The post Rock Dust Helps Indoor Soil Stay Free of Fungus Gnats appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>A key component of cell walls, silicon helps improve plant structure which in turn increases their resistance to a variety of environmental stressors. Plants that don’t have access to silicon in the soil are stressed out and weak, making them less able to resist injuries causes by insects and pests. (Learn more in a previous blog post, “How rock dust boosts plants’ resistance to aphids and other pesky pests.”)
Most gardeners are familiar with fungus gnats, a common indoor nuisance and in greenhouses where humidity and moisture are high. As adults, flying fungus gnats are annoying but harmless. It’s the hungry larvae that feed in the soil that can cause damage to tender plant roots. Symptoms include poor plant growth, yellowing, and wilting. Whether you are a commercial greenhouse grower or an indoor hobbyist, these small gnats can be a big problem.
Case Study: Pierce County (WA) Master Gardeners
Last year the Pierce County Master Gardeners propagated over 1,200 tomato plants and 2,000 perennials to study and to donate for the group’s annual spring plant sale. This year, they are using all-natural Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Booster, made of 100% volcanic basalt, as a soil topper on all plants started from cuttings. About 60 Master Gardeners are participating in the mineral study, and the results so far have been positive:
The Pierce County Master Gardener propagation group is having great success using the ground basalt as a soil dressing on all of our plant cuttings. Everyone is delighted with the ground basalt, as the plants are thriving. We’ve also found that the soil has stayed free of fungus gnats. Our members are excited about using it for their own greenhouses! – Cynthia LaFleur, WSU Pierce County Master Gardeners
For more information about the WSU Pierce County Master Gardeners program including upcoming plant sales and other events, please visit http://ext100.wsu.edu/pierce/mg/.
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]]>The post Can Volcanic Rock Dust Protect Against Little Cherry Disease? appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>The disease does what its name suggests: it causes stunted fruit growth resulting in small, unripe cherries with lower sugar content (producing fruit that doesn’t taste very good). Unfortunately, the disease doesn’t make itself apparent until harvest time—when it’s already too late. Farmers are forced to burn trees or bulldoze them before starting over. However, replanting an orchard has its own risks as the virus can come back through the roots.
Spread Through Insects
Little cherry disease almost wiped out British Columbia’s cherry industry back in the 1930s and 1940s when over 60,000 cherry trees had to be destroyed. It is spread primarily through insects, and recent studies in Washington State show that two different species of mealybug—apple and grape—are at work, making it even more difficult to control through spraying.
Scientists say that the situation with little cherry disease in Washington and Oregon will get worse before it gets better. Entomologists and fruit growers are working together to find ways to manage the disease and to minimize crop damage.
Unfortunately, mealybugs are difficult to detect. They are also notoriously hard to control with insecticide sprays. Growers are advised to be aggressive in removing infected trees and to replant with trees that have been certified as virus-free.
Rock Dust & Other Innovative Approaches to Pest Management
Unfortunately, cherry growers are not alone in their battle against predatory pests. Commercial growers of agricultural crops everywhere seek innovative solutions that go beyond harmful (and increasingly ineffective) chemicals. These include biological controls such as the use of natural predators, and pheromones that disrupt insect mating patterns.
Increasingly, growers are integrating all-natural rock dust into their pest management plans. Tso-Cheng Chang is an organic farmer in Amherst, Massachusetts who grows a wide variety of vegetables including asparagus, bok choy, string beans, bean sprouts, bitter melons, and green peppers. He applies rock dust to his crops annually to help boost their resistance to aphids and Japanese beetles.
Volcanic basalt is particularly effective as it is high in soluble silicon (Si), a key component of cell walls that improves plant structure and increases resistance to pests and disease. Plants that don’t have access to soluble silicon in the soil are stressed out, weak, and unable to resist injuries causes by insects and pests.
Bob Wilt is the owner of Sunset Valley Organics, a family farm in Oregon that uses Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster (made entirely of volcanic basalt) to grow nutrient dense organic berries that require minimal processing. Unlike many other berry growers, Sunset Valley Organics’ blueberry crops haven’t been affected by the dreaded spotted wing drosophila (SWD). Bob has never had to spray against the insect and believes that rock dust helps grow healthy plants that are pest and disease free.
Can Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster help in the battle against little cherry disease? While we haven’t conducted any controlled trials, we are convinced that the healthier plants and higher yields observed in other crops show that volcanic rock dust can be part of an effective, integrative and non-chemical approach to managing pests and preventing further damage to our region’s precious crops.
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References:
“Little cherry disease is spreading: Both apple and grape mealybug, vectors of the virus, were recently found in cherry orchards,” Good Fruit Grower, 11/18/13
“The promise of new technology for regional control of navel orangeworm,” Western Farm Press, 1/22/15
“How rock dust boosts plants’ resistance to aphids and other pesky pests,” Cascade Minerals Blog, 4/4/15
“Sunset Valley Organics makes Cascade Minerals part of its healthy soils program,” Cascade Minerals Blog, 8/6/15
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]]>The post How Sustainable Farmers are Using All-Natural Rock Dust for Slug Management appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>The situation has become so dire that in March 2015 Oregon State University (OSU) hosted a “Slug Summit” in the state’s capital to try to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, the “Slug Summit” didn’t reveal any concrete answers. Growers and researchers still don’t know exactly why the slippery mollusks are becoming harder to control. One theory is that sustainable, no-till and reduced tillage farming practices, while good for the earth, leave more vegetation for slugs to find shelter.
Whatever the reasons, the bottom line is that slugs are costing farmers some very big bucks. According to some estimates, grass seed growers alone lose about $15 million per year to slug damage. One study showed that soon after grass seed farmers adopted no-till practices in the early 2000s, there were nearly 30 times as many slugs in no-till ryegrass fields than in conventionally tilled fields.
(Sources: “Slugs Are Destroying the Businesses of Oregon’s Sustainable Farmers” by Leah Sottile takes a close look at the problem and how some growers are trying to cope. More information on slugs and slug management is available via OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences website.)
An Integrated Approach to Slug Management
You would be hard pressed to find a grower in the Willamette Valley who doesn’t support greener farming practices—in theory. Still, despite the proven benefits of no-till farming (e.g., healthier soil with more beneficial microbes), many are hesitant to give up plowing the soil because they fear being invaded by slugs.
So what can a sustainable farmer do? There doesn’t appear to a single best answer—what works for one grower doesn’t necessarily work for another. That’s why OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences is seeking an increase in funding from the state legislature to hire extension agents to study and control slugs.
In the meantime, farmers are finding innovative ways to deal with slugs and integrating management practices to minimize the financial damage to their crops. Some of the variety of tools for managing slugs are chemical baits like Sluggo and Deadline, natural enemies like ground beetles and birds, and barriers like copper foil and abrasives like ashes and rock dust. According to the University of California’s Integrated Pest Management Program, “barriers of dry ashes or other abrasives heaped in a band 1 inch high and 3 inches wide around the garden also can be effective.” (Source: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html).
Some farmers are using all-natural Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster as part of an integrated approach to land management. The variable grit size of our volcanic rock dust acts as a physical barrier that slugs are loathe to cross. At the same time, essential rock minerals are released back to the soil which further enhances microbial activity. So far, the results have been positive and we look forward to participating in more research because we believe that all-natural volcanic rock dust can be part of an effective, integrative and non-chemical approach to managing these pests and preventing further damage to Oregon’s precious crops.
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]]>The post Rock Dust as Part of an Organic Weed Control Plan appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>One might argue that aggressive tactics are the only way to deal with these sneaky invaders. Yet in the words of the Dalai Lama, “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”
So what can weeds teach us, and how can we use that against them? The key is to find—and exploit—their weaknesses.
Exploiting Weeds’ Weaknesses
First, we know that weeds are opportunists. If there’s any empty space, they’ll find it—especially if the soil has been turned over, thereby exposing pesky weed seeds to sun and water. No-till gardening helps. Raised beds are practical, too. By planting vegetables closer together, we grow a green canopy that deprives weeds of sun and gives them less room to take over. Raised beds also reduce the need for fertilizer, water and pesticides (even ‘organic’ pesticides can be damaging).
Second, many weeds have strong root systems. Try yanking on a dandelion. Chances are, it’ll sprout right up again thanks to a deep taproot. Dandelions are not alone, either. Many perennial weeds have deep or widespread roots with super-human strength.
Unfortunately, weeds can’t be eradicated entirely. Not even the most toxic commercial brew can do the job—so why even go there? The key is to make sure that the plants we want, i.e., the desirables, are vital, healthy, and strong. A natural way to grow strong plants is to remineralize the soil with rock dust. Rock dust mimics the Earth’s own process for creating healthy soil, and volcanic basalt in particular releases the micronutrients and trace elements that are important to the life cycle of plant, including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. In addition, the naturally occurring silicon in volcanic basalt helps plants develop bigger and stronger root systems.
Rock dust helps shift the competitive balance: The denser and stronger a plants’ roots, the less room there is for enemy weeds.
Other Benefits of Remineralizing with Rock Dust
As part of an integrated plan for managing weeds, rock dust also helps achieve the following:
When choosing a rock dust, look for a product like Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster that has the “OMRI Listed” symbol on the label. This indicates that the Organic Materials Review Institute has approved its use in organic production and that you can use it to help control weeds without endangering your family, your pets, or wildlife.
Known as “Nature’s Original Recipe,” Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster is manufactured from volcanic basalt found in Central Oregon’s legendary Cascade Mountains. Massive stones are milled to produce a finely ground soil booster that releases naturally occurring minerals and trace elements to help your plants flourish.
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]]>The post How Rock Dust Boosts Plants’ Resistance to Aphids and Other Pesky Pests appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>“I’ve normally had to spray my roses for aphids at least once by this time of the year. The only thing different this year is that I used Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster. As you can see, no aphids (predators can easily take care of the few that do appear).”
His story is not unusual. Take the case of Tso-Cheng Chang, an organic farmer in Amherst, Massachusetts (read more on Remineralize the Earth’s website, here). According to Chang, simply applying rock dust to his plants every year makes them strong and healthy, and resistant to aphids and Japanese beetles.
The Beetle-Battling Secret Behind Rock Dust
The science behind the solution is silicon. A key component of cell walls, silicon (Si) improves plant structure and increases resistance to pests and disease. Plants that don’t have access to soluble silicon in the soil are stressed out, weak, and unable to resist injuries causes by insects and pests.
After oxygen, silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust—which brings up the question, “If there is so much silicon in the soil, why do plants suffer from silicon deficiency in the first place?”
The problem lies with the form of silicon that can be absorbed by plants. Only a small fraction of silicon in our agricultural soils is soluble and plant-ready. That’s why it’s so important to supplement the soil with an all-natural and soluble source of silicon, i.e., one that is readily available for plant growth.
The Superior Benefits of Basalt
One of the best sources of such silicon is volcanic basalt, the rock that you’ll find in every bag of Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster. Compared to other volcanic rocks, basalt weather quickly which means it breaks down readily in soil. Adding silicon back to soil that has been depleted of this essential element not only makes it easier for plants to ward off plant-eating insects, but it also improves plant resistance to leaf and foliar diseases (like downy mildew).
This year, as you think about pest management, think about silicon—aphids will hate it, but your plants will thrive!
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]]>The post Add Silicon to Soil to Make Plants More Resistant to Pests and Disease appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>Listen as agronomist Rich Affeldt discusses how silicon added to soil helps make plants more resistant to pests and disease:
An essential component of the cell wall of all plant cells, silicon is also found in the rough, spiny structures of cucurbits (cucumbers, melons, squash, etc.) as well as in some flowers like zinnias.
In fact, anything with a “scratchy” feeling is likely to be a silicon structure that the plant has produced to ward off predators and pests. What agronomists and horticulturists are learning is that adding silicon to soil or soil media is an excellent way to improve plant resistance to leaf and foliar diseases (such as downy mildew). It also makes it easier for plants to ward off plant-eating insects so they stay strong and healthy.
Last but not least, gardeners can rest assured that there is no danger to plants of adding “too much” Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster. Made of all-natural volcanic basalt, the product is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic production and is safe to use around children and pets. That said, a little bit goes a long way in nourishing the soil and ensuring the long-term health and vitality of the plants that grow in it.
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]]>The post Set Aside the Pesticide: Silicon Grows Stronger, More Disease-Resistant Plants appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>In a previous blog post, we discussed the many benefits of silicon to soil health and human health. Here we discuss its role in helping plants become more resistant to pests and disease.
For starters, supplemental silicon contributes to stronger stems. This helps makes plants more resistant to injuries caused by insects and other pests. In addition, plants with strong stems are able to stand strong and tall—capturing more light and maximizing photosynthesis.
Plant-ready silicon also helps build the strength of cell walls. As a result, plants are better able to suppress disease. At Rutgers University, pumpkins grown in soil amended with silicon had less powdery mildew disease (a disease that infects leaves and causes loss of foliage) and improved yields.
From Rutgers University, research also shows that silicon can:
Almost all soils can benefit from the application of soluble silicon, even sandy soils. (Although sand is mostly silicon dioxide, it is not in a soluble format that plants can use.) Indoor growing situations, i.e., greenhouse and hydroponic systems, can also benefit from silicon nutrition.
As awareness grows, the hope is that commercial growers will become less reliant on chemical pesticides to manage pests and disease and follow the lead of home gardeners and organic farmers who are using Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster. It is derived from volcanic basalt and puts soluble silicon into the soil where it can be absorbed by plants that grow strong and healthy to produce nutrient-rich food for humans.
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