An interesting article in The Dendrologist magazine…
Rock Dust Fertilizer – Scottish quarries are supplying 420 million year old volcanic rock, ground up and packed in 10kg bags, now being sold in B&Q for £5.98 as ‘Verve’ soil improver. It contains ‘the full suite of nutrients’, as marketing director Jennifer Cook proclaims. Rock dust has long had its fans in the permaculture movement to re-mineralize soils. Humus is also important and it is interesting to realise meadows hold about 1-2kg of dry plant biomass per square metre, whilst forests hold about 30kg. With more layers of plant structure, trees, shrubs, tall perennials and ground cover, the more habitats and food sources are available to animals.
Verve soil conditioner available from B&Q here