SCREWED UP! New Coarse DE Poll / Thread Please Comment!

[Rick C]

Ordered a bag... Glad to support community.. plus them plants I got last year are kicking now Love spring

 

[Timbo]

Ryan from BonsaiMirai claims they don't fire Akadama or DE in his soil video...I dunno how you prove either.

 

[Gary McCarthy]

Ryan from BonsaiMirai claims they don't fire Akadama or DE in his soil video...I dunno how you prove either.

I do recall Ryan saying that about Akadama but not sure he said that about DE, or more specifically AXIS. I'll have to go back and re-watch the stream.

 

[Vance Wood]

I’m surprised you said it’s better than Pumice, Pumice is the one substrate no one ever complains about or has any negative comments on. It’s great haha! But I would give this stuff a shot before akadama again though. I don’t know if it’s just the brand I used or what, but the akadama literally turned to mud in the majority of my trees pots. I also didn’t like the fine grain Turface too much either.

Is it illegal to be neither an akadama or Turface user??

Only if you talk about it. I am one of those closet non-akadama/turface users.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Only if you talk about it. I am one of those closet non-akadama/turface users.

Vance, what do you use again? Sorry if it beating a dead horse, but I value your insight.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

We need a midwest source of pumice. I've been waiting years for the volcano under Mount Prospect, IL to blow, but alas, it has been quite. It would do a nice job of beautifying suburban sprawl, but so far, no such luck.

(joking, I know there is no volcano under Mount Prospect, it is under Schaumburg).

 

[CasAH]

We need a midwest source of pumice. I've been waiting years for the volcano under Mount Prospect, IL to blow, but alas, it has been quite. It would do a nice job of beautifying suburban sprawl, but so far, no such luck.

(joking, I know there is no volcano under Mount Prospect, it is under Schaumburg).

Careful Leo, I am right between those two places.

 

[Adair M]

Careful Leo, I am right between those two places.

When the Yellowstone caldera goes off, it won’t matter!

 

[A. Gorilla]

We need a midwest source of pumice. I've been waiting years for the volcano under Mount Prospect, IL to blow, but alas, it has been quite. It would do a nice job of beautifying suburban sprawl, but so far, no such luck.

(joking, I know there is no volcano under Mount Prospect, it is under Schaumburg).

Hidden Gardens in Willowbrook buys a ton or two every year. I just bought a bag of of it last weekend. They got scoria too.

 

[theone420]

Ryan from BonsaiMirai claims they don't fire Akadama or DE in his soil video...I dunno how you prove either.

I think they are basing the non firing of Akadama because they found roots in the akadama soil out of the bag(I think Ryan mentioned that in the video). I have a bag of akadama and in the sealed bag of akadama there are what appear to be roots in the clay. very few but there are some in there. So if Akadama is fired wouldn't the roots be char? I can see the Akadama being heated to dry it but I don't know about firing.

 

[JoeR]

Only if you talk about it. I am one of those closet non-akadama/turface users.

I don’t recall reading what you use? I think it might include coarse sand?

 

[milehigh_7]

Ryan from BonsaiMirai claims they don't fire Akadama or DE in his soil video...I dunno how you prove either.

Ryan is using the exact same brand of DE that I sell. So if he says that the DE is not fired he is mistaken.

If you would like, feel free to read the datasheet attached which is the exact product that Ryan uses in his video. Note the sizes as well. I am not currently selling the "regular" size.

 

[milehigh_7]

As a side note, the shipment did not arrive last night. I will keep you posted.

 

[milehigh_7]

Oh, and I have been in contact with Ryan about a new size and if it goes into production, he will be testing it for me.

 

[sparklemotion]

I think they are basing the non firing of Akadama because they found roots in the akadama soil out of the bag(I think Ryan mentioned that in the video). I have a bag of akadama and in the sealed bag of akadama there are what appear to be roots in the clay. very few but there are some in there. So if Akadama is fired wouldn't the roots be char? I can see the Akadama being heated to dry it but I don't know about firing.

What's the difference between "heating" and "firing"?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

What's the difference between "heating" and "firing"?

around 750 deg C?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcination
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcination

"heating" would be just hot enough to drive off water and kill and seeds or bugs. Firing changes the chemical properties and may crystalizes the silicates.

 

[milehigh_7]

Yea what he said! LOL! Basically all DE needs to be dried and this happens in a rotary kiln. Some is calcined which as MFP says above further hardens it.

 

[Adair M]

What's the difference between "heating" and "firing"?

They heat it to burn off organic sand sterilize it. Firing it is way hotter, like you do pottery. To harden it.

 

[Adair M]

The tsunami in Japan severely damaged the best akadama mines. So, for a couple years it was hard to get good akadama. There was a bunch coming in with sticks and grass. (The Japanese probably kept the best for themselves, and exported the poor quality stuff). The situation is getting better, but from what I hear, it’s still difficult and a long process to import akadama.

 

[Arlithrien]

While searching for sources for axis DE I came across this page: https://www.afnn.org/professionals/detail/allied-nurserylandscape-products/axis-de/

This landscape company says they're exclusive agents for AxisDE, and after looking into them they are local - about a 20min drive from my home in the Tampa area. So I shot them an email, we'll see if they have any DE in the Coarse size.