Disposing of unwanted plaster slurry

Hi Paul
I hope you are well. I have found your DVDs vet handy so thank you.
On that note I have a question and it may seem silly but as I'm
going
to be doing a lot of plastering in my house I want to use the best
possible way of disposing of the unused plaster.
At the moment the stuff that's sets off I bag up and get rid of. But
the stuff at the bottom of my bucket of water I use to clean my
trowel
and hawk. And the stuff at the bottom of the tub of water I use to
clean the mixing drill.
I noticed the plaster sets to the bottom and is not completely set.
But if I move it it mixes with the water.
I'm guessing pouring it down the drain is not the answer. Should I
pour the water partly down the drain and try to catch the plaster?
What is the best method in your opinion.
And advise is greatly appreciated.
Regards
Kibria

Answer

Hi Kibria,
I'm glad the DVD's have helped.
As you say - pouring down the drain is a definite no, but there are
two choices:


1. Spread the watery slurry over the garden - many gardeners actually
ask me to do this - a quote I have found:

Gypsum
Some gardeners swear by adding gypsum to the soil. This works by
inserting itself between the clay particles (aggregation actually).
The recommendation is to add 20 to 30 pounds per 100 square feet to
establish a new garden and a yearly topup thereafter of 50 pounds
per 1000 square feet. Gypsum does not change the pH of the soil so
it is safe to use around the acid-lovers like Rhododendrons. Gypsum
is a "hydrated" product and you may have trouble finding it in
garden centers. Go to a home building store and purchase "pure"
builders plaster. Make sure it has nothing in it other than plaster
(some contain cement). It is not hydrated but it will work just the
same. Note that simply "spreading" the gypsum isn't going to do
anything. You have to dig this stuff into the soil so it will mix
with the clay particles. Ah, digging. Here's that word again - and
you can't get away from it in clay soil gardening.

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2. Tip off the clean water - let it settle and tip off as much as you
can and then let the sludge dry out and dispose.
Let me know how you get on with all your plastering.
Regards
Paul