which tye of diatamacious earth is best for growing?

[iscrog4food]

I have been having a problem with gnats in my grow and I was wondering what the best type of diatamacious earth is best to use and how to apply it. My friend got food grade but I thought that the stuff from the suto store was cheaper. He said it needed to be food grade but I told him I had no plans on eating it so.. I figure someone on the farm could weigh in. Thanks.

 

[jacobgriis02]

im pretty sure your auto parts store one might work, i bought mine from a nursery however, im pretty sure the only thing you neeeed to avoid is to pool filter DE

 

[mrbong73]

I've been reading some threads on another site about using DE as a rooting medium and aeration component.
They are using Napa auto parts #8822.
I have a huge bag of food grade DE called "fossil shell flour" which is a very fine powder, like flour. Not sure what I'm going to do with it though. It's very dusty and that dust is very bad to breath in.
Not sure how effective it is for bug control and such.

Good luck
mrb

 

[iscrog4food]

I noticed that the food grade is very fine and that is one reason why I wasnt sure if I should use the auto zone stuff so I wouldnt breathe in the powder. What I dont understand is that people and animals eat this stuff so how hard could it be on the lungs? I dunno I just dont want to buy the autozone stuff and it end up being bad for patients ect.

 

[mrbong73]

The napa/auto zone stuff is chunky and is not hazardous (edit)other than breathing in the dust.(do your own research)
From what I've read it is best used for a rooting medium and/or aeration component. (instead of perlite,etc)

This is what I bought from a feed store and it is very fine powder.
It's bad for your lungs just like any dust would be. Plus it has silica which is bad for your lungs.

Read this on the hazards.

 

[jacobgriis02]

Yea I bought mine at a garden center and it was unfortunately the very fine powder as well. I used my fingers and mixed it into the top layer of soil really well so it didn't blow around too much, but I have since gone to stronger methods of bug control so the DE is remaining unused.

 

[Hopefull Stoner]

don't get anything but food grade. period. btw shop around online cause some of them are price gauging and others give u the same quality food grade stuff for the cheap price it should always be.

and a normal cheapo mask will do when using it, even though i have a specialized mask with internal filters for use with pesticides etc.

used as a drench, sprayed on with a sprayer, just don't use to much or sprayer will clog. and u already know u can top dress with it too. can also be used to mix up you medium for organic soil/ soiless grows to kill anything that might be in there.

i know joker does it that way, i have done all the other ways myself and will start doing it jokers way too.

u can also use this shit internally to help rid your self of worms in your body. and that goes for dogs and cats too.

 

[mrbong73]

don't get anything but food grade. period. .

The auto supply stuff is fine. You're not ingesting it.

 

[swisscheese]

Is it actually effective against gnats? I know perlite as a top dressing is a waste of time.

 

[iscrog4food]

why do you say use food grade?

 

[mrbong73]

Is it actually effective against gnats? I know perlite as a top dressing is a waste of time.

That's somewhat debatable. I have read several studies that show it is not effective against fungus gnat larve.
If you have enough of the powder mixed into your growing medium so that the larve are sure to come into contact with it then it might work.
Top dressing the powder form will usually result in a caking effect that will dry out and crack allowing the gnats to get down into the soil.

 

[homebrew420]

why not just use Bt? Unless your were going to use it in the medium. Mosiquto dunks ro bits are VERY effective, wipe them mostly out in 2 or 3 feedings.

Peace

 

[jacobgriis02]

While were on the topic, does Bt survive in reservoirs with ph of 6ish and nutes?