Organic and hydroponic growers have typically regarded each other somewhat suspiciously and the two growing methods were not thought to be compatible. There is common ground, however, and more people are finding that with a little experimentation, they can grow a successful organic, hydroponic garden. Products used for hydroponic gardening include bat guanos, liquefied seaweed products, fish based fertilizers, and an extensive line of organic nutrients., such as Bio Bizz.

Virtually any kind of plant can be grown with the hydroponic method. The most popular hydroponic crops are lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, which you can now buy in many local supermarkets. Most of the cut flowers delivered in the U.S. are now hydroponically grown as well and home gardeners are discovering the benefits of having a cut flower production system on their balcony or patio.

Theoretically, most plants can be grown hydroponically, but in practice, some are easier to grow than others. Among the easier ones are lettuce, basil, mint, tomatoes and peppers. Plants like watermelon, squash and strawberries are harder to grow.

Anything can be grown hydroponically, but some plants prove to be more space efficient. Some plants we suggest are tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot chilies, lettuce, spinach, squash, cucumbers, broccoli, beans, snow peas, herbs and flowers of all types.

Studies done on organic foods vs. commercially grown foods have shown that the organic produce has an average of 3 times more nutrients than commercially grown. Organic foods aren't grown with the pesticides, chemicals, growth stimulants and bioengineering, all of which are very bad for your body. Many organic foods just plain taste better and have more flavor as well. But, prices can be much higher for organic. If you have the means, definitely eat as much organically grown as you can.

Our aloe vera gel, Active Aloe™ from Aloe Corp, has been grown organically, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and in April 2004 the fields were certified organic. - top -

By 1992, over 400 producers around the world were registered with one of the many organizations monitoring the production of organic wine, although there are many more producers who are making organic wines but prefer non-affiliation. The natural products market, of which organic products constitute a segment, has been growing appreciably in recent years. In 1995, the natural products industry was just over $6 billion, while organics represented slightly less than one-half.

We are an Integrated Pest Management farm. Our Christmas trees are grown using very few pesticides. We only use pesticides when all other solutions fail. Generally speaking, Christmas trees are grown with very few pesticides ? about 1/5 the amount used on apples, because there are fewer pests. Our trees are grown with a good ground cover around them which keeps down the need for fertilizers and keeps fertilizers from creeks. For every tree that we cut another tree is planted.

Yes, all the herbs in the eight herb essiac formula are organically grown. They are certified organic.

Our Noni is grown using organic and sustainable methods. It is very rare to see anyone using pesticides or chemical fertilizer on Noni trees. This is because Noni fruits are not very attractive to pests when they can snack on much sweeter mangos, papayas and bananas nearby. Noni fruits only attract insects when they stay on the tree too long and begin to turn bad.

Growing plants hydroponically is an alternative to growing them in soil. In this method, plants are suspended so that their roots can be submerged in a solution supplying all their nutrients. With the nutrients highly available to the plant, it grows very well and produces a lot of fruit or vegetables. No. The oil that most canned tuna is packaged in is vegetable oil, which would give you more calories but not more "omega-3s.

Many of our plants are grown locally. Some of our plants are contract grown with seasoned growers in the geographic location where our hardy plant varieties grow best.

Yes! Although we do not seek the organic certification, Georges aloe is continually tested for over 50 different chemicals that may contaminate the plants. To date tests has come back negative for any contamination. Georges is fractionally distilled, meaning it is broken down into various parts, with the undesirable elements removed. It is then re-assembled. Products such as Jack Daniels & Petroleum are distilled products and would never be confused with water.

Yes, we grow our barley without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We are certified organic and we reuse all water and vegetable residue as natural mulch for our fields.

Yes, organically grown coffees are available in limited supply. By federal and state laws, an organically grown coffee cannot have been exposed to herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, or commercially produced fertilizers. The differences lie primarily in their country or region of origin and their quality of grade.

Many people are interested in where our seeds come from and whether they are organically grown. Some are surprised that we don't grow all of our own seeds. Most garden seed companies don't produce any of their own seed. We are one of the very few garden seed companies that produce a sizeable portion of its own seeds and sell it in quantity. Most of the seed we grow and the seed that we contract other growers around the region to produce for are organically grown.

Yes! Although we do not seek the organic certification, George's aloe is continually tested for over 50 different chemicals that may contaminate the plants. To date tests have come back negative for any contamination. George's is fractionally distilled, meaning it is broken down into various parts, with the undesirable elements removed. It is then re-assembled. Products such as Jack Daniels & Petroleum are distilled products and would never be confused with water.

Yes, they are. Once Fruta Vida's formula was developed, tested, and ready for production, we contracted a supplier in South America for the raw superfoods in our product. Our supplier has established an organization called Centroflora which addresses the sources to many elements which all contribute to the growing hazards of the Amazon Rainforest. Another important reason in choosing to align our company with Centroflora was their IBD certification for producing only organically grown foods.

Nearly all ingredients in GREENS+® are organically-grown or wildcrafted. The exceptions are soy lecithin and apple fiber.

Greens grown by organic methods will usually have somewhat lower levels of nitrates in the leaves. These are compounds that can be converted to carcinogenic nitrites either within your body or by bacterial action in food left out at room temperature. Organically grown greens should be free from pesticide residues, unlike industrially grown greens. Other than that, the nutritional composition of the two is very similar.

All our plants are grown in Australia. Some are unique and native to Australia whilst others are also found in various subtropical rainforests of the world. Some of our Australian growers whom we support even export to countries around the world.

Not if you fit an automatic fertilizer unit into your Sprouter's water-line. It's easy and cheap, about $10. My Plans show you how. You fill it with liquid kelp fertilizer (I give you the best low-cost source). Sproutman Steve Meyerowitz reports in his book Sprout It!: "Plants have a remarkable ability to absorb nutrients through their leaves as well as their roots. ..

Yes, xeric plants are characterized by thriving in an extremely dry habitat. However, like any other plants, xeric plants such as cacti can also be cultivated using hydroponic systems.

Quite often this is the case because the plants grown utilizing hydroponics have all the essential nutrients readily available to the plant. In soil the important micro nutrients are often locked away in the soil where the plants cannot take full advantage of these minerals. That is why hydroponics is superior because the grower has complete control over what minerals the plants are feeding on and in what quantities.

Answer: Yes. All Eastern Essence products are completely naturally grown without the use of any chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers. They are certified organic by the College of Indore in India, and will shortly have organic certification recognized by the USDA. Answer: The 100% pure rock salt we use in Eastern Essence products is absolutely safe. It comes from ancient seas that dried up millions of years ago and are now part of the mountains in India.

Yes. Organically-grown foods are likely to contain more phages than do non-organic foods treated with various chemicals, because many chemicals used to improve the safety of foods, or to preserve and increase the shelf-life of foods, kill phages as well as potentially pathogenic bacteria and potentially beneficial probiotic bacteria.

Organically grown fruits and vegetables may be free of pesticides. Since bacteria are found almost everywhere, organic fruits and vegetables are not free of bacterial contamination. Bacterial load on fruits and vegetables would be higher if animal manure is used during cultivation.

Only commercially grown NZ foods have been tested by Food and Crop research. However I have seen figures for American organically grown foods. The Phosphorous content remains about the same as commercially grown foods, but the other minerals such as Calcium tend to be 80% to 100% higher.

All Earthbound Farm produce carries the USDA Organic Seal, which guarantees that it is certified organic by an independent agency, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), accredited by the USDA National Organic Program. There are many strict criteria that organic farmers must meet to become certified — go to our Organic Certification page for more information.

Although our organic produce is grown without the use of any synthetic fertilizers of pesticides, it's always a good idea to wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them.