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diatomaceous earth

Anyone using this stuff?

After it becomes wet (moist) does it dry out and become functional again? How do you water your plants if not?  I am on my first attempt to use this for fungus gnats.

Hi Mike , I have been using the DE with great results. I found that it does dry out in between waterings. I water from the bottom. On my new rooted cuttings , holes were drilled in plastic containers I got from the dollar store. I do not over water and when the DE seems powdery again , I water lightly from bottom again. Seems to do the job , my cuttings are flourishing and have very few gnats now. I also used the sticky strips to catch any adults.
I do not have my cuttings in an enclosed plastic box any longer so the DE may dry out faster now.

Pattee, thanks. I am following in your foot steps. I have been using a plastic syringe to water in those holes on the sides but I may start
watering from the bottom. I also use sticky traps and carnivorous plants (12 of them).

So I guess once the D.E dries out I can stir it around a little and it will be like new?

If you're talking about the powder, I'm not sure it worked that great.  What's better is if you use a layer of calcined DE (Oil Dri which is same as kitty litter) or crushed granite on top.  

I was amazed by a Home depot Ethiopian employee. I told him about gnats.. he had no clue, but looked online and tried to explain to me with his broken English and he highly recommended this earth thing, but it was too pricey for me, he also told me about Borax and I am researching how to best use it.

He also told me to grow Chrisantemum, harvest the middle, dry it up ( has some natural Phyritin not sure of the spelling, it is poisonous to flies) and sprinkle everywhere in the garden, flies hate that stuff. I guess it works like the stinky marigolds, but no time to grow and harvest...so, he recommended I water with mosquito dunk and use the fly traps and consider this earth for my future pots... (I gave everyone a huge dunk of the mosquito dunk, so  I may have drowned them... only time will tell) I just cannot stand those gnats anymore. i was gone for 3 days and they invaded.  Since I did the dunking, seems to be working. I had no wilting yet.

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