What Are Some Uses of Stone Dust?
Uses for stone dust include forming a base for pavers, forming walkways in landscaping and for remineralization of croplands. Stone dust is a byproduct of crushing rock for other uses. Many suppliers also provide delivery of the product, but may require an additional fee.
When setting pavers to form a walk or patio, stone dust serves as an alternative to sand. The dust contains very fine particles so compacted stone dust sets up to form a waterproof barrier under the pavers. The fine dust prevents movement of the blocks. It is also useful when building a patio of natural stone.
Landscapers sometimes use stone dust alone as a replacement for gravel. The landscaper can compact the dust so it forms a sturdy walkway or driveway without pouring concrete. The dust is a multipurpose material with many landscaping uses.
Some organic gardeners use stone dust on their fields. While rock dust does not provide significant amounts of phosphorous, sulfur or nitrogen and is not a true fertilizer, it provides trace minerals. The fine nature of the dust provides an increase of the surface area of the stone so water dissolves the minerals and provides them to the plants. Dust from granite or basalt is generally higher in trace mineral content than that from limestone.
