by Wally Richards

IT IS BACK!

One could say over the last week that Spring is back for most of the country which is great news in itself, but now a very popular product that we used to have a few years ago is now back and not only back but its formation has been improved on as well.

We have kept the same name, but now with Wallys Brand included (fanfare…) Wallys Rok Solid is the new improved rock dust that makes a big difference to your gardens and plants as well as your own health.

Many years ago when I wore a younger man’s clothes (as they say) I was introduced to a product from Germany that a family-owned company was importing called Simalith.

Simalith is powdered mineral rock dust milled from basalt rock quarries.

It was not long before a good number of gardeners were adding Simalith to their soil for its many benefits.

But the importers stop importing and we lost the product.

I remember a chap who contacted me around that time saying that in different types of rocks there are many elements and minerals which, ground down to a powder, would make an inexpensive wide spectrum mineral fertiliser for commercial growing of crops plus for farmers use on their paddocks to increase the nutritional content of the soil and grasses.

I agreed and related to him the value of Simalith.

So later he contacted me and told me that he had approached the Government and a couple of Government departments and they found no interest whatsoever (typical).

In more recent times another very knowledgeable person I know told me of a product that was natural, easy to make that could be used on crops and pasture which would significantly reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilisers that are being used.

Did anyone in Government show any interest? Of course not. They go on about nitrates and the need to reduce their use but it’s only talk as they show no actual interest in doing what they say.

Collaborative research from the University of Otago, University of Auckland, and other institutions estimated that nitrate contamination in New Zealand drinking water could potentially contribute up to 100 bowel cancer cases and 40 deaths annually, affecting residents in intensive agricultural or dairy-farming regions where groundwater is leached with excess fertilizers and animal manure.

(The animal manure is because no longer is there any life in their soils as microbes and worms have been eliminated with man made fertilisers.)

N-nitroso compounds (NOCs): When ingested nitrates are metabolized in the gut, they can combine with amines to form N-nitroso compounds, which are known carcinogens.

NZ has one of the highest bowel cancer rates in the world and now you know why.

Back to the rock dust story: After Simalith disappeared a gentleman contacted me and said he had a product which he called Rok Solid.

I was sent a sample along with some field trial data and asked would I be interested?

So I began marketing and talking the virtues of this lovely black rock dust.

Gardeners soon opt to try the product and from the very good results they had came back for more and more.

As I understand it, the company stopped making the product so we found another mineral rock dust which I called Wallys Unlocking your soil.

It also was a good rock dust combination but somehow it did not feel as good as the original Rok Solid. Maybe that was psychological? If you use a brand product which you like and enjoy and you try another very similar product with a different brand name it can never seem quite as good as your old favorite. We are creatures of habit.

Now the good news; recently I found a person who knows about Rok Solid of old and has not only the ability to make the original Rok Solid, but with some improvements.

Thus I have called it Wallys Rok Solid and is now available in 1kilo, 3 kilo and 10 kilo bags.

Here is an approximate analysis of the product:

Analysis of Wallys Rok Solid (Averages)

Nitrogen [N] .15%
Phosphorus [P] .8%
Potassium {k} 1.4%
Sulphur [S] .14%
Calcium [Ca] 4.4%
Magnesium [Mg] 5.69%
Sodium [Na] 2.95%
Silica [Si] 43.0%
Iron [Fe] 39,000ppm
Manganese [Mn] 1,100ppm
Boron [B] 55ppm
Copper [Cu] 90ppm
Zinc [Zn] 142ppm
Cobalt [Co] 59ppm
Molybdenum [Mo] 2ppm
Selenium [Se] 3ppm
Plus many other trace elements.

You can see that it has a large amount of Silica 43.0% which not only assists in plant cell formation but also strengthens the plants cells making it difficult for the dreaded tomato/potato psyllid to feed.

APPLICATION RATES: The scoop provided is 55 grams, filled level

Place half a scoop in the planting hole of seedlings with Wallys Real Blood & Bone (ideally to make a total natural plant food)

Then spray the seedlings with Wallys Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) or with Liquid Sunshine: being a tablespoon of molasses dissolved into a litre of hot water with 10 ml of MBL added.

Stand back to give plants room to grow 🙂

For larger plantings such as roses and trees, put 1-2 scoops of Wallys Rok Solid into the planting hole.

When sowing seeds such as carrots, sprinkle Wallys Rok Solid along the row plus Real Blood & Bone, BioPhos and Neem Tree Powder; lightly work into soil then sow seeds and spray them with MBL before covering.

With established plants: side dress a scoop or two of Wallys Rok Solid into the root zone area.

On lawns or garden beds apply 250 grams per square metre.

The key to great growing is Wallys Rok Solid and Wallys Real Blood & Bone in the soil to feed and mineralise your soil and plants then regular foliage sprays of MBL or Liquid Sunshine.

Phone 0800 466464
Garden Pages and News at www.gardenews.co.nz
Shar Pei pages at  www.sharpei.co.nz
Mail Order products at www.0800466464.co.nz