Diatomaceous earth as amendment/dressing

[mountainoutlaw]

Diatomaceous earth is finely ground fossil shell flour and mostly comprised of calcium and has lots of silica as well.

I'm using as a top dressing for extra Ca in flower and for tomatoes blossom rot.

Anyone else use it this way?

 

[Creeperpark]

Diatomaceous earth is finely ground fossil shell flour and mostly comprised of calcium and has lots of silica as well.

I'm using as a top dressing for extra Ca in flower and for tomatoes blossom rot.

Anyone else use it this way?

Hello friend. I have seen it used as a top dressing before. The important thing is not allowing the DE to be blown around the growing area. Smokers already have implications from smoking and breathing DE can cause big lung problems in the long run. If you are a smoker or you want to protect your lungs, I recommend using a breathing mask whenever you are in the grow area.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) can cause issues if it's inhaled, comes into contact with skin, or gets into the eyes:

• Inhaling: DE can irritate the nose and nasal passages, and inhaling a large amount can cause coughing and shortness of breath. Inhaled crystalline silica particles can build up in the lungs and lymph nodes, and may be harmful to people with lung problems like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Skin: DE can cause irritation and dryness to the skin.
• Eyes: DE can irritate the eyes due to its abrasive nature.
  Google

 

[KIS]

Hello friend. I have seen it used as a top dressing before. The important thing is not allowing the DE to be blown around the growing area. Smokers already have implications from smoking and breathing DE can cause big lung problems in the long run. If you are a smoker or you want to protect your lungs, I recommend using a breathing mask whenever you are in the grow area.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) can cause issues if it's inhaled, comes into contact with skin, or gets into the eyes:

• Inhaling: DE can irritate the nose and nasal passages, and inhaling a large amount can cause coughing and shortness of breath. Inhaled crystalline silica particles can build up in the lungs and lymph nodes, and may be harmful to people with lung problems like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Skin: DE can cause irritation and dryness to the skin.
• Eyes: DE can irritate the eyes due to its abrasive nature.
  Google

I learned this the hard way when using DE to clean out dust mites that were getting into our feed when I had a feed store. I wore a respirator but should have protected my eyes. I had bloodshot eyes for a week.

One thing to note though, once you've applied it, it's not really in the air. I wouldn't feel the need to wear a mask except when applying. It does contain good Si levels and other benefits as others have noted above.