Rock Dust!

[Nomen luni]

This is a good read on the utility of rock dust for soil re-mineralisation:
http://www.esmhome.org/library/agriculture/the_survival_of_civilization.pdf

More anecdotal evidence here:
http://www.seercentre.org.uk/

[DTM]

Thanks!
I'm learning something new every day


Dad came over the other day and FLIPPED OUT on me.
I've been dumping our mixed woodstove and firepit ashes in a barrel
He says, "You should be putting that clean ash in the garden. It brings the pH up and adds iron, etc."

Somehow I never knew about ash, much less rock dust.

[skid]

Rock dust can be found for free at gravel crushing operations. Just ask if you can clean up all the dust around the crushers and conveyers when they are not working. Take a few 5 gallon pails.

A lot (most?) of gravel crushing sites are left over gravel seams from glacial activity. Now you get free glacial rock dust.

[skid]

If you are getting rock dust from a gravel quarry, if you are super cautious, get a mineral makeup of the rock from the quarry operator. Most are required to test their product for chemical content. If there appears to be a large variety of rocks, you're probably ok.

[skid]

Freshly crushed rock dust has sharp edges and points. Energy, heat, and electrical charge all go to the point/sharp edge of the dust, which is extremely good for soils high in organic content, or old wornout soils. These sharp edges also make it easier for soil acids and microbes to break down the rock dust into nutrients available to your plants.

[Nomen luni]

Never looked back on this one after I posted. Thanks everyone for your useful contributions!

[gunDriller]

Freshly crushed rock dust has sharp edges and points. Energy, heat, and electrical charge all go to the point/sharp edge of the dust, which is extremely good for soils high in organic content, or old wornout soils. These sharp edges also make it easier for soil acids and microbes to break down the rock dust into nutrients available to your plants.


the thing that concerns me the most about this is the dust.

very bad to breathe.

[skid]

Freshly crushed rock dust has sharp edges and points. Energy, heat, and electrical charge all go to the point/sharp edge of the dust, which is extremely good for soils high in organic content, or old wornout soils. These sharp edges also make it easier for soil acids and microbes to break down the rock dust into nutrients available to your plants.


the thing that concerns me the most about this is the dust.

very bad to breathe.


No worse than the dust on a gravel road.... :oo-->