MizzaFishKilla And now there's a new kid on the block - Basalt rock dust at 'the store' Basalt is promoted, in part, for its Potassium Silicate content - liquid silica in the soil. It's < $19.00 for 44 lbs. (weird pack size - must be for international customers, i.e. 20 kg) and it's coming out of Eastern Oregon. I picked up a bag and I was planning on mixing it 1:1 with the glacial rock dust. Anyway - there's another viable Silica source for plants besides the other minerals, Ca, Mn, Mg, P and another 70+ LD
From Australia (again) is this study on Basalt rock dust with part of it involving greenhouse application. LD
Here's an impressive overview of the options as it relates to soil mineralization. Grab a cup of coffee......... LD
I used a mineral mix that had some basalt dust in my first soil mix, which was not used in subsequent grows.... I'm gonna get some more. They even claimed it had a high paramagnetic intensity, which that study goes into!
hey LD, your info is the sh*t! Thanks. That basalt rock dust sounds like good stuff. You use Gaija brand rock dust correct? Also, didn't you mention earlier that rice hulls provide extra calcium and silica in the soil? I plan on getting a bag from one of the brew stores in Bend. Anything in particular to look for or consider when purchasing rice hulls? Thanks again for all the info.
LD, I'll assume that you were instrumental in getting "the store" to pick it up. Thanks! I'll have to go over there and pick up a few bags. One for the barn near the worm bin and compost piles, and the other for mixing in soils - I'm too lazy to to go back and forth with it. Is the day near where we can do without ProTekt?
Stankie I spend a lot of time over at Remineralize the Earth's web site. The amount of PDF's available for download is incredible. At some point when I was concentrating on Basalt specifically I came upon some interesting claims about this mineral. I'll give you the terms and then see what you think: "basalt ocean mineralization" Heh.......... LD
You can get organic Rice Hulls in Portland as well as Basalt, the Canadian glacial rock dust for around $12.00 (50 lbs.) - big price increase of $.02 per lb! Bastards! They expect me to pay for their expanded warehouse and product lines? The organic rice hulls run around $13.00 for 50 lbs. (6 c.f.) Plus you'll have the pleasure of driving to a real city like Portland. Stop in at Wong's King on SE Division and I-205 for some of the best dim sum on the west coast according the Chinese Restaurant Association for the past 5 years (seriously). Then you can head over to SE Hawthorne around 39th to The Third Eye head shop owned by Jack Herer's son. Very cool. LOL LD
LOL - I've prodded them on a number of products. Some with success and other avenues are still be pursued. They've invited to me to create some 'point of sales' materials on all of their mined amendments - including f*cking Dolomite Lime. I'm also going to be doing some classes on Saturday mornings on the same topic area. The schedule is being worked out. You can go to the bank that I'll be bringing up the role of neem & karanja meals in the area of mineralization. I will win this battle! They will carry neem meal! I'm staking my marketing skills on this one. Plan your work. Work your plan. We'll see......... LD
LD, thanks man. sounds like i trip i may have to make soon. my brother lives there so i come that way regularly anyway.
LD., I expect to be able to get some neem meal from them by summer! Snap to it! Kidding aside, thanks for the arm twisting over there so far, and I'll keep asking for neem when I go in there.
@LD It would ALMOST be worth the 3,000+- mile drive just to hear you extol the merits of dolomite lime. A little aside on Pro Tekt + LST and Bonsai. Start the LST *BEFORE* you start the Pro Tekt. You'll find the limbs a whole lot easier to work with. I do this just for the first 'tie down' of the main limbs and then start the PT. The PT also seems to keep the limbs where you put them if you remove the tie downs after a few weeks. Wet
Stankie, There's even supposed to be some relationship between basalt and "Ormus". I know you had done some research in that area. chunk
Hey My learning curve is steep. I don't get this. Maybe I will later after more reading. Thanks. Learning how to search threads helps ! Best to you all, Urlove
I have used silica stone as a soil amendment for the past decade. Amazing product. Highly reccomend it as a top dressing in containers. Love the "sizzling" sound when watering. If you use this product you will have the strongest stems you have ever seen. Even smaller stems require a saw. Lol. Great thread LD. Voo
Very nice! i have a friend that runs smart pots on flood tables and layers the bottom of the pots with silicon stone then fills with hydrotron and swears by it. Where do you get your silica stone?
I'm curious about the silica stone as well.. I have an unopened bag of botanicare hydrolite which claims to be 70% silica... Anyone use this with any success?? Thx as always!! E