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Re: Diatomaceous earth

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Yes there is a difference.  D.E. for filtering has been through a high
temperature process.  That process increases the breathing hazard and
decreases the garden effectiveness.  It hasn't been chlorinated (would
kill the fish if it were) and it hasn't been chelated (can't be, chelates
are organic {in the chemistry sense} chemicals that strongly bind to
metals, particularly heavy metals.  Hemoglobin is a natural iron chelate.
 Synthetic chelates are used to remove heavy metals from people who have
been poisoned by them.  Chelated iron is a soluble form of iron that is
more easily assimilated by plants.  Blood meal accomplishes the same
end.)  In fact, filter grade D.E. it is a purer form of silicate than
natural D.E.  They are NOT interchangeable.

BTW, DE that is sold in feed store as a cattle supplement (gets rid of
worms) is the same stuff that you use in your garden.  I have used the
stuff for four years with no problems.  Use it to dust the animals
(discourages ticks), use it to feed to the animals (kills intestinal
worms), use it to dust the plants (early in the morning while dew is
still on the plants), use it behind and under furniture (for indoor
pests), use it in grain storage (doesn't prevent bugs, but gets them as
soon as they hatch, then they dry up and you can't see them without
magnification.  Bon a petit), and use it in animal bedding (to kill mites
and fleas).  I wonder if the people who went to the hospital coughing up
blood were using the filter grade D.E.?  Probably is a good idea to use a
dust mask, but I never have. 

D.E. is selective (tends to kill more soft bodied insects than hard
bodied insects) but it doesn't differentiate between "good" insects and
"bad" insects of similar body types.    
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