This is an update of an April 2019 article. Due to the many success stories I’ve heard, I’ve decided to profile Azomite this week and offer more education on the product.
Since Hurricane Harvey in September 2017, our soils have lost many trace minerals, and some turf, flower beds, fruit trees and vegetable gardens are still looking peaked. Plus, the loss of micronutrients and minerals has continued to worsen in the past 8-10 months from seemingly endless rain.
We’ve always needed to replenish trace minerals and trace elements in soils that are constantly irrigated or over-worked for long periods. In the past, simply adding quality composts could do an admirable restoration job. But it can take several months for compost to break down, and much of it has been pounded away in the past two years. Imagine how many trace minerals and trace elements are needed today in Southeast Texas after the past 20 months of Mother Nature’s impacts.
And yet, all along, there has been a product that can help add those minerals back into the soil almost instantaneously. And when you remineralize soil – no matter what you’re growing – you improve the root systems. That leads to optimum growth, optimum yields and optimum quality.
The product is Azomite! By the way, the exact pronunciation starts with a hard or long A … ey-zoh-mahyt. That’s because it contains trace minerals from A to Z and their incorporated trace elements - A-Zomite, get it?
I first learned of Azomite about seven years ago at a turfgrass research facility. I loved the potential I saw there, but it just wasn’t available in enough retail stores for me to suggest everyone give it a try. Then, in 2017, the manufacturer greatly expanded their retail presence and approached GardenLine about an endorsement. A year ago, their retailers mushroomed even further as Nitro-Phos picked up distribution of the product.
Azomite is a unique, natural substance mined in central Utah and used for over 70 years by agriculturalists (farmers and crop producers), mainly because of its trace minerals and because it is 100% environmentally safe. Technically, it is known as “highly mineralized complex silica ore” or hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS). It was formed from an ash deposit left in an ancient seabed by a volcanic eruption millions of years ago.
Besides meeting the overwhelming need to remineralize our soils, other benefits of the proper and consistent use of Azomite include more abundant, bigger and better-tasting fruits and vegetables. And when it comes to landscapes and turfgrass, think about how many beneficial minerals have been leached out of our soil over the past two years. Adding Azomite to plants and turf will help them complete their life cycles and meet their full potential. Any fertility program (including my schedule) will work better with the addition of Azomite, and at the same time increase plants' resistance to diseases.
Azomite can be broadcast alone or blended with any mineral fertilizer, organic fertilizer or even manure-based programs. It can also be banded along rows or when planting in the soil. It has even been blended in water for hydroponic uses and foliar feeding. Plus, it can be a good carrier for Bermuda seeds or microbial blends of bio-stimulants.
It’s odorless and will not burn any plant. It’s also certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), which means any manic organic should absolutely love it. Other gardening experts have called Azomite a multi-vitamin for depleted soils. It’s good for any soil that needs to be remineralized - not just our pathetic clay-based soils.
Give it a try on just about anything you suspect has been depleted of minerals. I’ll bet you’ll notice a difference within three months. And if you have any questions on the history and use of the product, check out the FAQ section at www.Azomite.com
IMAGES: AZOMITE® Mineral Products, Inc.