Just purchased some diatomacous earth QUESTION

JellyFishJoe

JellyFishJoe

Member
OK when i purchased this product i was told it is a very effective treatment for the gnats i have seen here and there. I was told it acts similar to a pre-emergent herbacide. my history with preemergants is that if you disturb the area of soil where you applied it to,it no longer works because you broke the "barrier"

so my question goes sorta like this.
when i am watering, do i have to worry about displacing the diatomaceous earth or will it still be affective.
any other tip using this product would be very helpful. i have been told its messy to work with!

thanks
 
elduece

elduece

Active Member
Water shouldn't affect DE's effectiveness in any way. Hell, you could make slurry paint with water, DE and apply to dry topsoil in your war against gnats and other topsoil critters. I think DE is better topsoil treatment than wasting azamax, neem soil drenches if you need immediate action. I also think it's good idea to add DE to soil mixes too at a rate of 2-6 dry oz per 2.0 cu ft of soil which makes it a hostile environment for any larvaes and toughening up roots. It's got silicon, CaMg+, traces of boron, manganese, copper and zirconium. I add this stuff to my super soils.
 
snew

snew

Well-Known Member
I solved my gnat problem by bottom watering. Since a barrier is what you need why not try landscaping fabric. It will allow you to water and still create a barrier for the gnats. I've not tried this but the barrier seems to be the principle most use this barrier would not change or deteriorate.
 
W

Waiakeauka

Well-Known Member
Has anyone tried to use DE to clone? I read on another forum that it is the better then all other methods of cloning, and I just wanted to find out if it is true or not?
 
JellyFishJoe

JellyFishJoe

Member
Hey thanks everyone for your input. I used some in my recent transplants along with some dried fruit from age old.... well see how everything goes. Im running one ghost og and a few grandoggy purps.
 
Luger187

Luger187

Well-Known Member
Waiakeauka said:
Has anyone tried to use DE to clone? I read on another forum that it is the better then all other methods of cloning, and I just wanted to find out if it is true or not?
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like as a rooting powder? i wouldnt think so...

im getting some DE soon. ive got an ant problem
 
W

Waiakeauka

Well-Known Member
Not rooting powder but in place of rockwool, jiffy plugs, or any other thing to use to root clones. You would still need to use a rooting gel or powder and place in the DE.
 
Luger187

Luger187

Well-Known Member
Waiakeauka said:
Not rooting powder but in place of rockwool, jiffy plugs, or any other thing to use to root clones. You would still need to use a rooting gel or powder and place in the DE.
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hmm sounds like an interesting idea. idk if DE is a good medium or not. i wouldnt think so, but try it!
 
Growop101

Growop101

Well-Known Member
So DE is good for which kinds of critters? and how exactly does it work? Poisonous to critters when they try to chill in the soil? and kills larvae?
 
PakaloloHui

PakaloloHui

Active Member
Diatemaceous Earth is microscopic sea creatures with silica shells. It is very abrasive in powder form the silica injures or even kills small soft bodied animals, fungus gnat larvae, thrips pupae. Add a nice 1 inch layer on your soil.

For outdoor use it can help with slugs and snails if you but a nice circle barrier away from the stalk.
 
Luger187

Luger187

Well-Known Member
Growop101 said:
So DE is good for which kinds of critters? and how exactly does it work? Poisonous to critters when they try to chill in the soil? and kills larvae?
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its basically tiny sharp things that the insects try to walk across. when they do, it cuts them open and the liquid inside of them comes out. i believe they dehydrate to death or something.
 
Growop101

Growop101

Well-Known Member
Thats harsh lol but effective. I would assume any garden store would have it in supply? and its ok for the plants like PH wise and all that ?
 
elduece

elduece

Active Member
Luger187 said:
its basically tiny sharp things that the insects try to walk across. when they do, it cuts them open and the liquid inside of them comes out. i believe they dehydrate to death or something.
Click to expand...
That's why I use the slurry method for outdoors so the pollinators like honey bees etc would be spared from its conflagration in the open air. This stuff will get everywhere.
 
S

Sir Stickybuds

Well-Known Member
Growop101 said:
Thats harsh lol but effective. I would assume any garden store would have it in supply? and its ok for the plants like PH wise and all that ?
Click to expand...
If you can't find it at the garden store section, it is also used for automotive shop absorbent so you can usually find it at a automotive store
 
Growop101

Growop101

Well-Known Member
i found this stuff in my shed called ant killer. All it is silicon or silica . Its white powder. and it says DE in small at the bottm as only ingredient. and i was having like a infestation of ants for some reason?? like seriously millions?? could this be because i topper the soil surface with perlite?? (i did that to keep flys from laying ther eggs in the set soil top, seems to work but now theres tons of ants?)
 
Jack Harer

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
Growop101 said:
So DE is good for which kinds of critters? and how exactly does it work? Poisonous to critters when they try to chill in the soil? and kills larvae?
Click to expand...
DE works because the little microscopic particles are like glass and they can get into, and under the exoskeleton of the bug. DE (I wouldn't THINK) wouldn't be my first choice for a cloning medium. Stick with either peat or RW.
 
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