jimard8 said: Instead of editing though , I forgot about the store plants being sprayed with various ,, That might work better from a farmers market or that as Organic grown and handled ,
Otherwise you would have to grow out or grow off whatever might be on them ,
Generally, I start with "organic (rosemary|oregano|mint|etc.)" when I root cuttings for those herbs. If I start with something not marked "organic", I put the stuff in water, and change out the water daily for a few days, before moving it to a better rooting medium.
I really need to write up a blog entry and submit it as an "idea and article" here about rooting cuttings.
As for selling stuff as "organic," I personally avoid the word entirely. The word is heavily regulated by the government, and the rules are very strict. I don't want the attention of government auditors if I can avoid it. I feel bad about abandoning that word and my first amendment right to use it, but I don't have the resources required for that fight.
As it relates to plants propagated from cuttings, one thing stands out in the regs about "organic" growing. You can't use IBA (IsoButyric Acid, most commonly Indole-3-Butyric Acid). That is the active ingredient in "rooting powder" or "rooting hormone."
A few years back, I was being pressured to label my stuff "organic" by a farmers' market that wanted everything at their market to be "organic." I did some research on this, and not only is IBA not on the list of approved "synthetic substances" you can use and still call your stuff organic, it's also listed by the EPA as a "hazardous substance," and even if I used natural sources (like "willow bark tea" or "willow water"), I was told by someone at the USDA that I couldn't call anything "organic" if the plant was exposed to IBA from any source.
I suspect many sellers of "organic" herbs, and everyone claiming to sell "organic" bay leaves is actually violating that particular rule. They may get away with it. I don't want to try.
