| I am surprised no one has answered your questions. I have been an organic gardener, landscaper and farmer for more than 30 years. I've also worked for a certifying agency inspecting new and renewing applications for organic certification. So I have a little experience! :) Organic does work but the emphasis of organi-culture is not so much putting out a lot of inputs as managing the soil and plant cover to support good crop or flower growth. Think of organic fertilizer as mostly slow-release nutrient sources and as sources that often pass through microbiological uses before being available to the higher plants. This notion is reflected in the often used mantra of organic gardeners: "We feed the soil to feed the plants." There are more soluable organic fertilizers useful to perk up growth or support seedling production, but these tend to be expensive. There are even organic formulations for soil-less plant production. Because most organic fertilizers are not as soluable as conventional salt fertilizers, losses of excess nutrients into the rivers and environment are much less. Of course, if too much organic material is added to soil, there can be problems, just as excess conventional fertilizers can produce problems. But organic material and a biologically active soil go far to buffer the effects of adverse conditions, including excess organic fertilizers. Hope that helps. Proper use of conventional fertilizers do minimize environmental impacts if combined with good soil and organic waste management practices. Few farmers want to waste expensive fertilizers and pesticides; the income crunch is too great for most crops. | 
