Akadama...My Experience

[August44]

I tried akadama last year for the first time. I bought it from a club in Idaho that bought a pallet of it from a known vender. It seemed to be ok until I looked at it early this spring and it has ALL turned into small, sand like particles in the pots. Some of the trees were kept outside protected, some in cold frame that got down to mid 20's several times and some in a heated shed that never got below 34 F. All pots/trees were affected the same.

This is what the akadama looks like now in the pots. Those little red, sand like granules in the pots are what is left of the akadama.



This is what the akadama bag looked like.

From what I have read and experienced, I don't think there is any regulation on processing what is called Akadama and what is shipped to the US. The bag and the product looked pretty authentic, but it was junk! Now I will have to watch that the soil does not plug up and become a drainage problem. Makes me want to jump right up and buy more akadama. It will be nice when we find something to replace akadama with that is real and consistant, and a product of the USA!

 

[Chop_n_Change]

Top Dressing with moss/Sphagnum can help protect the surface particles from rain/water damage. I have found it beneficial to refresh the top layer of soil in the spring as necessary - chopsticking down to intact particles, brushing this out and reapplying soil/top dressing. I can't speak to hard freeze/thaw cycles, but your pics look like water is breaking down the Akadama on the surface.

once moss gets established, it protects the surface particles , but akadama will breakdown if exposed to the forces of rain/sun. it is what it its, but under the top layer the particles tend to stay in place and hold their position/integrity a bit better.

I have a few trees in 100% Akadama and the top does get a bit sandy looking before moss takes hold. if drainage becomes an issue, cleaning that top inch or so out, reapplying soil and the 50/50 sphagnum/green moss is the action i take.

here in the PNW, Irish moss tends to take hold over winter, so in an effort to control that i usually perform the above action to remove that, and refresh the surface without issue.

 

[August44]

Sorry, its granulated like that clear to the bottom of the pot. I live in a very dry, 5-6 climate with low humidity and very little rain (13-15" per year). All the trees were protected from rain and snow this winter. I won't even begin to make excuses for the junk that I purchased.

 

[Deleted member 32750]

Akadama is supposed to break down to some extent. That’s what encourages better root growth. In my experience that is one of the worst brands of akadama that i have used. It’s incredibly soft. Triple line akadama is what I prefer to use and it holds up much better.
Also, what else is on your mix? I can’t tell if the white particles are Pumice or perlite

 

[August44]

Akadama is supposed to break down to some extent. That’s what encourages better root growth. In my experience that is one of the worst brands of akadama that i have used. It’s incredibly soft. Triple line akadama is what I prefer to use and it holds up much better.
Also, what else is on your mix? I can’t tell if the white particles are Pumice or perlite

1-1-1 Akadama, black lava, pumice. I understand a little breaking down each year, but sand size in less than one year, no way!

 

[roberthu]

Top dressing is going to help. But I also have experience of Akadama breaking down after one winter. No much can be done...
I use pine bark, lava and pumic mix now from Bonsai Jack. Seems to be good for developing materials.

 

[August44]

Top dressing is going to help. But I also have experience of Akadama breaking down after one winter. No much can be done...
I use pine bark, lava and pumic mix now from Bonsai Jack. Seems to be good for developing materials.

I think there is good and bad akadama being sold out there, it's definitely not all the same. I have a friend who reclaims soil and has pretty good sized akadama granules after 2-3 years. He screens, washes bakes, and I think screens again. I think he told me he has to replace about 1/2 of the original akadama in the mix.

 

[Colorado]

I tried akadama last year for the first time. I bought it from a club in Idaho that bought a pallet of it from a known vender. It seemed to be ok until I looked at it early this spring and it has ALL turned into small, sand like particles in the pots. Some of the trees were kept outside protected, some in cold frame that got down to mid 20's several times and some in a heated shed that never got below 34 F. All pots/trees were affected the same.

This is what the akadama looks like now in the pots. Those little red, sand like granules in the pots are what is left of the akadama.
View attachment 424535View attachment 424537View attachment 424538View attachment 424539


This is what the akadama bag looked like.View attachment 424534

From what I have read and experienced, I don't think there is any regulation on processing what is called Akadama and what is shipped to the US. The bag and the product looked pretty authentic, but it was junk! Now I will have to watch that the soil does not plug up and become a drainage problem. Makes me want to jump right up and buy more akadama. It will be nice when we find something to replace akadama with that is real and consistant, and a product of the USA!

Sorry to tell you but this is the result of user error.

It is well known that PROPER TOPDRESSING is a NECESSARY component of the system. You can’t just half-ass the system and then blame the akadama!

We can agree that some akadama is better than others, but you are not using it properly.

 

[August44]

Sorry to tell you but this is the result of user error.

It is well known that PROPER TOPDRESSING is a NECESSARY component of the system. You can’t just half-ass the system and then blame the akadama!

We can agree that some akadama is better than others, but you are not using it properly.

So if the akadama is junk clear to the bottom of the pot, this top dressing will stop that? How so??

 

[Apex37]

I have used that same akadama and have not seen this much break down in my experience. I have heard it's a cheaper one so I've opted for a different brand going forward with larger particle sizes to help with breakdown. Did you sieve the akadama before adding it to your mix?

 

[rockm]

There are not really "good" and "bad" kinds of Akadama being sold. There are DIFFERENT kinds of akadama being sold, some high fired, some not. Unfired akadama is MEANT to break down into smaller particles as feeder roots develop. Harder akadama can be mixed into more free draining soil blends.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Curious, what size did you order?

 

[August44]

There are not really "good" and "bad" kinds of Akadama being sold. There are DIFFERENT kinds of akadama being sold, some high fired, some not. Unfired akadama is MEANT to break down into smaller particles as feeder roots develop. Harder akadama can be mixed into more free draining soil blends.

It is my understanding that roots will break it down, yes! It just doesn't break down automatically clear to the bottom of the pot.

 

[August44]

Curious, what size did you order?

Large granules and supposed to be hard. I don't read Japanese.

 

[rockm]

It is my understanding that roots will break it down, yes! It just doesn't break down automatically clear to the bottom of the pot.

The roots don't break it down. The soil itself 'weathers' and breaks down--and the roots adapt to it with more feeders in smaller and smaller spaces made by the decomposing soil.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Large granules and supposed to be hard. I don't read Japanese.

I’ve purchased various brands of akadama over the year in various sizes. Anything large was virtually unusable it was so big Compared to other components.

I’ve had softer stuff and harder stuff. Ive purchased the kind you have and havent had the issues you are having with it turning into dust. Some of it breaks down, but not what you are describing. You want it to break down To help promote feeder roots.

A lot of my Trees get repotted annually and the akadama usually isn’t even close to broken down like what you are indicating. But what works in my neck of the woods may not work for you.

 

[Zerobear]

Top dressing is going to help. But I also have experience of Akadama breaking down after one winter. No much can be done...
I use pine bark, lava and pumic mix now from Bonsai Jack. Seems to be good for developing materials.

I have also pretty much given up on Akadama. To my experience, it is a very demanding substrate. I am sure there will be criticisms of my opinion, but I prefer Bonsai Jack, or Brussel's mix. there are other equally good mixes, too. I guess if I was repotting 200 plants I would make my own mix, but for 10-20 plants,, letting someone else make my substrate certainly is easier.

 

[Palltergeist]

From what I have read and experienced, I don't think there is any regulation on processing what is called Akadama and what is shipped to the US. The bag and the product looked pretty authentic, but it was junk! Now I will have to watch that the soil does not plug up and become a drainage problem. Makes me want to jump right up and buy more akadama. It will be nice when we find something to replace akadama with that is real and consistant, and a product of the USA!

You had a bad experience, and this might have to do with quality control or user error, but there are literally thousands of people all over the world using akadama with great success, yes even in the good ole US of A! Your conclusions/decisions are a non sequitur.

 

[Japonicus]

Top dressing is going to help. But I also have experience of Akadama breaking down after one winter. No much can be done...
I use pine bark, lava and pumic mix now from Bonsai Jack. Seems to be good for developing materials.

BJ actually sells high fired Monto Clay as a much longer lasting substitute for akadama.
Basically what you're using + Monto Clay is what I'm using.
The bark will break down the fastest in our mixes than any other component, still outlasting most akadama.
So I mix my bark. 50% pine and 50% Douglas fir because the fir outlasts the pine bark, so my break down
should occur over a longer period of time in stages theoretically.
Now for the refining stages, I'm considering going back to using akadama, but that's when
I want to go longest between repots. I'm going to give my blend a few more years before changing up again though.
Pretty sure I've been using it for 4 yrs now with very little deviation, like experimenting with DE one year.

 

[August44]

You had a bad experience, and this might have to do with quality control or user error, but there are literally thousands of people all over the world using akadama with great success, yes even in the good ole US of A! Your conclusions/decisions are a non sequitur.

And you just chimed in to hear yourself talk didn't you.