Diatomaceous Earth, if kept dry, will last for years. It's the fossilized shells of small marine animals, so there is nothing to breakdown or deteriorate.

What does the label say on this product? That seems kind of inexpensive for horticultural/food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Did you find it in a feed and seed store (where it would be cheaper than in a garden center)?

My motive for the question, by the way, is just to make sure that you haven't located some pool grade DE, which is useless in controlling pests and dangerous to handle, to boot.

The pool-grade DE has been finely ground, and, as said above, is a breathing hazard.

If I may, it's quite a bit more complex than that. Pool grade DE is heat treated (and sometimes chemical treated) to form larger (not smaller) particles suitable for filtering. In this process, a great deal of free crystalline silica is formed (as much as 70%!). This is the stuff that can cause silicosis. To boot, the heating process that 'melts' the tiny particles together also takes away the scratching properties of DE, making it worthless as far as treating for insects AND very hazardous to handle.

Food grade or horticultural grade is simply mined and then packaged. The percentage of silica varies from manufacturers, but expect it to be 3% or less. BIG different, right? Yet, still enough to warrant wearing a mask when using it. (You can eat it, but you can't breathe it.)

Thanks, Rhizo, I never could understand why the one was worse than the other, even though I know it was. Glad to know the difference. I did know the pool stuff was dustier, so assumed....

Anyway, John, if the box is labeled for garden, food or agricultural use, then it should be fine, and last for a LONG time. If labeled otherwise, pass it up, in my opinion.

For the most informed people on here would you please inform the less informed people like myself about this supplier.

Please go to www.froogle.com and type in Diatomaceous Soul and you will come to a web site that has it.

This way you can gave us uninform people more information about this supplier.

Hello, John. I looked at the Froogle sites and did not see a 25# DE product for $14.00. I did see a 12# package of something that has a little bit of DE in it along with several other ingredients. I expect that you are looking at something like that, right?

Can you send us a direct link to the specific information? You've got me interested, now.

Yes that was a 12lb. bag for $14.00.
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=diatomaceous+soil&btnG=Search+Froogle

OK, that's a mix of things, and I'm not at all sure why it has any DE in it at all. I THINK it is meant to be used as a soil improver, and not as an insecticide, which the DE by itself is.

To ask a question that probably should have been asked at the beginning, why do you want this stuff, and what are you going to use it for?

This is what I plan to do, what I am going to do is mix 25 lb. of organic garden fertizler, 5 lb of gypsum, 2 lb. of diatomaceous earth, and 1 lb. of sugar. Then I will broadcast this over my garden in the early Spring and work it into the garden. This should make a rich and mellow garden. Think of this as a comfort food for your garden-kind of like mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese, only for your soil and all the plants that grow there!

Yes the diatomaceous earth should take care of the bugs and insects that are in the soil.

I hope that this explains what I plan to do.

No comment on what I am doing? Throught that there would be allot of questions on this.

Well, I think a few people got caught up in the DE Diamaceous Soil debate and got tired.
Your mixture probably won't HURT anything, and may do some good, but it seems pretty hit or miss. I assume you have had a soil test, and your soil is alkaline. If it isn't, then why the gypsum? And if you have had it tested, what amount of gypsum did the lab recommend be spread over how much area? I am assuming you have clay, and have compaction problems?

The sugar is to do what? It won't hurt anything, and will help with a flush of bacteria, but they do better with protein, in the long run.

Take the DE, for example: you WANT insects in your soil. Some you don't, I grant, and for them, you would apply DE directly to the areas in which they live or are causing a problem. Ground beetles, etc., are a very important part of building soil and increasing the OM in it. DE only works on fairly hardbodied insects, it does nothing against anything other than insects, that you might not want, like root-knot nematodes. Other nematodes are beneficial, and, again, you WANT them in your soil. While the DE will add silica, I doubt that aspect is needed - silica is the most common mineral in the world.

And the balanced (again, I am making an assumption, that it is balanced) fertlizer means that your garden is new (assuming) and has little organic matter in it. You would be better off, in the long run, to save your money, build a compost pile or buy compost, spread that, and apply any fertilizers directly where you want them and where the plants need them.

If you have read over the postings from the past year on the Organic Forum, then you should have a good start on understanding what your soil and your garden needs. If you are just starting out in gardening organically, then may I suggest you also get a couple of good books, to further increase your understanding? Any of the Rodale books would be good, as would any by Elliot Coleman, Shepherd Ogden, etc., etc. OLd books from before WWI and even WWII will also do, if you discount amost of their pesticides - they could be EXTREMELY toxic - and read up on what they did to get and keep the soil productive.

If this is to improve you lawn, then go to the Organic Lawn Forum and start reading there.

I KNEW you'd do a good job at answering, dibbit! ;-)