Absolutely agree with all of this. A large portion of my trees are outside and “healed in” for the winter but they still get cycled, especially in the early spring and late fall. All that said I’ll change my strategy but for some of my trees that will remain outside and exposed I just don’t find akadama to work for me.Your overwintering strategy is just as significant a factor as your location. My trees, mulched in my cold frame here in MI this past winter, absolutely saw fewer freeze thaw cycles then they did two winters ago in GA. Fwiw, I spent 40 years living in MA before moving to GA… used to ski Saddleback Mt back in the 80’s… the coldest I’ve ever been was on the J bar just at the summit… - 10 F at noon
Akadama...My Experience
- Thread starter August44
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LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
What was the health of the tree at this point? Poor? Pre-budbreak looking less than vigorous? Just did a re-pot because you felt the soil looked a little "suspect". I'm curious.
I don’t know if you’re aware but those are two different trees… I check all the outdoor trees for water needs and found that all of the twigging and most of the branches were desiccated. The maple from the collected sugar maple thread you linked was stored in the same place but in a mulch and DE mix and it pulled through without issue. Full disclosure, the one that made it was a native tree and the one in the akadama was an acer palmatum but it had no winter issues until it was in the akadama and really that’s not directly relevant to the breakdown of the soil.
It has lots of texture. Internally, it will have air bubbles. Lots of pumice will float because of the air bubbles. If it “absorbed” water, it would sink. The texture can hold little pockets of water, but the material is basically glass, which doesn’t absorb water in the same way akadama does. Akadama is a volcanic clay, and clay does absorb water.
Bnana
Chumono
I think you're confusing absorbing and adsorbing.
If you wet pumice it become heavier meaning it holds water. Whether it sinks or not is less relevant. That just means that there are closed air bubbles.
If you wet pumice it become heavier meaning it holds water. Whether it sinks or not is less relevant. That just means that there are closed air bubbles.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
Exactly. Pumice holds water in its pores, it doesn't absorb water. This is why it is not as good as clay materials when it comes to trees that need a lot of water.
Bnana
Chumono
That's why I like kittydama made from fired moler clay. It's well draining but holds lots of water.
The pumice we have here can still hold a substantial amount of water. But likely this varies between sources, depending on pore size and structure.
The pumice we have here can still hold a substantial amount of water. But likely this varies between sources, depending on pore size and structure.
Hey… it’s simple… if you don’t like akadama, don’t use it. Just just lava. It won’t break down. Just be prepared to water more often and have coarser growth.
Colorado
Masterpiece
Mike Corazzi
Masterpiece
Someone told me that was the reason bonsai pots are shallow.
Less space for akadama.
Less space for akadama.
At this point I’m highly considering the possibility that the bag I got was junk. It was one of the pre sifted “Tiny Roots” bags and I figured that was the way to go if I just wanted to try it out. I made it 15 years in this hobby without ever spending money on akadama and I decided I’d give it a shot and see if all the hype was warranted. Not a great first impression but if there is a reputable source that others trust I would consider another go. Probably not by itself but in my mix.More akadama for us
Firstflush
Chumono
We Are The Bonsai Supplys take on Akadama. I believe they are in Florida.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
So I can't use Akadama up north because of freeze/thaw cycles, and it seems if I move south I can't use it either....seems to me that maybe something else is should be considered here.
I could pop your eye out with my thumb in a jiffy, but does a root exert an equal force upon an object compared to a human hand?
I could pop your eye out with my thumb in a jiffy, but does a root exert an equal force upon an object compared to a human hand?
Well… Take what he says with a grain of salt. He claims 13 years of experience. I don’t doubt that he has 13 years of experience. His trees, however, are not on a par with mine.
I, on the other hand, have over 50 years experience. The first 35 or so without akadama. I have been using akadama for the past 15 or so, and let me tell you, my trees have FAR more ramification, shorter internodes, and are healthier than they were than before I used it.
Akadama is a tool in your toolkit to create bonsai. If you know how to use it properly, it works great. If not, then maybe it’s not a good tool for you.
To give you an example, I can drive a car. I can drive a car with a stick shift. But, there’s no way I could drive a stick shift Ferrari. That clutch is WAY too sensitive for me!
Akadama is more useful on refined trees, since those are the ones where we want to constrain growth. Akadama slows growth. Young material that needs growing out, don’t use it.
I’m “up north” and I use akadama and I don’t have a problem with it breaking down prematurely. As far as freeze/thaw cycles go in my neck of the woods, things pretty much freeze once and stay frozen throughout winter. Then, they thaw once in the spring. Infrequently, I’ll get a bad batch of akadama (or perhaps it’s the brand) that breaks down faster than it should. But, that’s a quality control (or perhaps an English-speaking guy trying to order a Japanese product and not being able to read what the packaging says) problem, not a fundamental problem with using akadama as a substrate in a northern climate.So I can't use Akadama up north because of freeze/thaw cycles, and it seems if I move south I can't use it either....seems to me that maybe something else is should be considered here.
I could pop your eye out with my thumb in a jiffy, but does a root exert an equal force upon an object compared to a human hand?
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
Maiden69
Masterpiece
If you listen to his explanation (excuse) for not using akadama, it makes sense to me that he don't like it. "The trees grow stronger and faster" that is exactly why you use akadama, to prevent the trees from growing faster. It's like beating the dead horse... if you are developing trunk size, skip the akadama. Once you have your trunk, use akadama to slow down the growth and develop tighter ramification.
Now with that said, I think that if you have the patience to grow in akadama from the beginning, the tree will look mature faster than with out it. But it will take longer to develop.
Now with that said, I think that if you have the patience to grow in akadama from the beginning, the tree will look mature faster than with out it. But it will take longer to develop.
Frozentreehugger
Masterpiece
Do you make your own fertilizer cakes
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Nope, I buy from Ron F, Ancient Arts Bonsai. Also, for the orchid talk circuit, before COVID, I had a nice water soluble chemical fert blended and packaged for me, works well for bonsai and orchids. Plants can't read labels. Also have a formula from when I owned a blueberry farm. So I still have a few hundred pounds of fertilizer of 2 different types laying around.
I've been bad, I neglected to follow up on several requests for my fertilizers, I'm in the middle of rehabbing the house. When I am done I'll put an advert in the sale section of BNut
I've been using your fertilizers since I received them and all my trees/plants are having a great winter.
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