Thinking about spring gardens in the fall can make a big difference in your gardens production. As gardeners we may think about the obvious, like compost, cover crops, the addition of leaves and mulching, but to fully get the benefits of some of the best organic nutrients like rock dusts, glacier minerals and other slow decomposing amendments may not be on our mind. These soil amendments take some time to break down before your plants can get the full benefit to uptake the nutrients, so applying in the fall is not only a good idea, but a must for plants like root crops to be fully successful, especially if your soil is lacking!

Rock dusts should be applied to the soil in the fall. They can be worked into the soil or sprinkled over the top with a top dressing of compost or mulch. General application rates are 5 pounds per 100 square foot. Over the winter they break down making it possible for the plants to take in the nutrients when planted in the spring.  

Rock Phosphate is a slow-release mineralized source of phosphorus for amending the soil. If you have noticed that your root crops, tomatoes, squash, eggplant peppers, ect. have not preformed well over the summer, then adding some additional phosphorus can be the key to more producing more larger root crops, more flower and fruits.  

Mineral Rock Dust, such as Gaia Glacier Rock Dust is an excellent soil remineralizer.  It is a slow-release, finely crushed rock that contains secondary nutrients (magnesium, iron, and manganese) and trace elements. Rock dust not only helps remineralize the soil, but it improves soil structure, moisture retention, and drainage.