Does Rock Dust Increase Brix Values? Part 1 - Tomatoes

Will crops grown in soil amended with rock dust have higher brix values than those grown in the same soil but without rock dust? In this video, I take the first step toward answering this question by brix testing tomatoes in my rock dust field trial.

OYR is all about growing a lot of food on a little land using sustainable organic methods, while keeping costs and labor at a minimum. Emphasis is placed on improving soil quality with compost, mulch, and compost tea. No store-bought fertilizers, soil amendments, pesticides, compost activators, etc. are used.

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[MIgardener]

I certainly wouldn't be all that disappointed, We have really had a cold year, and I have heard that the warmer the year, the more the sugars can condense in the fruit. An old farmer I was buddies with told me that his tomatoes are always more acidic on cold years. might be some truth to that. Regardless it was a super great episode!

[SouthpawDavey]

Great stuff Patrick.
Looking forward to the next update.

[RobsAquaponics]

Interesting results Patrick..
Was wondering if you tested any of the char tomatoes at all.. Would be interesting to see the results of all 3 together..
Cheers mate..

[elysejoseph]

Very interesting, thank you for all the efforts and time you put into this!

[TheAbledGardener]

I believe Rock dust minerals are good for your plants but they also need a method of being more readably absorbed by the plants. Why don't you try a Humic/Fulvic acid combination, (one is from the other just smaller molecular weight). Those compounds work with microbes and other elements (mycorrhizae) in the soil to make the vitamins minerals in the soil more bioavailable to the plant through the roots and creates a great root system. Try this and use on a third section of your Rock dust garden to see if this helps, I bet it does. It has helped my root systems unbelievably though I don't have a refractometer to test for solids in suspension. Also, great job, I love testing being done on anything that is touted as necessary for you or your garden. You both are doing a great job, I love it!

[IndoorHydroponix]

I like the idea of remineralization. Especially for heavy degraded soils. I suspect, watching your videos and garden, that your base soil is not devoid of minerals. That's a testament to you and your soil. I also suspect, and this is an uneducated opinion - that minerals may need more than one or two growing cycles and seasons to break down and be plant ready. I'd guess, the following seasons may have more noticeable results. But I'm still a skeptic on this - which is why I like your unbiased research. The folks pushing rock dust on YouTube seem to have a monetary interest in it, which kind of skews it for me.

[LindaPenney]

Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day

[JoeFeser]

I had to lol at 1:05. It looks like your tomatoes are growing upside down.

[Allottedaaron]

Fascinating.  I love your experiments.  Very interested to see what else happens.

[Pepper]

thank you so much for sharing your results of your studies with us, I am looking forward to future follow ups with this study. Again thnx for sharing. I always enjoy your videos.

[yearvet]

Interesting results. Did you also do the biochar group? I'm wondering if biochar and rock dust together would affect the plants capability to absorb nutrients.

[hgw]

Thanks for the video. I have found that rock dust in loose soil will wash out very quickly. This was observed when I watered my potted plant and can see the brown rock dust washing out with the runoff. This begs the question, whether your rock dust have washed out or settled at the bottom of the bed after a few watering.

[julvwildcat]

Thank you for your video. I love your experiments.

[MederosJorge]

Sir, By what I have read (I am not an expert of any kind on this subject, nor am I claiming to be in anyway, shape or form.) it takes several years for the fungus and bacteria to break down the rock dust so that plants may use it. I apologize for not including links where I have read this information, I did not save them. If I can re-find it,  I will come back and share it. Will you be doing a brix test with your bio char tomatoes? It would be great to know, if there is a difference there. 

Thank you for your time and effort in sharing this information with us!

[SheriFischerSherGarden]

Enjoyed the video. I like your approach using scientific method of experiments with a control. It is just amazing how you can analyze in the "field" these days with all the new gadgets that are available.

[Musik]

Great video as usual, I guess I really don't need any of that rock dust stuff and here I was planning on splurging and buying a bag of it for this season. It's refreshing you don't hawk products at people too like a lot of these other channels and instead do some sound research. I try to put my garden in as cheaply as possible, the most expensive thing I've bought is some cedar for raised beds.

[MrMac]

I will be recommending your channel, and don't forget to share, some of those fantastic tomatoes.
said that I will be thinking about salsa all day.

[jadvla]

Hi Patrick, thanks for doing the brix test. I was wondering 2 things: When you tested your greens for taste, the Rock dust group tasted better. Paul Gauchi says that he believes his food tastes better because they have more minerals. If the brix testing doesn't confirm this something else is going on.  2nd-could the amount of sun your plants get or doesn't get have anything to do with it? If food tastes better with rock dust, and say. . . you planted spinach and it didn't get as much sun as spinach that did.  couldn't it effect how much minerals a plant could pull out of the soil?

[jibarito]

Thanks for sharing, sir. Loving your videos.

[Lukywest]

I believe I asked about brix and the flavor on the other, I guess I should watch them in the correct order. Thanks for clearing that up with meter. I really need to get one of them. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations on brand or models.?