Rockdust as a soil conditioner

by Sheana Griffiths
(Scottish Borders)

What do you think of Rockdust to condition soil?

For several years now, I have been applying Rockdust to my soil, for both vegetable and ornamental plant growing. Bought online from reminscotland.com, I use it along with seaweed, garden compost and well rotted horse manure all applied as a mulch at the start of the winter.

The results have been excellent and I wondered how many other people are now using it.

Comments for Rockdust as a soil conditioner

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Feb 22, 2015

Is rock dust good for growing plants NEW
by: Rick

You are just paying money for sand, and how do you know that the excellent results are from rockdust when you're also putting on seaweed, compost and manure! Seaweed has loads of minerals, and compost is teeming with good stuff and horse manure will do wonders. Honest to goodness, why buy into the advertisements for packaged up sand, whether it's volcanic or granite or whatever, when you have those other perfectly good soil fertilizers and amendments. Just my 2 cents worth. Ricky the rock

Feb 22, 2015

Thanks Ricky, that's why I posted the question, to hear other views. It'll be good to hear what other people think. NEW
by: Sheana

Thanks, Ricky. Any other views out there?

Feb 22, 2015

Rockdust isn't sand NEW
by: John Ferguson

Love the web site Rick. Practicing it at our allotment. Also wood chip cover and no dig. Interesting! Have to disagree with you about rock dust though. Sand is silica (maybe with a few impurities). Rock dust is basalt - a rich mixture of mineral laid down by volcanic activity. There approximately the same as chalk and cheese mate! Glacially crushed rock is the natural source of minerals in our soil and just about everyone knows our soils are increasingly mineral depleted for a range of reasons (age of soils, over cropping, not recirculating nutrients etc etc). I've been using the stuff for nearly two decades. It works in so many different levels to help maintain a fertile soil. I think we need to better understand the importance of all elements of a healthy soil and minerals are an important aspect of that.Try a good source of rock dust. Soil fertility, plant disease resistance, shelf life and taste all benefit. Fascinating relationship between mineral in our food and a long list of human diseases. In my view low mineral status of soils is part of the modern health epidemic.

Feb 23, 2015

Using rockdust NEW
by: Rick

Interesting, and maybe you are right, but is there any proof that the minerals are used by the plants, at least more so than other fertilizers. It could be that the small amount of minerals in rockdust is tied up for a lengthy time and not much use for growing plants.
Wish this was my website, but it's Megan's, I'm just contributing. I agree, stunning information in here, thanks Megan!!

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