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Vegetable Gardening Soil, Compost & Mulch

Volcanic rock as amendment

6 years ago

I have the opportunity to collect as much as 2 wheelbarrows of volcanic rock from a neighbor. Do people use this in their gardens and find it helpful? I could use it in between raised beds (sharp!), but is it also good for amending soil because of trace minerals? Will my tomatoes become like the San Marzano from the slopes of Vesuvius? Any other uses or concerns? TIA!

Thanks - Bob in 7A

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daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Rock is rock. Perlite is rock, and everyone likes to mix that in. Actually, eggshells are rocks too. The issue is how big the rocks are. If the chunks are just one or two millimeters in diameter, you're good to go. Would help loosen up the soil. Bigger than that, and your plants are pushing on rocks. Your soil is mostly ground up rocks, so adding rocks for minerals doesn't really add anything, nutrient wise.
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