# "Paramagnetic" rock dust or powder



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

I've just recently heard about a soil additive called "paramagnetic rock dust". My wife was over in the Okanagan Valley - a four-hour drive from here - and went to a farmer's market there. There was quite a lot of booths set up by organic farmers and market-gardeners there. One fellow who was there runs a commercial-scale compost production operation, as well as a family farm. He gave my wife a photocopy of a magazine article about the growth-promoting virtues of "paramagnetic" rock, which is ground into a dust, something like rock-phosphate or greensand dust.

The article was focussed on corn production, but the implication was that this soil amendment can promote the growth of many sorts of farm/garden crops. Apparently, you just mix it into the root zone levels of your garden or greenhouse or container soil, using it in addition to whatever other amendments (compost, fertilizers, lime, gypsum, etc) you normally use.

Today I learned about the possible availability of some "paramagnetic rock dust" produced from Canadian volcanic rock. I intend to get some and experiment with it in my greenhouse when I can. I was able to talk on the phone with the manufacturer/wholesaler who says that what the product does is to promote the development of plants' root systems, hence benefitting the whole plant. He said he has spent three years setting up his manufacturing business and is only now beginning to make arrangements for a network of retail representatives.

Just wondering if anyone here has any experience using this stuff. ??


----------



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

No experience, per se, with that product, but for those who are interested in that concept and several others that you sure don't hear much about, I recommend two books, by the same authors, Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. 
The book titles are "Secret Life of Plants", and, "Secrets of the Soil".


----------



## D Lynn (May 26, 2008)

It sounds cool. I will watch for it to hit the market.... although, the environmental side of me wonders - are they going to start stripmining ancient volcanic areas to harvest this magical stuff? :nerd: ...one has to wonder....


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It sounds like a gimmick to me.

If you Google it, most of the sources are trying to sell it, and there were NO *scientific* sources at all


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

Bearfootfarm said:


> It sounds like a gimmick to me.
> 
> If you Google it, most of the sources are trying to sell it, and there were NO *scientific* sources at all


Well, at this point, not having tried it myself... You could be correct. But that's why I posted here. To see if anyone has tried it and what they think about it as an effective or ineffective soil amendment.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

Well, I obtained a 1 kg (2.2 lb) sample. This is the "paramagnetic rock dust" produced in Canada from volcanic rock (a mine holding sort of situation). This was sent to me (for free) from the manufacturer/wholesaler I had talked with.

He's the guy who has spent years setting up his manufacturing business - and he wants me to try the product and send him a report of the experiment and its outcome.

I may do something very small in my greenhouse this summer/fall, but will have to wait to do more thorough side-by-side trials next spring. I won't have cleared enough space in our greenhouse until then.

I'm not convinced simply on the basis of promotional hype... but neither am I closed-minded about the possibility. Kind of exciting to look forward to finding out for myself. :happy:


----------



## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

I think I would mix some of it with a soil sample and send it off fo analysis along with an untreated sample of the soil for comparision. That would give you an idea of what's in it and what it does.


----------



## mduncn52 (Sep 8, 2007)

Joel. I have read 2 recent articles about paramagnetic rock in Acres USA. Please post the contact info for the distributor, because I have been looking for some myself. Also, the articles in AcresUSA reference a wealth of "scientific research" that has been done over the last 40 yrs or so.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

mcduncn52... I'll respond by PM only. The fellow did not authorize me to broadcast that he sometimes sends out samples of the product. So I'm not providing a link on this thread. That's strictly my sense of what consideration and courtesy toward him would be.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

Okay, my more-informed perspective as of six months or so later than my OP that started this thread...

Someone here on the board sent me a message asking about this topic, so I thought I'd post my observations here. The following is the straight goods from my admittedly limited experience:

Due to me being pretty busy last spring, the leaflet about "paramagnetic rock" in agriculture sat around on a table at my home until mid summer, when I did a web search and found a company (Paramount Growth Holdings, in Victoria, BC, Canada) that was producing it. I phoned them to see if I could buy some to try it. The man I spoke with said he'd ship me a free 1-kg sample, and he did. So I tried it this spring.

I&#8217;m referring to volcanic rock of "high paramagnetic rating" that&#8217;s been ground to a fine brown powder. I decided to experiment with jalapeÃ±o-pepper seeds and with tomato seeds. I mixed the volcanic powder into the potting soil for some trays, at about 15% of the potting mix. And then I planted comparison trays without any of the powder. After using the same seed, the same light, the same watering procedure, the difference was unmistakable.

Germination time was the same for both types of trays. But the seedlings in the trays with the volcanic-powder amendment looked literally twice as good as the comparison trays. Leaves had better and more even colour, overall growth of the little seedlings was _much_ better.

If anything, the difference between the two sets of seedlings (within each seed species) became more pronounced as the weeks passed - until we potted-up into larger, individual pots (at which time we added some volcanic-rock powder and rotted-manure to the soil of each plant). Then the "deprived" seedlings started to catch up, but truly never succeeded in completely catching up.

The company that I obtained the powder from: Their site is still on-line, and says they'd like to sell the product to the vineyard industry. However, the company may have met some financing snag or something. This spring, they have not been answering email or phone calls. A mystery. And very frustrating!

_Honest... I'd be buying the stuff in 20 kg bags!_

Okay, I'd seen the seedling results with my own eyes (and showed them to skeptical friends). After this, I was talking with a farmer acquaintance. We were at a restaurant and he _had not_ seen the comparison. But, as a general observation, he mentioned that around the world, folk cultures have known of the advantage of agriculturally cultivating volcanic soils.

My problem: I cannot find a retail source in the west of Canada, and the source I _did_ locate (in Ontario, about 2500 miles east of me) is useless to me due in part to the high unit-cost of shipping most anything less than a semi-trailer load.


On the issue (raised, above, by D Lynn) of the environmental considerations of mining the rock... This is, of course, an important concern. Probably with numerous dimensions to it. Just a guess on my part, but due to the fact this is "ordinary" volcanic mineral (I believe), it probably would not demand the kind of deep excavation or tunneling that a lot of mined materials would. Unlike copper, silver, gold, precious jewels, etc the ratio of _waste_ component (in the "ore") to the sought substance would not be anywhere near as high, I'm pretty sure. More usable material & far less waste, I'd think.


----------



## mduncn52 (Sep 8, 2007)

Thank you for the observations. Continuing my search, will advise if I can find a source.


----------



## mduncn52 (Sep 8, 2007)

http://www.paramagneticrock.com/ This is Paradise valley. their page says they are setting up a way to ship 50 lb boxes. There is a contact number.
http://www.fertilizeronline.com/rockdust.php, Here's another source that ships small quantities. Good Luck


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

It is pretty commonly known that the volcanoes are a major source of plant nutrients from within the earth. "Para-magnetic" just sounds like a hype word someone dreamed up to increase sales.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

Harry Chickpea said:


> It is pretty commonly known that the volcanoes are a major source of plant nutrients from within the earth. "Para-magnetic" just sounds like a hype word someone dreamed up to increase sales.


You may be right that commercial interests have grabbed onto the term "paramagnetic," and it may have become a "hype word". But commerical interests don't seem to have invented the term. Seven or eight years ago, an avid gardener friend of mine showed me a book by a scientist named Dr. Philip Callahan (I believe he is a biologist, though not certain of his specialty). Callahan developed the theory of so-called _paramagnetism_ - and, as I remember it, his book told the story of developing instruments that are sensitive to this paramagnetism and that give a read-out of the degree of this paramagnetic property in an object.

Now - when writing the above and also what I've previously written in this thread - I am not trying to say that I'm, personally, _confident_ Callahan's theory is vaild. I'm not saying that it's the proper or the only explanation for the value of the volcanic-rock powder. Really, I only know what I saw in terms of obviously enhanced plant growth and health from using some volcanic-rock powder in my potting mix.


----------



## maricybele (Sep 13, 2008)

Ordinary Rock dust - I went to a rock quarry and got 10- gravel with fine dust mixed. I filled my car with bags for $5.00 and I noticed it looks like the stuff that the Scottish folks were using mixed with compost. I have been using a little glacial rock docks about but this year I am being more generous. 
YouTube - Rock Dust Organic Remineralisation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4co_pfmJxA&feature=youtu.be

YouTube - Landward the Rock Dust One!

YouTube - Grow Larger Vegetables with Rock Dust - Benefits and How to Apply

The video shows folks in Scotland who had super large veggies that stayed crisp over a year and excellent results with compost and rock dust. It didn't sound harmful so I tried it. It didn't act like cement in my beds, actually like an aerator. I will let you know how it goes, already my plants are standing taller after just 12 hours. I want giant, long lasting veggies so I'm trying it, because the dust also will help my worm herds throughout my garden and if it really works without other fertilizers thats a huge savings! If I get free chips and manure that will be super cheap big pile of fertilizer.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

maricybele said:


> Ordinary Rock dust - I went to a rock quarry and got 10- gravel with fine dust mixed. I filled my car with bags for $5.00 and I noticed it looks like the stuff that the Scottish folks were using mixed with compost. I have been using a little glacial rock docks about but this year I am being more generous....
> It didn't act like cement in my beds, actually like an aerator. I will let you know how it goes, already my plants are standing taller after just 12 hours. I want giant, long lasting veggies so I'm trying it, because the dust also will help my worm herds throughout my garden and if it really works without other fertilizers thats a huge savings!


Thanks for the post. Wouldn't it be great to have samples of these rock powders and be able to make side-by-side comparisons, so as to see if the action is the same? or not? Or, if the action _is_ similar, which rock dust provides greater benefit, generally?

You know what _you_'re seeing, and I know what I've seen this spring.

Maybe no final determination of superiority could be arrived at.

Anyhow, thanks for your post. It's all very interesting.


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Joel_BC said:


> You may be right that commercial interests have grabbed onto the term "paramagnetic," and it may have become a "hype word". But commerical interests don't seem to have invented the term. Seven or eight years ago, an avid gardener friend of mine showed me a book by a scientist named Dr. Philip Callahan (I believe he is a biologist, though not certain of his specialty). Callahan developed the theory of so-called _paramagnetism_ - and, as I remember it, his book told the story of developing instruments that are sensitive to this paramagnetism and that give a read-out of the degree of this paramagnetic property in an object.
> 
> Now - when writing the above and also what I've previously written in this thread - I am not trying to say that I'm, personally, _confident_ Callahan's theory is vaild. I'm not saying that it's the proper or the only explanation for the value of the volcanic-rock powder. Really, I only know what I saw in terms of obviously enhanced plant growth and health from using some volcanic-rock powder in my potting mix.


_Many_ years ago, I was interested in Pat Flanagan and "Pyramid Power." Did some experiments, which were a bust. Callahan seems like he was cast from the same mold as Flanagan. I found these two posts interesting reading:
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/3/msg00111.html 
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/3/msg00112.html

One of the reasons I distrusted the word paramagnetism is that I have done a lot of searching on magnetism and never run across the word before. At best his word has nothing to do with magnetism any more than Mesmer.

(I have found some REALLY interesting stuff about magnetism, but can't discuss it.)


----------



## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

I use Azomite, which is volcanic in origin, with fantastic results.


----------



## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

I strapped a magnet to my ankle once because they said it would cure arthritis. Got stuck to my stove...... 

geo


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

geo in mi said:


> I strapped a magnet to my ankle once because they said it would cure arthritis. Got stuck to my stove......
> 
> geo


Oh, the irony...


----------



## madness (Dec 6, 2006)

Harry Chickpea said:


> One of the reasons I distrusted the word paramagnetism is that I have done a lot of searching on magnetism and never run across the word before. At best his word has nothing to do with magnetism any more than Mesmer.


I work in the scientific field. Paramagnetism is a very real phenomenon. It's can be summarized as a very weak magnetic attraction without the ability to become magnetized. Iron is strongly attracted to a magnetic and can be magnetized - it's called ferromagnetic. Aluminum is very weakly attracted to a magnet and cannot be magnetized - it's called paramagnetic.

That being said, the dust in question may or may not be paramagnetic. And if it is, that property may or may not have anything to do with the abilities of the dust. 

My guess is that the dust is paramagnetic (loads of stuff is - oxygen, sodium, magnesium, graphite, etc) but it probably has absolutely nothing to do with how this stuff works - unless Callahan's theory is right. I looked up the book. Interesting but not sure if it's interesting enough for me to fully research!


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Interesting. I guess I got sidetracked with the induced currents thing and missed that. Thanks.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

buffalocreek said:


> I use Azomite, which is volcanic in origin, with fantastic results.


Buffalocreek, I negleced to thank you for mentioning the Azomite product. So, *thanks*.

Having done a search to see if it's available in western Canada, I found that a company in Edmonton (about 500 road miles from my home place here) sells it. About $54 for a 44 lb bag - that's expensive in itself, but handling & shipping costs would add to it.

I'm not sure whether there are many British Columbians on this board, but if anyone happens to read this thread, please do let me know of a volcanic-rock dust source in _this_ province.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

Joel_BC said:


> The company that I obtained the powder from: Their site is still on-line, and says they'd like to sell the product to the vineyard industry. However, the company may have met some financing snag or something. This spring, they have not been answering email or phone calls. A mystery. And very frustrating!
> 
> _Honest... I'd be buying the stuff in 20 kg bags!_ ...
> 
> My problem: I cannot find a retail source in the west of Canada, and the source I _did_ locate (in Ontario, about 2500 miles east of me) is useless to me due in part to the high unit-cost of shipping most anything less than a semi-trailer load.


Well, the above is part of what I posted here a short while back. But just recently, I got an apologetic email from the comapny (Paramount Growth Holdings) and it seems they still exist and wish to develop wholesale connections in our province (British Columbia). But, from what the email said, they do not yet have _retailers_ - at least in my area.

The rep said he and I should talk by phone - but I've been too busy of late to call him. So this is where it sits, for me.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

I was able to source another sample of the "paramagnetic" rock powder from the Victoria-based company. They do not have the rock powder on the market, as yet. But my own small, informal trials display the value of using the powder.

Back in the spring, like I said above, I was starting several kinds of plants using a bagged potting soil my wife and I bought. I used that &#8220;growing medium&#8221; unamended, in sets of matched starter trays, except for those trays in which I&#8217;d added about 15% volcanic rock powder to the mixture. All those seedlings were started under grow lights. (I didn't take pictures of the results.)

Somewhat over a week ago, I again used starting trays (&#8220;six packs&#8221 and matched the basic growing medium, the watering regime, and the lighting on the experimental and control trays. However, I made up my own starter medium as follows: 50% sphagnum peat moss; 30% worm castings; 20% perlite &#8211; well stirred. This, in itself, is a pretty rich mix because of the worm castings. One of the trays contains this mixture as such. The other has this mixture with about 12% volcanic rock powder stirred into it. I made up only two trays, and identified each one to be able to interpret my results.

With each of the six packs, I filled each of the cells as close to the same level as I could. I planted each cell with two radish seeds from the same packet. I kept the trays on a bench in our greenhouse. Then I was careful to keep the watering and the light exposure the same. Seed germination took about 48 hours, on average &#8211; and the germination rate was pretty much the same, comparing the two six packs.

The picture, taken eight days after planting the seeds, pretty much tells the story. The seedlings (on the left) with the volcanic powder in their growing medium are clearly doing better. I&#8217;d estimate the difference in vitality and growth to be maybe 20%, at this early stage.










With my spring-time experiment, the difference seemed more marked &#8211; probably because the commercial growing medium was very basic and not high in nutrients (such as those the worm castings provide to the new mixture). With the spring experiments, the seedlings growing in the medium that included the volcanic rock powder did twice as well, in my assessment, in terms of vitality and size. However, I judged this difference not after eight days, but after a month or so.

I was thinking some people who look at this thread might like to see a picture that conveys the benefit. (P.S. This is the first time I've tried to attach an image to a post here on Homesteading today - so I'm hoping it works!)


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Seems that it actually works!

Good job on doing a controlled experiment!


----------



## urbanorganics (Jan 31, 2013)

I bought some paramagnetic rock dust from a company called Green Generations http://www.greengenerations.com 
The person I spoke with was very nice and knowledgeable and answered all the questions I had, and I received my order within a couple of days. 

A person in my gardening group had a phil calahan meter so I tested it when I received the package and their rock dust had VERY high paramagnetic levels - over 9,000 on average with a few samples topping 10K. 

I added the rock dust to two beds and had two adjacent beds as a comparison with the same plants in both sets of beds to create a mirror image. I also added a little bit of rock dust to the holes before transplanting into the test beds based on the recommendation from the person I spoke with at the company. 

The mineralized beds noticeably outperformed the non-treated beds. The plants looked more vibrant, grew better, and produced more than the non-treated beds. I also ran a few brix tests and the mineralized beds also had higher average brix readings. We had a couple of cold snaps last fall and it didn't seem to affect the mineralized beds nearly as much as the non-treated beds. Needless to say, the proof is in the proverbial pudding and I am now a believer. 

I already ordered more for this season to mineralize all of my beds and the landscaping around my house as well.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

urbanorganics said:


> I bought some paramagnetic rock dust from a company called Green Generations http://www.greengenerations.com
> ...
> 
> I added the rock dust to two beds and had two adjacent beds as a comparison with the same plants in both sets of beds to create a mirror image. I also added a little bit of rock dust to the holes before transplanting into the test beds based on the recommendation from the person I spoke with at the company.
> ...


Thanks for posting. Your results so far sound very good, and they're clearly similar to mine. Please think about posting more as the upcoming season unfolds.

I'll be using the rock powder again this year for our starts. I don' t have enough to put it into our beds and rows for growing the plants to maturity.

Are you in the U.S.? I haven't heard of the company you mention, but I'm in Canada.


----------



## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

John Kohler is a big proponent of rock dust. His you tube videos are under: growingyourgreens

He turned his whole front yard into a food garden and has some greenhouse setups in the back. He has gobs of good videos on gardening and often travels to other places to film gardens and events. Great guy


----------



## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

Back when you could get it around here in 50 pound bags I'd buy and use this -

http://www.ussoil.net/

it really helped the garden. Now you have to purchase it in truckload quantities and it is way too expensive to ship to be worth while.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

Randy Rooster said:


> Back when you could get it around here in 50 pound bags I'd buy and use this -
> 
> http://www.ussoil.net/
> 
> it really helped the garden. Now you have to purchase it in truckload quantities and it is way too expensive to ship to be worth while.


I can only conclude that the market gardener, the small-homesteader, the community garden group, and the backyard gardener don't count for much with the economics of this. As I mentioned above, with the economic picture since 2008, the company I got my samples from didn't seem to be able to get their mining & production off the ground. And I, too, found _another_ company (located a few thousand miles away) that could sell me volcanic soil by the truckload - but that would be the only way the unit price could come down and the shipping costs per kilo could be reasonably managed. I want to get it in 20 kilo (44 lb) bags... it's a gulf too wide to jump!


----------



## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

Hey Joel this might be an opportunity to be a supplier, if you could generate enough local interest.


----------



## Slatewiper (Nov 22, 2012)

sdnapier said:


> John Kohler is a big proponent of rock dust. His you tube videos are under: growingyourgreens
> 
> He turned his whole front yard into a food garden and has some greenhouse setups in the back. He has gobs of good videos on gardening and often travels to other places to film gardens and events. Great guy



Here is John's most recent video about rock dust and where you can purchase them. He also arranged some decent deals with the companies he talks about.[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5ItTiwlA_I[/ame]


----------



## urbanorganics (Jan 31, 2013)

I found a company a few years ago called Green Generations that sells a product called Andesite Mineral Complex. It is a basalt-based volcanic rock dust that has paramagnetic levels over 9,000cgs. I didn't believe it at first but I had a friend in my gardening club that had a callihan soil meter so I ordered some and tested it and it was over 9,000 just like they claimed. I have been using it for several years on my organic hobby garden and it works great. My beds have actually improved each season as the minerals have had more time to work themselves into the soil. The people at the company were very helpful and really knew their stuff. Most of their customers were commercial growers and farmers at the time but they were very accommodating and were willing to sell me only 25# and ship it to me at a reasonable price. I spoke with them this season and they told me that they now offer smaller quantities on amazon.com and a few other sites. I would highly recommend trying it out. I initially tested it with some seed starts in a couple of test trays and noticed the difference in root and foliar development very quickly vs. the control groups. You can also order it directly from them but you have to call or email them because they don't sell it directly on their website. Hope this helps.


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

I can't get any more of the rock powder I first obtained and posted about at the beginning of this thread. I've got eight pounds or so left, so have been using it much more sparingly than I would have.

But I have met the guy who is jumping through all the hoops to be the western-Canadian importer/distributor for Azomite. In conversation with him, it sounds like that product yields results very similar to those of the stuff I was adding to seed-start mixes. He believes he'll be able to bring some in and make it available within a matter of weeks. I look forward to that.


----------



## urbanorganics (Jan 31, 2013)

I am located in the US. The company I mentioned in past posts is also in the US. I don't know if they ship the andesite mineral complex to Canada and, if they do, how much it would cost. Might be worth checking with them to see if you are running low. They have been very nice and accommodating every time I have spoken with them or emailed them. 
I also use azomite in my garden and it is very different in origin, chemical composition and natural paramagnetic levels. Both are very good in my opinion and complement each other - just different. A good example would be eating an orange and an apple - even though they are both fruits one shouldn't select the orange over the apple or vise versa. Rather, one should select both as each contain unique vitamins and minerals that benefit the body. The same theory applies to soil re-mineralization (I am referring to trace-minerals here and not pH balancing agents like, say lime). From what I understand and have seen in my own garden beds - the broader, the better. The plants will ultimately choose what they want assuming it is available. 
Lastly, I will note that I have seen a significant resistance to frost damage in both my edible and decorative garden beds since using the andesite. I just noticed it again this Fall. The leaves stayed on my plants much longer that most around the neighborhood and they bounced back even after the first few hard frosts. From what I have read, this is partially due to the paramagnetism in the soil (and also due partially to a stronger, healthier plant because of its access to more nutrient-dense soil). The paramagnetism helps with circulation in the plant thereby making it more resistant to frost damage (think of how frostbite first affects ones extremities like fingers and toes). I am no expert here by any means - just passing along what I have seen and some of the info I have read. I tell my fellow gardeners to take everything with a grain of salt and do their own experiments.


----------



## mskrieger (May 1, 2012)

Like Madness, I too work in a scientific field. And LOTS of stuff is paramagnetic. Particularly trace minerals like copper. Volcanic rocks are known to be packed with trace minerals of all sorts, and many soils in the US and Canada are deficient in certain trace minerals.

For a real experimental test, I'd take a batch of my ordinary garden soil and divide it in thirds. Add 'paramagnetic' stuff to one batch, ordinary volcanic basalt dust to another, and leave one batch untreated. Then do the seedling test. My hypothesis is that the seedlings will do equally well in both the ordinary basalt dust and the paramagnetic type. Not as well in the untreated soil.

I'm a big fan of trace mineral supplementation, by the way--I prefer testing my soil and adding specific minerals though. Saves money. Kelp meal also contains lots of trace minerals (it grows in the oceans, which are mineral rich and ordinarily in contact with basalt rocks--that's what makes ocean basins, after all).


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

mskrieger said:


> For a real experimental test, I'd take a batch of my ordinary garden soil and divide it in thirds. Add 'paramagnetic' stuff to one batch, ordinary volcanic basalt dust to another, and leave one batch untreated. Then do the seedling test. My hypothesis is that the seedlings will do equally well in both the ordinary basalt dust and the paramagnetic type. Not as well in the untreated soil.


Sounds good. Yes, I realized that the little test I did was not all that well 'designed'. But no one had published anything else along that line on this thread, so I put the picture and story up.

mskrieger, please go ahead and do that test. Report your results here.

A friend of mine has a soap-making factory. He's got easy access to powdered pumice, at wholsale prices. We've talked about this topic, and I've encouraged him to experiment with pumice as a soil supplement. So far, he hasn't contacted me that he ordered some and carried out the experiment.



mskrieger said:


> I'm a big fan of trace mineral supplementation, by the way--I prefer testing my soil and adding specific minerals though. Saves money. Kelp meal also contains lots of trace minerals (it grows in the oceans, which are mineral rich and ordinarily in contact with basalt rocks--that's what makes ocean basins, after all).


According to the guy I was talking with at that nearby garden center, his price on 44lb sacks of Azomite will be fairly inexpensive. I'll probably use it. Trace-mineral tests are expensive in this part of the world. But your ideas are good ones. Thanks for posting, and keep posting on this and similar topics.


----------



## mskrieger (May 1, 2012)

Hi Joel_BC, I'm glad you're looking into this stuff, too!

Just FYI, not all volcanic rock is equally mineral-rich. Pumice is what geologists call an 'acidic' volcanic rock...it tends to form near continents, and is made of similar stuff as granite. It also tends to be light/white in color. It doesn't always have lots of trace minerals.

The trace-mineral rich rocks such as basalt are dark/black in color, and tend to be made in ocean environments (or places that used to be oceans until they got uplifted by all the volcanism, i.e. Hawaii, the Pacific NW and parts of the SW, etc.)

Azomite formed on a seabed currently known as Utah when seawater and volcanic ash mixed and solidified into rock. It has lots of trace minerals too. If you find it affordable and it gives you good garden results, I'd say go with that!


----------



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

mskrieger said:


> Hi Joel_BC, I'm glad you're looking into this stuff, too!
> 
> Just FYI, not all volcanic rock is equally mineral-rich. Pumice is what geologists call an 'acidic' volcanic rock...it tends to form near continents, and is made of similar stuff as granite. It also tends to be light/white in color. It doesn't always have lots of trace minerals.
> 
> ...


Yes, good to know. Thanks.

I'll be using Azomite this year in my greenhouse beds and probably a few other beds - anything that I want to try it for, to give the plants a boost. I'll probably report on it here.

I'd welcome anybody else who has used Azomite to tell of their own experience with it, here on this thread.


----------

