Gunpowder as fertilizer

[paulinkansas]

I cleaned out my shotgun reloading bench and found a bunch of old reloaded shotgun shells. They weren't labeled so I had no idea what was in them. Took them apart and salvaged lead shot, steel shot, slugs and buckshot. Saved all the powder. So I bought some potting soil and those cardboard starting containers and mixed gunpowder in with the soil. 1.0 gram, 2.0 grams and 3.0 grams in containers that are about 20 ounces. Going to start some seeds in them and see which one grows best.

 

[Meadowlark]

Can you also do one with 0 grams for baseline comp?

...and post up results here? That would be interesting.

 

[paulinkansas]

Can you also do one with 0 grams for baseline comp?

...and post up results here? That would be interesting.

Planned on doing that. My wife has a greenhouse and some of these electric rubber mats that keep pots warm.

The gunpowders are a mix of Alliant Steel, Hodgdon Longshot, Univeral Clays plus some factory powder from Winchester and Remington.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Does modern smokeless powder still contain potash? And how warm do those mats get

 

[Meadowlark]

Does modern smokeless powder still contain potash?

The primary ingredient in smokeless powder is generally nitrocellulose, but it can also contain other compounds like nitroglycerin or nitroguanidine...unlike black powder which is about 75% potassium nitrate I believe.

Seems like black powder might have better odds in soil...but that's not saying much.

 

[paulinkansas]

Does modern smokeless powder still contain potash? And how warm do those mats get

I don't believe there is any potash is modern smokeless powder. My barrels don't rust on the inside from the lack potassium, and I clean my barrels after about 1000 rounds. Black powder has potassium. That's why the barrel needs to be cleaned after firing it.

I think the mats get to about 90 degrees.

I grew 3 tons of pumpkins last year. That's the seeds that are going in the pots with the gunpowder.

 

[pepper2.0]

@paulinkansas I agree with Meadowlark that black powder would be best. modern gunpowder contains what he mentioned and also chemicals like stabilizers, plasticizers, and detergents. Because they are not natural I don't think it would be good for the plants and can add toxins to them, as well as harmful to the microbes. With that said, it would still be worth a bunt in the name of science.

 

[Meadowlark]

...I grew 3 tons of pumpkins last year. That's the seeds that are going in the pots with the gunpowder.

I'd like to see some photos of those pumpkins, if available @paulinkansas. They are very difficult to grow here...not impossible, but very very difficult.