Diatoms are fossilized algae that are used in the form of soil and with different uses, such as organic and natural fertilizers or ecological insecticides for crops, among many other common uses. Since they are used in the form of white earths, they are also referred to as White Earths. Therefore, it is a natural fertilizer that is very beneficial for soils.
In this GreenEcology article, we will talk about what diatomaceous earth is and what it is for, focusing mainly on the field of gardening.
What are diatomites or diatomite?
Diatoms (Diatomeae) are single-celled algae that are part of marine phytoplankton. Currently, about 20,000 living species are known and are an important constituent of the marine food chain. Although Diatoms are unicellular algae, they can be found forming colonies in filaments or ribbons (e.g. Fragillaria), zig-zag structures (e.g. Tabellaria), star-shaped colonies (e.g. Asterionella) or fans (e.g. Meridion).
One of the most important characteristics of these organisms, which gives them much of their properties as a fertilizer, is their cell wall of opal silica (hydrated silicon dioxide), known as a sprutule. These walls have a great variety of shapes that give different aspects to the microscope, although in general they consist of two asymmetrical parts with a division between them, which is what gives the group its name.
Fossil finds suggest that Diatoms have their origin during or after the early Jurassic. In addition, communities of these organisms are frequently used to study environmental conditions, climate change or evaluate water quality.
What is diatomaceous earth and where to buy it
How are diatoms transformed into earth or diatomite? As we have mentioned, diatoms formed the marine phytoplankton of thousands of years ago, in Prehistory, but they were not only present in the seas, but also in fresh water. Therefore, Diatoms are among the first organisms to inhabit the Earth.
Over time, as the seas and lakes dried up, these algae formed settlements on their bottoms and, with the accumulation of layers of land over time, continued to fossilize their silica exoskeletons. It is for this reason that we can find Diatoms under several layers of land in various places where there was once a sea or lake. Due to their high content of organic silicon and calcium, they acquire that white earth coloration.
Where to buy diatomaceous earth
If you want to buy diatomaceous earth to use in your garden or orchard, or for your animals or own consumption, we recommend that you go to stores specialized in gardening and agricultural products. You can find this product both in physical stores and in online stores that can take the material you buy to your home.
In addition, we advise you to follow the instructions for use on the packaging, as some aspects of its use may change depending on the brand, and also to follow the recommendations of the gardening specialist who sells you the product in the store.
If you want to buy it now or check prices, you can find it here.
What is diatomaceous earth or diatomite used for?
Now that you know what diatomaceous earth is and what exactly diatomaceous earth is, we tell you what diatomaceous earth is for. The most common uses of diatomaceous earth or diatomite are as follows, although there are many more:
Ecological insecticides
Diatomaceous earth can be used as an effective ecological and natural insecticide. It is very effective in getting rid of the annoying insects that attack and damage many of our crops, especially in warm seasons.
Deworming and food supplement
What is diatomaceous earth used for apart from being an ecological insecticide? Well, this use may surprise you a little, but it is used in animals and even used by people.
Thus, a lesser-known use of diatomaceous earth is its use to eliminate parasites that harm the health of our animals. That’s right, diatomaceous earth is very useful to eliminate fleas that parasitize our cats or dogs in the summer seasons or to eliminate parasites from small pens or chicken farms. In addition, it can be used as a food supplement and is effective in eliminating intestinal parasites from our pets. We can also take it for the same purposes, but as long as it is its version suitable for consumption.
Organic and natural fertilizer
Diatomaceous earth is a perfect fertilizer for farmland. On the one hand, it provides nutrients, such as calcium or silicon, which are very beneficial for the soil, and on the other, it improves cation exchange, facilitating the absorption of nutrients by the soil, improving the level of soil aeration, its sponginess and water retention.
Although crop soils already have their macronutrients, if we do not have the presence of some micronutrients, plants will not be able to assimilate them. Diatomaceous soils provide important micronutrients to the soil and allow plants to assimilate other macronutrients present in the soil. Specifically, diatomaceous earth helps the assimilation of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
In addition, as diatomaceous earth is a natural product without additives, we will also be contributing to improving the health of the soil.
Diatomaceous Earth Nutrients for Gardening and Agriculture
Diatomaceous earth or diatomite provides up to a total of 40 mineral nutrients, of which 6 are considered essential primary and secondary in agriculture and 13 are main and secondary trace elements. Some of these nutrients are:
- Silicon
- Calcium carbonate
- Calcium
- Aluminium
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
- Lime sulphate
- Chlorine
In this other article you can learn about Plant Nutrition.
Diatomaceous Earth Dosage
A very frequent question is to know what is the indicated dose of diatomaceous earth for garden and cultivation and for human and animal consumption. It is best that you talk to a specialist who will advise you according to the case, for example in the place where you are going to buy diatomaceous earth, but in EcologíaVerde we give you an orientation of the most common dose of diatomaceous earth for the garden and crops and for other common uses:
Diatomaceous earth dosage for garden and crops
To use it as a sprinkled fertilizer, use a mixture of the substrate or soil soil with diatomite in a proportion of 40 or 50 g of diatomite per m2 of garden soil. To use it in powdered form, use 40 g per liter.
For terrestrial pest control, use 100 g of diatomite per m2 of soil and for aerial pests, use between 10 g and 40 g of diatomite per liter of water to spray, adjusting the dose according to the size of the pest.
Diatomaceous earth dosage for human consumption
There are two types of diatomite, food-grade diatomaceous earth and non-food-grade diatomaceous earth. So if you are looking for this product for human consumption, make sure that the packaging indicates that it is food grade and, therefore, suitable.
It is best that if you decide to take it, talk to your regular doctor about the most appropriate dose for you, since depending on your usual diet and your general state of health, it may vary. In addition, it is necessary to follow the indications regarding the dosage or dosage indicated on the packaging, since it is recommended by the manufacturer of this product for human consumption. As a middle idea, it is usual to take one teaspoon a day and take it for a maximum of 30 days in a row.
Diatomaceous Earth Dosage for Animals
In the case of animals, the dose can vary greatly depending on the species, so it is always best to follow the instructions of the veterinarian who usually monitors the health of the animal you want to treat with this natural product.
As an example, the dose of diatomaceous earth for hens as an external antiparasitic is a solution in water at 2%, as an internal antiparasitic and nutritional supplement 5% of the food dose is mixed. In the case of the diatomite dose for cats, it is 1/2 teaspoon for puppy cats for a month and two teaspoons twice a day for a month for adult cats. Finally, the dose of diatoms for dogs is indicated for the treatment of one month and the daily dose by weight is indicated. If the dog weighs less than 4.5 kg, it must be given between 1/2 and one teaspoon, if it weighs between 4.5 kg and up to 8.5 kg, two teaspoons, between 9 kg and 22.5 kg the dose is one tablespoon to one and a half tablespoons, between 23 kg and 45 kg the amount is two tablespoons and for dogs over 45 kg the diatomaceous earth dose is between three and four tablespoons.
Now that you’ve learned a lot more about diatomaceous earth, we recommend learning about how to make natural insecticides for plants.
If you want to read similar articles to Diatomaceous Earth: what it is and what it is for, we recommend that you visit our Garden Care category.
