[WG.]

If water didn't behave in this odd way there would be no life on the planet

Life - but not as we know it Captain!

[wellingtons]

... but I don't call myself organic, because of coming from a farming background.  To me there are two methods:

Gung-ho - blast everything with chemicals whenever you wish.  If no chemicals available, use something fuel powered and very noisy.

Natural - work with nature, not against it.  Take good care of your land and the crops. Keep chemicals to an absolute minimum and use only in dire circumstances.  Use elbow grease liberally and give everything a good coat of looking at!

I cannot comfortably use the term organic, because to me organic means the soil association definition, and the associated hoop jumping required.  And to apply the term organic to gardening, when you simply mean not using chemicals isn't really "organic", it's just gardening without chemicals.

I think the label organic is all to easily bunged about these days by producers and people trying to sell us products.  It should mean precisely what it states in farming law.

[WG.]

My tuppence worth ...

I adhere to my own principles and have no problem with anyone who wishes to adhere to theirs.

Given that I add only manure and lime and seeds then I reckon I could meet Soil Association standards - if I wanted to.  I don't remotely feel the need to though.  I have some peat left over from a mushroom-growing experiment and feel quite comfortable adding this to heather beds etc (organic if not totally PC).

I have some circumstances in my favour though :

1. live too far North for some of the nasties I read about on these forums

2. grow mainly herbs and garlic for sale / barter which avoid most pests & indeed help other crops to do so

3. grow smaller amounts of other crops in a non-intensive way for (mostly) our own use.  Makes it easier to accept any losses which do happen

[wellingtons]

... I should have said ... that's why I don't call myself organic, and having re-read my post it does look like I'm I think people shouldn't use the term organic.

I would prefer that people were natural rather than gung-ho, especially those on my neighbouring plots, but I do respect the fact that people can garden their own patch however they wish and use whatever terminology they wish to describe their gardening methodology.

I'm in a bit of a rush today, fingers and brain are not necessarily in synch!  And I was trying to explain why you will not find me categorised as organic.

[WG.]

 No worries Wellies.  My post wasn't really in response to yours.  When you aren't so rushed, tell me what you mean by "farming law" please.

[Aunt Sally]

I suppose I shouldn't say I worked on residual pesticide analysis for Shell Research when they had research labs in Kent.  No...  I'd best not admit to that  

[Spon]

When Adam was in short trousers and I was studying Chemistry for my GCE 'O' level, I asked the teacher why water was wet when it is made of two gasses. He expelled me from the classroom so I still do not understand chemistry.

[Scribbler]

Spon's post only serves to confirm that in our day education was much more rounded.

So rounded in fact, that the teachers often seemed to have ZERO grasp at all about what their pupils either thought, believed, understood or were interested in learning about.


       

[sparky]

best stick to alcohol for drinking...

Yeah, at least C2H5OH behaves like a proper molecule.    Too much though & the researcher behaves like a proper idiot!    

Easpecially when mixed with an H2O2 Blonde

[WG.]

   

[ytyynycefn]

When I was a lab rat, I had to buy some seriously pure water for some experiment from the Sigma chemical co.  And being Britain, I then had to fill in a lengthy H&S analysis form.  I actually had to write on this thing that if you got any water in your eye or on your skin, you had to "rinse it with copious amounts of water"...  :roll:

[WG.]

I like it  

[andyk]

drink water have you seen what fish do in it, is rain water for me

[mkhenry]

Water!  Dodgy stuff!!!  Never trust a chemical with molecular weight of only 18 which manages to remain in liquid or solid form until 100 degs Celsius (at 1 atmosphere of pressure).  Add to that : the solid form floats on the liquid form which is denser at 4 degs C than it is below that.  Two covalent bonds and a suspicious intra-molecular hydrogen bond to boot.  Steer well clear of the stuff, I'd say.

When extolling the virtue of Water and trying to condemn drinking alcohol the Sally Army Captain said."If you put a worm in water it will survive but put the same worm in whiskey it will die.What does that tell you." The local enibreate replied " if you dont want worms drink Whiskey"

Terrible stuff that water

[andyh4]

Don't confuse the Chemistry definition of organic with that used in gardening.

Lime (like bordeaux mixture = copper sulphate) is gardening organic but Chemistry inorganic
whereas
Organophosphorous insecticides (or worse) are chemically organic, but most definitely not accepted by the organic gardening movement.