When i saw what i interpreted as indications of a potentially impending pest situation, i grabbed my bottle of Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Oil Pure Castile Hemp Soap, and gave my drain liner a few drops, while the runoff was still running off...from my experience. De stops working when its wet and clumps.up too. It barely works when its dry.. Oil based /castile ipm's is the best way to go.
Hahaha ..I'll attach a pdf that should give more insight into DE. DE kills insects by absorbing the oils off of the insects, and is least effective in a moist environment:
From the PDF:
The DE becomes ineffective in a moist environment, not because water fouls or saturates the absorptive surface, but because insects can constantly replenish their waterloss by eating the moist grain.
From Wiki:
Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency, based on Fick's law of diffusion. This also works against gastropods and is commonly employed in gardening to defeat slugs. However, since slugs inhabit humid environments, efficacy is very low. It is sometimes mixed with an attractant or other additives to increase its effectiveness.
I do not use pyrethrum. Especially not the kind in the aerosol cans.
So who are the professors at Oakerdamn... Subtool? Did your quote come from their website? Sounds like stoner marketing for people that can't make it through a real horticulture program.
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Imo DE is not going to be a substantial source of silica. It's going to take too long to become available. Protekt or agsil would be a better choice.I would use DE for the added silica rather than a pest deterrent.
Don't forget some rock dust!Well to me thats what its all about...slow and steady breakdown. I have yet to use the DE rocks as i never really saw a need for it. But it was a freebie so eventually i'll get around to it. For now i'm focusing on about 6 amendments...alfalfa meal, kelp meal, neem meal, greensand, rock phosphate and zeolite.
Wouldn't mind but hard to source where i'm at. I figured i had the mineral side of things covered. And i know they take a while to break down but i feel thats sorta the point with recycling.Don't forget some rock dust!
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Just a thought, but you could check your local landscape yard for some granite crusher fines. This will add some benefits you will not get from zeolite, SRP, greensand, etc.Wouldn't mind but hard to source where i'm at. I figured i had the mineral side of things covered. And i know they take a while to break down but i feel thats sorta the point with recycling.
I plan on implementing oyster shells as my aeration amendment.Just a thought, but you could check your local landscape yard for some granite crusher fines. This will add some benefits you will not get from zeolite, SRP, greensand, etc.
I'm curious about Zeolite being an aluminasilicate. I'm pretty sure using fulpower could actually chelate some of the aluminum. Not sure how much of an issue this could cause, but something I've been pondering.
And I agree with Mo, oyster shell and crab meal would be a couple others I would consider.
Not tellin, just sayin...
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Are you using anything else for a calcium carbonate source? Just curious.I plan on implementing oyster shells as my aeration amendment.
I've been using dolomite lime and bone meal as well as crushed eggshell.Are you using anything else for a calcium carbonate source? Just curious.
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I can't tell you how hard it was for me to source the individual ratios for all of the amendments you listed, especially the meals, when I switched to the rols / notill grow style. I would have loved to have seen this information in one place then. One thing I would suggest is adding karanja in with the neem by simply cutting the neem in half and using the same amount removed for the karanja.While we're on the subject, here's a soil mix excerpt from my book (only step 1):
How to Organically Garden in 8 easy-to-moderately bothersome steps:
1. Make your soil mix according to the following ratios.[1]
BASE MIX
There are two options for the base mix· The total volume of the combined Base Mix in cubic feet dictates how much of each Soil Amendment you will add
o A ratio of 1:1:2 (one part compost, one part aeration element, and two parts peat moss)o One part compost (most important ingredient)
o A ratio of 1:1:1 (one part compost, one part aeration element, and one part peat moss)
o Of the two ratio options, all equal parts (1:1:1) is great for a beginner gardener because the higher ratio of aeration element makes overwatering difficult to do, and the ratio option with more sphagnum peat moss (1:1:2) retains moisture for longer periods of time, so it works well for sprouting seeds
§ Preferably, use "living"[2] earth worm castings or other high-quality composto One part pebbled-sized red lava rock, pumice, rice hulls, or other aeration element
§ Ideally, use a mixture of different compost types
§ Low on compost? Try a combination of soil and compost, up to half soil (commercial or recycled) and half compost
o One part or two parts sphagnum peat moss
§ Hydrate before measuring and mixing, preferably using a wetting agent
SOIL AMENDMENTS
· Combine the Soil Amendments, then add to the Base Mix
· The given quantities are for each cubic foot of the Base Mix you made
- Mineral mix (essential)
- 2 to 4 cups rock dusts, including at least one of the following: glacial rock dust, basalt, bentonite, Azomite rock dust, and/or other minerals
- The mineral mix can be exclusively glacial rock dust
- No more than 1 cup each of other rock dusts (basalt, etc.) for each cubic foot of Base Mix
- Mix and match depending on local availability
- Meal mix (performance enhancers)
- A soil with 4 cups of meal mix typically only needs water from seed to harvest and may not need topdressings or botanical teas for the first crop. It also works well for small-container gardening (containers around 5 gallons)
- 2 to 4 cups total meal mix, containing the following
- ½ to 1 cup neem meal
- Improves plant immunity and soil balance
- ½ to 2 cups kelp meal
- Provides a broad spectrum of trace elements, among other benefits
- ½ to 1 cup crab shell meal
- Calcium source, for calcium-hungry plants; pH buffer
- ½ cup alfalfa meal (optional)
- Source of nitrogen, among other goodies
- ½ to 1 cup all-purpose dry organic fertilizer (optional)
- Can replace kelp and crab shell for a simple soil amendment mix
- Conversely, it is not needed when you already have kelp and crab shell
- Example fertilizers: Epsoma Tomato-tone and Garden-tone, Happy Frog All-Purpose and Tomato and Vegetable, and similar products by Dr. Earth and Down to Earth
- Liming agents (optional, but recommended for soils intended for multiple harvests)
- 1 cup oyster shell flour or gypsum powder
- Calcium source, for calcium-hungry plants; pH buffer
- Can use ½ cup of each for a total of 1 cup
[1] Credit goes to Headtreep, Cann, Ganja Girl, and ClackamasCootz, of the Recycled Organic Living Soil Internet boards, for the particular ratios and combination of ingredients.
- Biochar (optional)
- add up to 10% of the Base Mix's volume
- Biochar can be bought from gardening suppliers and should be broken up in small pieces
- Natural charcoal, which is the variety made from hardwood (not briquettes), can also be used
- Activate Biochar by mixing it with living compost or soaking it in compost tea for a few days before mixing with soil
[2] "Living" means moist compost with active bacterial and fungal populations; completely dry is useless.