Diatomaceous Earth as a seed starting medium

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Jaysan

I picked up some ultrasorb at an autozone today. It is noticeably finer than the napa de. I hope I can still use the napa de for something. Did someone say they used it?

Yes the Ultrasorb from Autozone is finer. Autozone doesn't sell the 33ib bags of Ultrasorb but the 33lb bags I bought elsewhere were a coarser grade. Optisorb is the coarsest grade.
I haven't seen any positive reports using the NAPA DE for seed starting, I only used it as a soil amendment a few years ago. See the Ultrasorb vs perlite thread, posts 27 till the end.
Jaysen, since you have both it would be cool to see a side by seed starting side trial comparing both UltraSorb and the NAPA DE. If the results of the NAPA DE are as negative as others have reported, that would put an end to it.

[Jaysan]

Well I can report I have romaine lettuce seeds coming up in the NAPA DE!

It did come from Moltan so I am thinking it is the same as ultrasorb, just courser.

I do think the finer Ultrasorb is the way to go but I hope to use the NAPA for something. If the lettuce do well I wouldn't hesitate to use the rest of it but maybe for larger seeds.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Jaysan

Well I can report I have romaine lettuce seeds coming up in the NAPA DE!

It did come from Moltan so I am thinking it is the same as ultrasorb, just courser.

I do think the finer Ultrasorb is the way to go but I hope to use the NAPA for something. If the lettuce do well I wouldn't hesitate to use the rest of it but maybe for larger seeds.

So your NAPA DE bag says it was manufactured by Moltan? The bag I bought a few years ago was manufactured by EP Minerals. Your NAPA bag is probably just fine for seed starting then. The DE from the Moltan mine seems to be much purer.

[Jaysan]

I just now checked. It came from Moltan.

[Sodak]

If I use egg cartons with DE in them... how do I remove the small plants to replant in something larger?

[Jaysan]

I have been reading back through the pages and see where some don't use drain holes but just leave some water in the bottom to wick upward keeping a steady supply of water.

Some also have used double pots to do the same.

I was thinking of trying the same thing in a fashion.

Use cups or containers but like with self watering containers that have a drain hole in the side only, put a drain hole in the side at a point where you never want your water level to rise above. Water until it comes out the hole and that is it. No guesswork.

Since the DE is so porous watering from the top until it drains should not be a problem but an alternative could be using a soda straw as a watering pipe and watering using an old contact lens squeeze bottle. You could have it pre-mixed with your fert solution. But if it would work to fill the bottom through regular top watering the straw might be overkill.

Of course i doing this on a large scale it might be easier to bottom water as some do.

Anyone try that?

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Jaysan

I have been reading back through the pages and see where some don't use drain holes but just leave some water in the bottom to wick upward keeping a steady supply of water.

Some also have used double pots to do the same.

I was thinking of trying the same thing in a fashion.

Use cups or containers but like with self watering containers that have a drain hole in the side only, put a drain hole in the side at a point where you never want your water level to rise above. Water until it comes out the hole and that is it. No guesswork.

Since the DE is so porous watering from the top until it drains should not be a problem but an alternative could be using a soda straw as a watering pipe and watering using an old contact lens squeeze bottle. You could have it pre-mixed with your fert solution. But if it would work to fill the bottom through regular top watering the straw might be overkill.

Of course i doing this on a large scale it might be easier to bottom water as some do.

Anyone try that?

Considering the relatively short amount of time from planting the seed to potting up, bottom watering is most effective and time saving method for me using standard waterproof nursery trays as the reservoir and seed starting cells.

[Jaysan]

Makes sense to me.

Today I started an experiment of sorts.

Brandy Boy tomatoes. One each in NAPA DE and Ultrasorb DE.

I do have them in small 4 inch self watering pots and will bottom water.

So far I have 12 romaine lettuce seedling coming up in the NAPA DE.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Jaysan

Makes sense to me.

Today I started an experiment of sorts.

Brandy Boy tomatoes. One each in NAPA DE and Ultrasorb DE.

I do have them in small 4 inch self watering pots and will bottom water.

So far I have 12 romaine lettuce seedling coming up in the NAPA DE.

I love side-by-side experiments but you need more than one of each to be able to get any valid comparable results. The chance that one of the plants is a poorer specimen than the other is too great, after all how many of your seedling of the exact same variety grown under the exact same conditions will grow with the same vigor? Doesn’t happen very often. Three or four of each is OK for a casual experiment, a lot more for a scientific experiment.
Lettuce does very well in DE, I’ve grown seedlings in the past is straight UltraSorb and Optisorb, this year I have grown them in a DE/Coir mix with great results too. I started some Rouge Grenobloise and Red Deer Tongue lettuce in the first week of March indoors and potted some of the faster growing Rouge Grenobloise into the same DE/Coir mix in 4” pots until last week when I transplanted all into containers outside. I’ve got some good pictures of the nice root systems and strong top growth which I’ll share when I start the new thread. I’m looking for a nice early harvest of some full size heads this year.
I’ve got more seedlings I just started this past week including Romaine.

[Jaysan]

Well I did say an experiment of sorts .

Mainly I am doing it because the two Brandy Boys I started in Jiffy peat pellets and then potted up just don't look so hot.

I really don't know why as my two Sun golds grown the same way are thriving.

So I was hoping to get two Brandy Boys going to replace the others and hoping this method would help.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Sodak

If I use egg cartons with DE in them... how do I remove the small plants to replant in something larger?

Just before I pot them up I bottom water the egg carton so the DE is damp and then just scoop them out with a spoon. I use an ordinary coffee spoon and it works great. If you have more than one plant per cell then after you scoop them out just pull them apart at the base and pot them up.

Bill

[Delerium]

I prefer the Granular DE which is the bag they sell for 6 bucks for 30 lbs at autozone piled up at the front of the store. All my tomato grafts were done using the chunky stuff!

[Jaysan]

Looking good!

What do you fertilize with and what is your schedule?

[b54red]

Delerium I like the larger granule stuff for when I am grafting but not for seed starting. I much prefer the smaller UltraSorb for small seed starting.

Bill

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Delerium

I prefer the Granular DE which is the bag they sell for 6 bucks for 30 lbs at autozone piled up at the front of the store. All my tomato grafts were done using the chunky stuff!

Autozone has 30lb bags of DE? Which one is that?
They have the 33lb bag of clay , I've never seen the DE other than the 15lb and 8lb bags.