At Quality Plants & Seedlings, we often get asked:
“Are artificial fertilisers bad?”
“What’s an F1 hybrid seed?”
“Do your plants contain GMOs?”
“What’s that coating on the seed?”
And fair enough—between online marketing gimmicks, greenwashing, and half-baked opinions on forums, it’s easy to get confused.
This blog is here to clear the air. Straight facts. No fluff. Just real-world info from growers who live and breathe this stuff every day.
🌿Synthetic Fertilisers in Organic Systems: Friend or Foe?
There’s a common myth that synthetic fertilisers (like A&B nutrients or slow-release NPK) ruin soil, harm microbes, or “aren’t natural.” But here’s the truth:
When used correctly, synthetic fertilisers do not harm soil life. In fact, they can enhance the performance of an organic system.
✅ Why Combine Organic & Synthetic?
| Reason | Benefit |
|---|---|
| ⚡ Fast Growth | Synthetic fertilisers provide nutrients instantly—perfect for transplant shock or growth spurts. |
| 🧫 Microbial-Friendly | Healthy soil microbes use synthetic nutrients too—especially in compost-rich soils. |
| 📏 Precision Control | Great for dialling in exact ratios for trays, hydroponics, or specific crops. |
| 🔁 Best of Both Worlds | Organic matter feeds the soil. Synthetics feed the plant. Together they work in harmony. |
🛑 What Actually Harms Soil Life?
The problem isn’t synthetic fertiliser—it’s misuse.
-
Overapplying anything—organic or artificial—can cause salt buildup or imbalances.
-
But in rich, organic soils with compost, worm castings, and seaweed? These inputs are buffered, absorbed, and stabilised.
Studies even show that microbial populations can increase when moderate levels of synthetic nutrients are introduced into organic-rich soils.
🚨 The Organic Certification Grey Area
Some certified organic organisations insist that any synthetic input is harmful. But here’s what’s not often mentioned:
-
Several of these same organisations support, or are backed by, multinational food supply chains that push GMO crops in other countries.
-
They often target small growers for not being “certified,” even though the certification itself is a business model, not a guarantee of ethics.
We believe in transparency over tick-box labels. We’re not certified organic, but we:
-
Grow using organic inputs wherever possible
-
Use biological pest and disease controls
-
Apply synthetic nutrients only where it enhances plant growth without harming soil health
-
Never use GMO seeds—because that’s illegal in Australian vegetable production anyway
🇦🇺 GMO in Australia: The Real Story
Let’s put this one to bed once and for all:
✅ GMO seeds are banned in fresh fruit, vegetable, and seedling production in Australia.
You cannot legally grow or sell GMO lettuce, kale, tomatoes, or any seedlings sold to the public. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) ensures this.
So when you see a product advertised as “GMO-free” veggies or seedlings in Australia, it’s just marketing fluff—because everything already is.
🌾 Know Your Seed Types: Hybrid, Heirloom, OP & Coated
With that out of the way, here’s what you really need to know about seed types and coatings:
🌻 Heirloom Seeds
-
Passed down for generations, open-pollinated, and non-hybrid.
-
Great for flavour and seed saving.
-
May lack disease resistance or uniformity.
🌱 Open Pollinated (OP)
-
Pollinated naturally—by insects, wind, or self-pollination.
-
You can save seeds from these varieties and expect similar results.
🔬 F1 Hybrid Seeds
-
A cross between two parent lines bred for strength and performance.
-
Offers better yield, uniformity, and disease resistance.
-
Not GMO—just traditional crossbreeding under controlled conditions.
-
Seeds cannot be saved as they won’t grow true to type.
✅ F1 hybrids are the standard in commercial horticulture for a reason—they work.
🧪 What About Seed Coatings?
You’ll sometimes see seeds that are coloured, coated, or pelleted. Here’s what those mean:
| Coating Type | What It Does |
|---|---|
| 🟤 Ceramic/Clay-Coated | Inert coating for better handling and sowing accuracy. |
| 🟣 Fungicide-Coated (e.g. Thiram) | Prevents diseases like damping-off in cold, wet soils. |
| ⚪ Pelleted Seeds | Small seeds encased in pellets for precision sowing. May include nutrients or inoculants. |
All coatings in Australia must meet APVMA standards and be clearly labelled.
🌟 Our Approach at Quality Plants & Seedlings
We keep it simple and honest:
-
🧬 No GMOs. Ever.
-
🧫 We use worm castings, compost, seaweed, and biological inputs for soil health.
-
💧 A&B nutrients and slow-release NPK are used when needed—for strong, consistent growth.
-
✅ We offer a mix of F1 hybrid, heirloom, and OP varieties depending on your goals (yield, flavour, seed saving, etc.)
“We’re not in the business of buzzwords. We’re in the business of growing plants properly—using what works, with nothing to hide.”
📚 References & Further Reading
-
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR)
www.ogtr.gov.au -
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
www.apvma.gov.au -
USDA NRCS – Soil Biology Primer
www.nrcs.usda.gov -
FAO & IFA Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Guide
www.fao.org -
Journal of Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Zhang, X. et al. (2017). Microbial responses to nitrogen addition in organic-rich soils. DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.04.002 -
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2018)
Ibrahim, S. et al. Integrated Nutrient Management: Soil Health and Yield. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040779 -
Rodale Institute – Organic Science Innovations
www.rodaleinstitute.org -
Australian Seed Federation (ASF)
www.asf.asn.au -
Sustainable Gardening Australia
www.sgaonline.org.au
