This is John Kohler with growingyourgreens.com!
Today we have another exciting episode for you.
And today we’re here in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And this episode is for one reason only, actually two reasons.
Number one, I learned of a new place that carries the azomite or the rock dust here
in Las Vegas.
And we’re here today, it’s actually called the IFA Country Store.
We’re at 3176 West Martin.
Actually it’s at the cross streets of Dean Martin and West Martin.
It’s actually, this is at the interchange of 215 and the 15 here.
So it’s centrally located, near the famous Las Vegas strip that I can actually see in
the background.
Nonetheless we’re here for one very important reason is that my friend Jason said that John,
they got azomite now in this place.
So I’m here to check it out, learn more about it and actually to buy some.
And then we’re going to compare it.
Because they are not selling the powder form which is the kind I prefer.
They’re selling the granular form.
That being said, some azomite is better than no azomite.
So I’m going to pick some up today.
So let’s head into the store and pick up some of that azomite.
Now we’re in the aisle with all the different fertilizers and pesticides and a lot of stuff
I wouldn’t recommend, including this stuff right here.
But if we look down in this shelf, you could see we got something right here.
And this is actually the azomite.
And this is actually only a 10 lb bag here, and it’s actually granular, $15.99.
So that’s quite expensive actually.
So what we’re going to do is we don’t want this stuff, we want the 44 lbs bag that
they got to get out of the back.
So we’re going to go ahead and order that and get it brought out.
It’s actually $21, so it’s much better deal.
So next what you’re going to do is you’re going to go to the loading dock area right
here.
And you’re going to give him a blue tag that you got and they’re going to bring
out the azomite.
And actually load it up for you.
So I just the azomite brought out to my car.
They loaded it up and everything and now I’m showing you guys what I got here.
This is the azomite.
It’s actually in a nice bag unlike the paper bags that the micronized comes in.
This is actually a lot heavier duty.
It has a pull tab so it’s going to be neater to work with.
In addition, the micronized, you know, you can have a problem with breathing it in.
The granular version because it is granulized, it’s going to be easier to spread and easier
to work with.
Now what’s the difference between the granular and the micronized version?
Well we’re going to be sure to find out because what I’m going to do next is I’m
going to show you guys what this product looks like and what the micronized looks like, and
share some more information that I have learned about the differences between these two.
Nonetheless, I’m glad that they have this now available at the IFA Country Store here
in Las Vegas so that people in Las Vegas can now grow super mineral rich foods.
But even if you have a lawn or a, you know, house plants or trees, I would highly encourage
you to use the rock dust or the azomite so you will get the trace minerals back to your
soils.
Your plants will just love it.
And once again, the price on this for 44 lbs was $21.99 and actually that’s one of the
best prices for azomite around.
Now I’m back, and I got this azomite.
I ripped open the top.
And actually this, this packaging is a little bit different.
This is like a poly packing.
So it doesn’t tend to rip open as easy and it’s more durable.
And actually this can be easily reused to like fill compost or to haul different things
in.
So I like that a lot.
As you could see here we got both different kinds of the azomite.
So this is the micronized version.
And we’ll show you the, this is the micronized version so this is literally a fine powder.
I mean, it’s like a dust.
You want some pixie dust?
So that’s the one I normally use.
And here in Las Vegas at present time they only have this stuff, which is the granulated.
So it’s like little granules in there.
Looks like little pebbles or something like that.
Now what the first thing we’re going to do is we’re going to hydrate these guys
to see if the granules will turn into liquid or not.
So I have a 1.25 liters of water in each bottle.
And we’re just going to carefully go ahead and pour these in here carefully.
We’re going to pour the same amount in both and see what can happen.
Then while we’re waiting for this, I’ll tell you a little bit more information about
the rock dust and why I’m such a believer in this soil nutrient.
So that’s about the same amount of water in each one.
And now we’re just going to go ahead and let it hang out.
We got the even amounts of water in both and we’re just going to use a little tool to
stir it up here.
This one’s kind of clumping together and it’s not really mixing too well.
It’s like a cake batter, you know, like if you’re baking a cake and you add the
water in like last, all the flour’s at the bottom, it’s not really congealing or sticking
together.
And that’s how it is.
You could literally see big clumps of the rock dust here that’s hydrating.
It’s very important when mixing in the rock dust to your soil, number one, wear a mask
because this is actually a fine particulate.
That’s definitely not good to breathe.
But the other thing to remember is that you want to try to distribute it evenly.
Because what will happen is if you have big chunks of it under the ground that aren’t
mixed in, you’ll get actually a big, big chunks that won’t actually dissolve or break
up.
The other thing you can do is actually you could mix it into water first.
And then spray it on.
In certain irrigation systems such as the Earth Mister, you could actually feed it into
the system in the water and then it will actually disperse it into the soil for you.
So that’s actually another way you can use the rock dust.
Generally how I use it is I generally use the micronized version if I have the choice,
and then I’ll just before planting it new for the season, I’ll add some rock dust
into my beds.
And then you know, mix it in when I, when I add additional compost.
One of the questions that I know you may be thinking right now is John, how much rock
dust do I add?
Well, if you look to the package and read the directions, and once again you guys should
know that I don’t follow directions, they say add basically a one lb which was actually,
one pound was actually in this little container, so one pound is not a lot of product, for
10 square feet!
So that means you’re really applying it super light in my opinion.
I would minimally double that to 2 lbs per 10 square feet.
And that’s still not a lot of rock dust, you know.
I have used like up to 10 lbs per 10 square feet.
So that’s like you know, 1 lb per square foot.
And I think that’s definitely a good dose.
That being said, I’m an extremist!
And I like to do things in the extreme sometimes.
So, you know, I think the more the better.
I have grown things like wheatgrass in 50% rock dust and 50% compost, and actually it
was some of the sweetest wheat grass that I ever grew.
That being said, you can’t really burn with rock dust.
But that being said, you do need some soil structure in your soil.
And, you know, if somebody wants to do a test with growing in all rock dust, hey that’d
be cool.
But I definitely think soil needs some soil structure which means you’re going to need
some organic matter and compost and other things that work in a synergistic effect in
your soil.
The main reason why I think this rock dust stuff works is because this and what azomite
stands for, let me go over that real quick.
It’s azomite, A to Z Of Minerals Including Trace Elements.
And the main thing is the t and the e.
Do you like T and E’s?
No I like T and A’s not T and E’s.
But in this case I like T and E’s.
T and E’s stands for Trace Elements.
And that’s why the rock dust is unlike any other soil additive.
I mean, other rock dusts or the azomite have the trace elements or the trace minerals.
And these are the things that are lacking in the soil.
The trace elements and the trace minerals is what we’re really after in the rock dust.
In addition, the azomite is high in the silica.
And silica is really important for strong nails, you know.
Some people take silica supplements.
If you go to the health food store you could buy silica and take the pills.
Which I actually also want to get into that fact that you could on the rock dust you could
actually add it to your animal feed so that they’ll actually produce more and what not
too.
But I don’t want to get into that.
I just deal with the plants side stuff.
But the elements and the trace elements, they all have a function.
For example, you know, calcium is the backbone of many of the plants and literally the backbone
of us.
But we need other trace minerals in our diets.
And if the soil is devoid of the minerals, as they said in the 1930 senate documents,
they stated that the soils are devoid of minerals.
And even as late as the 1992 conference on soils, they said , you know, the majority
of the soils in the US are depleted of the trace minerals and the trace elements.
And if we’re not putting them back in and you’re putting NPK or even regular compost
produced by NPK, the minerals aren’t going to materialize out of nowhere.
And that’s why the trace minerals are so important to add in.
They do things that we haven’t even fully even researched.
Certain ones have been researched and it shows that you know, the plants grow faster and
grow quicker, will yield more.
And these minerals do all kinds of things that we may not even be aware of.
And they should be in the soil that you’re growing in but they’re not due to top soil
erosion.
If you can’t get the azomite, you can get other kind of rock dusts.
I like the Gaia Green Glacial Rock Dust is the other horticultural grade rock dust.
The other thing you could do is get ocean solutions or ocean grown minerals which is
a concentrate basically.
It’s sea water that contains the minerals to spread it in your garden.
But the main thing is that it’s the trace minerals that’s really effective in this.
So other rock powders, granite dust, marble dust, ironite, they’re not the same.
Ironite, guess what that has in it?
It has iron, it doesn’t have the a to z of minerals with all like 70 + different minerals
in trace amounts.
And another questions comes up is John what about all the lead, there’s lead in there,
there’s arsenic in there, what’s up with that?
Well, they’re in really small amounts.
Like these are parts per million.
And in small amounts ,in natural amounts not like when we concentrate it and put it in
a thermometer and eat the thermometer, you know, mercury, that’s not good.
These are in small amounts.
And in small amounts that’s how nature is supposed to work and the plants and we could
handle things in small amounts.
It’s only when you start drilling your teeth and putting mercury in your fillings, I think
it may become a problem.
But I have to talk with my holistic physician about that one.
But I did get my mercury out of my teeth for some reason and I do feel better.
Nonetheless, the minerals are very important to add to the soil.
And that’s why this stuff works.
If you want a cheap alternative to the more expensive and highly unavailable rock powders
and the azomites, you can order it online.
But aside from that, visit a local rock quarry and try to buy the rock dust or the, the you
know, basically the powders from them.
When they process the rocks, you know, they’re left with a lot of dust and that’s basically
a remnant that they need to get rid of, and sometimes they’ll give it to you for free
or really cheap.
Now of course, that’s not a horticulture grade rock dust.
And this is one of the best ones in my opinion to use in your garden.
But I think some crushed rocks in your garden is better than nothing, better than nothing,
as long as it’s a wide spectrum rock dust.
Not like you’re adding a ton of ironite, that’s not the same.
So let’s go ahead and go back to this and see.
We’re still getting a lot of caking and stuff on the bottom.
It’s not fully mixing up.
It’s almost like sand on the bottom.
Let’s go over this side that we didn’t actually mix up.
Wow!
Check it out!
I’m not actually seeing a lot of particulate.
I’m seeing some stuff at the bottom.
We might want to run this through a screen to kind of show you guys what happened actually.
That might be kind of fun.
But basically this is all dissolved into like a sand.
So I could definitely say that this stuff does dissolve in.
And the other question you might be thinking, hey John, you know, what is in it to make
it granular versus the micronized version?
Well, that’s a good question.
And for that I emailed the azomite company through their website and guess what?
They didn’t respond to me!
So I think, you know, that’s not a good thing when you have a company and somebody
asks you questions and you don’t respond.
So not too good.
But nonetheless I have dug a little bit deeper and did some research and I did find that,
and I believe that the granular product is basically held together with molasses.
And it’s the molasses that binds it together so that you can apply it easier, you won’t
breathe it in, and it will dissolve as we found out today.
It’s actually a fairly good dissolution.
The other thing is because it is in molasses, that basically you know I wonder how much
molasses they use for rock dust.
So this is 44 lb bag, and this was actually around $21 and this was a 44 lb bag, this
is $21.
But if they’re adding molasses as the binder, what did 20 lbs of rock dust go in here and
20 lbs of binder molasses go in there?
So you’re getting significantly less.
Now molasses could also actually be something good to add into your soil because it may
feed the beneficial microbes as well.
So what, either rock dust you get I think it’s definitely the best.
If you can only get this one, get this one.
But if you could get the micronized, I’d prefer you guys get that one, it’s going
to be you know easier to work with, going to be more bio available because it’s already
broken down and ready for the soil microbes and for the plants, the plant roots to absorb
all the trace minerals that they should have.
The last question before I go is I know many of you guys might have, and I get actually
a lot, and now I could just refer people to this video, is you know, before I talked about
just adding it to my soil in between seasons.
But if you have existing plants, yes you can absolutely add the rock dust after they’re
planted and after the fact.
So normally I just like to mix it in the soil and work in the soil before I plant.
But if you already planted, that’s fine.
You could actually top dress, side dress it in, not a problem.
Of course you don’t want to disturb your plants roots too much.
Another way what I’m going to do right now actually after this video is over is I’m
going to add a little bit more water to this because it is pretty thick, mix it a little
bit more and I’m going to do the same with the one with the molasses which does have
some particulate that’s non-dissolved in the bottom still.
I’m going to go over to some of my prized plants and I’m just going to pour a little
bit in and just give them really a rock dust infusion, you know, with the water.
So because the particle size is so small and this is all like granules of fertilizer , and
if you’re already using the granules you want to definitely wet it down first, the,
it will, the water will carry the rock dust down to where it is.
And if it doesn't get carried with this water, the eventual next waterings will definitely
get it down into the root zone.
So I recommend rock dust for, you know, your vegetables, herbs, leafy greens, even your
lawn you could spread the granular stuff on your lawn, definitely your fruit trees, even
landscape trees and shrubs.
They can all benefit by having trace minerals in their diet.
Just like we can benefit by, you know, getting all our trace minerals that are deficient
in our diet by taking a supplement, but now hopefully growing in rock dust so that you
will have the most mineral rich food and best tasting food anywhere.
There are also many resources online for learning more about the rock dust, the azomite.
One of them is remineralize.org.
They actually have a section where they have retailers or people that sell it.
And they maybe in your area.
Another resource of course is the azomite.com website where they also list some retailers,
which may be in your area that are also selling it.
Also I have several other videos on rock dust.
I get my rock dust primarily in Santa Rosa, California at LeBallister’s.
I like them a lot.
They have the lowest prices of any places I’ve ever found.
Another question I get is Hey John I called all the nurseries, the Home Depots, nobody
has the rock dust and they think I’m crazy.
Well, don’t worry, you know, you aren’t crazy.
And most people, specially in the horticulture industry, they don’t, they aren’t really
aware of the rock dust or the azomite powders and the trace mineral powders because this
is a subject that’s like on the cutting edge.
I mean, it shouldn’t be on the cutting edge in my opinion but it is.
So unfortunately if you can’t find these locally you’re going to have to do an internet
search.
Google is your best friend people.
Type in azomite, you know, and type in mail order or something.
But there’s many different sources online.
One place that is really inexpensive for the Gaia Green Glacial Rock Dust is planetnatural.com.
The bags of like 50 lbs are like I don’t know like about under 20 bucks.
And then they add on some shipping.
Now the shippings going to definitely get you.
But, you know, the stuff is definitely worth it.
If there’s only one product that I recommend besides using compost in your garden, and
I’m a big advocate of using compost to amend your soil and build you a rich soil, the second
thing you need to add is this stuff, the zombie or the rock dust or some kind of trace mineral
supplementation to your soil to bring back the trace minerals.
Not only are your plants going to grow faster, they’re going to grow more, they’re going
to be healthier.
The main benefit to me is that they’re going to taste healthier.
And not only will they taste healthier, they will be healthier because now they will have
the trace minerals in it.
And you’ll no longer have to take your Centrum vitamin pills for your trace minerals.
And that’s how nature works.
And that’s how things should be.
So hopefully after watching this episode, if you do live in Vegas, you’ll go down
and get some granular azomite.
And if you don’t, then hopefully you’re going to go online and order some today, use
it in your garden.
And once you use it once, you know, plant one half of your garden with it and one half
without and you’ll see and taste the difference.
And you will be a believer like I am.
So hopefully you guys enjoyed this episode learning more about the granular rock dust
and answering some of your rock dust questions.
Once again, my name is John Kohler with growingyourgreens.com.
We’ll see you next time and, keep on growing.