Diatomaceous Earth

[Debbie]

Diatomaceous Earth --- fossilised remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms...causes insects , such as the annoying ones that sometimes appear on our plants , to dry out and die by its razor sharp nature there by drying up and seriously interfering with insect's exoskeleton .
I bought a sample bag of it , but not quite sure how to use it ? After re-potting some of my Cacti and Epies I have noticed some sciarid flies lolloping about over the fresh compost ...I need to get rid of them .
Do I need to just dust the surface of the compost or should I lay a proper layer of it as a mulch ?
It is said to kill all mites, so maybe we could use it to kill Mealie bugs and red spider mites , if unfortunate to find on our plants .....once again I am just not quite sure how to apply ?
I have just sprinkled it on , it is very ,very dusty and I think may be a good idea to wear a mask over mouth and nose /careful to not breathe it in . ....but maybe I,m not doing it right ...anyone know ?
It sounds like a miracle remedy ! What do you think ? Debbie

[Chez2]

To get rid of scarid flies I give a quick spray of household fly spray. Repeat every few days or when you seen new flies hatch. I haven't used DE on my plants, I use it on my chickens though. You can get little puffer bottles to apply DE.

[Herts Mike]

I keep an insectivorous plant and move it to where it is needed.

[Debbie]

Hi Chez2 , I hadn't thought of that ...flyspray that is . It has a horrible smell though .....ugh ! So anyway ,where would you buy the little puffer bottle for the Diatomaceous Earth ?
Hi Herts Mike , Oh my goodness ! An Insectivorous plant that's an awesome idea! I ,ve just got to try that ! lol !
Has anyone else used the Diatomaceous Earth ? How do you apply it to plants / cacti and Epiphyllums ? Does it work ? Debbie

[iann]

You can mix it with the soil to control pests like sciarid larvae or root mealies. Probably vine weevils too, not something I've had, fingers crossed. You can get a very fine form which can be dusted on leaves for above-ground pests. Not sure if this is what you have, and I've not tried it. There is also a wettable form, a very fine powder that you mix with water and spray on. It then dries out (depending on the weather!) and it is as if you'd dusted the plant but with much better coverage.

[MikeDom]

Hi Herts Mike , Oh my goodness ! An Insectivorous plant that's an awesome idea! I ,ve just got to try that ! lol !

I would recommend the sticky flypapers and Pinguicula moranensis var. caudata is especially good because you end up with a 6" diameter surface area. They are prolific sciara fly catchers as you can see by the number of flies on the leaves. You often find spares for sale at cactus shows for a couple of quid. Below are a couple of my plants - ignore the black edges on the new leaf tips - that's what happens when you leave them in 30 Deg C sun last Saturday in the heatwave; a few weeks in the shade and they'll be as good as new.

[Chez2]

Hi Chez2 , I hadn't thought of that ...flyspray that is . It has a horrible smell though .....ugh ! So anyway ,where would you buy the little puffer bottle for the Diatomaceous Earth ?
Hi Herts Mike , Oh my goodness ! An Insectivorous plant that's an awesome idea! I ,ve just got to try that ! lol !
Has anyone else used the Diatomaceous Earth ? How do you apply it to plants / cacti and Epiphyllums ? Does it work ? Debbie

You literally only press the spray for a second, just enough to spray the plant.

Here is a puffer bottle.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/GardenHome-Pra ... DRTKSW7E0R

[NickHitchcock]

If you can get your hands on a microscope look at the diatomaceous earth, it is awesome.

[Debbie]

Thankyou everyone joining in this discussion.. It is really interesting to read all your great ideas .Lots to think about .
NickHitchcock - Yes ! I thought it might be very interesting under the microscope ....I haven't got one here at the moment ..but I imagine it must be like chalk ?
Iann- Thanks for the idea about mixing it in with the compost and to Chez2 for the link to the pufferbottle ....never seen that before ! The fly-spray will probably be brilliant to clear them after a couple of short sweeping sprays .
Mikedom - I have used the yellow sticky fly stick things...but the ones I bought were not too brilliant ..but I will definitely be getting one or two of those Pinguicula moranensis var. caudata plants
I hope this discussion might help others with nuisance insects wether they be coming up through the compost or on their plants .
THANKS ALL ! Debbie

[Eric Williams]

Hi Mike, I also use these plants to catch fruit flies etc, very effective too. Re a little scorch on leaf tips, my plants are also gone very pale. Would this be sun problems ? Cheers