CCKW - What you talk about is a major part of the problem. The thing is, they are people mind set and world view. Its how they are taught is ok, or what is normal. We want the change now, but we have to teach the younger generations how to change, rather then passing on our bad habits and continuing the cycle. RE: those apples I am wondering if there would be a colour change due to growing conditions, specifically if organically grown fruit has had the level of difference as I showed in the pic above. Bamboo Rabbit - Its up in the air it seems. There are too many variables to think of to get proper controlled experiments. I dont think its safe to say it is or isnt more nutritious yet. I personally assume organic should be more, if a little, but thats my thoughts, not something that i read in a paper :P Drew - I think many advocates of organic dont understand that there are differences between some agro chemicals. There is a difference between the sulfer we use to acidify the soil and petroleum based fertilizers and sprays. The differences (As far as I know, and please correct me if im wrong) between the sulfer and the petroleum products are the source. I believe the sulfer we use is naturally occuring, where as the nitrogen fertilizer we use is usually based on oil byproducts. The oil industry has its own stigmas, problems and bias which translates to the agro chemicals made from them. I definitely prefer soluble fertilizer for all of my indoor potted plants. The soil leeches nutrients too fast, and if you dont supplement with something then you have to repot or top dress the plant quite often. I use seaweed fert mixed to 1 tsp per gallon, and add 1/4 dose 20-20-20.

jos14h, the whole issue centers around Nitrogen. There are a very few synthetic sources of Nitrogen and all of them are very soluble. They do not last long in the ground. The formulators treat urea (42%N and very soluble) to make it slowly available. This is blended with with something like untreated urea or ammonium sulfate and sold to you and me. This information is on the label. The encapsulation or sulfur coating or whatever process is used adds to the price of the fertilizer. Soluble fertilizers like "Miracle-Gro" and the like are totally soluble and that is why we have to apply them so frequently. The commercial guys go for the highest N content (say 38-15-15) and the highest proportion of this to be slowly available. (say 50%). They will pay a high price for it but one application may last as much as 8 weeks. In the above formulation there is 38lb. of nitrogen in a 100 lb. bag. At 1 lb. N per 1000sq.ft. it will cover 38000sq.ft. 19 lb of nitrogen will be immediately available and your lawn will green up starting tomorrow for the next month or so. All the soluble stuff will be gone but by then the slow release will start to break down (temp., uv waves, water) and make more N available. I do not know that this answers your questions. I do not know that there is a cut and dried answer but I did enjoy the challenge to my memory. OK, I did have to look up one or two things.

For me, drill feed with 1/4 blood meal, 1/2 bonemeal and 1/4 kelp meal. Or just buy a 25lb bag of RoseTone or HollyTone made by Espoma and drill feed that way. Depending on how many trees you have this 25lb bag could last two years in a smaller fruit tree garden. I also mow in MASSIVE amounts of leaves around the fruit trees every autumn and mulch mow the lawn grass surrounding the fruit trees. (Plus I sprinkle aged wood chips around the fruit trees like someone would sprinkle fertilizer if you get what I mean. I sprinkle the wood chips every autumn also.) I use a monthly, or every three weeks, concoction of molasses water spray every season and this seems to help everything in the garden for me also. Be careful with molasses water when the fruit is maturing because it might cause black soot mold in wet seasons. I'm sure there are MANY more methods but those are mine.

OMG ! ! So sorry to everyone for my outburst... it was far worse than what I was tearing into Al for. Sorry Al ... it's just that you're the first imperfect person [subject to error] I've met in my 73 years...I am, of course totally perfect....[yeah sure] No kidding, I really did mean the part about the reasons why we read/participate in these forums .... and these kinds of 'snit-attacks' [mine included] are a distraction. Nice introduction to the newbie [from Austria] who asked a legitimate question about fertilizing his 'maters. I am always blown away at the respectful tone of most responses.... and at the willingness to share what has been learned through hard-won experience ... with a nice portion of humor thrown in. I promise not to 'go off' again in this forum. Will save the invective for the blankety blank gophers that eat my most promising plants [how do they know?] Merry Christmas all .... felices navidades