Akadama...My Experience

[Crazy Diamond]

You guys dont like Akadama because it breaks down I dont like akadama because I cant afford it... we are not the same

 

[Paradox]

I have no stake in this discussion though. No need to convince anyone but myself to do the things I want to do to my plants.

Me either really. I already use akadama.
My trees love it and that's all the convincing I need.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

You guys dont like Akadama because it breaks down I dont like akadama because I cant afford it... we are not the same
View attachment 453372

You're closer to South Africa than I am.
Where's that dude with SAkadama when you need him?!
@Sakadama ! Time to join the discussion bro!

 

[bbk]

My opinion on Akadama noting I was gifted a bag for free…

Makes no difference to my trees. Ok I’ll admit it. I haven’t actually used it yet… where I am I can’t find anyone that uses it / approves of it for their trees. So even though I have a bag for free, I it remains unused compared with pine bark.

#waitingforit

 

[penumbra]

You're closer to South Africa than I am.
Where's that dude with SAkadama when you need him?!
@Sakadama ! Time to join the discussion bro!

I love sakadama. It is high fired and quite durable.

 

[arreaux]

Still trying to get used to it. There's no shortage in my area. The local Bonsai nursery buys 10 pallets at a time and they are like 4 feet high, also Kanuma.

 

[August44]

Still trying to get used to it. There's no shortage in my area. The local Bonsai nursery buys 10 pallets at a time and they are like 4 feet high, also Kanuma.

I must have missed something here...what is SAkadama if I can ask?

 

[caffeinated]

You're closer to South Africa than I am.
Where's that dude with SAkadama when you need him?!
@Sakadama ! Time to join the discussion bro!

I have a few Japanese maple air layers that were experiment quality that I planted in pure sakadama this spring. At first I thought it dried out waaaay too quickly and I was watering those a lot more than others in my garden. Summer came and I somewhat neglected the expendable air layers, and they're still thriving. So no long term experiment results yet but promising so far.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I must have missed something here...what is SAkadama if I can ask?

https://sakadama.com/

 

[Bnana]

Seems to be almost identical to the cat-litter people use in Europa (kittydama, also fired clay) or the oil-dry that is used in the US. But with a tree on the package.

 

[penumbra]

Seems to be almost identical to the cat-litter people use in Europa (kittydama, also fired clay) or the oil-dry that is used in the US. But with a tree on the package.

I am not sure if you are referencing akadama or sakadama, but in either case they are worlds apart from products like oil dry or kitty litter. I don't use akadama. I bought a bag once and didn't like the grade of it or its apparent softness compared to fired clay. I'll let uses of akadama speak for that. Sakadama is hard fired and durable and does not pack like the flatter particles of products like oil dry. As to kitty litter, the particles are generally very small for kitty's sake. For it to be large enough for any moderate to large bonsai would require kitty litter for lions and tigers.
Whatever you use, if it works for you, you are going to defend it. I like sakadama which in my experience is much harder than the akadama I returned and much more angular than the particles in oil dry and larger than that of any kitty litter I have tried or seen. I have never used kitty litter for bonsai, but only for cats or occasional traction in snow.
Another product I am quite found of in the extreme is Bonsai Block from Bonsai Jack. It is fired hotter than any other clay product for bonsai that I have used. I also like the color of it, which is more earth like than say DE or pumice, which by the way are both products I use.

 

[Cajunrider]

https://sakadama.com/

Has any Nutters in the US bought any sakadama?

 

[Bnana]

I am not sure if you are referencing akadama or sakadama, but in either case they are worlds apart from products like oil dry or kitty litter. I don't use akadama. I bought a bag once and didn't like the grade of it or its apparent softness compared to fired clay. I'll let uses of akadama speak for that. Sakadama is hard fired and durable and does not pack like the flatter particles of products like oil dry. As to kitty litter, the particles are generally very small for kitty's sake. For it to be large enough for any moderate to large bonsai would require kitty litter for lions and tigers.
Whatever you use, if it works for you, you are going to defend it. I like sakadama which in my experience is much harder than the akadama I returned and much more angular than the particles in oil dry and larger than that of any kitty litter I have tried or seen. I have never used kitty litter for bonsai, but only for cats or occasional traction in snow.
Another product I am quite found of in the extreme is Bonsai Block from Bonsai Jack. It is fired hotter than any other clay product for bonsai that I have used. I also like the color of it, which is more earth like than say DE or pumice, which by the way are both products I use.

Akadama is not high fired, that is different. I was talking about SAkadama.
All three are high fired clay and do not break down.
I use cat litter a lot (Linda Moler) and it is definitely coarser than the 4-1 mm that the website gives for medium SAkadama. More like SAkadama large (8-4 mm).
They are also no flat but irregular and do not pack. (I have never seen oil dry, that might be different.)
But I know kitty litter in the US is different from the kitty litter in Europe, that's why I specify that.

 

[rockm]

Akadama is not high fired, that is different. I was talking about SAkadama.
All three are high fired clay and do not break down.
I use cat litter a lot (Linda Moler) and it is definitely coarser than the 4-1 mm that the website gives for medium SAkadama. More like SAkadama large (8-4 mm).
They are also no flat but irregular and do not pack. (I have never seen oil dry, that might be different.)
But I know kitty litter in the US is different from the kitty litter in Europe, that's why I specify that.

Some Akadama is high fired and is superior to kitty litter. Some Akadama is not fired. There are more than one kind...

 

[penumbra]

Has any Nutters in the US bought any sakadama?

I have posted my use of it several times as in above post.

 

[Cajunrider]

I have posted my use of it several times as in above post.

Thanks. I posted the question in haste. I saw your post on your use of it a bit later.

 

[eugenev2]

I am not sure if you are referencing akadama or sakadama, but in either case they are worlds apart from products like oil dry or kitty litter. I don't use akadama. I bought a bag once and didn't like the grade of it or its apparent softness compared to fired clay. I'll let uses of akadama speak for that. Sakadama is hard fired and durable and does not pack like the flatter particles of products like oil dry. As to kitty litter, the particles are generally very small for kitty's sake. For it to be large enough for any moderate to large bonsai would require kitty litter for lions and tigers.
Whatever you use, if it works for you, you are going to defend it. I like sakadama which in my experience is much harder than the akadama I returned and much more angular than the particles in oil dry and larger than that of any kitty litter I have tried or seen. I have never used kitty litter for bonsai, but only for cats or occasional traction in snow.
Another product I am quite found of in the extreme is Bonsai Block from Bonsai Jack. It is fired hotter than any other clay product for bonsai that I have used. I also like the color of it, which is more earth like than say DE or pumice, which by the way are both products I use.

Making a real sales pitch for SAakadama there, i might just give it a try. Probably one of the few times i'm fortunate enough to be in driving distance of the producer here in SA.
For reference i stayed away from it, as there is very little information on it as well as very few reviews and i don't personally know anyone who locally uses it...besides probably the SAakadama guy that sells it.
On the down side tho, from my understanding it is closer to LECA than akadama and LECA is way more readily available and cheaper to boot.

 

[August44]

Making a real sales pitch for SAakadama there, i might just give it a try. Probably one of the few times i'm fortunate enough to be in driving distance of the producer here in SA.
For reference i stayed away from it, as there is very little information on it as well as very few reviews and i don't personally know anyone who locally uses it...besides probably the SAakadama guy that sells it.
On the down side tho, from my understanding it is closer to LECA than akadama and LECA is way more readily available and cheaper to boot.

And what is LECA if I may ask and is it available in the US?

 

[eugenev2]

And what is LECA if I may ask and is it available in the US?

LECA is Lightweight Expanded Clay, used a lot in hydroponics, so i'm sure it will be readily available in the USA.
But to be clear, from my research LECA is very different to akadama, but peeps here with more knowledge and experience can correct me.

 

[Kodama]

Has any Nutters in the US bought any sakadama?

Just repotted with Sakadama in the spring and is holding up alot better than the Akadama.
We will see how it lasts through winter but I can tell it is much harder than 2 different Akadama products I've used.
So far, I like it!