sheet rock

Bruce SEKs · Feb 26, 2015

Is the gypsum in sheet rock okay to use on farm ground?

LAA · Feb 26, 2015

I guess your looking to spread on wheat fields? Sheetrock is calcium sulfate so it would have to work. I would imagine handling, grinding and spreading sheetrock may be more expensive than purchased, ready to spread gypsum, which in my area is cheap.

moresmoke · Feb 26, 2015

Some people use it, as demolition debris, there is always the risk of nail/screws and who knows what else. Also some of todays sheetrock has fiberglass and other fillers, not just gypsum.

Keith Williams · Feb 26, 2015

Bruce,
In today's market, you can not be sure what that sheet rock is made from. I know that some in Western PA is made from the Flay Ash from the coal fired power plants.
Also, didn't they have a big problem with drywall from China having bad stuff in it?
I would not use it.
Ag Limestone will come with an analysis stating the CA and Mag content.
Keith

notjustair · Feb 26, 2015

I was just at an ag conference and they were talking about how that (drywall) is not a readily useable source. It gets tied up in the soil and does not make an effective impact on the soil level. I've always heard of guys doing it and thought there must be something to it. Apparently science has shown differently.

ShadetreeRet · Feb 26, 2015

I have considered the same thing, but from what I have seen and read, I hardly feel it worth the trouble. I don't believe it mixes with the soil very well, and I have no idea how long it takes to add its nutrients to the soil. Might contact your local agricultral extension office for information. I need to do that also. I tend to agree with the comment made by LAA at the bottom of the page.

Bruce SEKs · Feb 26, 2015

I have rentals and sometimes I tear out old rock and was looking for inexpensive way to dispose of it. New houses being built around me and I thought about taking the scrap and spreading it on some of my ground

Heyseed · Feb 26, 2015

I would say NO, way too much trash involved and like others have said there is no way to tell what it is made of anymore. State Farm would not insure my small repair business if I did any drywall work because of what was found in the stuff from China.

ObsoElitist · Feb 26, 2015

(quoted from post at 20:17:11 02/26/15)
Is the gypsum in sheet rock okay to use on farm ground?

It must be. Every day truckloads of it arrive in a yard near Mercy Hot Springs, CA, from the Bay Area and are run through mobile machines that make piles of gypsum on one side and piles of paper and nails on the other. I was told the Gypsum went to ag uses.

Dick2 · Feb 27, 2015

I wouldn't spread it on farmland. Some of it now has chemicals in it to prevent mold and insects - I wouldn't want that in the soil.

If I remember correctly, gypsum is alkaline. IN gneral, the soils west of the Mississippi River are already alkaline so they don't want anymore added. The soils east of the river are generally acidic so might possibly benefit from adding some alkaline product - if you can determine that it is pure gypsum.

Check with the county agent or soils expert.

FBH44 · Feb 27, 2015

I was advised by State Extension to add gypsum to my ground for the blueberries, to add calcium WITHOUT changing the pH. Apparently it does not change pH. 50# bags go for $8 or $9,you just spreadit, cannot think the hassel of trying to grind up sheet-rock would be worth it.

JRSutton · Feb 27, 2015

Gypsum is calcium sulfate - lime is calcium carbonate.

They will both add calcium to the soil.

Calcium carbonate (lime) will raise PH levels while calcium sulfate (gypsum) will not.

Gypsum also provides sulfer.

Gypsum is also very water soluble, it doesn't have to be ground up to the same powdery fine-ness that lime dose.

That said, you'd need one heck of a load of drywall to be of much use for even a small field.

Then you have additives - especially water proofing chemicals - is it all blue board? is there green board? You're probably more likely to find the mold/waterproofing chemicals in the green board.

But on top of that my bigger concern would be what was put ON the drywall? Assuming it's been painted, you'd also be introducing a whole
list of god knows what chemicals depending on the era the materials are from - and you can just cross your fingers that it's not old enough to be covered in lead paint.

And finally, as somebody else mentioned - screws/nails. If it's a pasture or hay field - I wouldn't risk that.

hd6gtom · Feb 27, 2015

Bruce We've put it on the garden in the fall for years, doesn't have to be ground up. After the winter weather is over just roto till it in. I only use scraps from new construction.

sheet rock

Bruce SEKs

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LAA

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moresmoke

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Keith Williams

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notjustair

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ShadetreeRet

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Bruce SEKs

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Heyseed

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ObsoElitist

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FBH44

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