Has any one used Rock Dust on grapes? What is experience?

Question

Baby girl, you are still a baby,

Thanks to Mike and John, I always look forward to your answers, they are always in deep details.

I have used rock dust; directly, in compost as well as making 'dust tea' as suggested by one of you; successfully on vegetables, I am using it on grapes too, however in this case I was looking out for answer from experianced user needing some (moral) support.

Thank you to both of you, let us wait for a few more days for answers from others.

Answer 1

not really but it sounds weird to use rock dust on grapes

Answer 2

Having discovered the benefits of the rock dusts many years back, I always recommend them. Problem is their value is somewhat limited without actually incorporating them into the soil right at planting. They are so pH dependent and move threw/ down into the soil very slowly, too slow for many applications. Sometimes if you can mechanically "beat" them into a solution, settle it and pour off it helps, but how can you do that for any large area? It worked in some aquaponics situation but... So incorporation with the soil is important before planting, with follow up surface applications after.

Answer 3

The effectiveness of using rock dust will depend on the minerals the dust supplies, how rapidly these minerals become plant available and the deficiencies of the soil at your site.  With the viable information at hand, it appears to be little more than another fertilizer.  We know the procedure may work, as the  many of the first agronomic experiments were the application of 'rock' phosphate, muriate of potash (potassium chloride) and other minerals to crops.

There is a potential effect on some diseases (rock sulfur and copper sulfate are still being used as fungicides) and insects, but this effect is even less understood than the fertilizer effect of rock dust.

Answer 4

Arthur, This is not personal experience, because I have none with grapes, but is advice from a real experienced expert that should give you a whole lot of moral support.

Phil does use rock dusts as a soil supplement, however, both on his grapes and on his olives. Silicaceous rock powders are believed by many farmers to mimic the remineralization that occurs when glaciers descend from the north, grinding rocks into a fine powder that supplies trace minerals. Scientists have been unable to explain the exact

mechanisms by which rock powders work..

The rock dust Phil uses is very fine--probably about 200 mesh screening. He gets it from Arizona in one-ton bags. The micronutrients in the rock dust are thought to be important for developing resistance to stresses like cold and drought. Phil uses 300 to 400 pounds of rock powders per acre on both his olives and in the vineyards.

The hardest part of working with rock powders is deciding how to apply them. Sometimes during the growing season Phil will coat the trees using a standard dust applicator. Or he will mix it in with compost and add it on top of the soil around trees or vines.

http://www.newfarm.org/features/2005/010...

Answer 5

No idea

Answer 6

The experience of one farmer is shown below. Remineralisation is th eresult of rock dust application.

        Rock Dust Application Brings Large Improvement to

                   Vineyard in Solano County, California

Cannard, Bob, "Rock Dust Application Brings Large Improvement to Vineyard in

Solano County, California", Distributed by EARTH REGENERATION SOCIETY, 4 July

1992.

"The four-acre vineyard had been heavily over-cultivated and heavily degraded.

The soil supported weeds about three inches tall that went to seed very early in

the season.

We chiseled the ground, broke it up by mechanical compaction -- ripped it up

about 18 inches -- and we planted cover crop on the ground and fed the whole

vineyard, including the cover crop, by broadcasting application of about 500

pounds of crushed basaltic rock and 200 pounds of crushed oyster shell rock,

which is a calcium resource. The rock was broadcast (spread) equally over the

four acres -- right on top of the soil maintenance crop as well as underneath

the grapevines -- using a small, standard tractor spreader about six feet wide

driven between the rows.

We did this for three years. In the first year, the cover crop went up to about

2 feet, and in the third year it went up to about six feet, but it did not

mature. It was not mowed or cultivated until the final crop was totally mature

in June, at which point it was mowed. It was so thick and lush and vigorous.

The grapevines, which had problems predominantly associated with nutritional

deficiencies, were manifesting a whole range of disorders, but mainly one that

is labeled as "utypa". The leaf surface was small, the fruit yield was low, the

cane diameter was very small; there was heavy predominance of fruit rot

(botrydis and mildews on the fruit), even with a fungicide spraying program.

I was there a couple of days ago and the place is absolutely green and lush.

There is no evidence of "utypa" decline in the vineyard. It has an excellent

crop of firm, plump berries -- a really beautiful crop. It's a really stunning

turnaround.

Answer 7

Rock dust is mineral rich and depending on the kind of rock used can have a great variety of minerals in it. It could have long lasting results to your vineyard, but don't expect a quick response to using rock dust. More of a soil building response.