Diatomaceos Earth

[ellf.livejournal.com]

A bit of an odd request, but one that has stumped me: does anyone know where in the area I could find some diatomaceos earth?

Comments

Pool Supply Store

[spaz-i-mota.livejournal.com]

Well, its a thought. By my parents had to buy that stuff for our swimming pool, we used to love saying that word. I'm not sure if is the exact same 'formula', but they'd sell it at a pool supply store. Are there Naamco's around? Try calling a store like that. Good luck!

Re: Pool Supply Store

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, pool grade DE is very toxic to humans due to the silica added, so I'm looking for "food grade" DE, typically sold for gardening purposes.

Re: Pool Supply Store

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the suggestion, however! :)

Re: Pool Supply Store

[spaz-i-mota.livejournal.com]

oops..sorry :-p

Re: Pool Supply Store

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

I was going to say pool store too, because swimming pools (and the laboratory) are the only two places I've ever used it. What is it used for in gardening? As another said, if it's not at Pemberton, then your chances of finding it in the square are pretty much zero, and you'll have to try larger garden centers a car ride away.

Slugs

[avjudge]

The gardening use I'm familiar with is to put a circle around plants the slugs like; it chews up their undersides as they slime their way across. Until it rains & you forget to renew it. (I never had much luck with it. Or with beer, which the slugs enjoyed but survived.)

Re: Slugs

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

Ew.

I'm still surprised you can't use pool store DE. I'm not doubting -- I'm just perplexed. I mean, DE is just diatom fossils. It came from the earth, so it can go back to the earth, right? Or do they add something to pool filter DE that makes it unsuitable for applying to your garden (but you can still swim in it). Hmmm...

Re: Slugs

[ellf.livejournal.com]

They add silicon, and heat-process the DE. For pest control, this is VERY bad, because silicon is dangerous to inhale, whereas food-grade DE is not.

Re: Slugs

[avjudge]

Good point - the point of the original poster was that pool grade wasn't "food grade," but if it's going on the ground in the garden it doesn't have to be food grade. Maybe the poster has another plan, but where I put it (poured on the ground), I wasn't going to be eating *or* inhaling it.

I googled and found this (for slugs): "Be sure to buy natural or agricultural grade diatomaceous earth, not pool grade which has smoother edges and is far less effective. " - of course the site was selling the agricultural grade, but this sounds like what I remember reading all those years ago when I tried DE so I think it's right.

Anne

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

If they haven't got it at Pemberton Farms, then I've no idea where you should look.

[vibrantabyss.livejournal.com]

if Pemb doesnt have it, Mahoney's would be my next guess...

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

It's only an odd request if coupled with a request for midget bondage wear and a 25 gallon vat of butterscotch sundae topping.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

... coming soon from Toscanini's, a totally radical new flavor!

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Earthy Chained Midget in Butterscotch? A niche flavor to be sure.....

[entrope.livejournal.com]

Tags sells some with clove and peppermint oil added, marketed as ant repellent. It's in a white gooseneck sort of bottle and labeled as being safe to use in homes with pets.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

I just gave them a ring, and they said they'd never heard of it. Are you certain on this? Which Tags?

[entrope.livejournal.com]

It's this: http://www.wholesale-garden-supplies.com/product.php?productid=10251&cat=0&page=1

I got it at the tags in porter square a month or so ago.

[mperrotti76.livejournal.com]

No.

[joylewis.livejournal.com]

Er. Links aren't enabled, I think.
Gardener's Supply has it: $8.95 for a 1.5 lb box, www.gardeners.com
Mahoney's normally carries it but is out of stock and doesn't have it on the reorder list.
I've seen it at a couple of other gardening supply sites but it's mixed with insecticide.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

The garden center at any of the Loews locations might have it. Not anywhere close to Davis though so you'd need access to a car.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

ze'd probably want access to a car anywhay. Who wants to carry pounds of dirt on the T?

I'm assuming that for gardening purposes, 1.5 lb is not going to cut it... then again I know nothing about gardening...

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Ze? Not to start a flamewar, but is it really necessary to replace English words with made-up terms based on grammatical gender (which is, notably, distinct from physiological gender?)

Anyways.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

Not really, I just didn't want to offend. You, or richips... I suppose I should just go back to saying "they" as a singular... and screw the grammar hammers...

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The singular "they" was good enough for Dr. Johnson, and it's good enough for me.

[dew-dropink.livejournal.com]

ps you're ridiculous and thank you

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Home Depot said they had it, and then looked at me like I was insanity itself when I actually drove over to pick it up, so I'm dubious.

Regardless, I'll check it out. Ta.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

growing up we generally got it at home depot. but that's NH. it works amazing on slugs and great for protecting tomatoes.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Home Depot.

[kjc.livejournal.com]

It usually comes in a box that isn't that big. About a foot high, maybe 8" across, and 3-4" deep.

I got mine at Pemberton's - you could ask them when they'll be getting more.

Or, try Home Tags/Depot/Loews and check the gardening area, then the pest management area.

If you only need a little, I could fill a small ziplock for ya... :) I feed mine to my worms - helps their guts grind my kitchen scraps.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Well, I desperately need a good amount, but a little would be a great start! :)

Home Depot and Tags are both turning up nothing.

[kalimba21.livejournal.com]

i've used pool grade for years for ants around my house and it's always worked fine. hmmm something to look in to.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

http://invisiblegardener.com/magazine/online_magazine/de_framed.htm

"Crystalline silica causes Silicosis (the World Health Organization has declared that crystalline silica levels in agricultural grade DE exceeding 3% can be dangerous to humans). This is why pool grade DE is not safe to use on your garden or farm. Pool grade DE is made by super heating Amorphous DE until it becomes near 100% crystalline silica!"

Thanks, but no. I'm not all about inhaling any amount of silica.