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Colorado

Who out there in pumpkinland is using a zeolite product?

do you think it has helped? Also, does anyone know if a zeolite product will provide any advantage if you already have a high CEC in your soil?

thanks.

12/6/2010 9:43:40 PM

Joliet, IL

i put down 40 pounds of "zeopro" per 750 sq ft plot last year in the spring. i already have 300 pounds here ready for the spring and will put down 100 pounds per 750 sq ft plot and immediately put down some "biota max" and "thrive" to innoculate the soil food web with more beneficials and let them build their little colonies in the cracks and crevices the zeolite has in its porous honeycomb like structure. i use biochar the past 2 years for the same reason. both have tremendous amounts of internal surface area for microscopic critters to form soil "reefs" so to speak. they also work in conjecntion with mych fungi nicely from the research i have done.

i bought my zeolite this year at ag organics.

https://www.organic-gardening-shop.com/Agorganics/Product_Details.aspx?ProductID=615&ProductName=ZEOMAX Zeolite Turf Aid 50 lb

zeolite microscopic pic at below address. it is a long http address but copy and past the whole thing for molecular structure pic and info

http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=garden+zeolite+structure&img=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baag.com.au%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F07%2Fzeolite-structure-150x150.gif&host=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baag.com.au%2F%3Fp%3D1920&width=96&height=96&thumbUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fimages-partners-tbn.google.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3A6MKgxsEegQQJHM%3A%3Awww.baag.com.au%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F07%2Fzeolite-structure-150x150.gif&b=image%3Fs_it%3Dtopsearchbox.image%26v_t%3Dclient_searchbox%26q%3Dgarden%2Bzeolite%2Bstructure%26oreq%3D8126cef26a594f4cb4bca673761f5309&imgHeight=150&imgWidth=150&imgTitle=Zeolite+is+a+naturally&imgSize=8342&hostName=www.baag.com.au

biochar pic
http://www.carbon-negative.us/characterization/

12/6/2010 10:58:52 PM

Joliet, IL

this year i will spray the following products "thrive" and "biota max" immediately after tilling in the zeolite and biochar to help get those crevices filled with communities of microbes.

https://www.organic-gardening-shop.com/Agorganics/Product_Display.aspx?Search=Y&keywords=thrive

http://www.biggerpumpkin.com/GrowBigger.html

has it worked Pete...who knows... i am still learning every year...but it sure hasn't hurt. lol. i do love the science behind it. both are supposed to help raise cec as well as providing structure. but watch how it can affect your ph by raising it. do some research. i have just jumped in and see what happens and placed both at way higher levels then product recommendations. i also add sulfur every year to counter affect any possible ph rising from these products have and also due to my high ph in my irrigation city water i put down sulfur every year.

12/6/2010 11:11:51 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

I have a good buddy who put down a large amount in his patch 2 years ago, and only saw his CEC increase, no real increase in fruit size.
I will agree with Shazzy, has it worked Pete...who knows... i am still learning every year, I dont think it can hurt.

12/6/2010 11:55:37 PM

Va

The best products for the uninitiated are the formulated biochars with biology;
My first choice;
Virginia Tech is in their 5 th year with the Carbon Char Group's "CharGrow" formulated bagged product. NC
The 2009 trials at Virginia Tech showed a 46% increase in yield of tomato transplants grown with just 2 - 5 cups (2 - 5%) "CharGrow" per cubic foot of growing medium. http://www.carbonchar.com/plant-performance

Second; Biocharm in CA;
http://www.biocharm.com/biochar

Soon to be available;
SoilReef(composted)http://www.soilreef.com/

Here's the full list some formulated, some composted;
Products; http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/materials

My 09 field trials with the Rodale Institute & JMU ;
Alterna Biocarbon and Cowboy Charcoal Virginia field trials '09
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/node/1408

For those looking for an overview of biochar and its benefits, These authors have done a very nice job of distilling a great deal of information about biochar and applying it to the US context:

US Focused Biochar report: Assessment of Biochar's Benefits for the USA

http://www.biochar-us.org/pdf%20files/biochar_report_lowres.pdf

Recent NATURE STUDY;
Sustainable bio char to mitigate global climate change
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v1/n5/full/ncomms1053.html

12/7/2010 11:11:03 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

NIce Pete....way to go guyZ...this is what BP is all about.....

12/8/2010 5:59:46 AM

Colorado Springs, CO

One will find similar characteristics and benefits (in soil applications) between zeolite and (NJ) greensand. Research them comparatively.

Likewise, the carbon compliment derived from biochar might be equally, or better, acquired from the use of a high-quality "humate", and know, that there are all kinds of humate qualities in the market, as too different from their geographic and geological sources. Compare the biochar versus a good humate.

12/8/2010 10:35:02 AM