rhawes
Shohin
If so What kind of Tree was it?
Anybody try Straight Akadama with tropicals?
- Thread starter rhawes
- Start date
Colorado
Masterpiece
Yes this is what most all my tropicals are in. Tiger bark ficus, Wiandi ficus, Willow leaf ficus, buttonwood, Escambron, Ming Aralia.
For my jade (crassula), however, I go with 1:1:1.
Akadama is great for tropicals in my experience.
For my jade (crassula), however, I go with 1:1:1.
Akadama is great for tropicals in my experience.
MHBonsai
Chumono
I do for some very small trees. Ficus. Works fine - but repot regularly in my experience. I think pure akadama is too 'wet' for tropicals in some southern US states myself.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
Ficus - yes, but only in refinement. I hear all this balance of water-oxygen, but my ficus thrive when they are damp/wet all the time during the spring-summer. I moved one into a pot and water normally and it remained a stick. I don't think I have any other tropical tree. Working on getting some delonix regia or blue jaracanda, and those would definitely be in 100% akadama once in refinement.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I think the more important question is....
If so...
What kind of akadama was it?
Mine be that white cheap stuff from the auto parts store!
Sorce
If so...
What kind of akadama was it?
Mine be that white cheap stuff from the auto parts store!
Sorce
rhawes
Shohin
Ok I just repotted my ginseng ficus in shohin size akadama it was previously in a tropical mix. I will see how it does!!
Srt8madness
Omono
Dang you guys must be wiping your asses with hundys to pot tropicals in straight akadama 
cockroach
Chumono
After going around the country a few times I noticed a lot of Ficus trees in waterlogged soil or in actual water. Took 4 ficus I have, 1 large pot plant and put it in a guppy pond with 1/3 of pot submerged in water, and 3 shohin bonsai placed in a water tray that I keep full of water as this summer has been brutally hot.
The large ficus lost some leaves and I thought too much water. Then it just exploded and is happy as Larry. The 3 shohin are doing very well too.
To not derail and answer the OG question, I plant mame and small shohin in straight akadama. I mix some akadama into my soil mix as the tree progresses.
OTown
Yamadori
The white cheep stuff from the auto parts store is diatomaceous earth DE. Not akadama. It is different and worthy debate on another thread.
To the op's question. I don't use akadama because it is a bit expensive. I do as Sorce does and use DE when I want something on the wet side.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
I use a mix of akadama, lava and pumice for my tropicals. I prefer something else in the mix to maintain structure in the soil for when the akadama eventually gets soft.
Ugo
Shohin
Hi!
DE all the time for everything that stay's outside here in zone 5b.
My ficus is in 100% akadama, but a slight bigger granulometry at 5mm.
This is my in-between devellopment-rafinement substrate.
Next repot will be done with fine akadama -5mm or even DE because that phase is over for the tree.
DE all the time for everything that stay's outside here in zone 5b.
My ficus is in 100% akadama, but a slight bigger granulometry at 5mm.
This is my in-between devellopment-rafinement substrate.
Next repot will be done with fine akadama -5mm or even DE because that phase is over for the tree.
Last edited:
rhawes
Shohin
UPDATE-
My ficus is doing awesome in the akadama. Just thriving!!! LOL
My ficus is doing awesome in the akadama. Just thriving!!! LOL
