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A Natural Way to Kill Bugs and Boost Your Soil

Cannabis Cultivation Today • May 18, 2020

Dig this: Fossilized remains of long-dead critters can lend new life to your cannabis plants.

We’re talking about diatomaceous earth (DE), the fossilized remains of phytoplankton or diatom algae. When they were alive, these freshwater organisms extracted nourishment from the water as it passed through their porous, silica-based exteriors. As they died, they sank to the sea floor and gradually created deposits.

So what’s the dirt on this versatile substance and its applications in your grow room? For one thing, DE works as a natural insecticide, but that’s only half of the story. As an aggregate, DE also goes to work in the soil, boosting its water holding capacity and infiltration.

Natural insecticide

When used as an insecticide, these fossilized remains are bad news for bugs. DE is an abrasive that gradually scrapes away an

insect’s exoskeleton, leaving it to dry out and die.

Using DE has several advantages over chemical insecticides. DE is an all-natural substance that’s safe to use and doesn’t harm the

plant. Furthermore, insects can’t develop a resistance to DE’s effects, said George Serrill, vice president of the Boring, Ore.-based

company EnviroTech Soil Solutions.

“With some chemicals, you need special equipment to handle it,” he added; DE, on the other hand, requires wearing only a particle

mask.

As an insecticide, you can apply DE in a variety of ways, including:

Mixed into the soil
Topically applied on top of potting soil
Mixed with water
Applied as a wettable powder. In this form, the DE comes as a powder, which you mix with water and spray onto the plant

If you use the powder, be sure to spray both the top and underside of the leaves. “The surface is easy to get,” Serrill said. “The

underside is harder to get, and that’s where a lot of insects reside.”

When applied in wettable powder form, DE will remain on the leaves for several days in dry conditions. However, the insecticide

washes off with water. So, keep an eye on your plants and assess whether to reapply after rain or heavy irrigation.

DE also comes in duster form. If you choose this application, consider moistening the plants first before dusting. Also be sure to

wear a particle mask when handling the dust.

Down to the roots

DE is an agriculturalist’s multitasker. In addition to its insecticidal properties, DE can also improve the exchange of air and water

under the soil’s surface.

Serrill said, “We also have aggregates that are working great to improve both water holding capacity and increase infiltration at the

same time, which are often thought to be mutually exclusive.”

Here’s how these aggregates work: Imagine a pot full of fine-grain sand. When you water the pot, the sand holds onto the water

longer. That’s because its infiltration—or the rate at which water moves through it—is low. Now, imagine a pot full of coarse-grain

sand. When you add water, the larger granules help the water drain quicker, creating an accelerated infiltration.

Finally, imagine soil enriched with DE in its aggregate form. The particles in DE are porous, enabling them to both retain water and

aid infiltration. “Diatomaceous earth in aggregate form can increase [water retention and infiltration] because it has internal

porosity,” Serrill said.

Soil enhanced with DE aggregates is able to exchange air and water more readily. And that’s important because air develops root

systems, which lead to better nutrient and water uptake, he said.

“For plants to grow, they also have to have proper moisture content and adequate air supply,” he said. “The DE in aggregate form

increases both.”

By Bridget Manley

Photo courtesy EnviroTech Soil Solutions

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Inspiration Out of the Dust

May 19, 2020

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Nature’s Reservoir

By Lawn & Garden Magazine • May 18, 2020

Any visit to a local garden center comes with a good dose of anticipation that you will find something new, pretty or useful. Ideas are inspirational and you can find lots of them. Indoor gardening has captured our imagination because growers gain control of the atmospheric conditions of temperature and light. These controlled environments enable precise dosing of inputs through fertigation coupled with timed light exposure for specifically designed plant responses. Hydroponic systems add an alluring dimension of speed to the process with faster cultivation from seed to harvest. When selecting growing media components, one of the most compelling choices is diatomaceous earth (DE) because it has a fascinating organic heritage, a wide array of benefits and uses, and is available in powder and aggregate form.

A Natural Way to Kill Bugs and Boost Your Soil

Natural insecticide

Down to the roots

Inspiration Out of the Dust

Nature’s Reservoir

Scores of Pores

Learning from an Island

Adapting in the Desert

Long Term Follow Up

AXIS UC Davis Plant Available Water

AxisDE Increases Microbial Populations 10X

AxisDE Horizontal & Vertical Wetting

Study of 3 Diatomaceous Earth Sources

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