Granite dust

[Cachucha]

I have a friend that owns a granite shop and I have access to granite dust. Would it be safe to use this as an amendment for my soil like rock dust or azomite?

 

[Scovie]

Safe? It's an organic substance, so yes. ("Organic" as in, it comes from the earth)

It's basically clay when you get the powder wet.

I think you're overthinking the peper growing thing.

Dirt. Water. Peppers. Smile.

 

[CDNmatt]

Google is my best friend -  "Granite rock dust chemical composition: As you can see granite rock dust is quite rich in potassium, not so much in calcium, phosphorus or magnesium. Those nutrients will have to be balanced with different sources"

 

[Scovie]

So you would have to amend the amendment? :Rofl:

 

[Cachucha]

Safe? It's an organic substance, so yes. ("Organic" as in, it comes from the earth)

It's basically clay when you get the powder wet.

I think you're overthinking the peper growing thing.

Dirt. Water. Peppers. Smile.

Thanks for the reply. Im asking because I will be using the soil in my garden to grow peppers a long with other vegetables and I wanted to increase their nutritional value. Just wanting to get some thoughts on the subject and find out if anyone else had researched it and what they found out

 

[CDNmatt]

So you would have to amend the amendment?

 

That is correct.....I think?

 

[Cachucha]

Google is my best friend -  "Granite rock dust chemical composition: As you can see granite rock dust is quite rich in potassium, not so much in calcium, phosphorus or magnesium. Those nutrients will have to be balanced with different sources"

Ill have to try some on my banana plants. Thanks

 

[CDNmatt]

Thanks for the reply. Im asking because I will be using the soil in my garden to grow peppers a long with other vegetables and I wanted to increase their nutritional value. Just wanting to get some thoughts on the subject and find out if anyone else had researched it and what they found out

 

You know what this type of questions I also have many of my own...mostly cause I am having to build new beds and really can't afford the higher cost of some of the better soils, so I will be looking for cheap and easy way's to add nutrients into the beds besides the regular plant feedings that will go on throughout the season.
 
Compost is obviously one of the better ways to go but its more of a  need it done now type thing. I have some things (perhaps even weird) to ask in the coming weeks myself.

 

[Geonerd]

Is should be absolutely safe to use in fairly significant quantity.  The assorted minerals will take time to decompose, so it's not like your plants will be overdosed with Mg, K, Fe, etc.  People use assorted types of 'lava sand,' which is compositionally similar, as a mineral supplement at up to 20% by volume.  With the more bio-available dust, I'd limit the ratio to 1:10 or less.  (That's just a wild-assed guess!)  Try a variety of mixes, of differing 'strengths' and report back!
 

 

[Powelly]

There is no peer reviewed science that shows benefit to using rock dust in soils with high organic matter
 
Mixing rock dust in high clay soil with low organic matter will turn it into concrete 
Mixing rock dust in high sand soil with low organic matter is adding more sand