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Volcanic Ash used as supplement?
- Thread starter Nwgdg
- Start date
M
moose eater
May likely contain some silica, and might be alkaline, as a possible ph adjuster, if it has any buffering capacity.
Otherwise, I'd fill up 1-gram drams and sell it to tourists at $5 a pop, and call it part of your retirement.
What ever you do, don't let it get sucked into an air intake on an engine; that stuff's hell on engines, turbine or otherwise. Eats bearings, rings and cylinder walls like nobody's business.
I think the tourist souvenir approach holds your most functional outlook.
Otherwise, I'd fill up 1-gram drams and sell it to tourists at $5 a pop, and call it part of your retirement.
What ever you do, don't let it get sucked into an air intake on an engine; that stuff's hell on engines, turbine or otherwise. Eats bearings, rings and cylinder walls like nobody's business.
I think the tourist souvenir approach holds your most functional outlook.
I only use the vitrified remains of the Pompeii victims on my plants.
That's what I was gonna say, more than likely highly acidic. Maybe not because of the time elapsed. But myself, I would do a ph slurry test and see where the ph of it is at.
I wouldnt use it.
But thats just me.
Who knows whats (truly) in it.
We can make all the assumptions in the world.
They are just that without knowing what, exactly, is in that ash........
my $.02 adjusted for inflation.
why bother with it when there are plenty of other known safe supplements?
-cap
But thats just me.
Who knows whats (truly) in it.
We can make all the assumptions in the world.
They are just that without knowing what, exactly, is in that ash........
my $.02 adjusted for inflation.
why bother with it when there are plenty of other known safe supplements?
-cap
T
Teddybrae
yeah, Man, USE IT! and it might be Alkaline not acid. test it.
A well know grower here uses volcanic ash for a considerable portion of his potting mix. He grows nice plants. the ash is called "Quinken" where he lives.
Further south growers include "Scoria" which is also volcanic ash. It is not as rich as Quinken but contains high amounts of Potash and helps drainage out of sight.
Check the pH of yr ash and use it. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised!
Cheers from the Land of Oz!
A well know grower here uses volcanic ash for a considerable portion of his potting mix. He grows nice plants. the ash is called "Quinken" where he lives.
Further south growers include "Scoria" which is also volcanic ash. It is not as rich as Quinken but contains high amounts of Potash and helps drainage out of sight.
Check the pH of yr ash and use it. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised!
Cheers from the Land of Oz!
Lost in a SOG
GrassSnakeGenetics
You can actually find some testing done from that very 1980 eruption online:
"Volcanic ash samples from the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption were analyzed for major, minor, and trace composition by a variety of analytical techniques. Results indicate that the basic composition of the ash consists of approximately 65% SiO2, 18% Al2O3, 5% FetO3, 2% MgO, 4% CaO, 4% Na2O, and 0.1% S. Thirty seven trace metals are reported including Ba, Cu, Mn, Sr, V, Zn, and Zr. A change in the chemical composition of the ash as a function of distance from the volcano is related to a similar change in physical characteristics of the ash. Water soluble components were also determined after column leaching experiments were performed. Concentration levels of soluble salts were found to be moderately high (1500-2000 µg/g) with molar ratios suggesting the presence of NaCl, KCl, CaSO4, and MgSO4. Heavy metals such as Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn were found at appreciable concentrations (10-1000 µg/g). Unexpectedly high concentration levels of ammonium (45 µg/g) and nitrate (100 µg/g) ions as well as dissolved organic carbon (130 µg/g) were observed in several ash leachates. Results for fluoride and boron show low average levels of ˜5 and ˜ 0.5µg/g, respectively.2"
https://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1980GeoRL...7..949T
It's really not the worst looking at that, if it is similar to this sample that is, but possibly the extra heavy metals and sodium would put some off.. Importantly there is nothing magic there in particular that would make the risk that worth it.
"Volcanic ash samples from the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption were analyzed for major, minor, and trace composition by a variety of analytical techniques. Results indicate that the basic composition of the ash consists of approximately 65% SiO2, 18% Al2O3, 5% FetO3, 2% MgO, 4% CaO, 4% Na2O, and 0.1% S. Thirty seven trace metals are reported including Ba, Cu, Mn, Sr, V, Zn, and Zr. A change in the chemical composition of the ash as a function of distance from the volcano is related to a similar change in physical characteristics of the ash. Water soluble components were also determined after column leaching experiments were performed. Concentration levels of soluble salts were found to be moderately high (1500-2000 µg/g) with molar ratios suggesting the presence of NaCl, KCl, CaSO4, and MgSO4. Heavy metals such as Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn were found at appreciable concentrations (10-1000 µg/g). Unexpectedly high concentration levels of ammonium (45 µg/g) and nitrate (100 µg/g) ions as well as dissolved organic carbon (130 µg/g) were observed in several ash leachates. Results for fluoride and boron show low average levels of ˜5 and ˜ 0.5µg/g, respectively.2"
https://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1980GeoRL...7..949T
It's really not the worst looking at that, if it is similar to this sample that is, but possibly the extra heavy metals and sodium would put some off.. Importantly there is nothing magic there in particular that would make the risk that worth it.
Rico _El_Guapo
Member
The heavy metals will be absorbed by the plant. Julian Karadjov has lots of research papers on the subject. We're growing accumulator plants here folks, but whatever you do behind closed doors is your business...
Lost in a SOG
GrassSnakeGenetics
if you make a tea you are more likely to cause toxicity imo because you can't possible guess a safe dilution rate. Added to the soil the plant can pick and choose. yes she is a hyper-bioaccumulator but let's face it some of the best pot according to some people grow in Hawaiian volcanic soils.
'Boogieman'
Well-known member
I believe I read somewhere Indians used volcanic ash in soil but they let it sit a while before planting. Indians used volcanic stuff to also make weapons and many other things. I read they believed volcanic ash made corn taste better.
