home depot lava rock safe?

[joepa82]

I was having trouble finding small lava rock to use as a soil ingredient so I bought a bag of Vigoro red lava rock from home depot and broke it up with a hammer and a couple of screens. Now I am second guessing myself and wondering if this stuff is actually pure lava rock or not. Does anyone have any insight?

 

[coh]

I did this with landscape-sized red lava rock from a garden center (not Home Depot) and it worked OK...attached below is a photo showing roots that have grown around/into/through some of the lava. The piece of lava is suspended by roots that have grown through. Doesn't appear to be any evidence of toxicity.

Fortunately I've since found a local source of appropriately-sized lava rock, as I do not want to have to break up lava again...not fun!

Chris

 

[JudyB]

I used to do the same thing. It's waaaay too much work, so I've switched to other soil ingredients, but there's nothing harmful unless you don't sift the fines out after. The fines aren't harmful of themselves, but they might impede drainage after a while.

 

[joepa82]

Yeah, it sucked. But glad to know it was not in vain

 

[berobinson82]

I tried the same recently having had no luck finding a local distributor. "How hard could it be", right? There is SO much dust that comes from crushing this rock. I started with a hammer but found it better to use a tamper in a bin on top of asphalt while sifting often for the right sized pieces. All said and done, it's like the poo balls I made last summer. Glad to have had the experience, will never do it again.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/True-Tem...-Handle-Tamper-1133700/100578707#.UVSLzxxwp30

 

[gergwebber]

I used to do the same thing. It's waaaay too much work, so I've switched to other soil ingredients, but there's nothing harmful unless you don't sift the fines out after. The fines aren't harmful of themselves, but they might impede drainage after a while.

the fine silica dust in your lungs can be an issue though.

 

[rockm]

"All said and done, it's like the poo balls I made last summer. Glad to have had the experience, will never do it again."

I've done this too. Fuhgeddaboudit... Breaking rocks is for convicts.

 

[berobinson82]

"All said and done, it's like the poo balls I made last summer. Glad to have had the experience, will never do it again."

I've done this too. Fuhgeddaboudit... Breaking rocks is for convicts.

This guy's on a roll today. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[linlaoboo]

got the medium sized lava on order from CA but meanwhile I bought the Vigor Lava from HD too. I wonder out of the whole bag, how much is actually useable after crushing it and sieving it?

 

[berobinson82]

got the medium sized lava on order from CA but meanwhile I bought the Vigor Lava from HD too. I wonder out of the whole bag, how much is actually useable after crushing it and sieving it?

Why not weigh it before and weigh what you end up using? FOR SCIENCE!

 

[fore]

I did this with landscape-sized red lava rock from a garden center (not Home Depot) and it worked OK...attached below is a photo showing roots that have grown around/into/through some of the lava. The piece of lava is suspended by roots that have grown through. Doesn't appear to be any evidence of toxicity.

Fortunately I've since found a local source of appropriately-sized lava rock, as I do not want to have to break up lava again...not fun!

Chris

View attachment 33244

SO DITTO Chris! LOL! I hoping this recent post about getting a pallet from Colorado Lava will come thru. If not, I just finished up the small bit I bought from last yr. from the monk. Great stuff, but not found locally, so that's that.

 

[linlaoboo]

Why not weigh it before and weigh what you end up using? FOR SCIENCE!

I'm trying to save my brain cells. Work has killed enough of it

 

[linlaoboo]

So to answer my own question. How much will be useful after breaking and sifting will depend on the breaking technique. Too much force will crush too much of it into dust rather than useful pieces. I compared the mail order lava I got today to the ones I crushed and sifted myself and they're not all that different. Both have red and black lava mixed in. Both have a lot of dust content so rinsing with water is recommended. In short breaking lava takes time, effort and it does work for small amount of trees or quantities such as using it for top dressing, etc. One good thing about the Vigor lava is I can take some large pieces and use them in ROR projects.

 

[joepa82]

I got about three gallons of 1\8 to 1\4 lava rock out of a bag. I also will never be doing this again.

 

[linlaoboo]

Thanks for the info. I see what you mean. I can order 3 gallons from Ebay for $30 some to safe the hassle.

I got about three gallons of 1\8 to 1\4 lava rock out of a bag. I also will never be doing this again.

 

[wireme]

Some landscape supply places have lava pebbles in bulk selling by the loader bucket to landscaping companies. If you can find that ask management if they will let you screen it out of the pile on site. I just discovered this after many times crushing the pebbles by hand and by tumbling with large stones in a cement mixer
Monte

 

[coppice]

I just go to the feed store and buy granite chicken scratch. A 50# bag will have after sifting about a quart of dust.