Minerals in the self-sufficient garden – How to benefit your animals with natural sources from the garden

A guest article by Ing. Matthias Jünger, MBA

I still vividly remember the moment when our cat suddenly started eating clumps of grass from the raised bed in summer. At first, I thought it was a typical cat thing – until I realized: This was no game. This was self-medication. He specifically chose a corner where I had allowed some mineral-rich wild herbs to grow. And suddenly, it dawned on me: Animals often instinctively know what they lack – and sometimes, it grows right under their noses.

In my self-sufficient garden today, I no longer only think about tomatoes and zucchinis. I also think about the chickens, the bees, the hedgehogs sleeping in the compost. Because minerals like silicon, calcium, or magnesium – whether from plants, rock dust, or zeolite in the raised bed – have an impact far beyond yield. They influence the balance in the soil, in the plants, and in the bodies of our animals. And that's exactly what this article is about.

Why animal health begins in the garden

When I started with the self-sufficient garden, I first only thought about harvesting. Healthy food for us, as organic as possible, as regional as possible. Only later – when our chickens regularly had bald patches in their feathers and a rabbit always seemed tired – did I start digging deeper. And by that, I mean literally: in the soil. Because what I hadn't understood back then is now my foundation in the garden – healthy soil is the source of all vitality. For plants. For animals. For us.
Animals don't just get their nutrients from the food we provide them. They peck, scratch, nibble, lick – and absorb much more from the garden than one might think. If there is a lack of minerals in the soil, then they are also missing in the plants. And thus also in the hay, in the herbs, in the vegetables – exactly where your animals feed. I have learned: If you want to promote animal health, you have to start with the soil.
Especially in the natural cycle of the self-sufficient garden, this connection becomes very clear. Humus-rich, mineral-rich soil not only promotes healthy plants but also creates a stable microbiome that strengthens the entire food chain. Anyone who understands their garden as a habitat for animals – whether chickens, dogs, or wild bees – automatically begins to think differently about healthy soils, compost, and mineral supplements like zeolite. Because this is where the well-being of your animals begins: under your feet.

Mineral sources from the garden – what really helps

I was skeptical for a long time when I first heard about zeolite as a soil and animal aid. A rock is supposed to improve my garden? Sounds like esotericism, I thought. But then I started mixing BODENKRAFT from Steinkraft under my garden paths, adding some Cleo mineral soil to the compost, and scattering it on the stable floor. And lo and behold: less odor, more life in the soil, more vital plants – and above all, more relaxed animals. Zeolite not only binds moisture and pollutants but also enriches silicon, calcium, and magnesium – minerals that your soil otherwise provides only with difficulty in plant-available form.

Besides rock dust and zeolite, there are other silent helpers hiding in the garden. Microorganisms, for example, and nettles – full of iron, potassium, and silicic acid. Or yarrow, which has antispasmodic effects and is often instinctively eaten by animals. I now deliberately leave these herbs in border areas – for chickens, wild birds, and also for bees. You don't always have to pre-chew everything for animals. But you can ensure that the right things grow.

Another mineral booster is – quite inconspicuous – your own compost. If you enrich it with Cleo mineral soil or leonardite, it becomes a true treasure chest for soil life and for everything that grows from it. And when you bring the material back into the garden, exactly the cycle that a healthy self-sufficient garden needs is created. What thrives in it not only nourishes you. It also strengthens your animals – in a natural, quiet way.

How you can enhance your garden for your animals

If you keep animals in the garden – or even just regularly receive visits from hedgehogs, blackbirds, or cats – you can achieve a lot with a few targeted measures. What made the biggest difference for me? I created a small "mineral corner." A mixture of dry zeolite, wood ash, and a few handfuls of dried herbs. My chickens love it – for sandbathing, sharpening their beaks, or just standing in it. And anyone who has pets quickly realizes: Animals know what's good for them.

You can also specifically incorporate mineral-rich plants into your fodder planting. I regularly sprinkle some Cleo mineral soil or leonardite into the potting soil when I plant fodder beets, Jerusalem artichokes, or comfrey. This not only increases the mineral content of the plants but also supports soil life. Especially if you regularly give animals fresh food from the garden – whether rabbits, quails, or goats – this is a small change with a big impact. And it saves expensive supplementary feeds.

Observe your animals consciously. Do they lick the soil? Do they specifically pluck certain leaves? Do they avoid other areas? This is no coincidence. Animals have a sense for deficiencies – and for healing. If you understand your garden as an open system in which soil, plant, and animal communicate with each other, you will care for it very differently. And sometimes, it's enough to simply spread the compost in the right place – and nature does the rest.

Garden love that endures

At some point, I stopped seeing the garden just as a cultivation area. For me, it is now an organism – a cycle of soil, plant, animal, and human. When I scatter zeolite into the soil or mix compost with Cleo mineral soil, I no longer just think about large tomatoes. I think about the quiet munching of a hedgehog under the elderberry bush. About the satisfied scratching of the chickens. And yes, sometimes also about the question of what we all really need – to grow, to live, to be healthy.

If you want to do something good for animals, you don't have to immediately set up an entire hay herb laboratory. Just start with the soil. Give what lies beneath the earth the strength it needs – and you will see how it comes alive again above. I hope you take some thoughts and ideas from this text into your own garden.

And if you like, tell me: What do you do to keep your animals healthy through the garden? Feel free to write it in the comments!

Thank you, Matthias Jünger, for this valuable contribution! garden-shop.at

Sources

(1) Steinkraft GmbH. (2025, April 1). A healthy garden with natural products: Why you should rely on zeolite and lime. STEINKRAFT Zeolite Blog. https://www.steinkraft-naturerocks.com/blogs/steinkraft-zeolith-blog/kalk-zeolith-gesteinsmehle-wirkung-pflanzen-boden

(2) Steinkraft GmbH. (2024, July 17). Nurturing the earth: A guide to RÖSL Vital soil improvers Leonardite and Cleo mineral soil. STEINKRAFT Zeolite Blog. https://www.steinkraft-naturerocks.com/blogs/steinkraft-zeolith-blog/leonardit-mineralerde-roesl-bodengesundheit

(3) Garden Shop. (2025, May 22). Zeolite in the raised bed: Why the volcanic rock is good for your vegetables. Garden-Shop.at. https://www.garden-shop.at/gemuesegarten/zeolith-hochbeet/