Clay balls in soil.

maroun.c

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Couple years back I had a lot of issues with soul and all I could find was pumice and clay balls in different sizes. There was a discussion about crushing the clay balls or not, and arguments were:
- Round clay ball will leave some oxygen space in between them.
- Air between clay balls might be too much.
- Crushed clay balls might make it too compact.
- Sharp edges from crushed clay balls might injure soft roots.

Fast forward 2 years were mid summer and I'm cleaning some weed that sprouted in some of the pots and many of the weed I pulled came out attached to clay balls where the roots went through the balls. All of these were crushed clay balls ( I had crushed only 20 percent of clay balls I used). If I remember correctly media that allowed roots to penetrate is well desired in bonsai soil. I will conform.in 1-2 years when I repot some of the trees to see if round clay balls allowed roots to go through as well but as I have a few trees to repot in few months do u think I should crush more of the clay balls?
Screenshot_20190819-081955_Gallery.jpg
 

sorce

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If I remember correctly media that allowed roots to penetrate is well desired in bonsai soil

That's that BD they are talking about Akadama, and how it ramifies....
Fucking bullshit.

DE does it the same without entry, which means less breakdown, less frequent repots, and better tree health.

I despise shit that allows roots to grow into it and NOT fall apart. Like Bark etc.

All it does is ruin roots at repot and make it harder to pot in a super shallow container.

Sorce
 

Anthony

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Hand rolled 8 mm earthenware balls were used for grpwing
a local willow ficus.
Just added 1 part aged compost to then 9 parts fired clay.
Tree has been in the mix for at least 5 years.
Doing very well.
Good Day
Anthony

* not sure roots are affected by sharp clay.
not sure about the akadama claim either.

Local ficus
ficus p2.jpg


hand rolled balls

Ficus p2 b.jpg
 

Mayank

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Man, I must be behind the times.....All I use is the premade bonsai soil at our local bonsai resource (used to be Bonsai Hut in Westland and now The Flower Market in Dundee). Comes in 25 lb bags, has lava rock, pumice, akadama, etc and then I sieve it to grade, etc. Mr. Hanna, our sensei, always had us add some organic humus or so to make it an 80% inorg, 20% org mix but I'm starting to stray away from that to an almost all inorganic mix.
What are clay balls?
😊
 

amatbrewer

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DE does it the same without entry, which means less breakdown, less frequent repots, and better tree health.
I don't know enough to have an informed opinion on its affect on bonsai pro/con (I am leaning towards Source's position), but I will say I have found roots growing through pices of 8822. Not many, but some.
Of course as has already been reported the hardness of 8822 can vary depending on the area, and I think what is available in my area many be softer than others. "So your mileage may vary"
 

Anthony

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40 years of growing bonsai from seed/ cuttng / seedling.
Discovered that a simple mix of 5 mm silica based gravel
plus up to 1/3 of the mix being aged compost would
keep anything healthy.

The clay balls [ Leca - hydroponics ] was an experiment.
Used a tree that did not need much water to grow well.

So our soils are based on up to 90 % inorganic.

For trees that are more thirsty.
We introduce an inorganic that holds water.
So it looks like this 35 -35 inorganic plus 30 organic
Good Day
Anthony
 

maroun.c

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Will check for aged compost.and add a bit to the clay and maybe some pumice for better drainage?
I thought compost would hold water???
 

0soyoung

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Those Hydroton beads work well if you smash them up (and wash out the fines/dust before you use them). It is a huge pain to smash them up, though.
 

Anthony

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Aged compost is simply sifted compost left just moist
in a covered container for x months. The weeds that survived the
composting, germinate in the dark and die.

The proper figure for compost and peat moss.

Compost holds 2 times it's weight in water.
Peat moss holds 1.5 it's weight in water.

I left the earlier exaggerated figures to see if anyone was reading
up -------- nope.

If your climate is more like the US with 3 to 5 months of humid
weather - 100% and at night as well.
Look at using less compost.
We are only 80%humidity with full rain.

Leca makes all sizes of the fired clay pebbles.
The under 5 mm are used for [ memory ] playing fields.

So if you write to them you can ask for 5/4/3 mm pebbles.

You would be able to just use a little compost and say 90 % of the
5 mm pebbles.
Or if you had the time just make the pebbles and ask a potter
to fire them.

A jeweller can handle your copper wire supply as well.
We draw the wire here, very simple, save we are doing gold
alloys, or Titanium / Niobium / Tantalum for jewllery.Another hobby
down here.
Good Day
Anthony
 

Anthony

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@maroun.c

an update and an example of Leca based soil.
Good Day
Anthony

As the Ficus p. is today
about 8 years in the soil mix.

f p.jpg

About 8 years in Leca.
Compost as it ages becomes spheres.
No drainage problems.
This ficus does not like a lot of water.

ficus p 1.jpg
 

maroun.c

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@maroun.c

an update and an example of Leca based soil.
Good Day
Anthony

As the Ficus p. is today
about 8 years in the soil mix.

View attachment 258719

About 8 years in Leca.
Compost as it ages becomes spheres.
No drainage problems.
This ficus does not like a lot of water.

View attachment 258720
Thanks for the info, and pictures. Will definitely try that.
Beautiful trees!
 

Anthony

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If you need more, go to IBC [ internet bonsai club ]
search for the name Yvonne Graebeck [ Danish lady - try 2010]
She grew ficus trees in Leca.
Good Day
Anthony
 
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