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Lorraine's Garden, Issue #011 -- Paramagnetic Rock Dust, and New Favorite Tools
August 08, 2014

July 2014 Issue 10

In this issue:

Paramagnetic Rock Dust
New Favorite Gardening Tools

Paramagnetic Rock Dust

Paramagnetic rock dust powders are all the rage in certain organic farming and gardening circles. Why? What is it about these rock dusts that make them so beneficial?

Paramagnetic rock dust has the unique property of being able to absorb extremely low frequency radio waves (which are created by lightning) and convert the energy into photons, which are re-emitted as light underground (really!). Both soil microbes and plants roots are very sensitive to this energy provided by paramagnetic rock dust.

It has been shown that microbial populations multiply exponentially faster in the presence of paramagnetic rock dust powders, and plants grow bigger and more extensive root systems, which results in their being able to take up more nutrients, grow bigger, and be much more nutritious for us.

If this all sounds a bit woo-woo (and I agree that on the surface, it does), read the full article on Paramagnetic Rock Dust. I was amazed by what I discovered when I began researching this.

I am currently working to find an affordable source of basalt paramagnetic rock dust. Stay tuned… and in the meantime, Google it yourself and see what comes up. You may be able to find local sources and save shipping costs (rock dust is heavy stuff!)

New Favorite Tools

Johnny’s Selected Seeds makes some very useful tools that are helpful for those of us who are transitioning from either tilling or regular double-digging. Here are some new favorite gardening tools that I am finding very useful this year. (Note: Johnny's Selected Seeds is an employee owned company and does not give commissions. I do not receive compensation of any kind for making these recommendations.)

Johnny's 3-Tooth Cultivator

I use this now to incorporate composts, fertilizers, and rock dust powders into the top 2-3” of soil. The head of the tool is about the size of cantaloupe, bigger than the picture implies.

I no longer double-dig my beds, but use a lot of surface mulch and moisture to keep the worms happy and let them do the work for me. They do a much better job, because their slime tunnels allow for root penetration and give good soil aggregation properties.

Johnny's Stirrup Hoe

There are other versions of this out there, but they don’t work as well. The reason this hoe works so well is because it is really stout, extremely sharp, and cuts on both the push and pull strokes. I use it to kill off my cover crops when I’m ready to plant. It cuts the rye, clover and vetch off just below the crown, leaving the roots to decay and enrich the soil, while killing the plant so it doesn’t act as a weed and compete the crop during the growing season.

Johnny's Collinear Hoe

My new fave for weeding between plants. I still love and use my nijiri kama, but this can be used while standing and is actually faster.

That's all for now. See you in September!

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