Anyone used Pro’s Choice Select Sports Field Conditioner for soil mix

[waydeo]

I found a distributor for " Pro’s Choice Select Sports Field Conditioner " in Gerorgia for about $12 a 40 lb bag. Has anyone tested/ used this for bonsai soil ? It looks simular to turface .

 

[waydeo]

Here's the website http://proschoice1.com/products/
And a link to their PDF'S http://proschoice1.com/resources/

 

[Mellow Mullet]

There are much better things to use, but if that is all you can get, it works, or at least Turface does. I used Turface for a while when I could not get anything else and the trees seemed to do well. There was a thread a while back about it building pockets that were hydrophobic but it did not seem to much of a problem for me. The best particle shape, regardless of what you use, is more rounded for better air exchange. Turface, and the like, are more flat and tend to compact more.

 

[waydeo]

Mellow mullet what are you using now ?

 

[Deleted member 32750]

I would recommend against using turface or any similar products for bonsai soil. It holds way too much water in the interior of the pot and the structure of the particle is very flat and sharp. If you look at the root system of tree that was potted in turface you will see all the roots are on the outside of the rootball and there are no roots on the inside. This is because the roots are trying to escape the environment created by turface. Potting in turface and similar materials will create an anemic root system and will not develop a ‘shin’ which is the area of the root system just under the trunk and translates to the heart of the root system. Healthy shin = healthy trees

 

[waydeo]

What's the best recomendations for soil mix ? What local amendments is everyone using ? I haven't found any akadama, pumice , or lava rock locally. I can order those but shipping is expensive. I can get chicken/ turkey grit at a feed store, not the best but it's cheap. I know it doesn't help with water holding but I can water twice a day. Alternatives ? I'm trying to find coarse sand . I think I have found some good pine bark fines at Lowe's for my azaleas. I would like to make a big batch for my future seedlings . Any Suggestions for soil mix I can make with local products?

 

[19Mateo83]

The pros choice select has a finer grain size than your probably wanting. The bag I got was all 1/8”- It still has its uses though, it’s good for seedlings. I find the oilsorb from tractor supply to have a little larger grain size but still lots 1/8”- Bonsai jack is a good place to find coarser turface.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Mellow mullet what are you using now ?

I use 1/4" pumice and lava mixed with pine bark. 40/40/20 ratio.

 

[Deleted member 32750]

If you’re just growing stuff out you can use organics in your mix i like perlite and peat or coco for young plants and fine bark nuggets and pumice for slightly older plants im growing out. For older plants there is really no substitute for Akadama, punice, kiryu, lava etc

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I would recommend against using turface or any similar products for bonsai soil. It holds way too much water in the interior of the pot and the structure of the particle is very flat and sharp. If you look at the root system of tree that was potted in turface you will see all the roots are on the outside of the rootball and there are no roots on the inside. This is because the roots are trying to escape the environment created by turface. Potting in turface and similar materials will create an anemic root system and will not develop a ‘shin’ which is the area of the root system just under the trunk and translates to the heart of the root system. Healthy shin = healthy trees

That is not simply not true, at least in my experience. Are you speaking from personal experience or is this something you have read. Nearly all of my trees have been in Turface at one time or another, either all or some part of the soil and they all were healthy.

Also, roots typically grow outward, it is what the do, a reflection of the canopy.

John

 

[Deleted member 32750]

That is not simply not true, at least in my experience. Are you speaking from personal experience or is this something you have read. Nearly all of my trees have been in Turface at one time or another, either all or some part of the soil and they all were healthy.

Also, roots typically grow outward, it is what the do, a reflection of the canopy.

John

I am speaking from my experience with purchasing plants that were grown in tuface and then observing the state of the roots when repotting.

I am also reiterating the opinions and experiences of highly renowned bonsai professionals who have openly spoken out against the use of turface as a soil component.

Yes roots grow outward. In a container roots grow down and out first then they circle the outside of the rootball against the wall of the container. They also occupy the interior of an established root system.

what i have observed with plants grown in turface is a complete absence of roots in the interior of the rootball - you literally pick away and the bottom on the rootball and all the turface falls out of the interior. You would never see this with APL mix or even organics.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

So, what you are saying is that you haven't actually grown anything in Turface, right?

 

[19Mateo83]

So, what you are saying is that you haven't actually grown anything in Turface, right?

Shots fired

 

[Deleted member 32750]

What I’m saying is that based on the subpar results I’ve seen from those that do grow plants in turface that its not worth it for me to waste my time or money to even attempt to grow anything in turface.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Not really trying to fire any shots, just looking for the truth. The OP asked if it was usable, and it is. I used it when my budget was small, it worked. A two dollar bag of soil conditioner (pine bark) and Turface (or the like) will work. I still use it for some things. I have moved on mostly to lava/pumice. Actually, yesterday, I just got a shipment of 2 tons of each.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

What I’m saying is that based on the subpar results I’ve seen from those that do grow plants in turface that its not worth it for me to waste my time or money to even attempt to grow anything in turface.

So that would be a "no", right?

 

[BrightsideB]

There is a place called plant city bonsai in north ga. I usually go twice a year it takes an hour and a half but it is fun and they have good supplies. Prices are good. I never had good results with turface. If this was good medium for soil it wouldn’t be a question. But it is cheap just try it out.

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[Deleted member 32750]

This is a japanese black pine I started last year from seedling cutting. This picture was taken when i repotted earlier this year in march. This is one growing season worth of root growth and approximately one year from seed. The growing medium was 3:1 perlite to peat moss and both components were purchased from Lowes at a very affordable price.

Notice how ramified the roots are and notice the roots under the trunk/stem this is what will become the ‘shin’ or the heart of the root system.

I have never seen a root system like this in any pre-bonsai plant that i have purchased that was grown in turface. In fact, this one year old JBP had the same caliper and more rootage than a 4 year old JBP that i bought from a renowned pre-bonsai vendor that uses turface.

If you want to use Turface by all means go ahead, but the only appeal of it as a soil medium is because its cheap right? I strongly feel that there are components that are as cheap or cheaper that will yeild far better results.

 

[waydeo]

Plant city is on my list of places to go . Just trying to find amendments locally for growing out seedlings. Everyone has been very helpful in this endeavor .

 

[19Mateo83]

@waydeo I have heard good things about expanded shale if you can find it.