Dr Who paid us a visit yesterday, and he told us he had an Old Gallifreyan Tradition for building your SOIL that will make plants MORE nutrient dense on the inside!…. My husband is a longtime fan and at Christmas this year; I purchased a Dr Who Cookie Jar for a few fans in our family!It was just too funny to pass up, and it lights up and makes sounds! As I was reading about “Rock Dust” and how it could benefit our garden soil…The TARDIS arrived……..shh…don’t tell anyone……we are secret companions + the Tardis ” IS” REALLY bigger on the inside!!!!
All this Rock Dust stuff and soil remineralization sound a bit Sci-fi to me! Since we are celebrating ” International Year of Soils 2015″ this year.I plan to post every so often about what I am doing to make my soil, more nutrient dense. This Rock Dust is something; you + I need to learn how to work in our gardens. We need to grow the most nutrient dense food possible for our health. It all starts with the soil. We all know about composting but did you know you can add Rock Dust to your compost. Yep, it is that easy!
The subdivision, I live in was built in an old apple orchard that at one time covered several blocks.Our town is a River Town called Rock Island that sits on the Great Mississippi River. Prior to European contact, this area was a popular Native American village. Our home is not built on heavily farmed soil that was not depleted from repetitive farming over the years. I do believe that adding Rock Dust to our soil would be beneficial to us and nature.
Carrots grown with stone dust (left) and without (right) at their property….
PAUL KELBIE, INDEPENDENT, UK – With the prospect of an earth made infertile from over-production and mass reliance on chemicals, coupled with an atmosphere polluted by greenhouse gases there seems little to celebrate. But belief is growing that an answer to some of the earth’s problems are not only at hand, but under our feet. Specialists have just met in Perth to discuss the secrets of rock dust, a quarrying by-product that is at the heart of government-sponsored scientific trials and which, it is claimed, could revitalize barren soil and reverse climate change. The recognition of the healing powers of rock dust comes after a 20-year campaign by two former schoolteachers, Cameron and Moira Thomson. They have been battling to prove that rock dust can replace the minerals that have been lost to the earth over the past 10,000 years and, as a result, rejuvenate the land and halt climate change. To prove their point, the couple have converted six acres of open, infertile land in the Grampian foothills near Pitlochry into a modern Eden. Using little more than rock dust mixed with compost, they have created rich, deep soils capable of producing cabbages the size of footballs, onions bigger than coconuts and gooseberries as big as plums. “This is a simple answer which doesn’t involve drastic life changes by anyone,” Ms Thomson said. “People don’t have to stop driving cars to do this, just spread some rock dust on their gardens(read more)
My post today is a bit heavy on information, but as you all know me, I am deeply committed to finding the best way to bring nutrient dense food closer to our homes. This “Rock Dust” stuff is fascinating and something that I started to use in my garden last year. It can be a bit expensive, but if you search and look around you can pick it up and implement it into your soil building scheme. I used it last year diluted with Fish emulsion, added it to my compost beds, + side dressed it to all my vegetable plants throughout the growing season. I have to admit 2014 was a Great Harvest, and the vegetables did taste wonderful! I don’t have any scientific research to share with you from my growing area, but I did find some people who have been using Rock Dust in their gardens + have proof it works!Check out their sites to learn more about the benefits of adding Rock Dust to your soil.
This picture is from the SEER Rock Dust site you need to check them out + read all about Rock Dust and their research. If I lived near them, I would volunteer. What an amazing place. Isn’t that beautiful? I sure would not mind helping them out! (read more here)
Benefits of Remineralization
- Provides slow, natural release of elements and trace minerals.
- Increases the nutrient intake of plants.
- Increases yields and gives higher brix reading.
- Rebalances soil pH.
- Increases earthworm activity and the growth of microorganisms.
- Builds humus complex.
- Prevents soil erosion.
- Increases the storage capacity of the soil.
- Increases resistance to insects, disease, frost, and drought.
- Produces more nutritious crops.
- Enhances flavor in crops.
- Decreases dependence on fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
When you start reading about Rock Dust you find an amazing group of people who are trying to change the way we look at our soil. Our soil is something we need to nurture and build. It keeps us healthy-Here is some more information…
“WE STAND FOR
Healthy People
reduce the cost of health care”(Visit their site here)
PLEASE READ THIS STUFF FOR YOUR HEALTH AND Your Soil’s HEALTH!
Let’s make 2015 the healthiest year for ourselves and nature
I usually don’t set New Years Resolution, but I will make one goal…..Feed The Soil!
Immunity Gardens 
This is all new information for me Robbie – you are a gem, a mine of information, a gardening guru!! You make me wish I had a real garden!! xox
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Oh, btw – my daughters are both severely addicted Dr Who fans and the eldest one collects all the knick-knacks and silly things that make her happy. Last year she wanted to buy a house just because it had a double door entering into the den painted up like the Tardis door 🙂 Bless her!
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Tardis doors-LOVE IT…I was not a Dr. Who fan until my husband started watching it on Christmas Day. I find it a fun show to watch + who doesn’t love the Doctor:-) .
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Intriguing. It does sound like something that Dr Who would advocate. Not quite the same thing but a few old quarries I know have been returned to their natural state and they look good. Must be something in the rock. 🙂
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yep, after your beautiful cookie jar picture, post + thinking about our Tardis Cookie Jar, well, Rock Dust just sounded Dr. Whovian-lol
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Hi Robbie– you beat me to it this morning!!! Never heard of rock dust as a soil builder but I LOVE the Dr. Who reference–thanks for the early LOL!!! Re: amendments. Wanted to mention that it’s always a good idea for folks to have their soil tested first so they know what they’ve got. (We do heavy metal contaminant testing, too–for things like lead. All too common, especially in urban areas.) But the tests I’m thinking of here are those that give a picture of soil composition so you know which nutrients your soil needs before adding anything specific. There are land grant universities all over the country which provide these testing services (for a modest fee) or, for some common nutrients, you can do some testing yourself. A quick spin on a search engine will track them down. If you live in the Midwest, I’m guessing there’s probably tons of ’em. Wait, I think I feel a new post coming on…Soil Testing! 😀 ! Stay tuned!!!
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lol:-)I knew you would KNOW the Doctor! I know some people tell you to add it to your soil in large amounts( I am not certain a good idea-need to read a bit more on it), I only side dress or add to compost. Good idea about soil testing! Look forward to your post on soil testing! Great idea:-) + shhhh..I know you are a companion ,too:-)
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Your soil is lucky to have you! 😉
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aww…that is sweet:-) Happy Gardening:-) Wish I could spread out and plant all the way up the block-lol!
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Most interesting Robbie. I have heard of rock dust.I will look into rock dust as a way to remineralise. Steve Solomon (American garden guru and seed merchant who now lives 18km away from us) told us that people just grow veggies and don’t realise that the nutrients in them may be devoid and that we need to be feeding our soil regularly in order to maintain that nutrient density. Rock dust sounds like it might just fit the bill. Cheers for sharing 🙂
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He talks a lot about that in his “Intelligent Gardener book” …always meant to ask you about him..nice neighbor to have living near by…he can get you some seed you need that you can’t find any where!!!
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Nope, he isn’t into seeds much any more.
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How interesting you live right near him–I have never read this book, but it looks interesting:-)
http://www.newsociety.com/Books/I/The-Intelligent-Gardener
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I have his Aussie book “Gardening South of Australia” but it is SO technical and scientific I am afraid from it! 😉
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LOL:-)
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I also read reviews on his book at Amazon + people felt he “talked down” to his readers. I don’t need to be an “intelligent gardener”-LOL…I love making mistakes- I learn best, I don’t repeat again-LOL
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Not sure he was talking down but it was technical and hard to understand with lots of facts and nutritional figures etc. He was a nice man when we met him. Maybe he was a bit intense when he was younger?
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lol:-) yep-we all mellow in our old age! It was the opinion of people reviewing his book on Amazon-not a great source, but interesting how they felt. Also “passion” can be seen as arrogance:-) He sold his company to some other people years ago, but what a great contribution he has made to the organic movement!
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He helped out in seed development at a small local nursery in our communal area and they now develop seed along his guidelines for our local conditions and source seed from all over the world to suit us. What a valuable legacy and what worthwhile work 🙂
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Now that is a man that makes a difference in the world:-)
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🙂 On both sides as well! 😉
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Wow, here I go delving into rock dust! I must learn more Robbie, thank you. One year I added green sand to all my beds – minerals because I read how minerals are so stripped from our soils that the veggies we buy are not as nutrient. So I set out to grow nutrient veggies that year. I would use it again. Last year I was a bit overwhelmed with my new job. This year it shall ye be rock dust! How fun.
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Hi Kathy:-) I rode my bike yesterday on the river-so spring is closer!!! It was a bit cold at 41 degrees but we were were all bundled up + there were Eagles flying overhead:-) beautiful! Had to watch for ice patches-LOL
Rock Dust is so interesting:-) I did mix it in the soil(side dressed + added to Fish Emulsion) last year + will work a bit more with it this year. I am still a bit cautious with adding too much. I want to observe and research a bit more. Please share what you find + what your fellow Master Gardner’s think:-) I don’t have to tell you to stay warm-LOL!
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This is so interesting Robbie, I have been vaguely aware of Rock Dust but had not taken the time to investigate, I’ve just looked and its available over here and the link lists the macro and micro nutrients with some very good reviews too, I’d like to try some here.
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Hi Julie:-) I am still researching + very curious about it myself. I feel a little mixed in won’t hurt but some people recommend a bit more than I want to add to my soil. I feel this is something we all need to investigate and share with others. I am still reading it and have no doubt I will revisit it again:-) It is fascinating:-)
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I tried it again and then it wasn’t there. Maybe I was the lucky one that got the warning. Yup, he is the same guys 🙂
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I have never heard of rock dust Robbie, I will have to see if we have it here! Many things like this are so expensive here and putting it on our big garden would simply cost too much but I will check it out.
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Hi Wendy!!! It is interesting + it seems everyone has a different opinion. I am using it a bit with my worm casting, coir + compost. I side dress and use it in a variety of ways. I can’t buy a lot for it is expensive here, but you may find it a bit more available where you live. I figure it can’t hurt, but I am not going to put it in the proportions some people are-YIKES. I am just adding it a bit and seeing how it goes. I feel it is still one of those things we are all learning about:-) I will be researching it a bit more this year for “data” is coming out to back up their claims or not:-)
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We add alot of seaweed to our garden, lucky to have it on our doorstep.
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now that is my kind of soil builder!:-)
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Minerals are often overlooked because N-P-K get all the attention. Rock dust, seaweed, and a product called Sea-Agri will add minerals to soil. I’ve about wood charcoal acting as a sponge that holds and then slowly releases minerals to plants. My son has been getting into worm castings and mycelium as the workers that break everything down so that it is bio-available. Soil science is exciting for us garden engineers! 🙂
On Sun, Jan 18, 2015 at 11:02 PM, Palm Rae Urban Potager…… Modern Day
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Oh thank you for sharing-Eliza! What does your son think about this Rock Dust? I am asking everyone + reading all the opinions:-) I use Neptune’s Emulsion( with seaweed) on all my seedlings and in the garden. I love that stuff! This Rock Dust is new + I am curious, but also not flooding my yard with it-but am trialing it in my beds another year:-) It sure is exciting!
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I’ve never seen bags of rock dust sold locally but I have heard of its benefits. I do add greensand to my soil, which I hope accomplishes the same thing. 🙂
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I started reading about it a year ago + purchased a bag on Amazon last growing season. I added it to my compost + fish + seaweed emulsion. I am still researching and learning, so I will continue to add it again this growing season. Greensand is on my list to explore, too:-) I have heard good things about greensand:-)
I am finding when I learn about stuff, I need to do it a bit to find out how my plants + garden respond:-) It is always an adventure!
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I’m with Lori on this one…always, always get your soils tested. Quarries in our neck of the woods have heavy metals in their pits and ponds. I would want to see test results on the rock dust. For now, I’ll go with rock dust from construction sites that jack hammer the rocks into little bits. Some of this gets trucked over to local stone, sand and brick suppliers. Interesting read; no quarries with an abundance of tainted rock dust are behind the concept? Just a bad joke…sorry!
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🙂 thank you for bringing all this up. It is good to be cautious:-) I do purchase organic-OMRI rock dust. I am not adding it to everything in my yard, just trialing some of it for now. We need to learn more about it etc.I have read some other information on how you don’t need to use this or that…I always let the plants talk to me—LOL-I am the Doctor Dolittle of plants!:-)
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