A trip to the hydroponics store= All kinds of cool stuff

[drew33998]

Stopped by my local hydroponics store during my lunch break just to take a look at all the cool stuff they have and spend a little $$ on some products. I noticed a couple things

1.) Bottled mycorrhizae. This got me wondering who uses it and what applications do you use it for, other than pines of course.

2.) Also saw a media called Hydrolite, it was reasonable in price and I have been doing some experimenting with soils, since I decided to go completely away from floor dry due to the poor root systems I have seen with it over the past few years. I read this article by Michael Hagedorn and the photos of his roots with oil dry look just like what I have seen. http://crataegus.com/2013/11/24/life-without-turface/

So short and sweet of it is I decided to buy it. So far I have calidama mixed with stalite. Plan on replacing the stalite for the Hydrolite as it is more appropriately sized. I refuse to believe that Akadama is the end all be all of bonsai soil, for now, and I am not willing to pay the inflated prices for the material I have on my benches.

Here is what the manufacturer says about Hydrolite
Hydrolite™ is the product name for Botanicare's exclusive silica based mineral rock also known as zeolite. Hydrolite is a natural mineral that is mined in the US and selected for its ideal properties and high level of silica (>70%).

Advantages: Hydrolite™ has a unique crystalline structure that makes it completely porous, yet extremely structurally rigid which creates good drainage and water holding capacity. The most significant aspect of zeolite is the elevated cation exchange capacity (CEC) that is higher than any known growing media. A high CEC means that the media can hold "reserves" of plant nutrients until needed for uptake by plant roots

 

[sorce]

I been meaning to go. For the bottled fungus.

Don't confuse Oil dry 8822 with Turfaces 1-9, Totally dif dif!
I've changed my mind about turface lately, Osoyoung, has it down pat.
I use oil dry.

Reckon Walter Pall and a lot of Europe uses Zeolite.

Hydro-o-ooo.......

Sorce

 

[KennedyMarx]

Lots of cool stuff at the hydro store. They carry a lot of specialized things that I can't get at Lowes. The one I go to is a chain called Worms Way. I need to take a trip there soon to pick up some bags of chunky perlite and maybe some GrowStone to experiment with.

As far as your stalite size goes, Smoke was harping on particle size a year or two ago and I tried it for myself and found that a soil particle size of around 1/4" performed immensely better than the 1/8" sizes I was using before. There really is a result from the increased aeration. That's what I've found. Take it or leave it.

 

[drew33998]

The oil dry just stays way too wet in my climate too long. I have repotted two trees that were in it that had root rot abundant. I will say the Calidama and Stalite particle size is closer to 1/4 inch and man is it super open. So much so that I am wondering if it will be too dry. I look forward to seeing the results.

 

[Smoke]

The oil dry just stays way too wet in my climate too long. I have repotted two trees that were in it that had root rot abundant. I will say the Calidama and Stalite particle size is closer to 1/4 inch and man is it super open. So much so that I am wondering if it will be too dry. I look forward to seeing the results.

Now you are almost there. You see the open soil, which you have hit upon when you say,
(particle size is closer to 1/4 inch and man is it super open. So much so that I am wondering if it will be too dry.)
the exact reason why us old timers that have found that a larger more open soil is better for the tree, if only there was a way to keep it from drying out so fast. There is, thats where the damn expensive akadama comes in. Yes, watch out calidama holds no moisture at all. I can almost get it for free and I don't use it so there you go....

 

[markyscott]

The oil dry just stays way too wet in my climate too long. I have repotted two trees that were in it that had root rot abundant. I will say the Calidama and Stalite particle size is closer to 1/4 inch and man is it super open. So much so that I am wondering if it will be too dry. I look forward to seeing the results.

Listen to Smoke and read post 61:

http://www.bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/question.17956/page-4#post-242602

1/4" is a great size. Everything I have is in that - from bald cypress and ficus to junipers and elms. Some of my pines and maples are in a larger particle size.

Scott

 

[M. Frary]

The oil dry just stays way too wet in my climate too long. I have repotted two trees that were in it that had root rot abundant. I will say the Calidama and Stalite particle size is closer to 1/4 inch and man is it super open. So much so that I am wondering if it will be too dry. I look forward to seeing the results.

Must be the humidity there. I have trees in pure Napa oil dri and see no root rot. In fact they thrive in it. Water every day regardless of weather.

 

[drew33998]

Must be the humidity there. I have trees in pure Napa oil dri and see no root rot. In fact they thrive in it. Water every day regardless of weather.

Wish I could get those results. The oil dry is so convenient for me price and availability. I have one two blocks from where I work.

 

[M. Frary]

Wish I could get those results. The oil dry is so convenient for me price and availability. I have one two blocks from where I work.

Too bad. Some have great results with it and others dont. Makes one wonder if the stuff is the same in other locales.
I'm trying other things this year. Maybe turface. For sure lava and pumice in there. Also haydite. I'm giving the akadama a try but heard it doesn't fare well in extreme cold.
I would like it to be alright but then I would also be hooked up on the most expensive dirt on the planet.

 

[drew33998]

I have used Akadama on junipers and maples. Great stuff. But for me I can't justify the cost of using it on even my best trees, which would probably be most peoples worst on here. Here is an idea. I saw that on your goal you wanted to go to Japan and meet Godzilla. Just get him to grab you a couple of handfuls of Akadama and carry it back over here. Hopefully the soil won't end up radio-active though!

 

[M. Frary]

I have used Akadama on junipers and maples. Great stuff. But for me I can't justify the cost of using it on even my best trees, which would probably be most peoples worst on here. Here is an idea. I saw that on your goal you wanted to go to Japan and meet Godzilla. Just get him to grab you a couple of handfuls of Akadama and carry it back over here. Hopefully the soil won't end up radio-active though!

I'm thinking one handful would be enough. Radioactivity may give the trees a pretty glow too.

 

[f1pt4]

Lots of cool stuff at the hydro store. They carry a lot of specialized things that I can't get at Lowes. The one I go to is a chain called Worms Way. I need to take a trip there soon to pick up some bags of chunky perlite and maybe some GrowStone to experiment with.

I was thinking about purchasing some Growstone as well. I'd be interested to hear of your experience with them, if and when you try them. If I'm not mistaken there were a couple sizes available. I was thinking of using it as a substitute for lava, being porous and all.

 

[drew33998]

Also got some seabird guano from there a few weeks back and some Rhizontonic. My trees are just starting to bud, so time to start applying it will be soon.