Grow or Combination Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer (COIF).

]]> By: geneticmaize (Anastasia Bodnar) http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-1#comment-633551 geneticmaize (Anastasia Bodnar) Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:55:48 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633551 <strong>Twitter Comment</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/geneticmaize" title="Twitter Comment" rel="nofollow"> <div class="ccimg1" title="geneticmaize (Anastasia Bodnar)" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;padding:0;width:60px;height:60px;"> <img name="cc_image" title="geneticmaize (Anastasia Bodnar)" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;padding:0;width:50px;height:50px;" src="http://purl.org/net/spiurl/geneticmaize"> </div> </a> Chemical free gardening? Don't think so: [link to post]<br /><br /> Twitter Comment


Chemical free gardening? Don’t think so: [link to post]

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-1#comment-633550 David Bradley Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:45:08 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633550 Yes, that noxious stuff oxygen(II) hydride. Oh, alright, ATP --> ADP, chemistry of course... Yes, that noxious stuff oxygen(II) hydride. Oh, alright, ATP –> ADP, chemistry of course…

]]> By: Leigh Boerner http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-1#comment-633549 Leigh Boerner Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:41:13 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633549 What?!? You are not speaking of that deadly noxious inorganic solvent oxidane are you? Gasp! And I hate to burst your bubble here, but effort IS chemical. It's the transformation of ATP into ADP. Those pesky phosphorylation reactions make the world go round. Erm, so to speak. What?!? You are not speaking of that deadly noxious inorganic solvent oxidane are you? Gasp!

And I hate to burst your bubble here, but effort IS chemical. It’s the transformation of ATP into ADP. Those pesky phosphorylation reactions make the world go round. Erm, so to speak.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-1#comment-633544 David Bradley Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:44:28 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633544 @Jon Thanks for that...it's been a bugbear of mine since I first started in chemistry which is a long, long time ago...indeed so long, I really am overdue for an FRSC ;-) @Jon Thanks for that…it’s been a bugbear of mine since I first started in chemistry which is a long, long time ago…indeed so long, I really am overdue for an FRSC ;-)

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-1#comment-633543 David Bradley Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:43:05 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633543 Readers will perhaps be pleased to know that the simple application of a little inorganic solvent can render flaccid pansies erect within minutes... Readers will perhaps be pleased to know that the simple application of a little inorganic solvent can render flaccid pansies erect within minutes…

]]> By: Jon http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/organic-gardening.html/comment-page-1#comment-633537 Jon Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:18:27 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=4478#comment-633537 I'd be remiss not to comment here. We've had a long-standing grudge against the Advertising Standards Authority for refusing to act on Miracle-Gro 100% chemical-free Organic Choice fertiliser. Back story can be found here and here: http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/rsc/2008/11/06/nevillereed/100-chemical-free-living/ http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/rsc/2008/11/24/nevillereed/poor-old-asa/ The second post has a marvelous picture of the product packaging, proudly adorned with the "100% chemical free" badge. The £1m offer still stands, by the way. We had some great responses to that, and some that made me want to cry. On a side note David, I love the "one man and his shovel" pic. :) I’d be remiss not to comment here. We’ve had a long-standing grudge against the Advertising Standards Authority for refusing to act on Miracle-Gro 100% chemical-free Organic Choice fertiliser. Back story can be found here and here:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/rsc/2008/11/06/nevillereed/100-chemical-free-living/
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/rsc/2008/11/24/nevillereed/poor-old-asa/

The second post has a marvelous picture of the product packaging, proudly adorned with the “100% chemical free” badge. The £1m offer still stands, by the way. We had some great responses to that, and some that made me want to cry.

On a side note David, I love the “one man and his shovel” pic. :)

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