Remineralizing The Earth

I came across a great read while searching for information on amending my garden soil. Thought some of you might find the article Remineralizing The Earth by Dr,. Tso-Cheng Chang The Amazing Tales of a Farmer, From Farm to Table.
Success to all and Happy Gardening!
Gary

http://remineralize.org/site/blog/magazine/dr-tso-cheng-chang-the-amazing-tale-of-a-farmer-from-farm-to-table

Rock dust is interesting. Darius has an article here in DG.

Also look up "Azomite"

I am using AZOMITE for the first time this year.
I have used on my tomatoes a few weeks ago when I transplanted them outside and I never had such beautiful green and luscious plants.
Azomite has all of those good and reach minerals that the plant need.

drthor, did you get Azomite locally or off the internet? What is he application rate?

http://www.organicfertilizersources.com/product-listings/product-listings/azomite
300 pounds per acre and up

I wrote to the contact information on the Azomite website and this nice guy emailed me.
He delivered the 40lbs bag of Azomite at my house for $40.
The bag is pretty big and I am sure it will take a while to finish it.
His info is:
Mike Fodge
Texas Division D F International
Rowlett, Texas 75088
(301)219-7540 cell
rmfodge@gmail.com

I can't find a local dealer for Azomite. But the co-op can get Redmond Conditioner, which they say is similar. Has anyone ever used this? I would love some feedback.

Here's the website: (It's listed after the mineral salts, at the bottom)

http://www.redmondnatural.com/index.html

I use redmond minerals for our cows and the excess goes into the compost. No complaints from me..it's the only mineral my cows willingly eat...in case you wanted a taste test ;0)

I forgot to add that Redmond is formulated for your growing region. No excess of the things you don't need, high in those your soil is most likely lacking.

I picked up two bags of Azaomite from Mike Fodge yesterday and immediately begin using it. Mike said that his wife, who is in the landscape business, uses Azomite as a soil amendment as well as a top dressing. I can't wait to see what results I get by using it.. However, since I am using a number of products for the first time this year, dried molasses, worm castings, expanded shale, coconut coir, worm compost tea, liquid seaweed, lava sand, Texas greensand and others, it will be difficult to attribute the results to any single product.

WOW hrp50 !!!
Your plants will be amazing this year !!
Good job!

Here's the link right to Azomite's page 'for flowers, plants, vegetables"
http://www.azomite.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56:flowersplantsvegetables&catid=29:fertilizer-products&Itemid=79

Hrp50

I normally use the kelp and worm castings. Those alone are going to amaze you. I also use bat guano. Best show on my hydrangeas ever. They were even better that my mother's which had a major league diet of horse, rabbit, chicken and sheep poop. Her garden was unbelievable!

I'm trying to find azomite locally

I use Azomite mixed with greensand in my soil amendment mix, along with CalPhos and inoculated biochar in a compost base. There's an organic supply place about 2 hours from here and several of the guys at the farmer's market trade produce to me for picking up amendments for them when I go, which s usually twice a year.

The Azomite website does have a dealer directory for each state. Looking at the analysis for Azomite and Redmond Conditioner, they are very similar in most mineral PPM. My local feed co-op can get Redmond, and I'll have to drive a ways to get the Azomite, but I might just try both to see if one is better. There sure are rave reviews for both!

Hoosier, be sure to check the Boron... very important to plants!

Yes, Azomite has Boron listed at 29 ppm and Redmond Conditioner has it at 14 ppm. I'm glad they list manganese too, as it's usually deficient in the clay soils of central Indiana.

I forget what Jon Frank @ AgLabs recommends for Boron... but they are the best folks I know for soil information. http://www.aglabs.com/

Just called Worms Way in Northern Kentucky. They have it in powder form. Bet that all Worms Way stores have it in stock.

Kathy

Worms Way has what in powder form? Boron?

50$ for the good test with trace minerals. For this backyard casual gardener, I'll just spend that money towards some mineral supp, assuming I need it due to our rainy climate and sort of sand based soil.

IMHO---Good decision sallyg

Vortreker: The Worm's Way stores carry Azomite, which is mineral supplement (in powder form, not liquid).

sallyg: I'm not sure of the price of Azomite (but I think a post above said 40 lbs. for $40), but the Redmond Conditioner is under $15 for a 50 lb. bag. The main thing is that most soils that have been farmed for generations (or sandy in a rainy climate), can be deficient in minerals, especially trace elements. Both Azomite and Redmond Conditioner are loaded with minerals.

This whole thread started with a discussion of the need for remineralizing the soil.

Check out the website

http://remineralize.org/site/blog/magazine/dr-tso-cheng-chan...

44lb/$46 plus $30 for shipping. I found though if you add a bunch of other stuff on to make it worth the shipping that the shipping only went up a dollar or so. For me its worth it because the organic store here is all the way across town and I don't like them much anyway, so I'd rather order all my stuff from Worms Way which I love and pay the shipping for it all at one time. I hope I made sense.

Azomite is $26 retail at Fedco [44 pounds]. If shipped, that costs more of course.

Wow, that's high! I pay $20 for a 44 pound bag.
http://www.7springsfarm.com/catalog.html#other20minerals

darius, Maybe you are getting torn bags...ha


Fedco's price is $27 for less than 10 bags...........

Nope. That's where all the local organic farmers buy supplies; he runs a CSA and started ordering stuff for his few acres. Now he has 3 storage buildings full of amendments. He's is in the middle on Nowhere so we all go to him. He's built up a very nice rural business.

Good to support local farmers, especially organic! Maybe you'll pay a little more, but it's worth it to keep local, sustainable agriculture going!

I was just looking at your farmer's catalogue. I think what I'm going to do is through the season make up my list of things like azomite, sticking to my fish/kelp fertilizer etc. This fall I'm just going to pack my husband into the van and drive down and pick up everything at once. I'm going to make it into a little getaway for hubby and me rather than pay for the shipping. I mean its worth it for a 50lb bag of worm castings.

yehudith, that's pretty much what we do here too. Keeping lists, combining a bunch of orders and sharing (or trading for) the gas expense is much cheaper than shipping.

If you'll bring me a bowl of clam chowder and a kaiser roll from Crisfield's in S/S, I'll drive up to Ron's farm and meet you!

The closest source for MD listed for Redmonds is in PA which is an hour for me--and much more depending on which part. But hopefully I'll get to our local farm store and ask about some kind of mineral supp. There are some very small farms and many horse owners around here.
Ironite was 13$ at Home Depot but its not as complete as Azomite, right?

sallyg----Ironite does not compare-

I'm on my way to the Farmers Coop in Fredrick to get alfapha and molassas 50lb/$14. I'll check and see if they have azomite too and let you know.

Clam chowder? OK let me figure out where Criswell's is and I'll bring you some. About how far is it (the farm) from DC?

If you have a local independently owned feed store, they most likely will order anything you want. We have two local feed stores that are not chain stores. One won't and doesn't carry diddly. The other will search the ends of the earth to find whatever product I want, he's priceless.

Cocoa_lulu, what feed store do you use? I usually go to NE Texas Farmer's Co-op and they're pretty good. But sometimes when I ask for things and then they ask me what I'm doing with that and I tell them they look at me funny. I'm a Yankee, you know. I'm checking around for the Redmond Conditioner. I still have time to add to the beds. Won't hurt to have a bag for fall. Add some to the rose beds, too. As long as the dogs don't decide its ice cream I'll be good! =)

We use the NE co-op in Canton for feed and fencing, general stuff. I've never requested an order from them...anytime I go in there, they're usually stressed out for one reason or another. I have to go today, always interesting.lol

I can't remember the name of the 'helpful' feedstore. It's on a side road, behind Ace hardware in Mineola. ... no funny looks or questions. lol He just says "give me a day and I'll find it!"

I'll ask dh when he gets in, the name of it.

yehudith, I usually stop at the farm store on my way home from seeing my docs in Charlottesville. Seems like it takes me about 2-1/2 hours because there's no direct route. I go through Lynchburg to Roanoke, then about 45 mins. across the windy mountain road. You'd probably come down I-81 to Roanoke.

Chrisfield Seafood is on Georgia Ave. If you haven't had their oyster stew (which is what I was thinking and meant when my fingers wrote chowder) you have missed a real treat. Best with Chincoteague oysters!

"Feed store' in Gambrills, which has gardening and horse, goat and poultry supplies at least- Funny looks, and no they never heard of conditioner for animals either
Farmers coop in Glen Burnie- (phone) "Don't know, don't see it in computer, Call back when the animal girl comes in" I still have some hope though, this guy will try selling things like EM, and crushed crab shell.

Organic grocery in Gambrill's - At least the manager did not make me feel like a freak asking her, but she was not familiar with Azomite.