Looking for number 10-14 filter sand for a fine soil component
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Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Are you looking for this to use it in a soil for growing bonsai?
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
I have always recomended #3 and or #2 Swiming pool filter sand. It is becoming more difficult to find for a number of reasons. Many swimming pool filters use the very fine grade called mystic white which I find to be to fine and tends to hold too much water. Number 2 and number 3 are the best. The sand holds enough water to help keep the soil damp. Many pool filter manufacturers no longer use these products. However; the very same sand is used and available as sand blasting sand. It too is becoming difficult to find, and almost impossible depending on local politics requiring special permits to use, especially California.
Sand seems to be graded in various ways. Horticultural sands premium coarse size usually is listed as # 12 ( US standard mesh # 12 ( 1.70 mm). Google searches for # 2 or # 3 swimming pool sand come up empty--swimming pool sand seems to be always very fine at # 20(.85 mm). Locally, where I am at, I find no filtration sand any coarser that # 20. I find blasting sand but it is not silica and instead made from coal slag. I can find blasting sand online but the size is widely mixed (#12-20).
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Look for a stucco supply house. Every town usually has one. I have one right around the corner from where I work and they have about 15 different grades of sand all the way up to natural aquarium gravel.
I will check--we have masonry places for sure.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Stucco sand always seems to be quite large compared to that used for masonry.
Mike Westervelt
Shohin
We may be geologically blessed, but when I used to use coarse sand, would head to a beach on the Columbia river with my sieves and buckets.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
You don't want coal slag you want quartz sand. That is what I have found in Michigan. This is obviously not a static product across the industry.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
HTH sells a silica based sand for pool filtration at grade 20. Ace, True Value, Walmart, and many others sell it in 50 pound bags. Quikrete sells a silica base sand as well but it is not as uniform graded at 20 to 40. Quikrete also sells a coarse #1963 silica sand graded at 12 to 30 which I find most anywhere and I use it as it is always available not being a seasonal item.
Grimmy
Thanks--the 20-40 stuff is way too fine I will check the #1963. I also have a line on a local supply of what is called "well pack", well drillers sometimes bed well tips in the stuff--we shall see.
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