Diatomaceous Earth in Our Growing Zone?!

Hello Fellow Gardeners, the latest craze of mine is using Diatomaceous Earth. When I had horses and boarded them out, I first came into the benefits of this wonderful organic product. When we dug the wet and smelly stuff out, and were left with a pretty "ripe" floor, we sprinkled DE over it before covering it up again.
When I moved back into this area, and got sucked into the enticing nurseries way too fast, I saw it again! But in smaller, more expensive amounts.
Nevertheless, as I am focusing on organic gardening, I bought some (Espoma has it in their line), and I am spreading it everywhere, especially in my veggie garden. Now, I just bought a duster and am ready to do battle with the onslaught of pill bugs and slugs...yes I know not to inhale the dust but do you know that some people actually put this into their bodies? In human-consumption grade, that is...
My biggest negative is that, with all the great rain that suddenly has decided to come down often and in large amounts, this DE is made ineffective rather fast - it needs dryness for effectivity. (Bugs cannot become immune to it, and it dries 'em out! It is VERY sharp and enters their bodies fairly easily.) But I am still a believer! My heritage roses seem to like it as it has proven to be effective with aphids...(now please do not go out and buy it all up because I am needing to get some again)...

Gracie, Very interesting. Seems to me I remember adding it to the goats or horses feed as a wormer. Have to ask Ric about that. Of course we use it in the pool filter. I could use something for the slugs we do have a lot of slugs.

DE can have a lot of uses in organic gardening, it gets under the carapace of beetles and grinds away, other insects cannot survive ingesting the silica. There are different grades for different purposes (which I didn't know, ie, pool DE should not be used as dust). It apparently is not harmful to earthworms (which I was told). I do know we used it to prevent parasites in ruminates. Hope you find this helpful. Ric
http://www.ghorganics.com/DiatomaceousEarth.html

My husband is convinced it is dangerous and won't let me use it.... I have no opinion, because there would be no point!

The only danger it represents that I've ever heard of is the breathing the dust can be an irritant,but that's true of everything from flour through pollen.
I use it myself and have never had any problem thus far.And besides, it does seem effective for beetle and mite control of many applications.

My spouse has concluded it might be carcinogenic. Again, I take no position.

happy_macomb; Isn't everything? Cant read or see a thing from cream tubes through food containers without that being suggested. It could make ya PARANOID!!!

You are so right!

Paranoia will destroya. (Remember this?!)

Oh Ric! Thank you so much! I found out, after I had posted, that earthworms are harmed. I was very upset at this thought. But your link really gave me hope! So, that duster I just bought will be put to good use, if it ever stops raining, that is.

Happy, your hubby is somewhat right, DE in the Crystalline Form as used in swimming pool filters and so on has been linked to some forms of mesothelioma. In it's more natural form it is assumed to be safer, with warnings to avoid inhaling the dust. Ric
note: "Performing your original search, mesothelioma silicon dioxide, in PubMed will retrieve 2664 records."

He is a fairly cautious guy. But then there was the time our family was in rural Mexico and he wanted to be sure we didn't get bitten by anything bad. So he grabbed a can of what he thought was insect repellant for personal use and doused each of us with it, but it turned out to be Raid....

This message was edited May 25, 2012 9:27 AM

ack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talc is now thought carcinogenic. Use cornstarch based powders. I wonder if cornstarch power would do something to bugs? Melody swears that flour will kill some bad garden bugs.

baking powder will some ,only plants don't like it.Applied directly to beetles was how I found out.Lost the the plants anyway and as I was going to anyway (OH WELL)

And there was the time my then boyfriend drove me all the way across the USA to the deserts of Arizona (he wanted me to see the country) and I asked him to stop, so I could get out and walk in the desert. Opened the door, and there, just waiting for me, was the biggest, fattest tarantula...now just how did that thing know I came all the way from Virginia just to get good and "sceered"...! LOL! True!

Gracye; Are you telling me I'm telling stories or is that where we've gone too; I've been to the deserts of the southwest ,the 62 T'bird overheated one 116 degree summer day. I was watching an Anole looking lizard running circles around a red ant hill that summer afternoon. While the car cooled I was enjoying a nice New Mexico afternoon (lol) "yeah right".
Only fire ants and desert Anole lizards didn't exist back then either? He He He.
And like your boyfriend , Back then ROUTE66 and SEE THE USA. ANTIQUAINTED HUH!!?

Yep juhur7, I'm with you. Now, as far as seeing the country, I believe that every true gardener MUST SEE the Petrified Forest. Yep, there is NOTHING to compare with this old forest...

Commercial baking powder is actually cornstarch and baking soda and an anti caking ingredient . So cornstarch just might kill some bugs!

I stopped by our local Ace and ordered 2 bags of the DE and a can of the Bengal gold roach spray. The folks there are so helpful, and anything you can find on their web site they can order. The only thing I found is you should have them order anything you want 'cause if you order on line to be delivered to their store, they do all the handling with no sale, and the price is the same or better. Ric

Safer® Ant & Crawling Insect Killer with Diatomaceous Earth (5170B)
Price: $10.99
Item no: 7115835
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and for stink bugs
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Product UPC: 084865924640
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