Application of rock dust

It is unlike regular water-soluble fertilisers, so conventional thinking doesn’t apply, as we’re focusing on feeding the soil, and not the plants directly. The longer it is in the soil, the more the fungi and micro-organisms will have chance to assimilate it and make it biologically available.

One must always add ample amounts of organic matter (compost) to the soil as it is imperative to build both the soils mineral and organic base. Along with soil biological life these form the basis of the ANIMAL – MINERAL – VEGETABLE triad that builds fertile soil, nature’s way.

For badly weathered soils with low microbial life, significant results were obtained by using Turbo Grow along with EM (Effective Micro-organisms: a mixed culture of beneficial micro-organisms that is applied as an inoculant to dramatically increase the microbial diversity of soil). Applying EM speeds up soil processes tremendously, with the minerals and trace elements being assimilated and made biologically available in the fastest time possible. 

Contact us for more details and pricing on microbial inoculants and chelators.

The following are rough guidelines only, as soils vary tremendously, and thus individual requirements will differ. It enhances and completes your current fertilising regime, rather than replacing it outright. Twice-yearly applications, along with ample compost will suffice for most.

Seedlings                                             1 Teaspoon per seedling

Pot plants                                            1 Tablespoon per 5liter capacity

Trees                                                    500g to 1kg per tree

Shrubs and roses                                1 to 2 Cups per plant

Flower and veg beds                           500g to 1kg per square meter

Compost                                               10kg per cubic meter of raw material

Agriculture                                          500kg per hectare

Planting mixes                                     2% of total volume of mix

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US FOR ADVICE REGARDING YOUR UNIQUE APPLICATION

Composition of rock dust

Below is the composition breakdown of the major elements as tested by the Council for Geoscience. This was an x-ray fluorescence spectrometry test indicating the major elements of the oxides as they occur naturally in the rock.

MAJOR ELEMENTS (WEIGHT %)

SiO2                 48.58

TiO2                0.91

Al2O3              16.32

Fe2O3              9.30

MnO                0.18

MgO                6.36

CaO                 12.11

Na2O               2.32

K2O                 0.58

P2O5               0.15

Cr2O3              0.02

The following elemental analysis was done by SGS Lakefield Research Africa.

ELEMENT                    TEST & DETECTION LIMIT                  RESULT

As – Arsenic                IMS12Q – 2ppm                                  5.1ppm

B – Boron                    CP40D – 50ppm                                  <50ppm

Bi – Bismuth                ICP40D – 20ppm                                 <20ppm

Ca – Calcium               ICP40D – 10ppm                                 54000ppm / 5.4%

Cr – Chromium            ICP40D – 10ppm                                 160ppm

Cu – Copper                ICP40D – 10ppm                                 65ppm

Li – Lithium                 ICP40D – 10ppm                                 <10ppm

Mn – Manganese        ICP40D – 10ppm                                 1000ppm

P – Phosphorus            ICP40D – 53ppm                                 700ppm

Pb – Lead                    ICP40D – 30ppm                                 <30ppm

Sr – Strontium             ICP40D – 5ppm                                   240ppm

V – Vanadium              ICP40D – 10ppm                                 170ppm

Zn – Zinc                      ICP40D – 10ppm                                 68ppm

Zr – Zirconium             ICP40D – 10ppm                                 110ppm

Al – Aluminum             ICP91B – 0.02%                                   7.98%

Ba – Barium                ICP91B – 0.02%                                   0.03%

Fe – Iron                      ICP91B – 0.02%                                   6.45%

K – Potassium              ICP91B – 0.02%                                   0.63%

Mg – Magnesium        ICP91B – 0.02%                                   3.20%

Si – Silicon                   ICP91B – 0.1%                                     24.6%

Ti – Titanium               ICP91B – 0.02%                                   0.50%

Th – Thorium               IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                3.8ppm

Tl – Thallium               IMS40B – 0.2ppm                                <0.2ppm

W – Tungsten              IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                1.6ppm

U – Uranium                IMS40B – 0.2ppm                                1.0ppm

Au – Gold                    FAI313 – 0.02ppm                               <0.02ppm

Pt – Platinum              FAI313 – 0.02ppm                               <0.02ppm

Pd – Palladium            FAI313 – 0.02ppm                               0.03ppm

Ir – Iridium                  FAI363 – 0.13ppm                               <0.13ppm

Rh – Rhodium              FAI363 – 0.02ppm                               <0.02ppm

Ru – Ruthenium          FAI363 – 0.02ppm                               <0.02ppm

C – Carbon                  CSALA01 – 0.01%                                0.25%

S – Sulphur                  CSALA06 – 0.01%                                0.11%

Be – Berillium             IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                0.95ppm

Sc – Scandium             IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                16ppm

Co – Cobalt                  IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                41ppm

Ni – Nickel                   IMS40B – 5ppm                                   89ppm

Ga – Gallium               IMS40B – 2ppm                                   24ppm

Ge – Germanium        IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                0.57ppm

Rb – Rubedium            IMS40B – 1ppm                                   19ppm

Y – Yttrium                  IMS40B – 0.2ppm                                26ppm

Nb – Niobium              IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                12ppm

Mo – Molybdenum     IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                1.9ppm

Ag – Silver                   IMS40B – 2ppm                                   <2ppm

Cd – Cadmium             IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                <0.5ppm

In – Indium                  IMS40B – 0.1ppm                                <0.1ppm

Sn –Tin                         IMS40B – 0.5ppm                                1.6ppm

Cs – Cesium                 IMS40B – 0.2ppm                                1.1ppm

Hf – Hafnium               IMS40B – 0.1ppm                                2.7ppm

Ta – Tantalum             IMS40B – 0.1ppm                                <1ppm

Se – Selenium              IMS12Q – 5ppm                                  <5ppm

Te – Tellurium             IMS12Q – 2ppm                                  <2ppm

Sb – Antimony             IMS12Q – 1ppm                                  <1ppm

Hg – Mercury              IMS12Q – 3ppm                                  <3ppm

La – Lanthanum          IMS90A – 10ppm                                25ppm

Ce – Cerium                IMS90A – 1ppm                                  39ppm

Pr – Praseodymium     IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               4.5ppm

Nd – Neodymium        IMS90A – 0.2ppm                               18ppm

Sm – Samarium           IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               4.0ppm

Eu – Europium             IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               1.2ppm

Tb – Terbium               IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               0.83ppm

Dy – Dysprosium         IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               4.6ppm

Ho – Holmium             IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               1.0ppm

Er – Erbium                 IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               2.6ppm

Tm – Thulium              IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               0.29ppm

Yb – Ytterbium            IMS90A – 0.2ppm                               2.2ppm

Lu – Lutetium              IMS90A – 0.1ppm                               <0.1

TEST FOR SOLUBLE SILICON              

Si – Silicon                   ICP84B – 0.3mg/l                                460mg/l