Deebie got it. My only experience with it is in the mines near Lovelock, NV. It is a fine silica based powder - sort of like breathing powdered glass.

No, not a miner but the tailings piles are full of fossils. In fact, diatomaceous earth is fossils. Wear your air mask.

That's what I thought, Daisy. In fact, like you I only knew about the fine stuff for gardening, until talks of Tapla's fast draining potting mix. That's when I learned that Napa floor dry is usually DE fossilized animals and is similar to Turface, which is usually recommended for the mix. Cheap non-clumping kitty mix may also be primarily DE (another cheap source). You're right about the warning reminder -- wear dust masks when dealing with DE, perlite, and vermiculite (all size particles, because of the dust). They're all like powdered glass and you don't want that in your lungs. I wish I knew about that warning sooner. I didn't always wear a mask in my early gardening years, as I did not know the dangers until I joined gardening forums like ATP/NGA. It may be why I'm now an asthmatic, and have to wear a mask whenever I garden outdoors. Maybe I should submit this info as a gardening tip. I need some acorns. We have a raffle going on, I love winning, and the prizes are great.

DaisyI said: My pumice substitute is perlite. Poultry grit is crushed oyster shells (at least around here) - the idea being that the chickens get calcium with their grit. Otherwise, they could just eat gravel.

Gravel will work though. There a people in the wet states planting cactus in the clay pellets that were designed to work in hydroponic systems. My daughter has an aquaponics system and she uses gravel. The idea with gravel or clay pellets is that the plants get watered and fertilized often but they never sit in water.

I would be concerned about fine sand as it tends to pack and turn into concrete. If you can keep it from becoming concrete and its working for you, don't fix it if its not broke.

Daisy

Please note:
Crushed oyster shell is not grit. It is mostly calcium which dissolves after chickens eat it for hardening their egg shells. Poultry grit will not dissolve; it works in their crops to grind their food. The grit I have is crushed granite. Sand is a grit.

to the forum!

This thread is a few years old ... we have a more recently updated thread with info about gritty components for soil here

The thread "Soil for cacti and other succulents" in Cactus and Succulents forum

I realize one word can mean different things to different people (and that is fine) but to me the word "grit" as it relates to succulents has to do with the size of the particles more than the specific components. To me grit occupies a middle ground between sand and gravel, like coarse sand or fine gravel.

Southernfiction said: Please note:
Crushed oyster shell is not grit. It is mostly calcium which dissolves after chickens eat it for hardening their egg shells. Poultry grit will not dissolve; it works in their crops to grind their food. The grit I have is crushed granite. Sand is a grit.

Your first post is quite peculiar...

Stefan, I think new people sometimes arrive at old threads by searching for keywords, and that's how they arrive at stuff that has long been buried.

Baja_Costero said: Stefan, I think new people sometimes arrive at old threads by searching for keywords, and that's how they arrive at stuff that has long been buried.

I get thats how it works, but why bring them back out of the blue?

Most people never check dates. I know I didn't at the beginning.

About the dust problem. Almost all dust (except asbestos) will find it's way out of your lungs in time. Sadly asbestos can be found in some vermiculite in the fine dust. I never knew this as well.

Myself, I use well composted grass clippings and mixed with poultry grit (decomposed granite). Pumice is best but can't be found here cheaply.