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Would seedlings do well in akadama? 2 years 7 months ago #71547

  • Wes V.
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I sprouted some bristlecone pine seedlings. I would need to repot them soon. Would they do well in akadama? Or would they need actual soil for nutrients?

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Would seedlings do well in akadama? 2 years 7 months ago #71548

  • leatherback
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all plants need nutrients. Normally you give them fertilizer.

I have a strong dislike for akadama.

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Would seedlings do well in akadama? 2 years 7 months ago #71553

  • Wes V.
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Why so? I thought akadama was highly prized.

Would it work if I fertilize the akadama?

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Would seedlings do well in akadama? 2 years 7 months ago #71554

  • leatherback
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It becomes sludge over winter
It is shipped around the world
It is being hyped (Surprising that the only place where akadama is found, is on the islands where they developed bonsai. It would be really coincidental if it truely is the best substrate in the world.. )

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Would seedlings do well in akadama? 2 years 7 months ago #71560

  • Wes V.
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It doesn't get too cold here in California. It almost never freezes where I live. Would akadama still turn into sludge?

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Would seedlings do well in akadama? 2 years 7 months ago #71564

  • Tropfrog
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Akadama turns into sludge in countries that have wet and cold winters. Its the several freeze thaw cycles that makes it sludge.

Without several freezing periods in winter it will proboably last much longer. The question is why shoose a substrate that is shipped around the globe and sold three to five times as expensive as other alternatives. The argument for using akadama in Japan is that it is sheap and found locally.

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