Lava Sand Newsletter<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\nLava Sand<\/span><\/h1>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_Lava_sand_at_the_cinder_cone.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\nLava sand at the cinder cone.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nNone of my recommendations has ever had the kind of criticism as has lava sand. It\u2019s been fascinating, especially since this is one of the most beneficial soil amendments available. Some of my critics have even tried to claim that the only reason I recommend lava sand is that I own a lava sand mine somewhere.<\/p>\n
\nIt all started in the late 80s at an Acres USA conference. Dr. Phil Callahan\u2019s talks got me interested in using volcanic rock to improve plant growth and suggested that I use and promote lava sand in my work. Although it took me more than a year to get lava sand on the market in Texas, we finally got it done. Shortly after I had turned north Texas and Oklahoma on to this fascinating natural material the interesting questions started coming in. \u201cOK, it\u2019s working great, but why? What\u2019s in lava sand that\u2019s making plants respond so strongly?\u201d At this point I really didn\u2019t know for sure other than what Dr. Callahan had told me about energy and paramagnetism. I knew that trying to explain paramagnetic energy to organic gardeners would be difficult and explaining it to organiphobes would be a total waste of time.\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_Lava_sand_pile_in_the_sun_will_hold_moisture_a_long_time.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\nLava sand pile in the sun will hold moisture a long time.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nSo, I tried another angle – a soil test. I sent some lava sand, which had been brought into the Dallas\/Fort Worth area from New Mexico, to K. Chandler at Texas Plant and Soil Labs in Edinburgh. The results were interesting but puzzling. The nutrient value was almost nil and the pH was 8.2. How was this high pH stuff working to make plants grow so well? I had never seen any chlorosis (nutrient deficiency) come on from using lava around susceptible plants such as sweetgum, dogwood or photinia.\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3_Lava_sand_beside_dry_molasses.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\nLava sand beside dry molasses.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4Early_test_on_lava_sand_showing_better_onion_growth_where_more_was_applied.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\nEarly test on lava sand showing better onion growth where more was applied.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nIn fact, I saw just the opposite. Yellowing plants greened up. How could that be? It could be because pH is an indicator only – not a controller. Many factors in the soil are more important than pH. Lava sand addresses those factors. Lava holds water, just at the right level for a long time. If the soil has good moisture and a balance of minerals, organic matter, microbes and earthworms, plant production will usually be good. The paramagnetism of the lava sand helps make all that happen.<\/p>\n
\nLava sand is crushed <\/p>\n
scoria<\/a><\/p>\n, a reddish brown to black volcanic slag. It has an extremely porous texture. Lava sand makes soil nutrients more available to plant roots. It provides aeration and porosity to the soil. It helps retain the right amount of moisture in the soil and it is durable, resisting degradation.<\/p>\n
\nLava sand can be used in potting soils, bed preparation, landscape management and food crops. All you have to do to see its power is – try it!\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6_Lava_sand%2C_compost_and_Azomite_-_a_great_combination.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\nLava sand, compost and Azomite – a great combination.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Here are some of the ways to use lava sand for greater plant production. <\/strong>Sick trees<\/strong><\/p>\n – broadcast under the trees at 40-80 pounds\/1,000 square feet. For more effective results on sicker trees, drill 2\u201d holes 12-18\u201d deep throughout the root zone and fill with lava sand and compost. Any ratio is good but 80% compost, 20% lava sand is practical and economical. Lava sand is also an important part of the official Sick Tree Treatment.<\/p>\n
Roses<\/strong><\/p>\n – add to bed preparation at 80 pounds per 1,000 square feet and to the top of roses in pots at a rate heavy enough to cover the soil surface red. Gently work into the top 1\u201d.<\/p>\n
Turf<\/strong><\/p>\n – broadcast at 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Mix into topdressing at 20% of the volume.<\/p>\n
Bed preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n – till together with compost, dry molasses, whole ground cornmeal, Azomite and natural organic fertilizer. Use 40-80 pounds per 1,000 square feet.<\/p>\n
Potting soil<\/strong><\/p>\n – add up to 1\/3 the volume of organic potting soil.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8__Explanation_of_paramagnetism.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\nExplanation of paramagnetism.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nLava sand – magic? No, it just helps the physics, chemistry and biology of the soil.<\/p>\n
\nThose improvements increases and improve plant growth.\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9_Lava_sand_can_be_red.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\nLava sand can be red, black or a mix.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9b_black_or_a_mix.jpeg\")
\n <\/div>\n
\nIn general broadcast lava sand any time at a rate of 40 – 80 pounds per 1,000 square feet (1 ton per acre) or till into new beds at 80 -150 pounds per 1,000 square feet. For perennial beds, you could make a heavier application and add a layer of lava sand up to 2 inches thick before mixing it into the soil. You can use lava sand in any soil and with all plants. All lava sands help retain moisture, but the products with the highest paramagnetism (like American Rio) work best. The manufacturer or supplier should have that information. If they don\u2019t, you can expect a lower quality product.<\/p>\n
\nLava sand works in potting soil, propagation flats and in any container plants. If possible use lava sands with high paramagnetic count. Lava sand offers a physical improvement to the soil that moves unhealthy, unbalanced soils toward balance. The mineral make up of lava sand is less important than the shape of each piece of sand. The angular, porous pieces of lava hold and exchange nutrients efficiently and they attract and redistributed cosmic energy in the soil. Cosmic energy is a fancy term for the sun\u2019s energy.<\/p>\n
Click Here to Buy Howard’s Books.<\/span><\/a>Here are some other useful resources from <\/span>DirtDoctor.com<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\nPlease share this newsletter with your gardening friends on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and X (Twitter)<\/a> to help me spread the word on organics. Find a local station broadcasting the radio show here<\/span><\/a> or listen on the Internet or to the podcasts.<\/p>\nNaturally yours,
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/signature.jpg\")
\nHoward Garrett
\nThe Dirt Doctor<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/body><\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"dirtdoctor-library":[],"class_list":["post-14891","library","type-library","status-publish","hentry","category-l","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Lava Sand - The Dirt Doctor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lava Sand - The Dirt Doctor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lava Sand Newsletter Lava Sand Lava sand at the cinder cone. None of my recommendations has ever had the kind of criticism as has lava sand. It\u2019s been fascinating, especially since this is one of the most beneficial soil amendments available. Some of my critics have even tried to claim that the only reason I recommend lava sand is that…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Dirt Doctor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thedirtdoctor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-06T23:03:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_Lava_sand_at_the_cinder_cone.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HowardGarrett\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/\",\"name\":\"Lava Sand - The Dirt Doctor\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_Lava_sand_at_the_cinder_cone.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-06T23:03:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-06T23:03:19+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_Lava_sand_at_the_cinder_cone.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_Lava_sand_at_the_cinder_cone.jpeg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":432},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/lava-sand-2\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Library topics\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/library\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Lava Sand\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/\",\"name\":\"The Dirt Doctor\",\"description\":\"Natural Organic Gardening & Living\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Dirt Doctor\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dirt-Doctor-LOGO.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dirt-Doctor-LOGO.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":237,\"caption\":\"The Dirt Doctor\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sandonspaldingstaging.com\/DirtDr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thedirtdoctor\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/HowardGarrett\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thedirtdoctor?ref=badge\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/dirtdoctortv\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Lava Sand - The Dirt Doctor","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Lava Sand - The Dirt Doctor","og_description":"Lava Sand Newsletter Lava Sand Lava sand at the cinder cone. 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<\/p>\n\nLava sand at the cinder cone.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nNone of my recommendations has ever had the kind of criticism as has lava sand. It\u2019s been fascinating, especially since this is one of the most beneficial soil amendments available. Some of my critics have even tried to claim that the only reason I recommend lava sand is that I own a lava sand mine somewhere.<\/p>\n
\nIt all started in the late 80s at an Acres USA conference. Dr. Phil Callahan\u2019s talks got me interested in using volcanic rock to improve plant growth and suggested that I use and promote lava sand in my work. Although it took me more than a year to get lava sand on the market in Texas, we finally got it done. Shortly after I had turned north Texas and Oklahoma on to this fascinating natural material the interesting questions started coming in. \u201cOK, it\u2019s working great, but why? What\u2019s in lava sand that\u2019s making plants respond so strongly?\u201d At this point I really didn\u2019t know for sure other than what Dr. Callahan had told me about energy and paramagnetism. I knew that trying to explain paramagnetic energy to organic gardeners would be difficult and explaining it to organiphobes would be a total waste of time.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n\nLava sand pile in the sun will hold moisture a long time.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nSo, I tried another angle – a soil test. I sent some lava sand, which had been brought into the Dallas\/Fort Worth area from New Mexico, to K. Chandler at Texas Plant and Soil Labs in Edinburgh. The results were interesting but puzzling. The nutrient value was almost nil and the pH was 8.2. How was this high pH stuff working to make plants grow so well? I had never seen any chlorosis (nutrient deficiency) come on from using lava around susceptible plants such as sweetgum, dogwood or photinia.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n\nLava sand beside dry molasses.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nEarly test on lava sand showing better onion growth where more was applied.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nIn fact, I saw just the opposite. Yellowing plants greened up. How could that be? It could be because pH is an indicator only – not a controller. Many factors in the soil are more important than pH. Lava sand addresses those factors. Lava holds water, just at the right level for a long time. If the soil has good moisture and a balance of minerals, organic matter, microbes and earthworms, plant production will usually be good. The paramagnetism of the lava sand helps make all that happen.<\/p>\n
\nLava sand is crushed <\/p>\n
scoria<\/a><\/p>\n , a reddish brown to black volcanic slag. It has an extremely porous texture. Lava sand makes soil nutrients more available to plant roots. It provides aeration and porosity to the soil. It helps retain the right amount of moisture in the soil and it is durable, resisting degradation.<\/p>\n \nLava sand can be used in potting soils, bed preparation, landscape management and food crops. All you have to do to see its power is – try it!\n<\/p>\n \nLava sand, compost and Azomite – a great combination.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here are some of the ways to use lava sand for greater plant production. <\/strong>Sick trees<\/strong><\/p>\n – broadcast under the trees at 40-80 pounds\/1,000 square feet. For more effective results on sicker trees, drill 2\u201d holes 12-18\u201d deep throughout the root zone and fill with lava sand and compost. Any ratio is good but 80% compost, 20% lava sand is practical and economical. Lava sand is also an important part of the official Sick Tree Treatment.<\/p>\n Roses<\/strong><\/p>\n – add to bed preparation at 80 pounds per 1,000 square feet and to the top of roses in pots at a rate heavy enough to cover the soil surface red. Gently work into the top 1\u201d.<\/p>\n Turf<\/strong><\/p>\n – broadcast at 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Mix into topdressing at 20% of the volume.<\/p>\n Bed preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n – till together with compost, dry molasses, whole ground cornmeal, Azomite and natural organic fertilizer. Use 40-80 pounds per 1,000 square feet.<\/p>\n Potting soil<\/strong><\/p>\n – add up to 1\/3 the volume of organic potting soil.<\/p>\n \nExplanation of paramagnetism.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \nLava sand – magic? No, it just helps the physics, chemistry and biology of the soil.<\/p>\n \nThose improvements increases and improve plant growth.\n<\/p>\n \nLava sand can be red, black or a mix.<\/p>\n \nIn general broadcast lava sand any time at a rate of 40 – 80 pounds per 1,000 square feet (1 ton per acre) or till into new beds at 80 -150 pounds per 1,000 square feet. For perennial beds, you could make a heavier application and add a layer of lava sand up to 2 inches thick before mixing it into the soil. You can use lava sand in any soil and with all plants. All lava sands help retain moisture, but the products with the highest paramagnetism (like American Rio) work best. The manufacturer or supplier should have that information. If they don\u2019t, you can expect a lower quality product.<\/p>\n \nLava sand works in potting soil, propagation flats and in any container plants. If possible use lava sands with high paramagnetic count. Lava sand offers a physical improvement to the soil that moves unhealthy, unbalanced soils toward balance. The mineral make up of lava sand is less important than the shape of each piece of sand. The angular, porous pieces of lava hold and exchange nutrients efficiently and they attract and redistributed cosmic energy in the soil. Cosmic energy is a fancy term for the sun\u2019s energy.<\/p>\n Click Here to Buy Howard’s Books.<\/span><\/a>Here are some other useful resources from <\/span>DirtDoctor.com<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n Please share this newsletter with your gardening friends on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and X (Twitter)<\/a> to help me spread the word on organics. Find a local station broadcasting the radio show here<\/span><\/a> or listen on the Internet or to the podcasts.<\/p>\n Naturally yours, <\/body><\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"dirtdoctor-library":[],"class_list":["post-14891","library","type-library","status-publish","hentry","category-l","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n
\nHoward Garrett
\nThe Dirt Doctor<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n