I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?

On May 15, 7:38*am, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. *I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?

is it contaminated with lead paint?

On 5/15/2012 7:38 AM, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?


Some uses in the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

Depending where you live, it is good for soil if you need it more
acidic. Something like tomatoes would like the calcium.

On 5/15/2012 7:12 AM, Frank wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:38 AM, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for
it, or
recycling method?


Some uses in the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

Depending where you live, it is good for soil if you need it more
acidic. Something like tomatoes would like the calcium.

Gypsum has no effect on soil pH. If you want to raise the pH of soil,
add lime. Gypsum contributes calcium to the soil, but it is pH
neutral, so it does not change the pH.

On 5/15/2012 9:22 AM, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:12 AM, Frank wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:38 AM, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for
it, or
recycling method?


Some uses in the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

Depending where you live, it is good for soil if you need it more
acidic. Something like tomatoes would like the calcium.

Gypsum has no effect on soil pH. If you want to raise the pH of soil,
add lime. Gypsum contributes calcium to the soil, but it is pH neutral,
so it does not change the pH.

You're right. I should know better but just repeated the Wiki article
without thinking.

On 5/15/2012 8:32 AM, Frank wrote:
On 5/15/2012 9:22 AM, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:12 AM, Frank wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:38 AM, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for
it, or
recycling method?


Some uses in the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

Depending where you live, it is good for soil if you need it more
acidic. Something like tomatoes would like the calcium.

Gypsum has no effect on soil pH. If you want to raise the pH of soil,
add lime. Gypsum contributes calcium to the soil, but it is pH neutral,
so it does not change the pH.

You're right. I should know better but just repeated the Wiki article
without thinking.

It is awfully good for the soil, though, and as you mentioned, it is a
valuable source of calcium, especially necessary for tomatoes. I
always advise people growing tomatoes in pots to add calcium to the
soil to reduce the risk of blossom-end rot.

Speaking of minerals, I always add a small handful of epsom salts to
the soil before planting maple trees, or yellow or orange-flowered
roses, because they all like magnesium. With roses, it helps deepen
the yellow-orange hues.

On 5/15/2012 10:07 AM, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 5/15/2012 8:32 AM, Frank wrote:
On 5/15/2012 9:22 AM, Hell Toupee wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:12 AM, Frank wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:38 AM, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for
it, or
recycling method?


Some uses in the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

Depending where you live, it is good for soil if you need it more
acidic. Something like tomatoes would like the calcium.

Gypsum has no effect on soil pH. If you want to raise the pH of soil,
add lime. Gypsum contributes calcium to the soil, but it is pH neutral,
so it does not change the pH.

You're right. I should know better but just repeated the Wiki article
without thinking.

It is awfully good for the soil, though, and as you mentioned, it is a
valuable source of calcium, especially necessary for tomatoes. I always
advise people growing tomatoes in pots to add calcium to the soil to
reduce the risk of blossom-end rot.

Speaking of minerals, I always add a small handful of epsom salts to the
soil before planting maple trees, or yellow or orange-flowered roses,
because they all like magnesium. With roses, it helps deepen the
yellow-orange hues.

Reading another source, apparently while neutral it can help alleviate
alkaline soil.

From Merck Index: "in soil treatment to neutralize alkali carbonates
and to prevent loss of volatile and dissolved nitrogenous compounds by
volatilization and leaching"

I put a handful of limestone in my containers where I grow tomatoes
every year having dealt with the blossom end rot problem in the past.

On Tue, 15 May 2012 09:07:09 -0500, Hell Toupee
wrote:

It is awfully good for the soil, though, and as you mentioned, it is a
valuable source of calcium, especially necessary for tomatoes. I
always advise people growing tomatoes in pots to add calcium to the
soil to reduce the risk of blossom-end rot.

I believe it also helps in moisture retention for the soil. When I've
cored / aerated a lawn I add some gypsum. Get it into the soil.

Hell Toupee wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:12 AM, Frank wrote:
On 5/15/2012 7:38 AM, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for
it, or
recycling method?


Some uses in the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

Depending where you live, it is good for soil if you need it more
acidic. Something like tomatoes would like the calcium.

Gypsum has no effect on soil pH. If you want to raise the pH of soil,
add lime. Gypsum contributes calcium to the soil, but it is pH
neutral, so it does not change the pH.

It does lots of other stuff though.
http://www.usagypsum.com/agricultural-gypsum.aspx

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Tue, 15 May 2012 06:38:00 -0500, wrote:

I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?


Sometimes you see a sign "clean fill wanted" and they will take it.

On Tue, 15 May 2012 06:38:00 -0500, wrote:

I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?

I don't know, but you remind me that a company in Balitmore recycles
concrete. I found that surprising.

On Thu, 17 May 2012 21:05:38 -0400, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 15 May 2012 06:38:00 -0500, wrote:

I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?

I don't know, but you remind me that a company in Balitmore recycles
concrete. I found that surprising.

Old concrete can be crushed just like native rock into gravel for roads,
or used as stone to make new concrete. Why not re-use it. That's
better than digging up more rock in quarries, leaving ugly holes in the
earth, then filling in landfills with the old stuff. All they need is a
rock crusher, however I dont know how they get out rebar and mesh.

Then again, old tires are now ground up and mixed with asphalt for
roads. There again, it makes sense, but I've always wondered how they
get the steel belts out of them.

If we dont do more to re-use our junk, the world will soon run out of
resources. Think that the average highway is replaced every 25 or 30
years, and that is a lot of materials. But if the old concrete can be
used to make new concrete, that is a big savings all the way around.

On May 15, 4:38*am, wrote:
I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. *I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?

I used my 5hp shredder to grind up mine and spread it on an old coal
ash dump.

this is a "don't try this at home" thing though. From the firest
chunk I couldn't even see the machine
through the cloud of dust. When done, washed it off with a hose.
Water running off was white and I don't think
I got it all off before I killed the engine with the water. I have
never tried starting it again since. It is probably a pile of rust
now.

Harry K

writes:

On Thu, 17 May 2012 21:05:38 -0400, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 15 May 2012 06:38:00 -0500, wrote:

I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?

I don't know, but you remind me that a company in Balitmore recycles
concrete. I found that surprising.

Old concrete can be crushed just like native rock into gravel for roads,
or used as stone to make new concrete. Why not re-use it. That's
better than digging up more rock in quarries, leaving ugly holes in the
earth, then filling in landfills with the old stuff. All they need is a
rock crusher, however I dont know how they get out rebar and mesh.

Probably in the crusher.

When I broke up my concrete patio and had it hauled away,
I asked where it goes.

Turns out we have a large quarry about 2 miles away.
They bring the concrete there and use the same equipment for
the concrete as they use for the rock they quarry.

--
Dan Espen

On Fri, 18 May 2012 05:53:09 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 17 May 2012 21:05:38 -0400, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 15 May 2012 06:38:00 -0500, wrote:

I was told that the gypsum is good for the soil, but breaking up the
sheets by hand is not an option. I did toss some in a fire and it
breaks apart, but it's still not powder.

Aside from throwing it in the garbage, is there any other use for it, or
recycling method?

I don't know, but you remind me that a company in Balitmore recycles
concrete. I found that surprising.

Old concrete can be crushed just like native rock into gravel for roads,
or used as stone to make new concrete. Why not re-use it. That's

Re-using it didn't surprsie me. That it can be crushed fairly easily
(that is, profitably) did.

better than digging up more rock in quarries, leaving ugly holes in the
earth, then filling in landfills with the old stuff. All they need is a
rock crusher, however I dont know how they get out rebar and mesh.

Aha!

Then again, old tires are now ground up and mixed with asphalt for
roads. There again, it makes sense, but I've always wondered how they
get the steel belts out of them.

If we dont do more to re-use our junk, the world will soon run out of

No one uses more old stuff and less new stuff than I do.

Use it up, wear it out,
Make it do, or do without.

I don't go quite that far -- I buy something new and under 30 dollars
farily often. But new and over 100 dollars, I'd have to go back to
the DVDR I bought for 225 four years ago. And the small flatbed
trailer kit for about 125, also four years ago. And the rear-view
mirror with built-in compass for 200 one year ago. I don't think I
could have found these used.

resources. Think that the average highway is replaced every 25 or 30
years, and that is a lot of materials. But if the old concrete can be
used to make new concrete, that is a big savings all the way around.