Akadama - 2 or 3 line, small or medium

[Japonicus]

2 or 3 LINE (hard or super hard), small or medium is my ??'s

I'm buying akadama today, but have a couple questions on the size and hardness.

I'm buying this brand, either 2 or 3 line (hard, super hard).
Size, Medium I'm reading is quite large. My mix from BJ is screened to roughly 1/4"
so I do not want to waste my $ on a size I screen most out as fines and large.
Conversely I don't want to buy a size that is mostly going to be, too small either.
Which size would most closely match a nominal 1/4" size?
Seems the harder the longer it's going to last, and I want to use this on trees both in refinement
and development, mostly a few pines.
I live in an area where 0ºF is usually achieved a time or two each Winter with many freeze/thaw cycles.

My 1st choice is 3 line Small. Is that correct?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Small, hard. Lightly screened. I used medium for drainage layers, pines and junipers.

 

[JudyB]

I concur with Brian size wise but I use the super hard. I’ve gotten some double line that just didn’t hold up as well, and it can get pulverized in the shipping process.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

What they said.

….Or one can toss the 2 line in the oven at max temp for 70-85 minutes and harden it up

Best
DSD sends

 

[Japonicus]

Small, hard. Lightly screened. I used medium for drainage layers, pines and junipers.

Thanks Brian. Small is the way I was leaning.

I concur with Brian size wise but I use the super hard. I’ve gotten some double line that just didn’t hold up as well, and it can get pulverized in the shipping process.

I agree Judy. My experience exactly with past 2 Line.

What they said.

….Or one can toss the 2 line in the oven at max temp for 70-85 minutes and harden it up

Best
DSD sends

Have you seen the electric bill...LOL
Thanx for the input guys.

 

[Japonicus]

Got the 3 line small.
It's a touch smaller than anticipated but very uniform. The last medium size 2 line i bought was anything but consistent in size and more dusty (softer makes sense...dustier)
Need a size between small and medium, but last
batches of media from BJ was smaller than 1/4" so this should blend quite well.