Volcanic Rockdust

[Nightshade]

I have been reading about the wonders of volcanic rockdust has anyone tried rockdust? Were the results as advertised?

[Feral007]

There's already a thread on this subject. Have a search and see if you can find it.

[Aberdeenplotter]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ust_69010.html

[jimbo]

based on one seasons results, it looks quite promising. see what this coming season brings.
jimbo, co.durham.

[Bill HH]

I do like to hear the alternative view point so here it is, You have astrology, lunar planting, Esp, Ghosts, mediums, necromancy, dream catchers , Ufo's and rock dust.

[Thelma Sanders]

do remember that people used to say the earth was flat once - no proof now, doesn't mean that these things ideas are necessarily wrong *rolleyes*


I've added some to a few of my beds, last year I had wonderful onions! Coincidence? I don't think so

[Aberdeenplotter]

based on one seasons results, it looks quite promising. see what this coming season brings.
jimbo, co.durham.

Jimbo, the true test is to treat one half of the bed with rock dust and don't treat the other half so that you have one half of every row containing both treated and untreated soil. Some photos as you go would be great

[Bill HH]

I had a bumper crop of cucumbers last year. guess what? no rock dust.

Regarding the earth being flat, that was because they had no way to tell what shape it was, but lunar planting for instance has been around for thousands of years and more recently since some occultist dusted it off for the 20th century. The difference is that there is a way to scientificaly prove these things (lunar planting and rock dust etc). So why have there not been such studies? With all the devotees of these methods you would think we would have a bit more information than "I used rock dust and had a bumper crop). I truly am open minded, if they prove it works i will be the first to try it, until then I remain highly sceptical.
Before someone else says it, some soils can be deficient in certain minerals and trace elements, just as some people may be deficient in vitamins but these are rare cases and do not warrant the wide spread use of these things in my opinion.

As Ap said
"The true test is to treat one half of the bed with rock dust and don't treat the other half so that you have one half of every row containing both treated and untreated soil". This is such a simple test, so where are these results? Where are the pictures?After all they have had hundreds of years to do so. More importantly where are the serious scientific studies? I dont find them on the Internet.

This is my opinion and I wont be drawn into a nasty fight over it, it seem those that believe in these things like to get confrontational, I am happy to discuss it in a friendly way.

[AllInContainers]

If I try repeating any of the crops that didn't do so well last year, I'd probably be more likely to try doing the same thing whilst wearing a different hat than applying volcanic rock dust in Yorkshire ...

Just my opinion

[Aberdeenplotter]

This is my opinion and I wont be drawn into a nasty fight over it, it seem those that believe in these things like to get confrontational, I am happy to discuss it in a friendly way.

That's good Bill because that's what this Forum is and should be about but do bear in mind that not everyone who believes in something is prepared to become confrontational about it and it is wrong to tar everyone with the same brush. That's all I have to say about that.

I have used Rock dust and the ground I treated with it did produce good crops. Was it anything to do with the Rock dust? Heaven knows, I didn't do what I advocated should be done in order to guage whether it works or not. Will I use it again? Dunno. Hopefully someone will trial it properly and give us some feedback.

[Martin H]

Jimbo, the true test is to treat one half of the bed with rock dust and don't treat the other half so that you have one half of every row containing both treated and untreated soil.

Actually, for a true test you need a third party to treat one half of the bed with rock dust and not tell you which half it was until the end of the season. This is necessary to eliminate any unconscious bias on the part of the gardener.

I won't be doing the test, personally. I expect rock dust helps if your soil has any mineral deficiencies and I can't see how it would hurt - but I think my clay is pretty rich in all the common minerals anyway and rock dust is expensive.