Thanks for the information, Mary. If I can get it at a reasonable price, I will use it. But if I can't, my peonies will just have to do without it. It is just too expensive to have it mailed and i am not sure how much it helps my peonies. Greensand is not the same as Azomite but I can get a 50lb bag for about $20 and it also contains minerals. But the sand is mined in NJ coastal plains not from volcanoes.

Thanks Mary. The entire text was really interesting and informative. Lots I didn't (obviously) know.

Greensand also sounds useful, it is dug up marine deposits. In general, it does not seem necessary to spend tons of money for something exotic, and like you say it is a more local product.

I guess I am a bit envious of those who can access Azomite at a reasonable price. Nevertheless, I thank you for your information, Mary (Pistil). I am very glad to know that Azomite does not contain dangerous radioactive minerals. I did get a few pounds to try a few years ago. Perhaps it did help the peonies but I might not apply enough of it to make a significant difference. I hope I can find a local source for it someday. I would sure like to try it as an experiment on my peonies to see how the Azomite helps the peonies growth or blooms.

Well, that is good information, but Azomite is still too expensive.

Yep, I did not buy any either.

Thanks for the info. Very interesting.
I personally have always been afraid to use Milorginte. All sorts of drugs get flushed down the toilet and end up in sewage sludge.

Thanks for the info. Very interesting.
I personally have always been afraid to use Milorginte. All sorts of drugs get flushed down the toilet and end up in sewage sludge.

Azomite is certainly not the only mineral fertilizer out there but I've not found anything local, everything else seems even more expensive to ship. I've read some lately about theories that mineral fertilizers help mitigate the fungal issues that multiply and extend the damage caused by cold. No clue if this is true or just a guess but I'll try about anything to get more plants through our late freezes/snows....

I got my bulb fertilizer on the plants and you can still see the azomite around the plants due to no snow cover. Still holding in 30's and40's. Winter will really hit soon. If not, I am looking forward to spring. So now I have lilies and dahlias coming in spring and peonies next fall. I may keep some of the peonies for myself as I really love the shades I ordered as well as the forms. Just seems like the guys at the botanical garden just don't get as excited as I do about them. Course their focus is on the entire garden. Will and I did move several to better locations and moved the 2015 plantings from the research plot out to the regular garden beds. Backfilled with about 20 new ones in the research plot to see how they do.

The herb garden has been sadly neglected so that is my winter focus; working from the planting worksheets and our database IrisBG to get it up to date. Then in the spring printing signs for all the newly accessioned.

Guess all of this has nothing to do with peonies. Sorry. Just sort of thinking along

Got a 44 lb bag for $36 of Azomite. I live in an area of progressive farming and the knowledgeable staff at a gardening and greenhouse/farm supply store sold me on it. The trace nutrients in there are ones that have been lost over time and renewing them have a big effect on plant growth and root systems. Look forward to seeing the results, especially on my seedlings!

Wow, that is a wonderful price for Azomite. It would cost me over $100 to get a 44lb bag shipped to me. Please tell us your experience with Azomite in the years to come.

Tracey, I drove to a farm 45 minutes away from my house 3 years ago to buy Azomite. I got 4 bags, 44lbs each, and I'm still working on finishing up the 2nd of the 4 bags.

Karen, it is so expensive to ship the Azomite, google and see if there are any farms near you that you can purchase it from directly. That what I did to find it here in GA, due to my desperate need to get some.

Annette, was your cost similar to mine? The guy said some people add it to their livestocks food for trace nutrients and that some humans even add it to
Smoothies. I'm not saying I'm going to do that but I
Did find it interesting the things that could benefit from this.

I made the mistake of broadcast spreading this powder with my bare hands, it really dried my skin out. Also a friend of mine reminded me that the fine particles are bad if you accidentally breathe them in. Best utilized on a calm day with no wind.

The price of Azomite 44 lb bag varies between $36-42 on Amazon, ships free with Amazon Prime. That's where I typically buy mine, gets here in around 3 days. Should have a new bag sitting out front that was delivered today!

Thanks Annette and Liz. I may order from Amazon now that they offer free shipping with the purchase. I remember that Amazon and other vendors used to charge $60+ for freight or shipping for the 44lb bag in previous years. The shipping cost was just too expensive then. But free shipping is a great deal now on Amazon.

I wonder if "rock dust" varies as compared to a bag with the actual label of Azomite? Anybody ever do trials on that?

It would be worth the experiment, Tracey. I don't have anything that I know of locally, the big bag of Azomite from Amazon is the least expensive way I've found to get it here as far as I can tell. I would think they're pretty comparable.

I've bought two 44 lb bags on eBay that included shipping. From the Seed Supply. Today it is 10% off!

OK, I am not anti Azomite. I just want everybody to be informed when they are using the Azomite. I think it is best to use some form of mask when you are applying the Azomite dust so you do not breathe it in. According to the Azomite's Mineral Analysis, the two top minerals making up Azomite are Silicon Dioxide at 65.85% and Alumina at 11.43%. I don't know breathing in Silicon Dioxide is harmful or not but I know that breathing in Alumina is very harmful as aluminum is said to be a neurotoxin. Other than that, if you inhale alumina (aluminum dioxide), you can "irritate the nose, throat, and lungs" and "repeated exposure can lead to lung damage" according to NJ Health Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet.