Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 >
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#161527 - 01/31/12 03:03 PM Soil remineralization
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
I've been reading about soil remineraliztion lately and have decided to try 3 different products, each one in a different section of my small garden. As luck would have it, my garden is divided into 3 sections with railroad ties.

1
Azomite (67 Trace Minerals)

2
SEA-90 by SeaAgri (90 trace minerals)

3
ECO-MIN (over 70 trace minerals)

Each product makes similar claims and has similar testimonials about why theirs is best. The first one is the least expensive and is conveniently ordered on Amazon.com. I really need another garden section to be free of any soil amendments but this is not my situation yet. Maybe if I get motivated before planting season, March or so, I can set it up. On the other hand, my garden didn't do so well last year so any good results will be credited to the amendments.

Has anyone tried anything like this or know anything about soil remineralization?




Top
#161549 - 01/31/12 05:33 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
OregonMouse Offline
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
You may want to have your soil tested, first. You don't want to add alkaline minerals to already alkaline soil, or acidic minerals to already acidic soil.

Contact your County Agricultural Extension Service or your state agricultural college for less expensive testing sources.
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#161550 - 01/31/12 05:55 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: OregonMouse]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
Testing soil is a good idea and I even have my own pH meter and some other stuff.

The soil remineraliztion amendments I mentioned don't affect pH. They operate on the theory that soils are generally depleted of trace minerals and need to be supplemented every so often. I was thinking I might set up a few 5 gallon buckets of tomatoes for a more controlled comparison. This would be in addition to my garden plots.

Maybe it's bunk, maybe its legit. I am getting a pretty good tax refund soon so I can spring for the cost. smile


Top
#161553 - 01/31/12 06:17 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
tramp Offline
member

Registered: 01/24/12
Posts: 119
Loc: WV
Don't know about FL but here they soil test for free at the local extension service of WVU. A quick seach dug this up. Worth a look.

Top
#161555 - 01/31/12 07:05 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Yeah, I'd check with the local AG dept and ask them about that. My guess is that you're needing some standard nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) .

Your ag dept can tell you what mix works best for your area. I take my egg shells and crush them up to add calcium. Tomatoes suck that up.

Here, we also have to add a lot of lime to the soil. Now's the time to be doing that for your garden here. I will be adding some this next week, as well as some composted manure.

Be time to plant potatoes here in just a month.
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#161636 - 02/02/12 05:40 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: billstephenson]
Heather-ak Offline
member

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
cry... We plant the end of May... Like _four_ months from now...

grin


Top
#161645 - 02/02/12 07:39 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
I didn't respond to your question very well, so I'll take another crack at it. I don't think you need too worry much about adding trace minerals. If you focus on getting the PH and NPK rating right for whatever you want to grow, you'll get better results pretty fast.

You might also try a different seed and plant supplier. Local suppliers often have better plants, and your ag office will provide the names of the variety of plants that do well in your area. I've learned to go with what they recommend first and play with other varieties in small batches.

I've also read you should move your tomatoes from year to year, so if you've planted them in the same spot for a few years now, you might try moving them to a different one.

I've taken an all organic approach that focuses on making sure there's enough organic material in your soil to support good organisms that help with getting your plants what they need. They break down the added organic material into forms that provide and help your plants use the trace minerals they need. Without them, I suspect that some amendments might not work at all.

I've read that to keep the worms and bacteria in your soil healthy you shouldn't till it real deep, or even at all after you have it going good. And you should chop off your old plants just above the ground and leave the roots in the soil. The roots and worms and bacteria are all necessary to having soil that is rich and can supply your plants what they need. The old root systems provide channels for the new ones to follow and makes it easier for them to reach deeper quicker.

But you can't use a lot of pesticides and herbicides when you go this route. Even many "organic" pesticides and herbicides will kill off the good guys, so you have to keep that in mind when going that route.

One other thing I think works good is to plant in succession. It's true that if you plant too early, or late, you might get burned, but it's also true that you might make out great. So I'll start planting seeds and putting in transplants a few weeks early and plant a few every week until I'm a few weeks late. This has worked great for my cucumbers and the lettuce I planted last year.

This afternoon I finished weeding my asparagus bed and dressing it with lime and fertilizer. Next week I'll put some compost down and lightly mix it in with the top half inch of soil, then I'll put a thick layer of mulch down. There's already a lot of dill growing in that bed from seed that fell from last year's batch. Hopefully a lot more will sprout up when things warm up.

The bed the asparagus is in was the last one I really worked on to enrich the soil, and it was the worst of the bunch when I started. The last few years I've mixed in a lot of compost deep into it and it's finally looking good this year now too. The weeds I pulled came up roots and all and the soil is soft and crumbly. That's good because I can't till it anymore now anyway, The asparagus crowns I planted there last year were two years old and that is a permanent home for them. This year, and from now on, I should be able to eat it smile



_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#161743 - 02/04/12 06:28 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: billstephenson]
JoannaCampe Offline
newbie

Registered: 02/04/12
Posts: 6
Hi!

I'm executive director of Remineralize the Earth. We are planning to put up an online social community at our website and we hope to have exactly the kind of testing that you are suggesting take place there and to generally have people share their experiences and build our knowledge base.

I'm hoping that you will document your results in such a way that we could have an article on our website.

A simple concept amongst many to explain the effects of remineralization is the idea that we want to increase the biological activity of the soil and rock dust is food for the microorganisms. The uptake of minerals and trace elements into the plants is, in this time of incredibly deficient soils, urgent for growing nutrient dense food.

Rock dust can act as a pesticide by spraying during an insect infestation and will deter insects and bring about insect balance rather than wiping them all out. In the long term the plants will not be vulnerable to insects because the silica and other nutrients increases the vitality and strength of plant tissue. Insects are only looking for weakened plants to recycle.

Please consider sourcing a local source of rock dust if there is one available to test as well.

Joanna Campe
Remineralize the Earth
jcampe@remineralize.org
http://remineralize.org/


Edited by JoannaCampe (02/04/12 08:01 PM)

Top
#161744 - 02/04/12 07:02 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: JoannaCampe]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Hi Joanna,

Does lime count as rock dust?

We use a lot of that here in the Ozarks.
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#161745 - 02/04/12 07:28 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: billstephenson]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
From your website, I see it does include lime...

Well, I can attest to that working here. In fact, I quit adding as much lime to my lawn because it was growing like mad.

I do add it to the garden though, and I've been told that you really can't add too much. And, I've been told that it helps with pretty much exactly what Joanna says it does. It's said to aid in breaking down the leaves, twigs, and lawn thatch so the worms and other organisms can get at it.

I haven't ever tried dusting for pests with it, but I can't see how it'd hurt anything so I will give it a shot this year and see if it helps.

I can see where different types of rock dust could add unique trace minerals and possibly other unique benefits. It makes sense that you might create a custom blend with them to enrich different types of soil.

Cool web site Joanna, thanks for sharing this with us!

_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#161746 - 02/04/12 07:41 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: JoannaCampe]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
I've seen your web site and enjoyed reading it.

I tilled in most of the rest of my compost in today. I imagine I'll be planting next week.

Top
#161747 - 02/04/12 08:08 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: billstephenson]
JoannaCampe Offline
newbie

Registered: 02/04/12
Posts: 6
Hi!

Lime is used to balance the pH, to make it more alkaline if it is acidic.

We are speaking about mainly hard silicate rock dust: glacial, volcanic and alluvial deposits of which there are millions of tons of byproduct from the stone and aggregate industry. The fineness of the material is very important. Much of this material is appropriate for remineralization.

We are simply re-creating soils the way the Earth does over millennia during an ice age, through volcanic eruptions and so on. We recognize the need to recycle organic matter. To go beyond organic, we need to recycle the minerals and trace elements as well.


Top
#161748 - 02/04/12 08:27 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
JoannaCampe Offline
newbie

Registered: 02/04/12
Posts: 6
Remineralization does affect pH, but not like calcium products. It will balance the soil pH in whichever direction it needs to go.

Top
#161749 - 02/04/12 08:33 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: JoannaCampe]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
Originally Posted By JoannaCampe
Remineralization does affect pH, but not like calcium products. It will balance the soil pH in whichever direction it needs to go.

I am a chemist and what you're saying just doesn't make sense to me. Can you refer me to a page that explains the chemistry of this? I would find it interesting.

Top
#161761 - 02/05/12 07:43 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Originally Posted By PerryMK
I am a chemist and what you're saying just doesn't make sense to me. Can you refer me to a page that explains the chemistry of this? I would find it interesting.


Thank you Perry. I didn't get that either, I am not a chemist, but adjusting PH, as I recall, requires adding either an acid or alkaline substance.

Joanna, according to the Wiki Ag Lime has these effects on soil:

it increases the pH of acidic soil (the higher the pH the less acidic the soil)
it provides a source of calcium and magnesium for plants
it permits improved water penetration for acidic soils
it improves the uptake of major plant nutrients(Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) of plants growing on acid soils.

The site Joanna linked to does have some interesting info. The video of the discussion about using "Rock Dust and Biochar as a Strategy for Carbon Sequestration" was very interesting and informative. I have a friend here here that's been working on a biochar soil amendment, (same guy I was collecting maple sap with last weekend), and he was telling me about what he's doing. It's very interesting and very closely aligned with the things Dr. Tom Goreau was discussing in that video.

Again, it all goes back to amending the soil to make it hospitable for living organisms. As it was explained to me, the gist of why biochar works to improve soil is that it provides a good home for beneficial bacteria. The bacteria break down the organic material (and rock dust) which helps plants grow better and bigger by making nutrients available in a form they can use. That's the same thing Dr. Goreau said in that video and I'll also point out that using lime here has very similar effects, perhaps even more profound, than the effects shown at the balsalt quarry he spoke of in that video.

--

Perry, after thinking about it some more, I think that without knowing what your soil has in it, you really can't know what amendments to add. So I'd say you really do need to do a PH and NPK test. If you've been adding fertilizers for several years now you may have way too much of something and that's what's causing you some problems.

I can say this; if your soil is hard, if there are no worms in it, if it doesn't soak up water very fast, then you positively need more organic material in it no matter how much NPK it tests for or what the PH is.

If that's the case you can go buy some good compost from a trusted local source and dig your rows about one foot deep and mix in a six inch thick layer of compost with it as best as you can.

Then inoculate your rows with native worms and some good organic garden soil (it will have the bacteria in it) from a trusted source. Put as much of both as you can get your hands on in each row.

Then get a bunch of good organic mulch and put a thick layer on top of your rows and water it for a couple weeks. Test it, then amend and fertilize it accordingly before you plant.

_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#161763 - 02/05/12 07:59 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: billstephenson]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
Actually, except for compost at the beginning of each season and a modest amount (I'm cheap) of MiracleGro, I haven't done much of anything. No fertilizers, no pesticides. Well, I did make some pesticide by blending a few habanero peppers and spraying it on the plants once.

The issue with remineralization, as I understand it and I may have an incomplete or even incorrect understanding, is that the trace minerals that are not normally tested for are the issue. It's not without some logic, but most scams have elements of truth to them. That's what makes people fall for them. I'm not saying this is a scam though.

Purchasing a few products to try out didn’t blow my budget and I can’t see it hurting the soil. I will take sample of each product into the lab and test them as I am able to satisfy my own curiosity of what is in them. I can use the instruments to run stuff alongside work samples as it costs almost nothing to do so, but setting up instruments solely for my own interest is sometimes frowned upon as there is some expense in getting things running.

In any case, I’ll record what I do both in writing and with photographs and then I’ll know what is useful and what isn’t.


Top
#161764 - 02/05/12 07:59 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
Originally Posted By PerryMK
I tilled in most of the rest of my compost in today. I imagine I'll be planting next week.


I meant I'll be planting next month. DUH!

Top
#161783 - 02/06/12 11:07 AM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
JoannaCampe Offline
newbie

Registered: 02/04/12
Posts: 6
I think to get a true understanding of where we're coming from you have to think about the biological management of soil, which is a somewhat different approach to managing soils chemically.

As far as a scam, I have collected research from all over the world for 25 years and we have a research database that includes 65 studies. We are waiting for a volunteer designer to finish it off. We have very modest funding.

Biochar and remineralization together potentially could eventually create perpetually fertile soils, or at least we would like to find out if that's true and we are looking to put together a large research project for sequestering carbon. Bio char acts in a similar way to a coral reef in the ocean, creating the perfect habitat for microorganisms and nutrients.

If you want a more sophisticated protocol that involves using a Brix meter and biological soil testing from Logan labs, go to the website of the Real Food Campaign. They have trained 700 farmers how to grow nutrient dense food in the Northeast, and they are a project of Remineralize the Earth. Remineralize the Earth is focused on a more grassroots approach to get people remineralizing all over the world within the context of permaculture and other techniques. The Real Food Campaign uses a specific protocol based on the work of Dr. Arden Anderson, further developed and taught by Dan Kittredge.

I have volunteered for every 25 years. If I were to be involved in a scam, one would hope that I would at least have made lots of money out of it by now.:) I am an advocate, not a scientist, but I have been involved in research projects and about 6 papers have been published with my name on them.

All the best,

Joanna
Remineralize the Earth

Top
#161792 - 02/06/12 01:03 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: JoannaCampe]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Quote:
If I were to be involved in a scam, one would hope that I would at least have made lots of money out of it by now.:)


Joanna, we're not thinking you're involved in a scam. Perry, I'm sure, was referring to the claims of other products he's been looking into.

As far as balancing PH " in whichever direction it needs to go", I don't think minerals by themselves can do that unless, like lime, you apply them to adjust in a specific direction. But I'm not sure how microorganisms can affect PH. I imagine that if mineral based compounds are inoculated with specific microorganisms that might be possible, but I've never seen any data on that.

Quote:
Actually, except for compost at the beginning of each season and a modest amount (I'm cheap) of MiracleGro, I haven't done much of anything. No fertilizers, no pesticides. Well, I did make some pesticide by blending a few habanero peppers and spraying it on the plants once.


Perry, I apologize for not seeing that you've already tilled in compost, and I'd be really interested in the results you get with the products you're testing.

If that's all you've done then my guess is that your soil is lacking about everything too. MiracleGro is good stuff, but, like compost, it gets used up fast.

The minerals can't hurt, but I think you still may need to work on getting the "microorganisms" in your soil built-up. I'm amazed at how much compost and mulch I've gone through in my garden. I have used almost all the manure my burros make (I'm talking a couple hundred bales of hay), and big piles leaves and branches for several years now, and you'd never know its all been piled on that little garden.

How's the worm population doing? I think they're a pretty good indicator for showing if you have enough organic material in your soil. If you have a lot of worms it makes sense that you'll have the microorganisms in there too.

Another thing you can easily do there is get some fish guts to add to your soil. If you fish, or have friends that do, or live near a resort or marina where people clean fish, just ask them to freeze and save them for you. Bury them in your beds. All kinds of good stuff in those. You can go just about anywhere where you're at and catch a mess of bream (bluegill). I've recycled a few of those when starting up a garden and it's always a surefire way to jumpstart the process smile

Honestly, I have my doubts that adding trace amounts of minerals, while not changing much else, is going to show a profound difference. Since you can, I'd look at the NPK in those concoctions, and whatever "other" ingredients are in them. If it shows more than trace amounts of NPK I'd call the product a scam. And if what they claim is there, isn't detectable, well, that'd be another tell.

But my doubts have been proven unfounded before, and sometimes that's worked out good for me, so I am really looking forward to hearing about your results.


_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#161796 - 02/06/12 01:40 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: billstephenson]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
Originally Posted By billstephenson
Quote:
If I were to be involved in a scam, one would hope that I would at least have made lots of money out of it by now.:)


Joanna, we're not thinking you're involved in a scam. Perry, I'm sure, was referring to the claims of other products he's been looking into.


Right now I have an open mind and will call it as I see it. I have nothing to sell, no sponsor to appease, no dog in the fight. EDIT: In all fairness I am not a soil scientist either. I am a chemist who also likes to garden.

If I didn't think there was the possibility of the whole concept having merit, I wouldn't be testing it.

I have seen scams before.
*Gas saving devices and additives
*politicians making claims
*supplements promising loss of fat.

I've also seen things that worked.
*A plate for defrosting items quickly (really worked! made of aluminum so allowed transfer of heat faster than setting frozen item on a plastic plate.)
*a non-hybrid car getting a real world 44mpg (my 1999 Metro)
*Airborne supplement helping ward off a cold


Edited by PerryMK (02/06/12 01:59 PM)

Top
#161797 - 02/06/12 01:47 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: JoannaCampe]
tramp Offline
member

Registered: 01/24/12
Posts: 119
Loc: WV
Perhaps not scam but spam. 4 posts in one thread all concerning something you're personally involved in is bound to raise suspicions. Surely you would understand one's skepticism?

Top
#161800 - 02/06/12 02:03 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: tramp]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
I don't get the impression it's spam. She's been upfront about the organization she belongs to and at least when I reviewed the web site of the organization, I didn't find anything for sale.

Top
#161804 - 02/06/12 03:00 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Joanna probably subscribes to a service that scans forums like this one for keywords used in posts and sends her an alert when they are found.

I don't have a problem with that, especially the way she used it here, which provided relevant info and did not hype a specific product.

Here's why I am skeptical of trace mineral additives:

I think that trace minerals, if they are indeed lacking, are easily made available with organic fertilizers, compost, mulch, and amendments like rock dust and biochar.

I think that if microorganisms are not present in healthy quantities then added trace minerals will still not be as available to your plants as they need to be. There is a conversion process between the two and the plants benefit from that process.

Lime, as I said, does wonders here, but it is not the trace minerals alone that make it work.

_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#161824 - 02/07/12 03:47 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: JoannaCampe]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1390
Loc: Florida panhandle
Originally Posted By JoannaCampe
If you want a more sophisticated protocol that involves using a Brix meter and biological soil testing from Logan labs, go to the website of the Real Food Campaign.

First I want you to know you strike me as a sincere person and I don't think you're a scammer or spammer in any way. In fact, you remind me of my late grandfather who was a natural healer. He had a gift for healing, sort of a cross between a chiropractor and nutritionist, although he never had much schooling. But God bless him, he also bought into every nutrition scheme, including soil nutrition, that sounded good and was probably taken a few times. My mom still buys into many such things and no amount of real science will convince her otherwise.

Now that we're done with the nice-ities (smile), I didn't know what a Brix meter was so I looked it up. That is about as unsophisticated as one could hope to get. That doesn't mean it can't be useful. It's comparable to a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter that I've used to screen well water. The operative word here is screen. This is not the same as analyze.

From the web site you recommended, near bottom of page:
"Also remember that many other substances can falsely indicate "brix" readings"
http://realfoodcampaign.org/content/brix

A Brix is not a serious analytical tool. I didn't see anything about biological testing on the web site but maybe I missed it.
EDIT: I checked the Logan Labs web site and didn't see anything about biological testing there either. Again, maybe I missed it.


As I said in an earlier post, I can use the lab at which I am employed on a limited basis. I already have the soil remineraliztion products Sea90 and Azomite. As soon as the ECOMIN gets in I will bring samples to the lab and put them on an XRF (X-ray fluorescence) spectrometer. I will also take a soil sample from my garden just for giggles. This will detect pretty much every element from sodium on up. So copper, potassium, gold, etc., no problem. As my XRF is configured it does not provide structural information, only presence of elements. It cannot the the lighter elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, etc. Thus it cannot detect nitrate (NO3) or carbonate (CO3) as these are lighter and also require structural information.

I also have access to two ICs (ion chromatographs) with mass spectrometer detector, one configured for anions and the other for cations. These can readily detect nitrate but I have never attempted carbonate. My guess is the anion IC will pick it up but I'll have to run a standard to know for sure. This is not a problem.

I also have access to a few other instruments but the XRF alone will probably tell me what I want to know, which is the presence of trace elements.


Edited by PerryMK (02/07/12 03:52 PM)

Top
#161901 - 02/09/12 05:14 PM Re: Soil remineralization [Re: PerryMK]
Heather-ak Offline
member

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
The only "mineral" I've ever heard about deficiency of in soil is Selenium. Somewhere I read this is becoming a bigger concern with the type of farming now necessary to support all the people we have and soils become overtaxed. However, I don't think it is something you can buy and add to your soil...

Top
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 >

Moderator:  Glenn Roberts 
Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
MSR Recall
by balzaccom
02/24/24 11:13 AM
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Yosemite Winter Rangers
by balzaccom
12/21/23 09:35 AM
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 55 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum