Most nursery plants are grown in artificial conditions in a sterile environment with heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer and synthetic fungicides and bee killing pesticides. This intensive care system eliminates natural soil biology, creates a dependency on artificial stimulus and discourages the plant from developing the extensive root system it needs once it is out of the ICU. You purchase a poorly adapted, chemically dependent plant not capable of fending for itself.
We start with a special organic soil mixture to grow our organic plants. We start with very little nitrogen fertilizer because we do not want to promote excessive green growth early in life. Once the root system is well developed we begin to limit the water and add a bit of nitrogen in the form of fish emulsion in our compost tea. The result is a plant that is ready to head out on its own and produce.
Our potting mix:
20 gallons compost, Screened
5 gallons perlite
5 gallons vermiculite
1 cup rock phosphate
1 cup cottonseed meal
1 cup liquid fish
1 cup liquid seaweed
Mix it well and wet it with water or compost tea and let it sit a few hours before using.
We might add the following:
lava sand
cornmeal
greensand
kelp
molasses
epsom salt
We use a better draining mix for the succulents, lavender, thyme and rosemary.
Laughing Frog Farm 