wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /var/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114The post Microbes, Volcanoes & Good Old-Fashioned Dirt: Three Good Books on Soil Health appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>It’s a little like the Yellow Volkswagen Bug Theory. When someone you know gets a yellow VW bug, suddenly you begin to see them everywhere you go. Of course, they were there all along. You’ve just become more aware of them.
The same goes with books. Here are three books that touch either directly or indirectly on soil, soil health, rock dust and remineralization.
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Destruction and Renewal: A New Look at Mount St. Helens
Much has been written about the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, so another book about the volcano and the destruction that it left behind seems unnecessary. Yet “Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens” (W. W. Norton & Company, 2016) by author Steve Olson is different. He writes about the event in the context of the times (high unemployment, a gloomy economy, and general malaise) and how these thing affected local and federal decision-making before, during and after the single most powerful natural disaster in American history.
The author ends by applauding the decision to preserve 110,000 acres around the volcano, giving scientists a chance to observe how the land has bounced back. Today, the area enjoys more biological diversity than it did before the blast, thanks largely to the mineral-rich volcanic ash and rock that was deposited on the soil.
On our blog: Read articles on Mount St. Helens and other volcanoes around the world, including “Rich, Healthy Soil with Volcanic Soil Amendments” and “Secrets from the Deep: Volcanic Basalt’s Mineral Benefits Are Far-Reaching.”
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Microbes and Rocks: A Symbiotic Relationship
A geology professor at the University of Washington, David Montgomery is the author of “Dirt,” an influential book which takes a fascinating (and often dim) look at the history of soil and civilization. His newest book is “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health” (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) which he wrote with his wife, biologist Anne Biklé.
Montgomery and Biklé tell the story of buying a home in Seattle and finding a yard filled with hard, compacted soil. As they bring it back to life, they learn about the role of microbes and the promise they hold for restoring depleted soils. When Biklé gets cancer, she learns that microbes work to benefit our digestive systems in much the same way they work to benefit the soil. Soil health and human health go hand in hand.
In the following passages, the authors describe how microbes and rocks work together for soil health and human health:
“We can’t eat rocks, yet our bodies are made of nutrients that come from rocks. Microbes play key roles in breaking down and extracting elements from rocks and getting them into biological circulation.”
“In something akin to a refining process, microbes help remove essential elements from rocks and keep them in play thereafter in the game of life.”
“Without the help of microbes transforming nutrients into forms plants can use, important elements remain uselessly parked just outside a plant’s roots, like a cargo ship stuck outside port.”
On our blog: Learn more about how rock dust fragments help feed hungry microbes in “Keep Soil Microbes Happy: Feed Them a Healthy Diet of All-Natural Volcanic Rock Dust” and “Soil Minerals and Microbes: A Partnership That Benefits Plants, People and Planet.”
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Healthy Soil, Health Food, Healthy Kids
“We are only as good as the dirt our food is grown in and our kids play in.”
The quote is from Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein, a pediatric neurologist and the author of “The Dirt Cure: Growing Healthy Kids with Food Straight from Soil” (Atria Books, 2016). Beginning with her own son, Dr. Klein discovers that much of our conventionally grown and highly processed food is harming our children’s immune systems and interfering with their gut microbiomes.
The result is lifelong, chronic illness. What is the solution? According to the author, it is good old-fashioned dirt. The “dirt cure,” as the author calls it, includes the following:
On our blog: Learn more about taking control of our children’s health by reading “Going from ‘Fed Up’ to ‘Fired Up:’ Teaching Kids About Soil Health & Nutrition” and “What do Rock Dust and Recess Have to do With Getting Kids to Eat Better?”
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Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Please share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions….and happy reading!
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]]>The post Volcanic Basalt Can Help Improve Water Retention & Alleviate Plant Stress appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>Now more than ever, water retention is critical. Every drop of fresh water counts. Asking people to replace their lawns and to stop washing their cars is a step in the right direction, but it’s not nearly enough to reverse the dire water shortages that are predicted globally over the next decade.
As scientists contemplate battling drought with technologies ranging from desalination to cloud seeding, there is another factor to consider: soil management.
Soil that is healthy and well-managed is able to retain moisture, whereas “dead” soil cannot. Worse, the rain that does fall on hard and compacted soil simply runs off. Not only is it wasteful, but it also washes potentially harmful pesticides and chemicals directly into our lakes and streams.
Organic growers already know about rock dust’s ability to help with soil’s water retention. Yet not all rock dust is alike. Volcanic basalt is especially valued for its high water-holding capacity. That’s because basalt is an “extrusive” rock, i.e., a rock that is formed when liquid magma is extruded onto the earth’s surface through a volcano’s vents. Basalt cools very rapidly, leaving no time for large mineral crystals to form. This is important because the finer the minerals, the less coarse the soil—and the more water holding capacity it has.
(Compare this to granite, an “intrusive” rock that forms deep in the earth’s crust. Granite cools much slower than basalt, and thus forms larger mineral crystals.)
Given that the whole earth is made of rocks and minerals, it’s surprising to learn that most of the world’s soils are woefully deficient in rock minerals, caused by natural weathering as well as aggressive and non-sustainable farming practices.
Aside from a volcanic eruption (too violent) or massive glacial activity (too slow), the easiest way to replace missing minerals in the soil is to apply rock dust. And while almost any type of rock dust will improve the soil, volcanic basalt is the best for delivering a wide array of plant essential nutrients, including: calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn).
In addition to being rich in nutrients, basalt’s finer mineral composition makes it more susceptible to natural weathering. Water, ice, acids, salt, animals and temperature changes all contribute to the breakdown of basalt and the release of its mineral supply.
When everything is said and done, there isn’t much we can do (at least in the short-term) to change what comes out of the sky. But we CAN begin to change what’s under our feet—by advocating for better soil management practices, including all-natural methods like rock dust to help improve the physical structure and texture of our soils so they are better able to use every drop of precious water.
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Cascade Minerals is committed to the restoration and remineralization of our earth’s depleted soils. Our all-natural Remineralizing Soil Booster is made from massive basalt stones from Central Oregon’s legendary Cascade Mountains. Rocks are crushed to produce a finely milled, 100% natural product that is approved for organic production and releases the essential minerals and trace elements that plants and humans need to flourish.
For a more in depth article, check out Best Plants’ article on making and using compost.
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]]>The post Secrets from the Deep: Volcanic Basalt’s Mineral Benefits Are Far-Reaching appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>It seems that instead of a sea of silence, the deepest parts of the earth are booming with sounds both man-made (e.g., shipping traffic) and natural (e.g., marine life and earthquakes).
Then there are the underwater volcanoes. OSU estimates that there are more than a million of these “submarine volcanoes” spread throughout the world’s oceans. Together they produce an estimated 75% of the annual output of magma worldwide.
Geology Meets Biology
Magma is a fluid mix of molten material that comes from deep within the earth. Made up of a broad spectrum of minerals and essential elements, magma becomes lava when it is ejected during a volcanic eruption. This lava cools and solidifies relatively quickly, turning into mineral-rich volcanic rock.
And while there are different types of volcanic rocks, basalt is the rock that underlies much of the Earth’s oceans. Regions of the world that are blessed with surface extrusions of basalt also have some of the most fertile soils.
Why? Because basalt is rich in iron, magnesium, and silica. Compared to volcanic rocks which are high in quartz, basalt weathers relatively quickly which means that it begins to release nutrients to plants as soon as the roots make contact. Over time, additional nutrients become available as rocks are pried apart by water, extreme temperatures, and hungry microbes that work together to release minerals into the soil and make them available to plants.
Rock Dust: Feeding Microbes
Surely, if the microbes that have inhabited the earth since the beginning of time could speak, they’d say “Feed Us. We’re Hungry!”
That’s because much of the modern world’s soil-sustaining rock material has been stripped away thanks in large part to aggressive agriculture practices (along with other sudden and extreme climate changes). Robbed of their nutrient-rich food source, microbes have less work to do and the soil suffers—as does human health and nutrition.
So what can be done (aside from Mother Nature releasing a series of violent volcanic eruptions)? One of the quickest, easiest, and safest ways of introducing minerals back into the soil is through the process of remineralization with rock dust. Not surprisingly, one of the best sources of rock dust is volcanic basalt.
Adding finely crushed volcanic basalt to the soil is as close as it gets to mimicking the Earth’s own natural methods for restoring minerals and other essential elements back to the soil. For further reading, we recommend “Soil Minerals and Microbes: A Partnership That Benefits Plants, People and Planet.”
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Cascade Minerals is committed to the restoration and remineralization of our earth’s depleted soils. Our all-natural Remineralizing Soil Booster is made from massive basalt stones from Central Oregon’s legendary Cascade Mountains. Rocks are crushed to produce a finely milled, 100% natural product that is approved for organic production and releases the essential minerals and trace elements that plants and humans need to flourish.
The post Secrets from the Deep: Volcanic Basalt’s Mineral Benefits Are Far-Reaching appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>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 How Rock Dust and Biochar Work Together to Remineralize Soils appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>Rock dust serves as food for the millions of beneficial microorganisms that feed on each other and help break down organic matter. More microbial activity means more heat, and more heat leads to faster and more efficient composting.
Rock dust isn’t just a great complement to compost, however. It is also highly effective in helping improve soil’s health and fertility when combined with biochar, a solid material rich in carbon that was used as a traditional soil amendment for thousands of years. Indeed, evidence of “terra preta,” or “black earth,” dating back to the Pre-Columbian era, is still visible in the Brazilian Amazon.
Like rock dust, biochar has seen a recent resurgence as more people become aware of sustainability methods from the past—and understand their role in our future. When used together, they help the remineralization process by ensuring that plants have a steady supply of essential minerals and nutrients.
It works like this: Rock dust weather slowly, releasing essential minerals and trace elements into the soil over time where they are readily accessible to plant roots when they need them. Biochar helps keep these important minerals from leaching away too quickly by acting like a sponge whose absorbent surfaces also provide a safe place where beneficial microbes multiply and thrive.
One of the most effective ways to use rock dust and biochar is to mix them into your compost. For more information and links to recent research involving rock dust and biochar, read “Biochar and Rock Dust for Nutrient Dense Food, Soil Fertility Restoration, and Carbon Sequestration” at Remineralize.org.
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When looking for a soil amendment made of volcanic basalt, look for a high-quality product that is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic production. One product that meets this standard is Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster which is made entirely in the USA from all-natural volcanic basalt from Central Oregon.
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]]>The post It Boosts Biological Activity, But Is Volcanic Basalt a Paramagnetic Rock? appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>Not all rock dust is alike, however. Created through the cooling and solidification of dense viscous lava, volcanic basalt is an igneous rock that underlies much of the Earth’s oceans. Some regions of the world are blessed with surface extrusions of basalt, including Central Oregon with its Miocene Era Columbia River flood basalt that is one of the most iron dense basalt flows in the world, and the only one of its kind in North America.
Compared to volcanic rocks which are high in quartz, basalt weathers relatively quickly which means that it begins to release nutrients to plants as soon as the roots make contact. Additional nutrients become available with ongoing decomposition, thereby resulting in a steady flow of nutrients over time.
The benefits of volcanic basalt, when used as a soil amendment, are numerous. Research dating back to the early 1930s and supported by modern data shows that it can help with the improvement of soil’s physical properties to the enhancement of silicon nutrition (which in turn helps boost plants’ resistance to pests and disease).
Yes, but…Is volcanic basalt a paramagnetic rock?
Paramagnetic Rock
Mention “volcanic basalt” and you may get a question about its paramagnetic properties. The basic scientific definition of paramagnetism, from Wikipedia, is:
“Paramagnetism is a form of magnetism whereby certain materials are attracted by an externally applied magnetic field, and form internal, induced magnetic fields in the direction of the applied magnetic field.”
As relates to soil health, the concept of paramagnetism as developed by Dr. Philip S. Callahan says that healthy plant growth depends on soils being paramagnetic, i.e., containing a low-energy force that occurs naturally in volcanic soils but is often stripped away by modern farming practices.
Callahan’s research led him to conclude that the healthiest agricultural soils are highly paramagnetic and energetically aligned with the earth, facilitating the flow of electromagnetic forces from the atmosphere to organic plant materials. In soils where this paramagnetic force has been eroded away, adding a paramagnetic rock like basalt can reestablish the balance necessary for healthy plant growth.
Whether you agree with Callahan’s conclusions or not, basalt’s benefits as a soil amendment stand alone and are well documented. It’s why more and more organic and sustainable growers, as well as backyard gardeners, are using crushed volcanic basalt to improve water retention in the soil, increase biological activity, improve nutrient utilization in plants, and increase resistance to pests and environmental stresses.
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Cascade Minerals believes that healthy soil equals healthy plants, happy people and a healing planet. Made of all-natural volcanic basalt from Central Oregon, our all-natural Remineralizing Soil Booster returns essential minerals to the soil for more vigorous plants that produce more nutritious food. Our product is OMRI Listed for organic production and is safe to use around pets and children when applied as directed.
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]]>The post On the Move: Hungry Plants Actively Seek Nutrients in Rock Minerals appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>One article, titled “Hungry Plants Guide the Ore Prospector (pp. 130-133),” begins like this:
“Flowers make a tireless search for valuable minerals, too. By following botanical signposts, one prospector found a fortune in gold through the stem of a horsetail weed.”
The hunger of plants for certain rock minerals is described as the secret behind geobotanical prospecting. In their search for the nutrients they need to grow, plants and trees send their roots to probe deep in the soil. Instead of carrying picks and pans, modern prospectors carry glass jars to collect leaf and stem specimens. By combining plant knowledge with a bit of common “horse sense,” they can then pinpoint areas of high mineral concentration.
In a way, experienced farmers are a bit like the ‘modern’ geobotanical prospectors profiled in the 1948 Popular Mechanics article. By analyzing the appearance and overall health of their crops, they can readily identify the presence—or rather, the lack of—essential minerals and trace elements necessary for healthy plant growth and optimal yields.
Of course, healthy crops require healthy soil. When rock material decomposes and reacts with soil microorganisms and plant material, it releases essential minerals and nutrients that are the keys to soil health. Unfortunately, most of our world’s agricultural soils have been depleted of rock minerals. One solution is soil remineralization with rock dust.
By mimicking the Earth’s own method for producing healthy soil, rock dust helps support the biological processes required for optimal and sustainable plant growth. We need only to observe the self-preserving behavior of plants as described in the article from 1948. Recent research supports the conclusion that plants aren’t nearly as passive as they seem. Given the opportunity, plants will actively seek to acquire nutrients from their surroundings to overcome any imbalances. Fine roots will attack rock particles as a physiological consequence of mineral deficiency.
In soil that is properly mineralized with rock dust, however, plants don’t have to work nearly as hard to survive.
So which rock dust is best? Across a variety of conditions, volcanic basalt has been proven to minimize deficiencies, improve root systems, and help grow stronger crops with higher yields and higher levels of nutrition. For a closer look at the benefits of basalt, read our previous blog post.
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When looking for a soil amendment made of volcanic basalt, look for a high-quality product that is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic production. One product that meets this standard is Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster which is made entirely in the USA from all-natural volcanic basalt from Central Oregon.
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]]>The post Nature’s Fertilizer: Boost Soil Microbial Activity & Increase Crop Yields With Rock Dust appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>At the most basic biological level, legumes attract soil-dwelling bacteria called rhizobia to their roots and ‘invite’ them inside the plant. Once inside, the bacteria begin to form nodules inside the host plant’s roots where they produce nitrogen compounds that help the plant grow and compete with other plants. In exchange, the plant provides the bacteria with the carbon that it needs to live and breed.
It may not be too far-fetched to say that legumes have evolved to farm themselves. After domesticating the wild bacteria, the legume plants let them back out to forage in the soil where they kill rival bacteria and fix nitrogen deficiencies. When they are done, the bacteria are allowed back into the plant where they are safe and well-fed.
As explained in this paper by molecular biologists at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, there are still many unanswered questions when it comes to the role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in helping improve worldwide crop yields.
But one thing is clear: Everything comes down to microbial activity in the soil.
One of the most effective ways to boost microbial activity in the soil is to add minerals—minerals that have been depleted from many of the world’s soils yet which can be readily introduced through remineralization with rock dust.
Soil remineralization with rock dust is the process of returning minerals to the soil by mimicking the Earth’s own natural methods. Instead of glaciers and volcanoes, however, remineralization is the process of adding finely crushed rocks to soil that has been depleted of minerals over the course of decades either through natural weathering or by over-farming. Silicate rocks like basalt, in particular, contain the broadest spectrum of minerals and trace elements that are essential to plant health and nutrition, including calcium, magnesium, manganese and iron.
What might you expect? Here’s one potential scenario:
Cascade Minerals is committed to the restoration and remineralization of our earth’s depleted soils. Our all-natural Remineralizing Soil Booster is made from massive basalt stones from Central Oregon’s legendary Cascade Mountains. Rocks are crushed to produce a finely milled, 100% natural product that is approved for organic production and releases the essential minerals and trace elements that plants and humans need to flourish.
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]]>The post Healthy Soil is Alive All Year Long; Give it a Boost With Rock Dust appeared first on Cascade Minerals.
]]>The cold weather doesn’t slow them down. In fact, research shows that microorganisms continue to grow in frozen soil, often at rates equal to those during the summer. Scientists have even found active soil bacteria living at temperatures 39 degrees below zero.
When it’s not frozen solid, healthy soil is soft and crumbly. It is darker in color and easy to dig into. It has a sweet and earthy aroma. It looks, smells and feels alive.
If you took a sample of soil from your garden and looked at it under the microscope, hopefully you would see billions of microorganisms hard at work. Healthy soil should be teeming with these busy biological “workers” whose main task is to break down organic material and make nutrients available for plants to absorb.
Unfortunately, many soils around the world are in serious trouble. They’ve been depleted for a variety of reasons that range from natural conditions to over-farming and/or the application of synthetic fertilizers.
The good news is that more people understand that healthy soil is the key to our future. Quick-and-dirty chemical fertilizers give plants a quick hit of nutrients, but they don’t do anything to improve the long-term health of the soil. Eventually, this leads to a breakdown of soil structure resulting in weaker plants, increased risk of disease and, ultimately, soil infertility.
So, while the snow continues to pile up outdoors, why not start planning for spring by resolving to give your garden a healthy boost with all-natural Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster? Made of pure volcanic basalt, Cascade Minerals mimics the Earth’s own method for producing healthy soil rich in essential minerals and helps kick-start the biological processes required for optimal and sustainable plant growth.
Your winter (and spring, summer and fall) soil will thank you!
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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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