new soil mix experiment

[kez]

Hey folks,

with autumn well and truly here and the short window we have in canberra fast ending I pulled my finger out and did some repotting of some pines today,

I wanted to start the shift to a completely inorganic mix but due to canberra's woefully inadequate supply of anything bonsai related (except for Grant's very nice pots etc) I had to get a bit creative

I picked up some propagating sand, some scoria and finally I found a product called gant nix which is 100% recycled glass formed into 1-3mm rock like particles

It is used mainly as a top dressing to keep gnats out of houseplants etc but the fellow at the hydro shop mentioned he had a customer that used in in her orchid mix to lighten and add a coarse element

I figured it looked good, was nice and hard and as it is completely inert I would give it a go

Here's a shot of the mix

IMG_6290 (1024x683).jpg

its about 40% gnat nix (the white particles), 40% scoria and 20% sifted propagating sand (really its the coarsest particles of what was in the bag)

and the guinea pigs

IMG_6288 (1024x683).jpg

IMG_6289 (1024x683).jpg

First impressions are the mix is quite light even though its quite rock heavy, and VERY free draining, I will need to be careful about keeping the water up to these trees

Anyway we will see how it goes

Kerrin

[hugh grant]

Interesting to see how the gnat nix goes, what is nuts function do you know ?
You have the other holding capacity of the scoria there, the propagating sand will hold moisture be it minimal, but the problem I expect you will see is you won’t have any nutrient fixing capacity there ...

[kez]

I think it behaves similarly to diatomite, seems quite porus. The company make another substance that popped up on a few bonsai blog posts and forums from the states, it’s called grow stone aerator and it seemed to be made of the same recycled glass so we will see how we go

[hugh grant]

Be cool if it does!!
The thing that makes Diatomite excellent is because it can bond nutrition and make it available, plus while seemingly inorganic it is in fact derived of organic fossilised remains so it is able to bond and breakdown nicely. It’s oorosity is water holding too.
If this stuff is porous it’s one step there.