"An
atom of nitrogen is an atom of nitrogen, no matter whether
it came from a pile of compost or a sack of chemical fertilizer.
This is a basic fact of botany, and therefore, there is no
nutritional difference between a plant raised 'organically'
and a plant that is grown 'chemically'. I'm right here with
you 'organic' gardeners when it comes to farming in soil,
but hydroponics is a different breed of cat entirely. So please
don't criticize hydroponics on strictly emotional grounds".
(Mother Earth News, Nov-Dec 1977, p.97)
The
minerals that a plant requires for growth are absorbed by
a plant's root system after they have been broken down into
their elements and dissolved by the water. In soil, this breakdown
process includes weathering, leaching, and bacterial decay
of dead animals. Animal waste, and dead plant material. By
the time the plant ingests these mineral elements, they are
no different from prepared "chemical" elements.
Many
organic gardeners are put off hydroponics because of the necessity
for using "chemical", "non-organic" nutrients.
This misconception.has unfortunately kept many people away
from hydroponics.
So
why the controversy? The widespread and negative overuse of
chemical fertilizers for soil agriculture has destroyed essential
bacteria and other organisms in the soil, as well as contributed
to the pollution of rivers and excessive runoff. Too many
nitrates can destroy the bacterial balance in soil and prevent
it from being able to continue its normal regenerative process
of creating minerals. It's thus "dead" soil, and
will only support decent plant growth if further huge doses
of fertilizers are added.
When
there's no soil, there's no problem.
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