Author Topic: Where to get cheap gypsum  (Read 1667 times)

IndigoEmu

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 52
    • US, Florida, Longwood, 9b
    • View Profile
Where to get cheap gypsum
« on: October 07, 2019, 07:56:13 PM »
It’s clear to me now calcium is lacking in my sandy soil despite the hard irrigation water; the avocados display short and wrinkled new growth during the rainy season. I’ve been using epsoma garden gypsum from the hardware store but it’s expensive at $11-$12 for a 6lb bag. Are there any other stores or maybe nurseries north of Orlando that supply 40-50lb bags at a good price? I’ve been to a few nurseries nearby already and all they seem to have is epsoma.

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2019, 08:17:04 PM »
Look at construction materials depot .They should have really dirt cheap gipsum .Here costs 5 dollars per 50 pounds.
There are 2 types,one that hardens slower and one that hardens faster.You want the faster hardening one because the otther has somme aditives in it to prolong curing time.
Buy gypsum not plaster or gipsum based plaster.

spaugh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5126
    • San Diego County California
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2019, 08:33:51 PM »
Harrells sells it for 11$ for 50lb bags of pelletized ag gypsum.  They have harrells in florida, send them an email.   
Brad Spaugh

Seanny

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1119
    • Garden Grove, Orange County, California, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2019, 09:23:54 PM »
I paid $14 for a 50 lb bag of gypsum at Home Depot, in the garden area.

TonyinCC

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 302
  • Trying to enjoy home grown fruit 12 months a year
    • Cape Coral,FL
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2019, 10:00:03 PM »
I haven't been able to find a source of 50 lb bags in SW Florida.
Home Depot and Lowes  don't carry it locally and won't ship to store for pickup.
 Last year I ordered some pelletized gypsum online from either Ace or True value hardware and had it shipped to local store for pickup but it was over a dollar a pound in 25 lb bags. Still a better deal than what the original poster was paying for small bags.
If anyone knows of a cheaper source near me please post...

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2019, 10:14:40 PM »
You can also get it for free from demolitions in the form of old plaster boards walls.Grind it and its good to go .
But the fresh powdery gipsum its always the best because that covers a higher surface of the soil .
Think of it as a cement that is fresh and mixes with your soil then it hardens a little maintaining air gaps and improoving drainage in the soil.
It is used as a soil ammendment for heavy soils but if you add allready hardened gipsum or use plaster walls ,then you wont get this effect as using fresh gipsum.
Somebody posted here that he uses old plaster boards,so it can be done.

Rugerfann777

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 15
    • Del Norte CA
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2019, 11:02:49 PM »
 In Sacramento there’s a Gipson grinder near the dump and you can get a whole truckload for 20 bucks .

buddy roo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 492
    • Spring Valley, Ca.
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2019, 10:20:15 AM »
you can go by a construction sight when they are hanging drywall and get there scraps for free, or you can go to any place  that sells drywall and ask for there drywall dunnage  most places will be happy to give it for free as it costs them money to get rid of it,

Seanny

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1119
    • Garden Grove, Orange County, California, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2019, 05:13:46 PM »
Drywall here is reinforced with fiber.
I would get itchy when I work with it.
I won't want it in any yard.

I see some feed places selling encapsulated gypsum for $10/50 lb.
I see some places are selling them for golf courses.
Ewing Irrigation is selling them from $8 to $50 for a 50 lb bag.

pineislander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2199
    • Bokeelia, FL
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2019, 05:21:25 PM »
Just roughly break new unpainted drywall scrap into 1-2 ft square pieces and cover with mulch. It breaks down in a year or so, and acts as mulch until then. I get scraps just after the drywall hangers finish they are happy to not have to dispose of it.



roblack

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3008
    • Miami, FL 11A
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2019, 10:03:13 PM »
Interesting ideas about using drywall. Gotta ask, what else is used to make drywall? Just wondering if any other ingredients could impact plants or fruit. Remembering from years ago all that drywall from overseas that was making people ill in their homes. Seems there was more than gypsum in that stuff.

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2019, 10:22:13 PM »
Interesting ideas about using drywall. Gotta ask, what else is used to make drywall? Just wondering if any other ingredients could impact plants or fruit. Remembering from years ago all that drywall from overseas that was making people ill in their homes. Seems there was more than gypsum in that stuff.
Its just gypsum,water and paper in the big sheets.
But the square ,small size plates used for ceilings do contain chopped fiber glass.
There are also big sheets that are thin and bendable wich also contain fiberglass( you can recognise these because they have no paper on them and on cloose inspection you can see the hairs like looking fiberglass).
Also ,drywalls from demolition that are painted ,contain various types of paint and somme paints can have antifungal chemicals added to them .
Probably mycorrhyzae wont like them.

Best of the best and its also dirt cheap ,is to use fresh gypsum,not hardened stuff like those expensive bags wich are same like the garbage from constructions.
Fresh,non hydrated gypsum mixes with the soil and acts like a weak cement maintaining the soil loose after you tilled.
Its good to fix soil that gets compacted and cracks.

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Where to get cheap gypsum
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2019, 10:29:34 PM »
Drywall here is reinforced with fiber.
I would get itchy when I work with it.
I won't want it in any yard.

I see some feed places selling encapsulated gypsum for $10/50 lb.
I see some places are selling them for golf courses.
Ewing Irrigation is selling them from $8 to $50 for a 50 lb bag.
Not all contains fiberglass altough all have added fiberglass reinforcements on joints.
The type of gipsum you seen for golf course its fresh ,non hydrated/ hardened gypsum.
It hardens if you add water and its sprinkled on the land to get mixed with the soil by tilling.
Then it hardens the soil a little maintaining air gaps and prenting the soil from being compacted and cracked.