There are many different types of minerals in healthy soil. They vary in size and composition and provide your garden’s crops with essential nutrients. If you aren’t getting what you want out of your soil, chances are that it is missing important minerals—in which case, remineralizing with rock dust will go a long way to restoring…
Going about our daily lives, most of us don’t give much thought to the soil that sustains us. Throughout the world, urban areas are becoming more densely populated—which means that more and more of us are standing on “dirt” rather than “soil.” What’s the difference? Dirt is dead. Soil is living. Ask any organic farmer…
Have you harvested your last juicy red tomato? Coaxed the last few cucumbers from the vine? Don’t despair! Seize this opportunity to get your garden ready for growth that can last through the fall and into the early winter. In many parts of the country, cooler temperatures bring out the best in a variety of…
Is there a shrub or a small tree that doesn’t quite fit in its current location? Are you in the mood for a landscaping ‘makeover’? Mid-autumn is an ideal time to transplant perennials and shrubs, at least here in the Pacific Northwest where relatively mild and rainy conditions help ensure that plants have plenty of…
In a previous post, we talked about how gardeners can take advantage of the early fall to reinvigorate the microbial life of their soil. Fall is an especially good time to apply volcanic rock dust to the soil because winter rains and snow helps distribute depleted nutrients (like magnesium, calcium, silicon and iron) to plants in…
By late summer, your plants—and you!—might be feeling a bit worn out. But trust us, the time and energy that you put into the soil in early fall will pay big dividends next year in the form of healthier plants that require less work. In fact, early fall is the best time of the year to…
Compost is a complex product. A magical mixture of carbon, nutrients and microbiology, compost works to give your plants the balanced diet that they need to thrive. One way to increase the energy level, or heat, of your compost pile is to add a high quality, nutrient-rich rock dust. Rich in silicon-based minerals and trace…
In a previous blog post, agronomist Rich Affeldt discussed the role that silicon plays in plant health and vitality. Adding an all-natural source of silicon, like that found in volcanic basalt, is an excellent way to grow plants that are healthy, strong and able to resist pests and disease. In this short follow-up video, Rich explains how certain plants—like zinnias and…
One of the key ingredients in Cascade Minerals’ Remineralizing Soil Booster is silicon, a plant nutrient that is often overlooked yet which plays a very important role in plant health and vitality. Listen as agronomist Rich Affeldt discusses how silicon added to soil helps make plants more resistant to pests and disease: An essential component…
Alas, our summer reading list has been light on mystery books and romance novels. Instead, we’ve had our noses buried in “heavier” topics, like the demineralization and degradation of our earth’s soils and how we have to make dramatic changes if we have any hope of saving the planet (and ourselves). Not that we’re complaining,…
