Are you interested in taking your gardening or landscaping to the next level? If so, perhaps you have considered Azomite. Azomite is mined in the Utah desert from the ruins of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is a natural mineral product.
What makes Azomite unique is that it’s versatile as both an organic fertilizer and soil additive. Unlike many fertilizers, Azomite does not use chemicals or fillers. Is Azomite good for plants? The answer is an overwhelming yes. Not only is Azomite good for plants, but it is also good for the environment.
Azomite aids plant growth. When plants are grown with Azomite, they produce a larger quantity than fruit than plants grown without this product. They also produce larger and tastier fruit. There is also evidence Azomite improves the nutritional profile of plants, which contributes to healthier fruit.
In this article, we will look at the things to know about Azomite. By the end, you will know if Azomite is right for your plants.
1. What Does Azomite Do for Plants?
Soil depletion is a worldwide phenomenon. Many things contribute to soil depletion, including modern intensive agricultural farming, erosion, and the improper use of chemical fertilizers. This has contributed to the loss of between 75% and 85% of the earth’s arable topsoil.
Depleted soil lacks crucial vitamins and minerals once found abundantly in our soil. Since Azomite is a natural source of over 70 trace minerals, including magnesium, silicon, and potassium, it helps improve depleted soil. Azomite helps to balance your soil, thus enhancing the quality of the plants you grow.
The essential trace minerals found in Azomite aid plant growth while improving the composition of the soil. Plants produced with Azomite also have more nutrients than plants grown using traditional methods, leading to bigger, more nutritious, and higher quality plants.
Related: Do Magnets Help Plants Grow?
2. Can Azomite Burn Plants?
No. You do not have to worry about Azomite burning your plants. Azomite is an odorless, natural compound. Farmers, crop producers, and others have used this product for more than 70 years to assist plant growth and vitality. Azomite does not reduce the penetration of water or aeration.
No chemicals are used to produce Azomite. Azomite is natural, coming out of mines rather than undergoing production in a facility. Azomite is free of additives, synthetics, and fillers. There is no risk of overapplication because it cannot burn your plants or plant roots.
Keep in mind, overusing Azomite is unlikely to provide any additional benefits to your plants or the soil.
3. How Often Should You Use Azomite?
How often you will use Azomite depends on the plants you are growing. Some plants will require more frequent use than others. Apply Azomite to lawns annually either in the spring, fall, or winter. Apply Azomite to potted plants four times per year.
For compost, add Azomite at the beginning of the compost cycle. For soil amendments, apply Azomite in the fall well before the ground freezes. You can reapply Azomite in the spring.
4. How Do You Apply Azomite?
The application of Azomite varies from plant to plant. Typically two to three pounds of Azomite is applied per one thousand square feet of lawn; this equals 20 to 30 pounds per 10,000 square feet. For trees, shrubs, and other similar plants, add half a pound to a pound of Azomite to each plant’s soil, then lightly till or water the Azomite into the soil.
Before potting a houseplant, mix one teaspoon of Azomite with potting soil per two-inch pot diameter. After that, apply the same amount to the soil four times each year. With greenhouses, add seven to ten pounds of Azomite per cubic yard. You can also add it to irrigation water weekly.
If you have a vegetable or flower garden, use half a pound of Azomite per 100 square feet or half a pound per 200 feet linear row.
5. Is Azomite Good for Tomatoes?
Yes. Azomite is good for tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. In fact, there was a tomato study that demonstrated the benefits of Azomite for tomatoes. The key findings were:
- Tomatoes treated with ultrafine Azomite showed 37% more fruit set
- The tomato yield was 79% higher when tomatoes were treated with granulated and ultrafine Azomite
- Phosphorus, potassium, and Iron were much higher in the soil, and plants treated with Azomite
- Plants treated with Azomite had higher chlorophyll levels
Azomite benefits other fruits as vegetables as well, increasing their level of nutrients. This improves the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables and also improves their taste.
6. What Minerals Are Found in Azomite?
One of the primary benefits of Azomite is the minerals it contains. We discussed soil depletion earlier. Azomite helps to heal the soil, adding back minerals and nutrients that are no longer there. This makes plants grown with Azomite more nutritious.
Azomite contains the following essential elements:
- Boron
- Calcium
- Chlorine
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Molybdenum
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorous
- Potassium
- Silicon
- Sodium
- Sulfur
- Zinc
Azomite is mineral-dense. There are also over 70 trace minerals found in Azomite.
7. Is Azomite Good for Human Consumption?
Although Azomite contains tons of minerals and other nutrients, it is not suitable for human consumption. Azomite is a soil additive. Humans reap the benefits of Azomite when they consume fruits and vegetables grown in soil treated with Azomite.
Azomite does contain heavy metals. However, they represent a lower percentage than what naturally occurs in a normal soil sample. Azomite is chemically classified as a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate. This means it is “generally recognized as safe,” according to the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines.
The Organic Materials Review Institute has certified Azomite for organic agriculture. Some websites do recommend consuming Azomite. However, there have been no human studies involving the consumption of Azomite. It is environmentally safe, but humans should not consume it directly until studies prove its safety.
8. Is Azomite Radioactive?
No, Azomite is not radioactive. It does not produce any harmful alpha particles which could hurt humans, animals, or the environment. Azomite is mineralized volcanic ash. Volcanic soil is rich in nutrients and minerals, so agricultural communities have often been situated downstream from volcanoes.
You should exercise caution when applying Azomite to the soil. There is a risk of overexposure from excessive inhalation of Azomite, which could lead to lung injury. This is true of any dust.
9. Is Azomite Good for Fruit Trees?
Yes. Azomite improves the stores of nutrients in fruits and vegetables, thereby increasing their nutritional value. It improves the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. As we mentioned earlier, it also improves the taste.
Diseased trees have shown improvement after having their soil treated with Azomite. Adding Azomite to the soil around your fruit trees may also increase your yields and improve your tree’s health. Anecdotally, many Azomite users have reported substantial improvements in their harvests after treating their soil with Azomite.
10. How is Azomite Different From Fertilizer?
Azomite supplies more minerals than traditional fertilizers. Most fertilizers only contain macronutrients Potassium, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen. These nutrients are essential for plant growth. However, plants need more than these three nutrients. If trace element minerals are missing from the soil, plants treated with traditional fertilizer won’t produce to their full potential.
In contrast, Azomite supplies over 70 trace minerals in addition to other essential nutrients. The additional minerals found in Azomite allow plants, fruits, and vegetables to thrive, reach their full potential, and resist disease. Moreover, Azomite improves depleted soil. Something fertilizers don’t do.
11. What Does Azomite mean?
Azomite is an acronym that stands for A to Z minerals, including trace minerals. Azomite’s founder Rollin Anderson created and registered the trademark in the early 1940s.
12. Is Azomite a Rock Dust?
Yes. Rock dust is a popular soil additive used in organic gardening. Azomite differs from other rock dusts on the market because its origin is organic ash. Many other rock dust products are glacial rock dust.
Final Thoughts
Azomite is an all-natural soil amendment that can help supercharge your agricultural endeavors. Whether you have a small garden in your backyard or an orchard full of trees, Azomite is a worthy investment. Azomite improves soil, increases crop yields, and produces larger fruits and vegetables per plant.
As a bonus, fruits and vegetables produced with Azomite are more colorful and flavorful than those grown conventionally. Azomite’s impressive results are attributed to the improvements it makes to the soil. Most of the world’s soil is severely depleted. Azomite supplies more than 70 trace minerals to treated soil. This encourages plant root growth.
Azomite is a certified organic product mined in the Utah desert and of volcanic origin. Depending on your plants, you may need to apply Azomite once or several times a year. The amount you apply will also depend on the crops you are growing.
If your plants aren’t thriving and you are looking for a solution or want to take your gardening to the next level, consider adding Azomite to your routine.
See anything we missed? Let us know in the comments below.