Rock dust
I visited a friend a few days ago, who grows berries and other fruit right
on the high water mark of the Tamar River. He gave me a bucket of raspberries and strawberries and after washing them I took them along to a party that evening where everyone commented on the quality and taste. I assumed that it was because my friend is an organic grower, but when I mentioned the praise to him he said it was because he uses rock dust on his fruit. His theory is that the most fertile lands on Earth have this rock dust in the naturally because of glaciations. This apparently didn't happen in Australia and so he adds his own. He reckons that since using this, which he says is not a fertilizer, but rather a mineral supplement for the soil, his fruit has been tastier. He's given me about a litre of the rock dust to use on my plants. Any info on this? Judanne |
Rock dust
On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 14:24:52 +1100, "Judanne"
wrote: His theory is that the most fertile lands on Earth have this rock dust in the naturally because of glaciations. This apparently didn't happen in Australia and so he adds his own. He reckons that since using this, which he says is not a fertilizer, but rather a mineral supplement for the soil, his fruit has been tastier. Your friend has the right results, but his theory is a little off. Many parts of Australia have undergone glaciation in the past (at one time it was very close to the South Pole), but most of it isn't visible today due to weathering. The real reason that Australian soils are generally depleted is because they are comparatively old, and have been in a comparatively tropical climate, getting a lot of rainfall (in the past) that leaches the nutrients from the soil. Your friend was right about the mineral supplements. Everything, plants and animals, need trace minerals to thrive and that is missing from our fertlisers. A good example of trace element uptake is selenium in Brazil nuts. Apaprently Brazil nuts from the Amazon region are very high in selenium, whereas Brazil nuts from most other regions in the world don't contain it. Consequently Brazilian brazil nuts (and now this just sounds silly) get a premium price. Rock dust is a great way to replace trace elements in the soil. What trace elements your plants get will depend very much on what's in the dust that you use, but I have read several studies on it, none of which hae yet discovered any adverse effects. He's given me about a litre of the rock dust to use on my plants. Go right ahead and use it. From my research it could do a lot of good. At the least it isn't going to do any harm. Tara |
Rock dust
On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 14:24:52 +1100, "Judanne"
wrote: His theory is that the most fertile lands on Earth have this rock dust in the naturally because of glaciations. This apparently didn't happen in Australia and so he adds his own. He reckons that since using this, which he says is not a fertilizer, but rather a mineral supplement for the soil, his fruit has been tastier. Your friend has the right results, but his theory is a little off. Many parts of Australia have undergone glaciation in the past (at one time it was very close to the South Pole), but most of it isn't visible today due to weathering. The real reason that Australian soils are generally depleted is because they are comparatively old, and have been in a comparatively tropical climate, getting a lot of rainfall (in the past) that leaches the nutrients from the soil. Your friend was right about the mineral supplements. Everything, plants and animals, need trace minerals to thrive and that is missing from our fertlisers. A good example of trace element uptake is selenium in Brazil nuts. Apaprently Brazil nuts from the Amazon region are very high in selenium, whereas Brazil nuts from most other regions in the world don't contain it. Consequently Brazilian brazil nuts (and now this just sounds silly) get a premium price. Rock dust is a great way to replace trace elements in the soil. What trace elements your plants get will depend very much on what's in the dust that you use, but I have read several studies on it, none of which hae yet discovered any adverse effects. He's given me about a litre of the rock dust to use on my plants. Go right ahead and use it. From my research it could do a lot of good. At the least it isn't going to do any harm. Tara |
Rock dust
g'day judanne,
ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. tia len snipped -- happy gardening 'it works for me it could work for you,' "in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment http://hub.dataline.net.au/~gardnlen/ |
Rock dust
g'day judanne,
ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. tia len snipped -- happy gardening 'it works for me it could work for you,' "in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment http://hub.dataline.net.au/~gardnlen/ |
Rock dust
On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 19:01:36 +1000, len brauer
wrote: ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. Not Judanne, but... Rock dust depends very much on what it is composed of, or is in it. We've all been using rock dust all the time. Gypsum and dolomite are rock dusts. You could try limestone for a good calcium supplement or crushed granite for minerals such as zeolite and niobium. You could try the local nursery Len, they're bound to have something there. Rock dust is becoming quite trendy. Oh, and IIRC, there was an article on it in one of this year's or last year's Earth Gardens. Tara |
Rock dust
On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 19:01:36 +1000, len brauer
wrote: ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. Not Judanne, but... Rock dust depends very much on what it is composed of, or is in it. We've all been using rock dust all the time. Gypsum and dolomite are rock dusts. You could try limestone for a good calcium supplement or crushed granite for minerals such as zeolite and niobium. You could try the local nursery Len, they're bound to have something there. Rock dust is becoming quite trendy. Oh, and IIRC, there was an article on it in one of this year's or last year's Earth Gardens. Tara |
Rock dust
Sorry, Len, I don't know and he couldn't remember. He brought it over in a
litre bucket of "Miracle Grow" plant food. He said that the next time he buys some he'll note the name and where its produced and let me know. Probably in the new year. Judanne "len brauer" wrote in message ... g'day judanne, ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. tia len snipped -- happy gardening 'it works for me it could work for you,' "in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment http://hub.dataline.net.au/~gardnlen/ |
Rock dust
Sorry, Len, I don't know and he couldn't remember. He brought it over in a
litre bucket of "Miracle Grow" plant food. He said that the next time he buys some he'll note the name and where its produced and let me know. Probably in the new year. Judanne "len brauer" wrote in message ... g'day judanne, ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. tia len snipped -- happy gardening 'it works for me it could work for you,' "in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment http://hub.dataline.net.au/~gardnlen/ |
Rock dust
try this link
http://www.minplus.com.au/index.html "len brauer" wrote in message ... g'day judanne, ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. tia len snipped -- happy gardening 'it works for me it could work for you,' "in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment http://hub.dataline.net.au/~gardnlen/ |
Rock dust
try this link
http://www.minplus.com.au/index.html "len brauer" wrote in message ... g'day judanne, ok what is this rock dust called? and where do i go to buy it? with the deficiencies in my soil i need all the help i can get. tia len snipped -- happy gardening 'it works for me it could work for you,' "in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment http://hub.dataline.net.au/~gardnlen/ |
Rock dust
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message ... The message from Geodyne contains these words: The guy told me that he was convinced that not just soil, and foods grown in it, are mineral depleted..but people are too. Therefore, he and his wife and their 5 kids all drank a half teaspoon of their rockdust mixed in water every day:-). I have to say that they were no advertisement for that practice...despite the abundance of veg and fruit they grew, that family and especially the dismal kids were some of the palest, straw-haired, flabbiest, unhealthiest looking specimens I have ever seen in a rural area :-( Consuming 'raw' minerals like this is a waste of time - we can only digest minerals after they have passed through a plant. Putting rock dust on the land is widely practised here (UK) and should help to restore fertility as well as our health. Bz |
Rock dust
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message ... The message from Geodyne contains these words: The guy told me that he was convinced that not just soil, and foods grown in it, are mineral depleted..but people are too. Therefore, he and his wife and their 5 kids all drank a half teaspoon of their rockdust mixed in water every day:-). I have to say that they were no advertisement for that practice...despite the abundance of veg and fruit they grew, that family and especially the dismal kids were some of the palest, straw-haired, flabbiest, unhealthiest looking specimens I have ever seen in a rural area :-( Consuming 'raw' minerals like this is a waste of time - we can only digest minerals after they have passed through a plant. Putting rock dust on the land is widely practised here (UK) and should help to restore fertility as well as our health. Bz |
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:45 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter