Does anyone use this? Guy at gardening shop said to use this. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with it.
3 Likes
My plan is to top dress with these 3 but being new and all of course I want experienced advise other than what Iâve watched on youtube.
2 Likes
Maybe this will give some useful info
ROCK DUST FERTILIZERS
As your garden grows year after year, the minerals that are native to your soil are used up and need to be replenished. Rock dusts are a natural, easy to use soil amendment for this! Using rock dust in your garden is a great way to add trace minerals and micronutrients to your soil. Rock dust is also sometimes called rock flour, rock minerals, rock powder, stone dust, soil remineralizer, and mineral fines. It can be made of any kind of mined rock that is ground to a powder.
What Does Rock Dust Add to My Soil
Adds trace minerals and micronutrients
Increases the Cation Exchange Capacity, or CEC, of your soil.
Feeds the beneficial microbes that live in your soil.
Not All Rock Dusts Are AlikeâHow to Choose Which One to Use
All rock dusts provide minerals for your soil, but different rocks are made up of different minerals. Getting a complete soil analysis done on your soil can help you determine which type of rock dust is best for your needs. Rock dusts cannot burn your plantsâ roots, so there is no risk of over application. However, applying more than the labelâs directions indicate will not provide any additional benefit to your soil or plants. The minerals it provides are only needed in small amounts, and there is a natural limit on how much can be utilized at once and how fast it can be used up.
There are three primary sources for rock dust: Glacial Rock Dust, Basalt Rock Dust, and Azomite. Letâs take a closer look at what their differences are.
Glacial Rock Dust
as the name says, is made from rocks deposited by glacial action. When glaciers move across the landscape, they pick up rocks and carry them for tens or even hundreds of miles. Glaciers that spill out from a mountain range onto a large flat area are called piedmont glaciers; when they melt they leave behind a moraine, which is basically a field of rocks that the glacier had carried along. This mixed pile of rocks is where glacial rock dust comes from.
Made of a wide variety of rocks, it contains a complex blend of minerals.
It is particularly good for adding calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
It also contains some manganese, cobalt, silicon, and small amounts of other minerals as well.
Top dress it in your garden, potted plants, or raised beds.
Use 2 1/2 lbs per 100 square feet of garden, or 1 Tbsp per gallon of soil or potting mix.
Sprinkle around the plants and gently rake it into the surface. Reapply as needed, or up to once a month.
Basalt Rock Dust
is made of the volcanic rock called basalt. It is actually a byproduct of mining basalt for other purposes, such as landscaping decorative rocks, construction, and industrial uses. When the rocks are crushed to the size needed for those purposes, some of it is rendered into powder in the process. This is collected and sold as rock dust for gardening. Because of this, of the three main types rock dusts, basalt can be considered the most environmentally friendly. Some gardeners prefer basalt over glacial rock or azomite because of the risk of heavy metal contamination in those other products. Although our Azomite and Glacial Rock Dust have been tested and are safe to use, this may be a factor in your decision of which rock dust to choose.
Basalt rock dust contains a more limited variety of minerals than the others.
Excellent source for calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, silicon, cobalt, zinc, boron, and aluminum.
Top dress 10 lbs per 100 square feet of garden before planting, and another 5 lbs mid-season.
For potted plants, mix in 1 cup per cubic foot of potting soil before planting, or top dress with 1 tsp per inch of pot diameter.
For trees or shrubs, use 1 cup per 1 inch of trunk diameter, spread over the root zone. Rake in and water thoroughly.
For lawns, use 50 lbs per 1000 square feet, or if youâve aerated your lawn first use half as much.
Azomite
is a unique type of rock that comes from only one mine in central Utah. Azomite is an acronym of the phrase âA to Z Of Mineralsâ followed by âite: the common ending for a rock name. Azomite was formed when a volcano spewed tons of ash into a nearby seabed millions of years ago. The water dried up and the resulting ash-and-marine muck turned into rock. In geology terms, Azomite is called âhydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate.â
Contains the widest range of minerals of all the rock dusts.
Good for magnesium, calcium, potassium and silicon, and also provides about 70 additional trace minerals.
Apply 10 lbs per 100 square feet of garden, or 1 lb per 25 root feet by top dressing or watering it in.
For potted plants, use 1/2 teaspoon per inch of pot diameter mixed into the soil before planting, and 1 tsp every 3 months while the plant is growing.
For trees, use 1 to 5 lbs each, depending on the tree size. For shrubs, grapes, and roses, use 1/2 to 1 lb per plant. Spread it around the root zone and rake it in.
For new lawns, use 5 lb per 1000 square feet, and for established lawns use 3 lb. Apply once per year in spring or fall, broadcast evenly and water it in.
When youâre planning what to feed your garden this year, donât forget about adding trace minerals. Choose a rock dust and grow organic for life!
groworganic DOT com/blogs/articles/how-to-use-fertilizers-rock-dust
(edited to remove direct link to website)
1 Like
@beardless Thank you sir, I was adding for the calcium and trace minerals. I use RO water so figured Iâd need to add at some point. Or so I read somewhere. Lots of info in there.
Iâm doing a very similar 1st grow soil to you @Blastfact. Ffof, mushroom compost, worm castings, perlite, Dr. Earth flower girl. Top dressing with the stuff in the photo above and compost teas every 2 weeks.
I did see an article where someone was saying the same about rock dust being more of another thing to sell us than something really useful. Figured thatâs why Iâd ask here, I trust everyone here more
If youâre using FFOF you donât need to feed for a few weeks , depends on your container size but that stuff is pretty charged up right out of the bag and youâll wanna let it get used up a bit first.
Doing that all purpose ever other week starting in like week 4 of veg and then switch to the bloom a week or so before you flip the lights.
Glacial Rock dust? I dunno but i do use a lot of specifics dusts of rock in my soilâŚ. I just use stuff that says what it is so I donât have to wonder. Like greensand, Langbeinite, rock phosphate, azomiteâŚ
1 Like
@Deez im in week 7, have been repotting though. In 7gallon fabric pots now. Thinking of starting to add the all purpose next week. No signs of needing anything yet(but what do I know yetđ¤Ł)
1 Like
Best thing you can do is give âem what they ask for. Canât go wrong with that method!
2 Likes
Loving the garden
1 Like