Adding Volcanic Rock Dust

I’ve made supersoil & it already contains rock dust just 2 cups but was wondering if I can still add more without any issues? Thanks

Yes and no.It won't burn your plants but it will change your texture. It will effect aereation and drainage.
It will effect your ratios.
Not necessarily bad depending on how much more you use as well as your growing style.
We adapt to the soil we have.

Rockdust

i do this

mix it in the soil from start, about handfull per gallon soil
after 4weeks topdress a little

you can also add it to watering after 4weeks, topdress or watermix it, you choose self that.

If you like watermix it :
Take a Handfull Rockdust to 1gallon water. Let it sit 24h, shake it good couple times.
if you can bubble this is best
bubble with little aipump that about 24h

i do most of times that bubble 24h after 4weeks,

i start it in soil mixed, and add by watering , or topdress once again after 3-5 weeks


important
stop add this about 3-4weeks before harvest


from start in soil, then every 3-5 weeks, stop using it about 3-4weeks before harvest
there is no reason, or benefits use it more than this



Seer Rockdust: This is great stuff

Enjoy green healthy plants

Rockdust takes years to become available nutrients to the plants...its a rock not organic matter. Imo its a waste unless you plan on doing living recycled soil. There is no published research I can find supporting it does anything for plants in a reasonable timeframe...Trace minerals from the ocean like kelp etc are a better alternative for plant available micronutrients.

jrelax, stop suggesting products to people...

In my experience in living organic soil, amendments like bentonite and basalt meal (lava meal) are very fast available for the plant.

After a week I already start to notice the first effects: leaves become greener (even dark green after more weeks) and increased strength because of the silicon.

I don't think it's solely because of added Mg. But also because the CEC value is increased, making nutrients already present in the soil more available.

I mix it in during my soil creation. And later (end of veg - preflower) I topdress.
I don't add more later, because it's nearly impossible to flush it out. Plants would stay green otherwhile at the end.

Try adding a handfull of bentonite on your soil and monitor the plant.

Great addition CVH, yes I believe the greatest benefit it provides is merely the small increase in CEC, though humic substance would be better to accomplish that as well. As far as the silicon, that all just got really complicated in the silicon thread LOL!

"Volcanic Zeolites are commodity minerals with special electrical properties such as cation exchange capacity, used for filtering and mitigating toxicity in soils and water."

Shawn; You stated 2 cups but not the volume of soil/mix this was added to.

Not all rock dusts are going to be the same. I've used bentonite which has been mentioned but I consider it more a clay powder than volcanic rock dust. You can use more calcium bentonite than sodium bentonite; big difference.

I acquired volcanic rock dust from a quarry rather than a brand name. I ran detailed lab tests on this prior to using it. We typically added about 3 cups per contractor wheelbarrow [about 5 to 6 cubic feet]. I did make an error once in making a mix to transplant clones into, using double the amount. It definitely burned them so be aware of this factor.

Nutrients from rock/clay dusts can be immediately available to plants. If you are running a living soil no-till you can topdress more for a following crop but it is likely unnecessary before this. If doing a remix following a crop, you are likely best to use half the amount and topdress if necessary.

Rock dust is not water soluble, it is acid soluble [microbial and root exuded acids] so mixing it with water and bubbling it is a silly waste of time and effort. [IMO]

When I sold my little farm my neighbor/friend took away my left over rock dust. He spread it over a field he had broken for planting vegetables the next season. He ran out around halfway through. The plants, local weeds, which grew where the rock dust was applied were three times the size as those in the rest of the field.

The Seer Rockdust works i know.


People say this dont work has wrong.


i Have done without and with couple times.
Also outside sallad and stuff.
The part with Rockdust is ALWAYS bigger and better.


Anyway
IMPORTAND YOU USE BREATH MASK IF YOU USE THIS ALOT.
This stuff DUSTs alot
you dont want rockdust inside your lungs.


Take it easy inside, very easy , slow moves.
The dust is insane if you throw and handle this hard.


Easy caring , have a mask if you use this alot.


Me self have mask when i make big bag to smaller before use.
DONT BRETHE THIS please ok.


You want medicine , not rock lungs

Microbeman said:

I acquired volcanic rock dust from a quarry rather than a brand name. I ran detailed lab tests on this prior to using it. We typically added about 3 cups per contractor wheelbarrow [about 5 to 6 cubic feet]. I did make an error once in making a mix to transplant clones into, using double the amount. It definitely burned them so be aware of this factor.

Nutrients from rock/clay dusts can be immediately available to plants. If you are running a living soil no-till you can topdress more for a following crop but it is likely unnecessary before this. If doing a remix following a crop, you are likely best to use half the amount and topdress if necessary.

Rock dust is not water soluble, it is acid soluble [microbial and root exuded acids] so mixing it with water and bubbling it is a silly waste of time and effort. [IMO]

When I sold my little farm my neighbor/friend took away my left over rock dust. He spread it over a field he had broken for planting vegetables the next season. He ran out around halfway through. The plants, local weeds, which grew where the rock dust was applied were three times the size as those in the rest of the field.

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Ibechillin said:

Imo its a waste unless you plan on doing living recycled soil.

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Thanks for contributing Microbeman, Yes plant roots and microbes very well can make use of rocks, though you need high microbial and fungi activity and thats why i suggested best in living/recycled/in ground soils. (for someone very well versed in microbiology/mycology like yourself you are able to better utilize the less plant available inputs. No doubt the farm you sold had very high bioactivity, the one who purchased it from you was very lucky.)

For the "typical" style container gardening most people are doing with cannabis consisting of premade bagged soils and bottle nutrients etc. I dont think the microbe/fungi life has enough time to get really established and kicking ass eating rocks unless recycled and taking measures to avoid inputs that damage the micro/fungi herd.

Relevant Explanation:

Organisms that eat rocks are known as lithotrophs ("rock eaters") and are mostly Bacteria and Archaea but also some fungi. They "eat" rock in that they use metals and inorganic ions present in the rock as an energy source and then use this energy to take up carbon dioxide from the air (or dissolved in water) - just like plants do but plants gain the energy they need from light rather than from inorganic ions. A lot of lithotrophs use inorganic sulfur compounds in the rock (such as sulfide or polythionates) as energy sources and produce sulfuric acid as their waste product. This is excreted from the cells and can dissolve carbonates in rocks like limestone, which in turn can release metal ions, making them available as energy source, but, more importantly, releases carbon dioxide, which the bacteria can then consume. This is the process by which a type of cave known as a "karst" is formed - the acid secreted by the bacteria is what slowly dissolves the limestock rock making the cave bigger. These bacteria aren't usually extremophiles - Thiobacillus spp. are an example and they can be found pretty much everywhere - on most rock surfaces but also on concrete and even bricks, as well as on and in our bodies! Examples such as Halothiobacillus are salt-tollerant but not to really extreme levels. Others tollerate higher salt and heat and so are true extremophiles.

So, these organisms don't eat other organisms to survive - they use inorganic chemicals and carbon dioxide. Sometimes, that carbon dioxide can come from that formed by other organisms - so you can think of them as getting their carbon from something's breath! Other bacteria can use methane ("methanotrophs") as their carbon and energy source and this is often produced geologically rather than from the fossil fuel route so they don't need to eat other organisms to survive either.

Whilst some bacteria need other life to survive (Mycobacterium and Mycoplasma spring to mind) and some can even directly eat other bacterial cells, a huge number of those in the environment just consume chemicals in soils such as acetate that are produced by Archaea as waste products but they aren't actually eating other life - they're living off of the waste products of it. Much like the Bacteria in our feces!

Link To Source:

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=40117.0

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/the-world-s-largest-mining-operation-is-run-by-fungi/

I have a rich friend.
He owns a castle here.


He loves grow.
Organic


This guy use Seer Rockdust now everytime.
He has pictures also.

Plants with Seerdust Rockdust is more healthy and bigger than without.
He was even in TV news talking about this.
Also lab test


Rockdust makes him grow most healthy greens around here.
These contain lots more vitamins and other stuff , than without it.


He dont make money at this way at all.
He is happy only to have this as fertilizer.


This Guy is super rich, he wants the best only.
Problem i have, he dont share at all.
This guy is also sober.
He hates weed, and alcohol.
Wierd guy



I must buy this self, he dont give even 1 gram away.


Yes so, he lab test and all, this is 100% good booster



Me self have see this.
There is maybe different rock/basalts bla bla
I dont know that.


Seer Rockdust works.
You love this
No matter what

jrelax said:

There is maybe different rock/basalts bla bla
I dont know that.

Click to expand...

Yeah, lets take advice from that guy^...

I never said it does not work, only that there is limited availability without high micro/fungi life and that sea based are more easily available in my opinion.

Ibechillin said:

Yeah, lets take advice from that guy^...

I never said it does not work, only that there is limited availability without high micro/fungi life and that sea based are more easily available in my opinion.

Click to expand...

The natural rocks is good if they are right stuff.


Try avoid stuff from SALT water as much you can.
There is very salty stuff like Epsom salt



You will avoid more salty stuff if you use epsom salt example.
You like more freshwater kelp then maybe and other stuff.


There is no THIS WORKS ONLY thing.
Different soils, different strains, different envoirments and lots of thing is needed to make good medicine


Adding some good Rockdust is good.
This works in long runs.


You need also other things to make the soil work perfekt.
Like root nutrients. Grow, and bloom, PK. kelp and spirulina from fresh water or pool grown is awsome too.


There is REAL rockdust, and china fake not working powders



If you have the real stuff, it works SUPERB
this i know sure, its lab tested and my friend was also in news with a expert grower here.
Results is not good, they are AMAZING
thats why they got in tv news also.
Its hard understund this.
Anyway this works so good.


Make sure you got good right dust .
There is alot fake offcourse.


The best way is try find source near you. IF you live in these right areas. There is different places

You need Lab test that you buy from locals 1 time, this is important, dont trust people. Many of them sell shit.




The second best is buy good brand and be happy

ibechillin; You might be surprised what can happen in container growing, given sufficient volume. I'm pretty certain that many of the organic acids exuded by roots into the soil solution can release nutrients from rock and clay dusts.

Also even endomycorrhizal fungi can infect roots in 5 to 15 days.

You are correct that a longterm established microbial hierarchy will be optimum (far superior)

Never heard of fresh water kelp...interesting.

Microbeman said:

ibechillin; You might be surprised what can happen in container growing, given sufficient volume. I'm pretty certain that many of the organic acids exuded by roots into the soil solution can release nutrients from rock and clay dusts.

Also even endomycorrhizal fungi can infect roots in 5 to 15 days.

You are correct that a longterm established microbial hierarchy will be optimum (far superior)

Click to expand...

Ive got a good question for you Microbeman, In the wider pots or more soil thread I determined a container depth beyond 16-18 inches seemed wasteful and the wider the better. I know from composting that a larger volume of initial material allows the core to maintain activity and decomposition of the pile, how would that apply? What would you say the optimal dimensions would be for starting/maintaining a thriving microbiology/living soil in a container?

I like to think of the addition of fertilizer etc to soil similar to a fire and it can easily be snuffed out or boosted depending on how you go about it.

In Reference To Kelp (though still sea based):

slownickel said:

Be careful when buying seaweeds. There are good ones and ones that have little value. Also, where to apply them and when is an issue.

For example, applying a cytokinin to the roots will actually tend to stall the plants. Roots get lazy. Always apply cytokinin seaweeds foliarly. Small quantities constantly and mixed with other foliars. The best cytokinin source on the market is North American Kelp, Seacrop 16. It has the highest guaranteed cytokinin level on the planet, 400ppms. This should be used from veg up through week 3 of flower.

For root applications, you really want to use an auxin seaweed source. So far, the only one that I have been able to find in the US is Kelpak. This applied to roots and foliage, forces more roots. Don't use it after week 1 of flower. All through veg is great.

We did side by side tests. Been through the bunch, Acadian, Maxi, SM6 (UK) and a few I can't remember. many folk won't get a lot of response from a good seaweed product if they really don't have their nutrition dialed in. That means having enough Ca and P most times. Most folk don't. All the seaweed in the world can't get you past the big problems. This is why many say, oh, tried it and I didn't see much. But that can also come from low hormone content. Many seaweed products aren't actually made for fertilizer use

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