Do you find smaller soil mix lasting longer before clotting?

[Mike Corazzi]

I use some mix from a local bonsai nursery. It has lava, akadama, and hyuga. They have 2 sizes in bags.
I'm finding that the smaller mix seems to stay separated while the akadama in the larger particles begins to clot much sooner.
Not SOON SOON....but sooner than the smaller mix.

I'm thinking of combining the smaller mix with more lava (that I buy separately) and seeing if that percolates better than the larger mix.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I use some mix from a local bonsai nursery. It has lava, akadama, and hyuga. They have 2 sizes in bags.
I'm finding that the smaller mix seems to stay separated while the akadama in the larger particles begins to clot much sooner.
Not SOON SOON....but sooner than the smaller mix.

I'm thinking of combining the smaller mix with more lava (that I buy separately) and seeing if that percolates better than the larger mix.

Interesting, doesn’t make any sense. But yeah. I would think lava or a pumice addition would help.

 

[parhamr]

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by clot. Are you saying this is good or bad?

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by clot. Are you saying this is good or bad?

Bad. I've had aka go very bad in the past. Lately it has been better but I am using a ....mix so it isn't straight aka.
Actually, it never was but getting the proportion right didn't work well.

This is a pot of akaconcrete I had one time.

 

[leatherback]

Good it be a difference in quality? I have been told there is akadama that hardly falls apart. Never actually seen it but..

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Good it be a difference in quality? I have been told there is akadama that hardly falls apart. Never actually seen it but..

That mess came in a bag labeled "EXTRA HARD." I have remained cautious with akadama ever since.

 

[sorce]

It makes sense that larger particles would "clot", which I read as "float seperate", since there is more space between the particles, hence, more space for them to move around. Plus, the larger the piece, the higher it's bouyancy. Non bouyant particles will also be heavier, so it seems it's true the difference gets exponentially larger moving to each extreme.

Any bag that needs to be labeled "extra hard", is like the dude who drives a big truck to advertise his.....truck size.

Sorce