diatomaceous earth

[Sirius]

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[leadplant]

I love the stuff.
Basically nontoxic.
kills any bug that walks thru it.
Ive heard about foliar sprays of it too.
might even kill mites that way.

I mix it in with the dirt and sprinkle on top.
when the pots dry out and the dirt shrinks,
I sprinkle it down the pot wall.
Throw it all over the place, the floors, leaf piles etc.

 

[ReelBusy1]

for the rest of us...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diatomaceous earth (pronounced /ˌdaɪ.ətɵˌmeɪʃəs ˈɜrθ/) — also known as DE, TSS, diatomite, diahydro, kieselguhr, kieselgur, brand names include Celatom or celite — is a naturally occurring, soft, chalk-like sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of diatomaceous earth is 86% silica, 5% sodium, 3% magnesium and 2% iron.

Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is used as a filtration aid, as a mild abrasive, as a mechanical insecticide, as an absorbent for liquids, as cat litter, as an activator in blood clotting studies, and as a component of dynamite. As it is also heat-resistant, it can be used as a thermal insulator.
:RastaBong:

 

[FidelC]

I wonder if the pool DE would work? I'm thinking about spreading some around my pots outside.

 

[Monkey]

I wonder if the pool DE would work? I'm thinking about spreading some around my pots outside.

DO NOT use Pool DE..... Use Food Grade DE

Monkey:animal0057:

 

[thinman]

hey farmers, here's a link to some food grade DE at reasonable prices. i spent a small fortune on chemical treatments and biologicals, but it was DE that finally got rid of the fungus gnats for me. figures, i used the least expensive stuff last..and it worked.

i agree with Monkey here, use this food grade stuff. then you can drink it or feed it to your pets. watch the video in the link.

Leadplant, you can mix DE in water and use as a foliar treatment against every bug in the book with no negative effects to the plant. the stuff is amazing.

here ya go: http://www.earthworkshealth.com/

 

[Sirius]

why dont more people know about this... im going to go get some... it also says on wiki that some people use DE as a medium for hydroponics... crazy....

 

[Jalisco Kid]

Read the the safety sheet on it. If it is sharp enough to kill bugs imagine what it does to nice tender lungs. If you have fans it is in the air. Suerte JK

 

[leadplant]

yeah dont breathe the stuff but I didnt find that to be a problem.
its at its dustiest when first applied but its not like drywall dust that
gets all over the place. soon after, it absorbs moisture and gets crustier.
I got mine at lowes for $8. Doubt its food grade stuff but I'm not planning on eating it. Maybe eating it can get rid of intestinal worms.

 

[nvthis]

I bought a cheap spice shaker at the grocery to sprinkle onto my soil. Works great. Makes the knats just disappear in 24 to 48 hours. Make sure you hit all your plants though... Oh yeah, and breathing this stuff in is a bad idea but once it sits on your soil for a while it seems to stablize a bit. It basically disappears on the next watering.