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OMRI Listed Garden Products

by Bill Brikiatis

What is OMRI Listing? Why should backyard gardeners care if a product is OMRI Listed or not?

OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) is a non profit organization dedicated to supporting organic integrity. This includes the integrity of organic products used by backyard food gardeners.

The organization provides a very helpful service by creating a list of products that are safe for organic gardening. Products on the list proudly carry the designation “OMRI Listed.”

If an organic seed starting mix or an organic fertilizer, for example, is OMRI Listed, you can rest easy knowing that it is safe for your organic garden.

Table of Contents

This is a long, detailed article. You can jump to where you want to be by clicking on the different sections below. To come back to this table of contents, just use the back button on your browser.

  1. OMRI Listed garden products
  2. OMRI Listed FAQ
  3. Final thoughts

Another way to look at this is that OMRI Listed products do not bring anything to your garden that you don’t want.

Let’s take a sec to get the legal words out of the way. This article may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy from my partners, I will make a tiny amount of money at no cost to you. This in no way affects my recommendations.

OMRI Listed
OMRI creates a list of products that backyard gardeners know are safe for organic gardens.

OMRI reviews products to determine if they are in compliance with organic standards from one or more of three standards:

  • USDA National Organic Program
  • Canada Organic Regime
  • Mexican Organic Products Law
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OMRI Listed garden products

There are five OMRI Listed products that I use regularly. These include potting soil, fertilizer, perlite, seeds starting mix and coir.

1 Dr. Earth Pot of Gold Potting Soil

Dr. Earth potting soil holds moisture really well and is safe for indoor and outdoor plants. You can get more info and pricing here.

2. The Old Farmer’s Almanac Fertilizer

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Organic Fertilizer provides a fast boost of nutrients, but also keeps feeding over time. You can get more information and pricing for this fertilizer here.

3. Organic Perlite

You can get additional details and pricing information here.

4. Burpee Seed Starting Mix

Burpee is my favorite seed starting mix when I’m using pots. I prefer Promix when using soil blocks.

5. Coco Coir Soilless Growing Medium

Coco coir soilless growing medium is 100% renewable, sustainable and natural.

OMRI Listed FAQ

Below is a list of frequently asked questions and their answers concerning OMRI and OMRI Listed products:

When a product is OMRI Listed, what does that mean?

OMRI reviews products to determine if they are in compliance with organic standards from one of the following: USDA National Organic Program, Canada Organic Regime and Mexican Organic Products Law. If a product meets one of these standards, it is considered to be OMRI Listed.

What is OMRI?

OMRI stands for Organic Materials Review Institute. It’s a non-profit organization that creates a list of products that are safe for organic gardening. The goal of OMRI is to support the growth and trust of the global organic community through expert, independent and transparent verification of input materials, and through education and technical assistance.

Why should a backyard gardener use OMRI Listed products?

If you want to grow the best food possible, you need to make sure that you are not bringing something into your garden that includes pesticides, herbicides or synthetic hormones. Looking for Listed products is the best way to make this goal a reality.

Why is it important for backyard growers to avoid pesticides, herbicides and synthetic hormones?

The scientific community has linked pesticides, herbicides and synthetic hormones to cancer and other health concerns. It’s best to keep these chemicals out of your family’s diet. Food grown organically, in your backyard, is a very good step towards a healthy lifestyle.

How does OMRI fund itself?

Suppliers pay to have OMRI review their products. OMRI also accepts donations.

How do you pronounce OMRI?

The name is pronounced “Om-re.”

How can I find out if a product is Listed?

There is a search page where you can search for Listed products. For example, if you search for “seed starting mix,” the search engine will show you all the Listed seed starting mix products. In fact, the search engine will show you all the Listed products and even all the products Listed WITH RESTRICTIONS.

OMRI Listed Products

Final thoughts

If you are not making it yourself, I hope you will only use OMRI Listed seed starting mix, potting soil, fertilizer and soil additives in your garden and with your farm animals, too.

This is the best strategy for growing the very best food for your family.

Cucumber Seedling

Everything I Know About Starting Seeds

All my seed starting and seedling growing articles in one place.

Related articles you might like:

  1. It’s Important to Transplant Seedlings at the Proper Soil Temperature
  2. Getting Rid of Gnats on Seedlings
  3. Should You Use Neptune’s Harvest Liquid Fertilizer?

Suburban Hobby Farmer is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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Filed Under: 2. Intermediate -- A Little Difficult to Complete Tagged With: organic, seed starting, soil

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Meet the Blogger

Bill Brikiatis

Hello! I’m Bill Brikiatis. I started this website in 2010 to help you get better at growing organic food in your backyard.

I’ve been growing fruits and vegetables for nearly all my life. And I'm over 60.

That’s not to say that I don’t make mistakes. I make plenty, then I write about them so both you and I get better at growing great things to eat.

You can read more about me and Suburban Hobby Farmer on my about page.

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