Rice Hulls??

Anyone heard of using this in a soil mix when starting seeds?
http://www.thelaststraw.org/backissues/articles/Rice%20Hull%20House.pdf

wow, Chantell- what a cool article! I would love to hear if anyone else has tried them, especially with the antifungal properties cited....

Very interesting and intriguing article...

I started to skim after the fifth page, but never saw anything about it being a good rooting medium substitute...

Did I miss it? Or, is that your own idea?

Sounds like it would definitely be worth a try, and that it in general, it is definitely underutilized, since it is such an abundant resource.

Thanks Erin!!

I've made a few ebay purchases recently from one particular seller (on a side note - I have been VERY pleased). I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the soil mix was that these plants were in - obviously they were happy in it as every plant he's sent has arrived looking great!! I decided to message him about it. His response was rice hulls and a soil...will have to pull up that message and check to make sure. That's when I started googling rice hulls.

Very interesting. Thank you for the explanation...come to think of it, I think I've purchased a few plants whose soil had something like those hulls in it, and only now realized what it was...
-T

But where would you purchase rice hulls?

Funny you should ask, Erin...I've been working on that...LOL
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-LB-Rice-Hulls-Used-For-Mashing-Grains_W0QQitemZ220074166586QQihZ012QQcategoryZ38172QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem I like the price but not the s/h - they can't weight THAT much and I don't really need them shipped priority.
After calling Riceland Foods, Inc., I rec'd a call back stating that this business carried them: http://www.griffins.com/locations/index.asp I got Ricelands number from the usa rice supplier's list http://www.usarice.com/about/suppliers.html - click on rice suppliers.
Just found this site - though I know nothing about them: http://www.ricehull.com/common_uses/default.asp
Also this one - scroll all the down: http://www.agriseek.com/buy-sell/e/Crops-Seeds/Field-Crops/Rice/
Alrighty...that's all for now...let me know if any of you find it else where cheaper...I'm all about a deal...LOL

I'm think I'm going to rely on your superb investigative skills, my dear! But are you sure this is the right stuff? The stuff on the ebay site doesn't look like anything I'd be inclined to plant in. Did you ask them about s/h for purchases of multiple lots, by the way?

This message was edited Jul 13, 2007 4:05 PM

happy I called you Erin...sorry 'bout that...YOU know how bad I am!!
I haven't contacted the ebay seller yet....they have a s/h calculator at the bottom...which still seemed high to me. I get annoyed when sellers try to recoop $$ in the s/h. As for how it looks...ummm, I dunno...LOL I've only seen it mixed in with the soil...figured a rice hull was a rice hull. Hey we'll do a rice hull coop how's that? Hmmm, wonder if there'd be interest in that? Or even one of us buying a good amt and then shipping it to those who wanted it. Personally, I like using the media mail rate for all kinds of things. Sure the PO wouldn't appreciate it if they knew but it's not like this stuff would go bad.

(Chantell -- No worries. Erin is a pretty name. Didn't give me pause at all. I've answered to horrible names without a blink!)

If we're serious about this rice hull business, we could arrange for a shipment and divide it up at the next swap.

True...and I could ship to Erin and Seedpicker if they were interested. Who would you like me to look into it? And do you want to mention it over on Mid Atlantic? I don't want to take on a huge order but certainly would be willing to do a modest one.

Great ideas! I can't do anything about it now because I'm on a bit of a tear, though.

I might be game...always looking for the best rooting medium...
-T

I had a 50 pound bag, it is used around here, as bedding in horse stalls.
Chantall, was the ebay seller, dogwood critter?

This message was edited Jul 13, 2007 10:48 PM

Hm..wonder if the feed store down the street would have it...

It is worth a try, Taylor...I had planned to use it as a bedding for our Tortoise...since it is pretty inert...I still have a lot of it, and I had thought about mixing it, with Coir when I try to root cuttings..and I had noticed what looked like rice hulls in the plants I have gotten on ebay, from dogwoodcritter (Ron)...the person I got it from is no longer selling stuff..she had a lot of soil amendments...mushroom compost and other things.

melvatoo - yes that is the ebay seller. I've ordered about 12 plants from him...have been VERY pleased. Were you the one looking for that specific ice plant that he had? I purchased a couple of those - sadly they didn't make it but the rest are doing great!!

All my plants from him, are nice...the Salvias from him, are superb! No ice plant for me!

I have to also sing praises for his Passifloras AND Jasmines...very, very nice!! Quick shipper as well!!

I almost mentioned the Passifloras I think I have at least four kinds from him and a few Clematis too..he is a wonderful seller! I have an prder pending with him, for some Butterfly Busg...the Thunbergias I got from him, are doing well too...

Four?!? Hmmm...gonna have to go check his listings...LOL I purchased the Purple Haze...it was huge - esp. given the price. It's doing really well!!

Let me see...Purple Haze, Constance Elliot, Clear Sky, and Morifolia...I think there is another one, that I am forgetting..sometimes if you email him, he has plants that for whatever reason, are not on his page...

I didn't find anything for sale on ebay by dogwoodcritter???

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZdogwooderitternetQQssPageNameZMERCQ5fVICQ5fRCRXQ5fPr4Q5fPcNQ5fQ5fSI

melvatoo - will you be bringing your passis inside for the winter or leaving them in the ground?

Most of them, will have to come in...don't think theu are hardy....so I have them planted in a very large pot, and not the ground.

Aha -- it is dogwooderitternet. Thanks!

rice hulls...seen them at the feedstore..not sure what the use for them are for?? enlighten me?

pam

OK, you've got my attention! Chantell, if you and Happy order rice hulls, I'd like to get in on the action too, please! I wonder how much water they'd retain (I confess, I didn't get very far with that article tonight)? They might make a good addition to potting mix along with perlite and/or vermiculite... LOL, they might even work as an aggregate for hypertufa! We should probably check with Southern States here in Frederick, just to make sure they don't carry them before we order and have to pay S/H... but I don't think I saw anything of the sort on their shelves (it seems like something that would've stuck in my mind).

Good idea...think I'll call both Southern States and Booth Feed just in case. The ebay seller is willing to reduce s/h - waiting to see by how much though.

Thanks for making that call, Chantell.

Ok...here's the deal...Booth Feeds nor Southern States carries it. Guess I'll be emailing the ebay seller again or checking w/that nursery in Richmond.

Has anyone checked the beer/wine making stores or a health food store?

Good point, Donna...looks like that's exactly what the ebay seller has them listed for. I contacted the gentleman in the nursery in Richmond he responded but with wholesale type info...I've asked him if he sells the bales (4 cubic ft) individually since I couldn't really use a pallet of them (16 bales)...LOL
Here's some more info on the rice hulls:
http://www.hhydro.com/cgi-bin/hhydro/HH00250.html
http://www.greenhousegrower.com/pdf/riceland_fi07.pdf

Melvatoo, can you tell me a little about your use of them for horse bedding? Or can I lure you over to the Equine Forum so I don't totally hijack this thread?

Pagan,
Feel free to hijack...
I used the rice hulls as bedding for my Tortoise, Graham...But I was told by the person I bought them from, that many people use them as horse bedding..Around Denton, there are many Quarter Horse Farms...The bag was the size that my father used to buy, filled with saw dust, for the stalls. (he raised QH's)

Interesting - and they don't eat 'em?

Apparently not...there isn't much to them, guess they don't taste good.

Sadly the local place that apparently rec'd the large orders wasn't interested in selling a smaller amt - I didn't hear back from them. If anyone knows of places that sell them retail...please post here.