How to Increase Selenium & Mag in Soil?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Logos_Flame, Jun 25, 2007.

  1. Logos_Flame

    Logos_Flame Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2007
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I am growing wheatgrass and herbs in containers on my deck. My growing medium is a mix of kelp meal, top soil, worm castings, azomite/lime mix, composted vegetables.

    What I would like to do is to increase the magnesium and selenium content of my growing medium. For added magnesium I have been using a bit of Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) in my liquid fertilizer, but I am worried about using too much sulfur, and would like to use a form of magnesium that is water soluble or at least will mix with water that is not bonded to sulfur.

    I really have no idea how to increase selenium content. Are there rock powders you can purchase that are high in selenium?

    Thanks for any input.
     
  2. Paul Darrington

    Paul Darrington Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2006
    Messages:
    17
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Selenium

    Selenium is definatley on mineral we should all be 'concerned' with, as apparently all australian soils are deficient in this mineral, which is so vital for optimal health.

    I asked my agronomist about it, and he said that soil selenium supplements are very expensive & hence rarley used, he said we'd be better off just buying a dietary selenium supplement to take directly, rather than putting it into the soil...

    I haven't looked into any further yet, but i'd really like to have it in my soils...

    best of luck


    Paul
     
  3. Jackie K

    Jackie K Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    84
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hi all,
    I've been researching herbs for their properties to combine with my companion planting. Came across this info on a site and added to my notes, but forgot to put in the source.

    Nettle is a supreme herb for its rich mineral content: calcium and magnesium for bone building; potassium that combines with iron to transport oxygen to the cells, and elimination of toxic wastes; phosphorous to stimulate brain cells; chlorine to aid digestion; sulphur to build strong nerves, assist oxygen transportation, and purify blood; copper to protect the lungs from infection; and silica

    I have used dried nettle hay in the past to pack between roots, as in potatoes, to store them, packed in layers in wooden boxes kept in a cool place. Seemed to keep better and for longer. Anyone else tried this?
    Lots of very good things about nettle, far outweighs the stings.
    Jackie K
     
  4. kathleenmc

    kathleenmc Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2006
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
  5. bill

    bill Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2007
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Apparently Brazil nuts have loads of selinium and no other foods come close. Now - I am making this up as I go along - but Selinium is an element so it will not "dissapear" when an animal eats it. Could you get worms to feed off Brazil nut meal, perhaps mix it with banannna or avacoardo (worms like bannana nad avacardo). The selenium has gotta end up in either the castings or the "juice" that drains off the worm farm. Then it can be used as fertiliser.

    Sounds plausible - but so do many silly ideas.
     
  6. Tas'

    Tas' Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2007
    Messages:
    81
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    But, where are they going to get it from if it's not in the soil?

    Why not just eat the nuts?
     
  7. IntensiveGardener

    IntensiveGardener Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2007
    Messages:
    238
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Logos_Flame,
    By far the easiest way of adding magnesum is by using dolomite rather than lime although lime is much cheaper than dolomite.
    It contains 38% mag, bonded to Carbon.

    Also not all limes are created equal, most have very low mag levels but some (like lilydale lime) have 8%.
    Just look on the packet.

    As far as selinium goes i'v never heard of anyone having any trouble with deficiencies.
    You can buy "trace elements" in mineral form but there expensive. Most people eat some foods which were grown in other countries (even if its only tea or coffee). These countries undoubtably have a better mineral base than ours so if u add any waste from these to your worm farm u should be right. After all plants don't need THAT much selinium.
     
  8. Logos_Flame

    Logos_Flame Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2007
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Great, thanks for all the replies.

    The dolomite idea is a very solid one, I had forgotten about that, I need to source some. I should have mentioned I live in the states, guess I should put that in my profile.

    As for the brazil nuts, again - good idea. But as someone noted, best to just eat them. Of course one never knows exactly how much selenium is actually in a brazil nut.


    for those who don't know, selenium has been shown in multiple studies to have a very strong anti carcinogenic affect. Its especially powerful when combined with vitamin E.
     
  9. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2006
    Messages:
    4,771
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    0
    If Oz soil is deficient in selenium, how come macadamia nuts contain it?
    SEE
    https://australianmacadamia.com.au/index ... &Itemid=63

    https://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/fert ... part-3.pdf
    https://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/st ... 890825.htm

    https://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=FP05312

    https://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgu ... l%26sa%3DN

    [​IMG]

    Does anyone know this weed? Is it only in US?

    [​IMG]

    Selenium accumulating plants-mainly found in the States
    https://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.h ... =1&cg_id=0

    https://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgu ... l%26sa%3DG

    A study on canola
    https://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume10/iss ... uliss.html[/img]
     
  10. sweetpea

    sweetpea Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Messages:
    1,442
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    0
    A really great source of magnesium is Epsom Salts you can get at the grocery store or pharmacy for a few dollars.

    A good source for selenium is egg yolks. A grocery store near me has a special, buy 18, get 18 free, and I add them to my compost tea. Even at a regular price, they are a great natural source that is quickly available to plants.

    :)
     
  11. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2006
    Messages:
    4,771
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    0
    For the "Top 40" herbs containing selenium go here

    Interesting the problem with afterbirth
    I had a friend who's cow's after-birth got stuck
    She went to her bible Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy which suggested giving the animal raspberry leaves.
    She gave the cow a big bunch (with molasses??) and shortly afterward (30min) the afterbirth was expelled.
    I note that raspberry leaf is in the top 40 of plants containing selenium
    (25 ppm)
    Raspberry leaf is an old Indian (American) remedy for promoting an easy birth. I have an interesting story about this, but I know it works- best taken in the last trimester of pregnancy

    For the "Top 40" herbs containing selenium go here:-
    https://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/highchem.pl[/i]
     
  12. Tas'

    Tas' Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2007
    Messages:
    81
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
  13. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2006
    Messages:
    4,771
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: For the "Top 40" herbs containing selenium go

    You may have to do the search yourself
    https://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/

    This may be of interest too

    Dr. Duke's
    Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases


    Biological Activities of SELENIUM

    AP-1-Inhibitor; 2-50 uM;
    Analgesic; 200 ug/day;
    Anorexic;
    AntiNF-kB;
    Antiacne; 200 ug/day;
    Antiaggregant;
    Antiangiogenic; 2 uM;
    Antiangiogenic; 230 ug/kg orl rat;
    Anticirrhotic;
    Anticoronary; 200 ug/day;
    Antidandruff;
    Antidote (Mercury);
    Antikeshan;
    Antileukemic; 1.6 mg/kg ipr mus;
    Antileukotriene;
    Antimelanomic; 480 ug/kg;
    Antimetastatic; 480 ug/kg;
    Antimyalgic; 200 ug/day;
    Antiosteoarthritic;
    Antioxidant; 100-200 (-400) ug/man/day;
    Antiproliferant; 2 uM;
    Antiradicular; 100-200 (-400) ug/man/day;
    Antisyndrome-X; 100-200 (-400) ug/man/day;
    Antitumor; 100-200 (-400) ug/man/day;
    Antitumor (Breast); 0.8 mg/kg scu mus;
    Antitumor (Breast); 150 ug/kg diet rat;
    Antitumor (Breast); 230 ug/kg orl rat;
    Antitumor (Breast); 333.6 ug/day;
    Antitumor (Lung); 240 ug/kg diet;
    Antitumor (brain); 38-150 ug/kg;
    Antiulcerogenic;
    Apoptotic;
    Cancer-Preventive;
    Depressant;
    Fungicide;
    Immunostimulant; 100-200 (-400) ug/man/day;
    NF-kB-Inhibitor;
    Ornithine-Decarboxylase-Inhibitor;
    Pesticide;
    Polyamine-Synthesis-Inhibitor;
    Prostaglandin-Sparer;
    Protein-Kinase-C-Inhibitor; IC50=2-50 uM;
    VEGF-Inhibitor;

    Sat Jun 30 04:19:52 EDT 2007

    Selenium was available in Booths chemists OTC in England when I was there 20 years ago
    You can get tabletss on a script from your Doc in Oz
    Orthomolecular doctors/psychiatrists use them a lot
     
  14. frosty

    frosty Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2005
    Messages:
    852
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    you can buy selenium tabs on Australia from https://www.goldenglow.com.au its just than by law in australia they cant be more than 25 ( not sure if that is mcg or mg :? ) but we take them every day

    I have a feeling that seaweed meal fertiliser helps add selenium to soil :? Ill have to ind my Pat Coleby book

    frosty
     
  15. Logos_Flame

    Logos_Flame Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2007
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    as for egg yolks and selenium, this site says they have about 135 mcg's

    https://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c201p.html

    which is interesting because its been said that a good dose of selenium is about 200 mcg's a day.

    here is a great run down on what selenium does for the body, how much to take, how much is too much, what foods are high in it, etc, done by the linus pauling institute.

    https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/m ... /selenium/

    that site that lists the top 40 foods high in specific nutrients is really great, an excellent site for doing research, thanks for posting it.
     
  16. Tas'

    Tas' Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2007
    Messages:
    81
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    That was for a CUP of yolks, so that would be quite a few eggs.

    I checked the USDA nutrient database:

    https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

    It says 15.8 mcg for a whole 50g egg. Doing the white and the yolk separately, it says 6.6 mcg for the white and 9.5 mcg for the yolk (which comes to 16.1, but they do allow for a small margin of error).
     
  17. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2006
    Messages:
    4,771
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    0
     
  18. bill

    bill Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2007
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Belated answer to tas - I agree its easier to eat the nuts but the original question was how to add selenium to the soil.
     
  19. Tas'

    Tas' Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2007
    Messages:
    81
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Yes, but if you eat the nuts you'll get all of the selenium in them. If you go to all the trouble of putting them through the worm farm and putting them on the garden as fertilizer, some will go into the other plants you'll be eating and some will be left in the soil, so not all of it will get into your body.

    Cheers,
    Tas'.
     
  20. bill

    bill Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2007
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Yes I know Tas - the original question was how to add selenium to the soil. That's the problem I was addressing. Of course it is heaps more efficient to eat the nuts but that does not raise the senenium in the soil. If the question was "how do I make sure I get enough selenium", then I would say "eat brazil nuts, eggs, etc".
     

Share This Page

-->