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Alternatives to traditional bonsai soil 4 years 1 month ago #56491

  • Rorror
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I am using this bag "Katadama"

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Alternatives to traditional bonsai soil 4 years 1 month ago #56492

  • m5eaygeoff
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Not on it's own but as part of a mix it is fine. We (usually) have frosts and I have never had Akadama break down like that. I have some that have not been re potted in five years and it is still good. It does depend on the quality of course. Cat litter is made for one purpose and it is not soil for plants. Particles of what I have seen is far too small anyway

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Alternatives to traditional bonsai soil 4 years 1 month ago #56494

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Cat litter is made for one purpose and it is not soil for plants. Particles of what I have seen is far too small anyway


I really do not want to get into a soil/cat litter/akadama discussion, but I don't think that's true. Cat litter is used for soil improvement. Google it, and you'll find this on gardening (non-bonsai) forums. This concerns baked clay pellets. The particles are actually bigger than akadama (I use it and I use akadama so I can compare).

Of course it concerns the correct, non-clumping... and unused type.

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Alternatives to traditional bonsai soil 4 years 1 month ago #56502

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Not on it's own but as part of a mix it is fine. We (usually) have frosts and I have never had Akadama break down like that. I have some that have not been re potted in five years and it is still good. It does depend on the quality of course. Cat litter is made for one purpose and it is not soil for plants. Particles of what I have seen is far too small anyway


Sooo funny. Today we discussed P. mume in my classes. And the teacher was amazed at the amount of backbudding and ramification I get on my mume. His comment was: Please tell me your substrate. It much have to do with the composition. Light shock when I told them.. backed clay, a.k.a. kitten litter, broken baked clay used to even out floors and pinebark.

Upon repotting the tree he admitted the rootbal was looking very healthy.

Guess some people are open to learning other ways And some people are just nay-sayers.
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