Lava Rock

[gill_za]

Lately I find myself going too quick through small packages of Hoffman red lava rock that I buy in a not so local nursery.


I saw lowes offer black lava rock and HD offer red lava rock for sale. Is black lava rock essentially the same mineral as red lava rock (Scoria)? I wonder if the stuff both stores have for sale is too large (like lava rock for grill) for planting purposes. Also Red lava rock looks like it has high Iron oxides content which should be beneficial for pings as prevention of chlorosis.


Lowes (http://www.lowes.com/pd_164054-6199...currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=lava+rock&facetInfo= | http://www.lowes.com/pd_381717-1563...currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=lava+rock&facetInfo=)
HD (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...053&langId=-1&keyword=lava+rock&storeId=10051 | http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...053&langId=-1&keyword=lava+rock&storeId=10051)

So, I was wondering, where do you fellow terraforumers get your lava rocks from (that I can perhaps get it in larger quantity)? And could I perhaps buy that stuff from lowes or HD?


Thank you in advance for help!

 

[kulamauiman]

I can cheat. Sold locally in the garden shops. Easily available but I guess it helps to have one of the worlds most active volcanoes in your state sometimes...

 

[The Griffin]

My problem is even what is sold here as lava "pebbles" is 1/2" - 1" in diameter, so fine for neps, but would love smaller chunks for other things.
Other than attackingg with a sledge hammer..



Joe

 

[gill_za]

So you are confirming my suspicions? Without looking at this stuff in lowes and HD myself I suspected that it would be made up of rather large chunks...

 

[The Griffin]

They usually have two grades-one is the pebbles I mentioned and one is larger, rocks 2-3".

 

[gill_za]

Well, one lowes that is close to me did not have it. The closest HD had a 0.5Cu bag which was a mixture of large and small rocks ranging from 3" down to 0.25". I guess I'll buy the bag and separate the large pieces for the grill and small ones for plants.

 

[The Griffin]

There must be a cheap rock tumbler out there somewhere that can crunch them into fragments...

 

[jeff 2]

suite

here lava rock is nommed pouzzolane , for the ping their office in the substrate : the aeration

jeff

 

[GrowinOld]

Back in my days in the chain gang,
we used to make small rocks out of big ones
using a sledge hammer!
Perhaps that would help to make some useable ones for you also?

Just a thought!

 

[The Griffin]

I mentioned that above. I read a post from someone elsewhere that they tried hammer and burlap bag and it did not work too well.

Joe

 

[sarracenia_X]

i did use a hammer once when i was making some soil mix for a mexican ping i planned to order on the web. i never did order that butterwort, but it is definately possible, although i wouldnt advise youto use plastic bags, as i went through about 15 of them crushing only a small amount of rock...