Organic material is not converted to inorganic, that would mean carbon being converted to nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus etc. which can't happen. There is no philosopher's stone involved. Organic, carbon based, material feeds soil organisms like bacteria and fungi which break it down into simpler compounds which plants can absorb. Organic material also contains other elements like calcium, sodium, potassium, sulphur and phosphorus which are inorganic elements that plants need. The decomposition processes in soil break apart material like proteins and bone to produce useable sources of nitrogen like ammonia and soluble phosphates and sulphates. Hence the phrase feed the soil, not the plant.
Many thanks for correcting my non-scientific terminology @steephill. So conversion to a usable inorganic form is incorrect (perils of the internet). I should be saying ‘Soil organisms break down organic matter into simpler compounds which plants can absorb’. Also ‘organic matter also contains non-organic elements essential to plant life’. Would that be a reasonable layman’s interpretation? Your clarification re carbon/non-carbon, organic/inorganic was illuminating too, I guess most understand the concept of carbon being the ‘stuff of life’, but I for one had never considered diamonds, for example, as being organic even though I know they are a form of carbon.
I agree, seaweed is good stuff @Pete.8. I used to use it mostly on the veg garden, but had to stop as it’s an expensive rarity here and my UK source was cut-off post Brexit. Fortunately, much as I hate them, am*zon.es has just started selling Vitax seaweed so I plan to start using it again.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Organic has two meanings these days. The original/scientific one is the one from your OP. But 99% of the time when you see it used, it is about the organic label, which is a set of rules that need to be met to call something organic. Many inorganic compounds are considered organic.
I sometimes use organic fertilizers in pots because I add some garden soil to my pots and I have worms active in pots. And I am not much worried about using inorganic for plants in the ground. I think it is OK as long as it isn't excessive.
Your fertilizer probably can't be legally marked as organic, which means it is partially or fully synthetic. The wording like "symbioethical" or "ethically natural" implies that they want to market synthetic fertilizer to environment-conscious people but it has no legal meaning. It's possible that their approach is really more natural or better for the environment but it is impossible to tell unless they have a website or something with more details.
Good point re the organic certification labelling @edhelka, just to add to consumer confusion 😊 There was lots of natural, ethical sustainable guff on their Italian website but no product tech sheets or nutrient source source information. I suspect greenwash.
I also add a little soil and even composted manure to my potting mix, but more to beef up the texture and aid water retention, as loam based compost doesn’t really exist here. The soil I inherited was pretty thin and barren. Five years of piling on a ton of compost and manure annually, it’s still rare to dig up a worm and I’ve never found one in a pot!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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The original/scientific one is the one from your OP.
But 99% of the time when you see it used, it is about the organic label, which is a set of rules that need to be met to call something organic. Many inorganic compounds are considered organic.
I sometimes use organic fertilizers in pots because I add some garden soil to my pots and I have worms active in pots.
And I am not much worried about using inorganic for plants in the ground. I think it is OK as long as it isn't excessive.
Your fertilizer probably can't be legally marked as organic, which means it is partially or fully synthetic.
The wording like "symbioethical" or "ethically natural" implies that they want to market synthetic fertilizer to environment-conscious people but it has no legal meaning. It's possible that their approach is really more natural or better for the environment but it is impossible to tell unless they have a website or something with more details.
I also add a little soil and even composted manure to my potting mix, but more to beef up the texture and aid water retention, as loam based compost doesn’t really exist here. The soil I inherited was pretty thin and barren. Five years of piling on a ton of compost and manure annually, it’s still rare to dig up a worm and I’ve never found one in a pot!