fish hydrolysate... something like Neptune's Harvest... way better than the emulsified fish.

FWIW, Dyna-Gro is not bad, it's just synthetic. I would be more concerned about pesticides and herbicides when it comes to "organic" gardening.

Also, just because something is organic doesn't automatically mean it's any safer than something that is synthetic and/or chemical.

Thanks for the input. I'm new to fertilizers so I have a ton of questions. First.. what ingredient(s) in Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro would an organic gardener have an issue with and why?

Not really sure.. maybe EDTA. Synthetic ferts are in the form that the plant needs and are ready to be taken up by the roots and used. Organic ferts need to be broken down by soil organisms before the roots can take them up and use them. In the end, the plant does not know the difference. Organics can be used in containers, but it is generally better attempted in very large (20 gallon or more) containers that can support the proper environment for the required soil food web to survive.

I would not take issue with eating veggies grown with synthetic ferts, I do however refuse to eat any plants that have been doused with things like Sevin or other chemical pesticides.

Most commercial lettuces in the grocery stores are grown hydroponically using synthetic ferts, probably something very similar to Dyna Gro.

The thing to watch out for with any fertilizer, synthetic or organic, is the heavy metal content. Just make sure you are buying a reputable product that lists the contents and provides data on the metals it contains.

Personally, in the containers you are using, I would stick to something synthetic.

As I mentioned in your other thread some DynaGro products are organically approved. But all you ever mention is the brand name rather than the actual product you are talking about. So no way to know if yours is or not.

As to what organic gardeners - and yes I am one - have issue with? Hard to say. Some just object on general principle, some object to using any fertilizers even organic ones, and many have no understanding of how organic fertilizers vs. synthetics even work, especially in containers.

So as is often discussed in great detail on this forum, on the Organic Gardening forum, and on the Container Gardening forum, if you wish to grow in containers and do it organically then you will need to use liquids that can be suspended in water so that they are readily available for uptake by the plants. OR you will have to find some way to incorporate an active soil food web into your containers and figure out a way to keep it alive. As howel said above that is very difficult to do - which is why synthetics are preferred for use in containers.

There are literally hundreds of organic liquid fertilizers available on the market. See link below. Each comes with their own set of instructions for application and frequency when used in containers.

Dave

Edited to add - if I recall correctly you also garden in raised beds in addition to your containers. So while developing and maintaining an active soil food web that can make the organic granular ferts and compost, etc. work well in containers is a problem, that does not apply to raised beds or to very large containers (25 gal.+) that contain or have direct access to soil/dirt.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic liquid fertilizers

This post was edited by digdirt on Tue, Apr 29, 14 at 14:00

i just started using Dr. Earth Homegrown Tomato and vegetable liquid fert, and have been happy with its results. I used it on my corn one week ago and it has grown a full foot since then. My egg plant has also really stepped up its growth. The nice part about this fertilizer is that it has a lot of microbial food in it. This is very important because the main difference between organic and synthetics is that the organic ferts need to be broken down by microbes prior to the plant being able to use it. Synthetics are already broken down and can be taken in instantly. The Dr. Earth seems to really be fast acting, which is nice when it comes to organic fertilizers. I do raised beds, so i also use a side dressing of compost mixed with a granular fert like Jobes. This way I have a constant slow release of nutrients from this and then the liquid fert is used during the times I need a boost. It seems to be working great in a container set up. I think organic container gardening can be done. It just takes some time to get your microbe level up. I also have a layer of shredded leaves over my side dressing. As time goes by the leaves will break down and form an organic layer of nutrients there too. This also helps in microbial action.

This post was edited by PlanterJeff on Tue, Apr 29, 14 at 12:19

I have the same philosopy on "organic" as Howelbama.
I am not an organic gardener but have concerns over chemicals used in the form of pesticide and herbicide. When it come to fertilizer, it has no known negative effect on health and nutrition and plants do not care where the N, P, K, Ca ... comes from. However, synthetic fertilizers might not be as environmentally friendly as organic ones due to fast leaching. It can be partly corrected by amending garden soil with organic mater (compost). Don't forget, organic fertilizer like cow manure can also leach and pollute the underground waters. This has been tested in places where cattle graze for a long time. Not everything that is organic is automatically good. Petroleum products are organic too. !!!