Re: [tomato] blights

Thomas Giannou (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Wed, 28 Apr 1999 09:21:24 -0700 

Dear Olin,

So, it might be "safe to say" that organic could embody something that is
not "chemically formulated."  I've been looking at a Rock Dust product...
it's a fine powder made from volcanic rock.  The WSDA fertilizer division
wants a chemical analysis by certain EPA standards so they can see the heavy
metal content of the product.  Since the manufacturer says the application
of their product is cumulative and their analysis shows there are small
amounts of heavy metals present, I have more than a little concern about
putting their product on soils year after year.  They say their product
works well with tomatoes.  It can be dusted onto the leaves and washed off
after 24 hours and/or mixed into the soil.  This kind of product certainly
is a natural substance and even has carbon in it.  It's NPK is 0 .003 .007.

A couple of questions:

Would you call Rock Dust an Organic product?

Has anyone out there used Rock Dust on their tomatoes?  If so, what kind of
observable results did you obtain?  What was the brand name?

Regards,
Thomas Giannou
Spokane, Washington


-----Original Message-----
From: Olin <millero@worldnet.att.net>
To: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com <Tomato@GlobalGarden.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [tomato] blights


>From: John Sorge <jsorg@hal-pc.org>
>To: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com <Tomato@GlobalGarden.com>
>Date: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 5:49 PM
>Subject: Re: [tomato] blights
>
>
>>Any copper fungicide is, by definition, not organic.  Organic, as I
>>understand it, means some compound of carbon and another commonly
occurring
>>element such as oxygen.  etc...
>
>There are many "organic" gardeners who are aware of the branch of chemistry
>concerned with carbon compounds, have also taken classes in organic and
>inorganic chemistry, and are aware of the chemical definition of the term
>"organic".  But most have accepted the term "organic gardening" with the
>knowledge that the term is chemically imprecise (as applied to organic
>chemistry) and don't get too hung up over it.  Most organic gardeners
>practice the "organic gardening" discipline" to avoid using synthetic
>chemicals whose harmful effects are not known and to practice
>environmentally responsible gardening.
>
>The 10th Edition of Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary lists one of
the
>definitions of "organic" as":
>
>"of, relating to, yielding or involving the use of food produced with the
>use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of
>chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or
>pesticides."
>
>Olin
>
>
>