TLO vs OMRI

[Woolly]

Would using only OMRI products be comparable to TLO? I have access to Coast of Maine potting soil which is omri approved and neptunes harvest fertilizers which are also omri approved. Would true tlo find this organic or almost ?

http://www.coastofmaine.com/soils-barharbor.shtml

http://www.neptunesharvest.com/fs-136.html

 

[Joedirt]

Hey woolly.
You want to us OMRI products in your TLO.

 

[Woolly]

Aah I see, I thought TLO was more focused on feeding the soil and using the two products mentioned about I would be feeding the plant still. Thanks for the clarification. So if I used those two products it would be organic ? I've been reading the taste is a lot better so I'd like to try an easy organic route before switching over completely.

 

[Mr Piggy]

TLO is an organic soil that has been mixed using organic ingredients. The ingredients do not have to be labeled OMRI to be organic, but it's a good indicator that they are.

Organic ferts are just organic, they don't have to be part of a living soil mix.

 

[Joedirt]

Hey woolly.
Nice to see that your interest in going organic.
Once you do you will never go back.
If you check out the organic section on this sight you will find all the info you will need.
I will deffer you to some of the more informed people on this forum like Eyes on fire, Mr. piggy, Muddy and the list is long but lots of info and people to help you take this as far as you want to go.

 

[Mr Piggy]

The best part is once you mix an organic soil up, you can keep using it over and over... and it just gets better with time. You will have to add new amendments to it to re-charge it, but not as much as with the initial mixing. I had one batch that I had going for a couple of years, and it was great. No idea why I restarted a new batch, but it happened. Benefits include not having to dispose of used soil and the neighbors wondering why mount pearlite is growing in your backyard. I had a friend that grew in soil with chems and he just kept dumping it in his backyard. By the time he went through a few years of cycles, he had a pile the size of a large RV back there. Kinda screams large scale medical grow to the neighbors.

 

[TimeTraveler]

OMRI, in a nutshell, is a designation that lets you know whatever you're buying is an authentic organic ingredient/component.

TLO is a name taken from The Rev's book for, basically, having an organic soil that's meant to create a harmonious ecosystem for soil microorganisms that results in healthier roots and, by extension, plants. It's more of a philosophy towards gardening and growing than anything. Teaming With Microbes is a great follow up read to understand the concepts. As was stated earlier, you'll be using OMRI ingredients pretty much exclusively in a proper TLO setup, because the idea is to create an environment without any synthetics that gives the micro life an optimal, natural environment in which to thrive.

 

[Mr Piggy]

Yup, well said. The thing to remember with OMRI is that it takes a lot of money to get that label on your product, and some people do produce organic products and bypass the label to save $. If you do your research, you can find very cheap organic products that don't have the label, and they pass the savings on to you. Most of these for me are local small companies.

 

[TimeTraveler]

Yup, well said. The thing to remember with OMRI is that it takes a lot of money to get that label on your product, and some people do produce organic products and bypass the label to save $. If you do your research, you can find very cheap organic products that don't have the label, and they pass the savings on to you. Most of these for me are local small companies.

Excellent point, Piggy!

Yes, all OMRI products are true organics, but not all true organic products are OMRI.

As far as "would all OMRI products be the same" question, in a proper TLO setup, you'll need a vibrant amount of LIFE as well (without it, you just have rich, fertile organic soil). Earthworm castings, mycorrizhae powder, and microbial inoculate are ingredients you can get at most any solid grow shop to mix into your soil to breathe a lot of strong, healthy life into the soil once it's mixed. Buying some basic, OMRI nutes and soil, microbes, EWC, and myco, then mixing and utilizing them all will essentially be a "poor man's" TLO setup.

 

[Woolly]

Great guys, thanks for the information and motivation to give it a shot - going to have to wait till my early summer grow. Still have about 4-5+ feet of snow here so do not feel very comfortable buying soil, ewc, myco etc. I will use the time from now to then to research and read through this organic section so prepare to see me popping into your journals either present or pasts.