Diatomaceous Earth Amendment

[Guest guest]

This is one of the two posts from my Organic Gardening group.

R.

Of all of the variables that I try to cover in my post. I've left out a

> very important point in using DE for seed storage. D'oh!

>

> While a lite dusting of DE over stored seeds helps dry them out and kill

> any hidden pest. It needs to be a LITE dusting! As in salting food. As you

> can completely dehydrate seeds of their necessary oils, killing them by

> storing seeds in a dry bath of DE.

>

> DE isn't for drying out seeds! Seeds need to have around 12% moisture

> content before attempting to store them. As in appearing to be dry before

> even thinking about storing them or treating them with DE.

>

> So ONLY use like a small pinch of DE per handful of seeds to protect them.

>

> As in 7 pounds of DE will help protect 2,000 pounds of seeds, pound of DE

> per 286 pounds of seeds, ounce weight of DE per 18 pounds of seeds and so

> on, till you get down to a pound of seeds only needing 0.0035 pounds of DE.

>

> What, you don't have a digital scale that measures down to a 10,000 of a

> pound? lol Me neither!

>

> How about a measurement that you might use?

>

> A level 3/4 teaspoon of DE per pound of seeds. Oh, still way too many

> seeds.

>

> officially:

> A " Dash " is 1/8th of a level teaspoon.

> A " Pinch " is 1/16th of a level teaspoon.

> A " Smidgen " is 1/32nd of a level teaspoon.

>

> So 3/4 of a " pinch " of DE treats a ounce weight of seeds.

>

> Yes, I do have stainless steel " Dash " , " Pinch " and " Smidgen measuring

> spoons. lol That shouldn't surprise any of you. Me knowing where the heck I

> had them. Now that was surprising!!!

>

>

> B

>