Diatoms & Diatomaceous Earth

[Reap911]

Hi Everyone,

Need some help please. I have heard somewhere in my learning that Diatoms are an essential part of regenerating used soils and adding more life to the soil food web. Its advertised as a way to get rid of buds etc but I want to use it to add diatoms into my soil.

Excuse me if I am missing the mark here of understanding this but that is why I am posting.

I have bought some Diatomaceous Earth as that is what the guy recommended but I am worried about it having an impact on the bugs I have in my soils. These being springtails and hypoaspis miles. I do not want to create a hazardous environment for my little friends.

I have heard that Diatomaceous Earth can also hurt your nematode and protozoa populations.

So I am looking for some guidance here. Anyone had success using Diatoms and Diatomaceous Earth?

Some additional questions:
1. Dosage in my soil?
2. Alternative ways of adding diatoms to my soil?
3. Worth or nah? Positives and negatives?

Any help will be truly appreciated.

 

[bam0813]

I think DE is fossils of diatoms so im not sure if it adds live biology ? It gies hand in hand but,Are you trying to build biology or composition of soil? Ewc and compost would be better for either imo

 

[Rurumo]

One factor to consider when you use DE is the arsenic content. Diatomaceous earth has some of the highest arsenic levels I've seen in any soil product/amendment/fertilizer etc. It varies from brand to brand of course, based on which deposit it came from, but it's high enough to fail heavy metals tests for commercial growers if they add it to their soil. The CDFA Fertilizer database only has a single DE listing because the dangers of it really isn't on any important people's radar right now so no one is testing it-go here and next to "product" type "diatomaceous" and you can see the single listing they have is quite high in As. I think for most people who use it sparingly to kill insects, it probably won't build up all that much in the final product. But I've seen a trend lately where people want to add DE for the silica or some other such reason, and that's where it becomes a problem. Plus, it's just not good to use it indoors-any mixing of DE, rock dust, perlite, etc, should be done outside-none of those dusts are good for your lungs. Good luck to you!

 

[Killaki]

One factor to consider when you use DE is the arsenic content. Diatomaceous earth has some of the highest arsenic levels I've seen in any soil product/amendment/fertilizer etc. It varies from brand to brand of course, based on which deposit it came from, but it's high enough to fail heavy metals tests for commercial growers if they add it to their soil. The CDFA Fertilizer database only has a single DE listing because the dangers of it really isn't on any important people's radar right now so no one is testing it-go here and next to "product" type "diatomaceous" and you can see the single listing they have is quite high in As. I think for most people who use it sparingly to kill insects, it probably won't build up all that much in the final product. But I've seen a trend lately where people want to add DE for the silica or some other such reason, and that's where it becomes a problem. Plus, it's just not good to use it indoors-any mixing of DE, rock dust, perlite, etc, should be done outside-none of those dusts are good for your lungs. Good luck to you!

Interesting. If health is a factor you're concerned about, for sure then.

 

[mudballs]

There's a myth that's floating around that when DE gets wet it doesn't work anymore...well, it works still just not as well. The above pic is what bugs have to walk over, and it cuts them up, wet or not. Being wet just gives a lubricant sort of....now im gonna ask you.
If you had to walk over this all day naked with no shoes or gloves, would lubricant really fkn help? Lol, no. You'd eventually end up getting fukt up and bleed out or starve standing in place...that's what happens to bugs in a high DE environment.

DE added to soil, imo, dont do shit for soil health. BUT it also can stop bugs you dont want. I fight fireants and beetles so idgaf about my nematodes or anything else bigger than a microbe on my roots. This dont matter to indoor so DE is kinda even less worthless, on top of that it's a health hazzard you dont want in ur lungs. So yeah DE, pro's only...do not attempt at home.
That's my stance

 

[Reap911]

I think DE is fossils of diatoms so im not sure if it adds live biology ? It gies hand in hand but,Are you trying to build biology or composition of soil? Ewc and compost would be better for either imo

I am trying to get diatoms into my soil.

Any suggestions?

 

[bam0813]

I gave you two already

 

[mudballs]

di·a·tom
/ˈdīəˌtäm/

noun BIOLOGY
a single-celled alga

al·ga
/ˈalɡə/
noun
a simple, nonflowering, and typically aquatic plant of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms

If you see green shit on top of your soil, bingo!, you got diatom colony
Diatoms live at the top of the soil surface and with 15 cells per approximately 0.2 mm2 (= 7,500 cells cm−2)

 

[bam0813]

di·a·tom
/ˈdīəˌtäm/

noun BIOLOGY
a single-celled alga

al·ga
/ˈalɡə/
noun
a simple, nonflowering, and typically aquatic plant of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms

If you see green shit on top of your soil, bingo!, you got diatom colony
Diatoms live at the top of the soil surface and with 15 cells per approximately 0.2 mm2 (= 7,500 cells cm−2)

And your overwatering haha

 

[Reap911]

I gave you two already

Does EWC and Comoost add diatoms to your soil?

I have seen guys harvest it from the river but that was just to take a look at it under a microscope.

 

[bam0813]

No they add other biology Diatoms are algae if you insist on havingDIATOMS just keep your soil wet constantly or they die anyway …..use pond water .