basalt

[gardenhoe]

My brother in law is from guatemala and has gotten me hooked on growing cacao. His sister has a criollo cacao in guatemala and he recently brought back seeds so now I have a nice little seedling cacao tree and I bought a forastero because I had read that you need two different trees to get fruit (even though he insists that you do not). My question is about basalt, I bought some for the cacao tree because I wanted to use the same mix that my BIL uses which is potting mix, sand and basalt (with a little chicken manure). He is adamant that the cacao needs this and the picture of his sister's trees look beautiful. Why would basalt make such a big difference?

[FMfruitforest]

It breaks down to rock dust which contains lots of nutrients and minerals in a long lasting form. You should also research vermiculite as a soil amendment which can slow leaching of nutrients in sandy soils, retain moisture while providing aeration and regulate soil temperature.

[gardenhoe]

thank you, I have a bag of vermiculite that I use for my other container trees. The basalt I ordered was in dust form, it just seemed like the mix used a lot of it (2lbs basalt dust, 2lbs sand, 4lbs of coco coir potting mix and a handful of dried chicken manure) I sprinkled a little bit on my other trees but was concerned that it might throw my ph balance off. I would normally use peat in my sandy mix. figured if the basalt mix was ok for cacao I could use if for coffee trees but wasn't sure it would be ok for anything else.

[zands]

Basalt=granite. _____________  ---Granite rock dust---...you will find many internet references such as >>>  https://www.gardenmyths.com/rock-dust-remineralize-earth/

[Satya]

Basalt=granite. _____________  ---Granite rock dust---...you will find many internet references such as >>>  https://www.gardenmyths.com/rock-dust-remineralize-earth/

"I guess if you are gardening in hot acidic mud, you might need these rare earth elements to keep your autotrophic bacteria alive".
😂😂😂

[zands]

Basalt=granite. _____________  ---Granite rock dust---...you will find many internet references such as >>>  https://www.gardenmyths.com/rock-dust-remineralize-earth/

"I guess if you are gardening in hot acidic mud, you might need these rare earth elements to keep your autotrophic bacteria alive".
😂😂😂

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This is by the man who started it all. Despite the title this 1982  book is about granite rock dust. I have a copy. Link goes to Amazon books
https://tinyurl.com/858pyp4w

[Triphal]

Basalt = 15% less silicon and more magnesium, iron, calcium and other microminerals comparing granites. That makes the difference.

[gardenhoe]

thank you, do you know if the minerals provided are specific to tropical plants or would sub tropical plants benefit (significantly) I watched a bunch of youtube videos but its either Yay basalt is great or Boo basalt is a scam. My little cacao seedling seems very healthy especially since it has never seen sunlight (grow light) after watching tons of youtube videos I was expecting some brown edges but so far nothing but green. I am considering adding it to my soil for my black sapotes and cherimoya as long as it doesn't throw off my ph too much as I have just gotten my large sapote to bud extra branches and do not want to do anything to set it back.

[zands]

Yeah basalt is not granite. Here is something interesting>

Basalt is volcanic, or extrusive, forming at the surface, while granite is plutonic, or intrusive, forming beneath the surface. Basalt is mafic while granite is felsic Basalt is common on both Earth and other Solar System bodies such as the Moon and Mars while granite is only common on Earth and rare elsewhere in the Solar System

We have extensive basalt in the American West-- Idaho, Washington State----

The Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) consists of a thick sequence of Miocene flood basalt that covered northern Oregon, eastern Washington, and western Idaho between 17 and 6 million years ago. It is an important regional aquifer system,

[Mike T]

Basalt is young surface volcanic and usually vesicular whereas granite cooled slowly underground with big crystal in the lattice more obvious. Don't be sucked in by rock dust as the nutrients are too tightly bound for the seedling to derive benefit during their stay in a pot. Krasnozem soil is a different story of course and takes a long time to form. It is the vesicular nature of crushed basalt that provides the aeration and drainage benefits without ever compacting.

[David H]

Triphal is closest to the main reason that basaltic soils are far more fertile than granitic soils.   Igneous rocks (those derived from cooled magma) are from two categories of magma.  The basic or alkaline magma category is higher in Calcium,Magmesium,Iron,Phosphorus. That magma is the source of basalt and gabbro (basalt cooled more quickly,has finer crystaline structure than gabbro,but chemically the same).   The other acidic magma is higher in aluminium content,lower in the other elements mentioned,and is the source of rhyolite and granite. (rhyolite cooled more quickly,has finer crystaline structure)
Gabbro and Granite ,though  derived from chemically different magma,both cooled slowly,have larger crystaline structure,and are classified as Plutonic igneous  riocks.  ( Rhyolite and Basalt are classified as volcanic igneous) .  There would be thousands of cacao or other trees grown successfully in pots without the addition of basalt dust  As long as the required minerals are suuplied to the potting mix,they will be fine.

[gardenhoe]

thank you, I bought a large bag of basalt dust and might try to grow another cacao without it to see if there is any difference. I broke down and called my former biology professor who basically told me the same thing about the difference between basalt and granite, he added that tropical plants are, in general, acid loving and that the minerals would break down faster in acid soil making the nutrients more readily available slowly over time. He brought up campari tomatos that are grown in heavily volcanic soil in italy and their superior flavor that is attributed to the soil they are grown in so it might be that the fruit flavor is affected by the additional minerals. again thanks to everyone for your help, I have gone overboard with the tropicals since I picked my first lemon 4 years ago, but tropical plants are to gardening what baking is to cooking and my citrus trees have flipped me the bird several times.