Potting Mix Tests Results Abbreviated

[NBPCA]

Hi Grant and thanks for the information!
I use a blend in my soil mix and have recently switched from MW diatomite to MS diatomite. In the single medium tests do you have any thoughts/ideas as to why the ash seedlings did better in MS compared to MW diatomite?...just curious?
Cheers, Dario.

No, Not really. The Maidenwell in the bag "feels" to be a drier, dustier component than the Mt Sylvia.

They should perform about the same in a blend I would think.

grant

[Scott Roxburgh]

...In the single medium tests do you have any thoughts/ideas as to why the ash seedlings did better in MS compared to MW diatomite?...just curious?

Small sample size...

[kcpoole]

Hi Grant and thanks for the information!
I use a blend in my soil mix and have recently switched from MW diatomite to MS diatomite. In the single medium tests do you have any thoughts/ideas as to why the ash seedlings did better in MS compared to MW diatomite?...just curious?
Cheers, Dario.

No, Not really. The Maidenwell in the bag "feels" to be a drier, dustier component than the Mt Sylvia.

They should perform about the same in a blend I would think.

grant

I started out using Maidenwell, ( 2 years), and swapped to Mt Sylvia when the original miune closed. Not been using that for 3-4 years and really, aside from colour) cannot pick any difference between them. ( note I use a mix with Zeolite).

Ken

[Dario]

Thanks for your reply Grant
Yeah I was just curious as I expected they both would have pretty much the same result instead of MS diatomite "moderate", and MW 'poor" in the single component test.
Not trying to start the issue of "is one better than the other?" as that has been raised and answered many times before.
I just found the results interesting. Perhaps as Scott suggests it could be due to sample size or something else?
Thanks for continuing to make the results of your tests available Grant.
Cheers, Dario.

[Elmar]

It seems most questions have been answered ... but I wonder why, when Kuma (?) appeared to be a clear winner right at the beginning, it has not been further tested in the mixes?
The purpose I these tests, I believe, was to show the effects of the different substrates in order to find the best?!?!?!

Is there a reason it's been left out of ongoing tests? As mentioned by Reddog and other newbies, who want to get better at this art quickly we are looking to guidance from the more experienced... To me, leaving out the 'apparently' best performer, seems strange - like the tests are "rigged, man!"


Cheers
EZ
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Grant Bowie]

It seems most questions have been answered ... but I wonder why, when Kuma (?) appeared to be a clear winner right at the beginning, it has not been further tested in the mixes?
The purpose I these tests, I believe, was to show the effects of the different substrates in order to find the best?!?!?!

Is there a reason it's been left out of ongoing tests? As mentioned by Reddog and other newbies, who want to get better at this art quickly we are looking to guidance from the more experienced... To me, leaving out the 'apparently' best performer, seems strange - like the tests are "rigged, man!"


Cheers
EZ
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about; as I believe you don't either. Firstly what you call Kuma (?) I presume you mean Kanuma?

Kanuma is part of the trial at all stages and is known to be quite a good media for satsuki Azalea. It was however never selected to be part of a blend as it was never requested(It is expensive and not readily available everywhere).

Grant

[Elmar]

Sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about; as I believe you don't either. Firstly what you call Kuma (?) I presume you mean Kanuma?

Nice! To be fair, I stated that I don't have much experience, and can only venture a guess that 'spell-correct' changed it ...

Kanuma is part of the trial at all stages and is known to be quite a good media for satsuki Azalea. It was however never selected to be part of a blend as it was never requested(It is expensive and not readily available everywhere).

Grant

This is what I was after. Thank you for the testing and the put-down. Sorry to have wasted your time.


Cheers
EZ
Via Tapatalk

[Pup]

Hi EZ, I do not think that Grant put you down, he was stating facts.
Kuma is not a substrate, however Kanuma, is a species specific product so to include it in a general potting mix test would not serve any ones interest.

Kanuma is produce from Kanuma region in Japan specifically for growing Satsuki and other azaleas, and other acid loving plants like Camellias.

Cheers Pup

[Grant Bowie]

Actually it was a put down. If you accuse the tests as being "Rigged, man" without any evidence or apparent reason you really are asking for it.

The tests were as fair as I could make them with helpful input from many people.

Grant

[kcpoole]

Hi can i remind everyone to keep on topic and respectful of each other.
I suspect the spelling of "Kuma" may be lack of knowledge or an autocorrect fail ( EZ does post from a Phone). but should not raise anyones ire.

Re the discussion here, Kanuma is mentioned 16 times in that thread and has been part of the tests as an Adjunct to the main experiments, as it acknowledged as a specific substrate for a specific tree type. To use it as a general additive in a mix will be non productive and in fact most likely be counter productive.

as for it not being in the summaries it is specified here in the same thread
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5745&p=175412&hilit=kanuma#p175412
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5745&p=84208&hilit=kanuma#p84208
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5745&p=83763&hilit=kanuma#p83763
so cannot see the reason to doubt the tests nor question them.

Ken

[Elmar]

My apologies to Grant. I in no way intended that to be an accusation. It was meant as tongue in cheek - in that I failed.
Once again, Grant, please accept my apology. As all newbies, we are looking for anything that'll give us an edge before we actually have the understanding that comes from experience in this art. Foolishly, I didn't consider the effect those words would have when read by someone other than me.


Cheers
EZ
Via Tapatalk

[Elmar]

Kuma is not a substrate, however Kanuma, is a species specific product so to include it in a general potting mix test would not serve any ones interest.

Kanuma is produce from Kanuma region in Japan specifically for growing Satsuki and other azaleas, and other acid loving plants like Camellias.

Cheers Pup

This is where didn't understand, but grant answered it in the post just after mine.

Thank Ken, I will vet my language more closely in future.


Cheers
EZ
Via Tapatalk

[Waltron]

Are these tests still ongoing? I would be interested in hearing how they have performed a couple of years on.

Also. Grant, you mentioned in a post on the 5th page that the struggling trees were re-potted into "our standard mix", do you mind me asking what it is? (My apologies if I'm asking you to repeat yourself (again). )

[Grant Bowie]

Are these tests still ongoing? I would be interested in hearing how they have performed a couple of years on.

Also. Grant, you mentioned in a post on the 5th page that the struggling trees were re-potted into "our standard mix", do you mind me asking what it is? (My apologies if I'm asking you to repeat yourself (again). )

No,

The tests are not ongoing. I found the mix below adequate in my own use at home after retiring from the job as Curator of NBPCA.

Our standard mix at the NBPCA is:-
40% Diatomite(I still have some Maidenwell and mix 1/2 1/2 with Mt Sylvia)
20% Zeolite
20% Pine Bark Mini Nuggets
20% Coconut fibre/Coconut Peat/Coir Fibre..

Occasionally I now add 5 or 10% of Akadama to the above mix; to use up the stock I have. I use this mix on everything (Conifers, deciduous and Natives)and have not had any problems.(Maybe one trident maple had a light dry out one year but no deaths attributable to the mix)

The standard mix is on the dry side so you can make up your own mind for your climate, watering habits and work pattern etc.

Grant

[Paul W]

Hi Grant
Are you still using the mix you mentioned in the last post, also would you put a bit more diatomite in it to make it a bit wetter for Sydney climate maybe, Thanks