Sheetrock as a soil amendment?

[DocHeb]

From the most thorough composting web page I've found: MasterComposter.com:

"Wallboard
In response to a reader's question on this, I spoke with Jim Doersam, the Composting Manager at Texas Organic Products who composts various wastes from construction sites. He said that manufacturers of mobile homes frequently use a type of wallboard that is vinyl on one side. That wallboard vinyl can NOT be composted. However, regular wallboard with paper on both sides definitely can be composted. In fact, he says it is made of calcium sulfate, i.e., gypsum, which is beneficial to your soil. "

[wingnut]

I've seen several different shows on HGTV where they discussed using gyproc scraps as soil amendment for gardens ... but agreed that you needed to ensure your soil wasn't already alkaline.

pete

[midlifecrisis]

i'm new to this site and very glad i found this thread. i have a LOT of sheetrock scrap that i've accumulated over the winter and more to come as i finish my house. my intention was to lay it down in the area that will eventually be my front lawn and till it in after it breaks down. i guess my idea wasn't all that far off after all. i really hate using small pieces of drywall anyway. you don't really save anything. it ends up being more work, more time, more seams to tape and mud. i'd rather feed it to my lawn. i'll have the soil tested before i do anything though and talk to the county extension agent.

[buckeye41]

See the following URL on Gypsum http://www.gypsumsales.com/gardenscience.html#ph

Gypsum doesn't usually affect the PH and supplies soluble calcium and sulpher.

[Hambone]

Just something to throw out there. I bought a soil test kit at Lowes last weekend, I think $5.
Ill try it soon as the mud is gone.

[Hayseed]

Thanks for the info, Buckeye. I still have a big ol' pile of it which has been breaking down for the past six months. I think I will mix it in w/ my compost and topsoil piles and use it in my future courtyard area. It should help break up the clay/ gumbo mix which is there now.

[BigAl]

I did that when I built my place 14 years ago . It took awhile to break it all down . I got to thinking later on if running the scrapes through a wood chipper would have worked to break it into very small pieces ? Never tried it ,but the idea still seems interesting to me .
Big Al

[Hayseed]

That does sound like a good idea... if I had a chipper. Right now I have a huge pile of topsoil/ mortar sand/ dirt yard sand/ clay/pond dirt that I am mixing it into with my tractor. Eventually I will get it all mixed in and stirred up and, if I live to be old enough, use in my courtyard area to be.

[sagittarius]

Sheetrock (gypsum), is a most commonly added to soil as a source of sulpher. Gypsum is also a source of Calcium, as its main ingredient is Calcium sulphate.

What gypsum does not do is change the PH of the soil like Lime (ground limestone). Sheet rock will NOT make the soil more alkaline.

Ag Lime (ground limestone) raises the soil PH, makes it more alkaline, due to the Carbonates of Calcium and Magnesium in the limestone.

[Stoneheartfarm]

As I was wandering through my local Wallyworld and checking out the gardening section, I found a bag of something called "clay soft". It is pelletized gypsum for softening clay soils, also adds sulfer and calcium.

So, it appears they now sell the stuff in bags for those not fortunate enough to have left over drywall scraps. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Steve