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Post by daylilydude on Apr 9, 2018 17:48:43 GMT -5
Do you use this in your garden? I have been reading in different places on the web where you can use this instead of perlite in a growing mix... your thoughts?
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Post by farmerjack41 on Apr 9, 2018 17:51:57 GMT -5
I use it in my strawberry beds to get rid of slugs,
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Post by tomike on Apr 9, 2018 17:54:44 GMT -5
Do you use this in your garden? I have been reading in different places on the web where you can use this instead of perlite in a growing mix... your thoughts?
The simple answer for me is No, I've never used it but always willing to learn from comments and recommendations from others who have......
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 9, 2018 18:36:10 GMT -5
I use it in my chicken coop to kill mites in the cracks and crevices of the wood. It is almost like a powder so I don't see it as beneficial for a potting mix but I don't really know.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 9, 2018 18:51:20 GMT -5
I have both powdered and granular DE. The powdered I use on a number of plants, for various pests. It works well, but it washes off quickly, both by rain and wind. Once I started using Surround, I stopped using it on leaves, as that stays on much better, plus it won't kill beneficial insects. This year, I did try it in the pots for my indoor plants, which have a tendency to attract scale, as well as ants, which farm the scale insects. So, when I re-potted the plants last spring, I mixed a generous amount of DE into the mix, then I scratched another 1/2c of it into the surface inch or so of each pot. So far, I have seen no scale, ants, or any insects on those plants.
I saw a post on another forum about using the granular DE in a seed starting mix, though 50% seemed like a bit too much! So I experimented with it, in place of perlite, though I used a little more - about 30% - figuring that since it is an absorbant, it may hold more water than perlite. It works very well for drainage, as does perlite, but it doesn't seem to dry out as fast. Maybe I should do an experiment, with an equal volume of perlite and DE to peat or coir, weigh them, run water through them until totally soaked, and then weigh them, after draining 10 minutes, to see which one holds more water. Then maybe weigh them every hour, to see if DE holds onto the water longer, or dries out faster.
I got a 25 lb bag of DE absorbant on Amazon, for $12.95, shipping included. Maybe HD or Lowe's have it cheap, too.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Apr 9, 2018 19:44:42 GMT -5
Folks at Tomatoville are using a form of DE to sprout seeds.
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Post by guruofgardens on Apr 9, 2018 19:57:28 GMT -5
Folks at Tomatoville are using a form of DE to sprout seeds. I'm using it right now for my tomato seeds. It has only been 5 days, but a few are up, though they are very small seedlings. I'm hoping for a great harvest so I'll be patient. I can always buy tomato plants . . .
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Post by spacecase0 on Apr 9, 2018 21:11:12 GMT -5
where I live was infested with roaches when I got it. they die in about 6 inches when crossing it... took 2 weeks to wipe them out entirely never used it in the garden
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 9, 2018 22:46:21 GMT -5
Folks at Tomatoville are using a form of DE to sprout seeds. That was where I saw it! While I'm not a member, I did go on as a guest, and saw that, maybe in 2016? I just looked again, and that was the thread where I saw it, and it made me try it. I saw your post asking if that was the stuff. That's not the brand I got, but the same stuff. As you can see, it's cheap, though I bet Tru Value had a generous shipping cost added to it! But you can probably get it cheaper locally, than either Amazon or Tru Value. Something that I remember learning there: The pH of DE differs, so I checked mine, by soaking some in some water, and seeing if the pH changed much. The pH ended up at just under neutral, from 7.2, so it has a little acid in it, but nothing to worry about.
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Post by carolyn on Apr 10, 2018 6:21:18 GMT -5
there are different forms of DE. granular as in "oil dry " from an auto parts store... (but you must check to make sure of its ingredient before you try this. some are clay based products. it must say diatomecious earth on it) the other is very fine. like baby powder. also called red lake earth if you buy it in small containers at the farm store... sometimes it is the media for pool filters and specifically warned against using it for anything else.. but I can't imagine why... unless maybe there is silica in it? no idea. I have used it in the greenhouse for starting seed. I don't like it or vermiculite. you can't tell if is dry or not. I still like coarse perlite the best.
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 10, 2018 7:59:33 GMT -5
Diatoms are microscopic organisms and the kind I always buy for the chicken coop is like a dust. I also used to use it in a special filter when I had a salt water aquarium and it was also like a dust so this granular type must be the same product but they form it into pellets. I have never seen it before but I do know what "oil dry" is because Dad used to use that in the driveway when our old cars dripped oil. Back then it was made of clay and he used it interchangeably with cat litter.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Apr 10, 2018 8:34:48 GMT -5
pepperhead212, I got lucky and didn't have any Shipping charges. We have a True Value store right here close and they ordered it for me to pick up at store.
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Post by daylilydude on Apr 10, 2018 10:48:56 GMT -5
I went ahead and picked up a bag of this stuff at the auto-zone this morning as i'm thinking of using it with my potting mix as the perlite is pricey and hard to find here wallyworld and lowes are always out when I go looking for it. It's just a 13 pound bag for right around 7 bucks. Now I just need to figure out the mix part... wonder if it's the same as adding perlite into the potting mix recipe?
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Post by carolyn on Apr 10, 2018 11:02:00 GMT -5
yes! thats the stuff. Umm, I don't use it like perlite. it is much heavier, so use it more sparingly than perlite. by the way, do you have a hydroponics supply store near you. try them for it in the 4' cu. bag.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 10, 2018 16:25:39 GMT -5
Oooo, it has bentonite clay in it. You could brush your teeth with it
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Post by guruofgardens on Apr 10, 2018 17:47:24 GMT -5
I went ahead and picked up a bag of this stuff at the auto-zone this morning as i'm thinking of using it with my potting mix as the perlite is pricey and hard to find here wallyworld and lowes are always out when I go looking for it. It's just a 13 pound bag for right around 7 bucks. Now I just need to figure out the mix part... wonder if it's the same as adding perlite into the potting mix recipe? After reading umpteen articles about DE and potting soil for outdoor plants, I have decided on a mixture of 80% potting soil with 20% DE. I will most likely add worm castings and old compost to the soil before planting in pots.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 10, 2018 18:07:48 GMT -5
I went ahead and picked up a bag of this stuff at the auto-zone this morning as i'm thinking of using it with my potting mix as the perlite is pricey and hard to find here wallyworld and lowes are always out when I go looking for it. It's just a 13 pound bag for right around 7 bucks. Now I just need to figure out the mix part... wonder if it's the same as adding perlite into the potting mix recipe? I also think that about 20% would be a good portion, as with perlite. However, I saw a brief post on that other forum about it not being good for Earthboxes, the reason being that it wicks better than perlite. It seems this would make it better, though maybe it holds too much water, and perlite allows better aeration. No experiments or experiences were given, backing the statement. If I had some pure peat, I would make a mix with equal amounts of perlite and DE for two bucket SIPs, plant the same varieties of something in them (so there would be no other variables), and compare the results.
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Post by daylilydude on Apr 10, 2018 19:55:25 GMT -5
Okay i'm so wanting to try this as a seed starter that I went and planted some collard greens in just straight diatomaceous earth just to see how it does... crazy huh??
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 10, 2018 22:27:07 GMT -5
You're going to need some hydroponics fertilizer if you're planning on groing them in there for any length of time. And if you are going to remove them soon, as I do with my peppers from the vermiculite, be careful, as the sharp edges can damage the roots.
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Post by carolyn on Apr 12, 2018 6:16:20 GMT -5
when it drys out... it is very very dry. {"Oooo, it has bentonite clay in it. You could brush your teeth with it "} there is not any bentonite in this product. in other oil dry products yes, but not in this one.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 12, 2018 7:17:19 GMT -5
I see that now. I googled the product because I haven't seen it where I live and a description of DE absorbent said it contained bentonite clay. Obviously, I didn't pay enough attention to the BIG letters on the bag in the picture or I would have realized that it's not meant for dental cleansing
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theozarkan
Junior Member
Posts: 9
Joined: March 2019
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Post by theozarkan on Mar 28, 2019 22:56:36 GMT -5
Okay i'm so wanting to try this as a seed starter that I went and planted some collard greens in just straight diatomaceous earth just to see how it does... crazy huh?? So how did this work out?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 28, 2019 23:06:21 GMT -5
First of all, welcome to the forum! Second, I was wondering what happened with that experiment too, daylilydude.
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Post by daylilydude on Mar 29, 2019 2:54:23 GMT -5
theozarkan, welcome to the forum! Now these did sprout pepperhead212, theozarkan, but now with me I had to stay on top of them, because I have a ceiling fan running for my seed room and that diatomaceous earth would dry up really fast mainly because I had put it in that shallow egg box just to try I think?
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Post by carolyn on Mar 29, 2019 6:51:28 GMT -5
theozarkan. don't use only DE mix it with potting mix or a peat or coir based product but watch the coir as it dries out very quickly also. and welcome!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 29, 2019 14:39:30 GMT -5
I'll stick with the vermiculite, when I am just sprouting the seeds, then moving the seedlings to a soil mix. I do that with my peppers every season.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 29, 2019 14:54:49 GMT -5
I still go to Tomato Ville and read their forum. I didn't search for it but I didn't see anything new talking about using DE so maybe it didn't work out for them or they didn't like it. I remember that they talked about it a lot last year.
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