Why I don't use turface anymore (with pics)

[coh]

I'm not bashing turface. I use it by the pallet. It is what it is: cheap and readily available. You can grow healthy trees and healthy roots in turface. But, there really are not many materials worse than turface. Fine sand. Dirt. Potting soil. What else?

Like I said, I use a lot of turface (MVP). But, and its a big ass but, I don't use it on expensive trees. I have a few good quality trees, and I've used turface in the soil they are in. I don't do it any more. There is a reason for this.

I was wondering about this when you previously posted about using a lot of turface. Did you ever post the reason why you don't use it in the quality trees? I assume because of root growth or dry pockets or one of the other problems that people have had with it?

I currently don't really have any high quality trees but I am planning to move my better, more developed trees into a better quality mix (pumice/lava/akadama type) but keep using turface for things that are at an earlier stage of development.

 

[Don Blackmond]

I was wondering about this when you previously posted about using a lot of turface. Did you ever post the reason why you don't use it in the quality trees? I assume because of root growth or dry pockets or one of the other problems that people have had with it?

I currently don't really have any high quality trees but I am planning to move my better, more developed trees into a better quality mix (pumice/lava/akadama type) but keep using turface for things that are at an earlier stage of development.

turface works well in deep pots for trees in development. by well, I mean well enough, and its simply too expensive to use "soil of choice" in all those pots.

My trees do better in soil with larger particle size. Lava, pumice, akadama, hadite, etc. tend to be larger. This requires more frequent watering, but also seems to get more oxygen to the roots. Soil mixes with small particle size do clog or compact sooner and they do create dry zones and muck zones. I don't have any special scientific analysis to offer you, only my experience.

Farmers turn soil for a reason. You can see plants green up as they do it. I do the same with my turface.

 

[coh]

I don't have any special scientific analysis to offer you, only my experience.

That's all I was asking for - thanks!

Chri

 

[Vin]

Not to add insult to injury but I found the information in the link below helpful (for me):
http://adamaskwhy.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/the-much-anticipated-long-promised-long-winded-ever-lovin-bonsai-soil-epic/