This topic contains 12 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by Rhys 10 years, 4 months ago.
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I have only used rockdust on top, and see how it disappears into soil, worms appear to like it for example. Since there is more microbial activity near the soil surface, it has more chance there of ‘coming to life’.
Steph has been having great success in dealing with marestail without disturbing soil and mulching on top.re rockdust and manure, I would put dust on top.
Same answer to the other, I would not dig before mulching but for those weeds I would use polythene for a year, as I show in the photos at the top of This Month November 2013.
rockdust on manure!
I have set up two polytunnels on horsetail, bindweed, silverweed, nettles and dock this year. I used a deeper mulch than usual, probably 7 or 8 inches, on the beds because horsetail is so invasive and powerful. This has been very successful, the other weeds have gone except for the odd bit of bindweed creeping in and the horsetail which has diminished significantly and is easily removed with a trowel
I don’t know how long it will be before the horsetail gives up completely!
Yes I compost them, as long as they are covered in the heap with more iingredients, so they have no access to light until rotten, a few months at this time of year.
Used some on a trial bed by the house along with the spent tomato pot compost (huge organic content of root system) and planted shallots in it. They did very well once the cold March was over.
I put some more down on a few more beds a couple of weeks ago, including one with winter onions and garlic. I’ve done no scientific measurements, but all the young plants shot ahead in the week after putting the dust on top.
I’ve also just laid down some horse manure on top of rock dust on ground not dug since last spring. We’ll see how it gets on. Same on top of the asparagus and rhubarb.
I also put a small handful into the final pots of my tomatoes last summer, which was a mixture of John Innes Number Three and purchased well-rotted ‘farmyard manure’. No science done, but the final outcome was magnificent. I suspect lots of hot summer sunshine helped too though.
This sounds promising, nice results.
There is a lot of good anecdotal experience with rockdust, see http://www.binnsoilnutrients.com/user-reports/ which is full of happy users.
Binns have got it into B&Q at a fair price, is that where you found yours?
Although rock dust is undoubtably beneficial it would seem to me a bit of a red herring in relation to Granny’s other problems, particularly with perennial weed. I think it is extremely difficult for inexperienced gardeners to get rid of them by your methods and they often give up in despair. I know your methods work and am full of admiration for the wonderful results you get Charles and your fantastic soil- the direct result of your organic methods.
I wish ‘Granny’ all the best with her allotment and her weeds!http://www.pinetumproducts.co.uk
It’s based in Gloucestershire and run by an organic guy similar in enthusiasm to yourself.
The reason I went with these guys is that they had a lab analysis of what was in it and it looked far more useful than the American Azomite and the Seer Centre in Scotland (whose dust is marketed by Binn) didn’t have an analysis available. It’s particularly rich in the useful elements like potassium, calcium, magnesium and it seems to have pretty much every trace element under the sun.
Just got another 40kg delivered this week after finishing the trial bag of 20kg a week or so back.
If I had a hectare of land, I’d do some proper scientific trials, but to the naked eye it certainly seems to help and certainly doesn’t harm.
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