Crushed coral - bonsai mix?

[Paul F.]

Any one ever use crushed coral in bonsai mix? It does have some sea shells in it though. My neighbors house was lost in the hurricane and there's a ton of this where his house used to be. I was sifting it yesterday and got about 20 lbs.. I felt like I was in an episode of gold rush, panning my life away. Its probably not good anyway but hey, what the heck. I can ask, right?

 

[River's Edge]

Any one ever use crushed coral in bonsai mix? It does have some sea shells in it though. My neighbors house was lost in the hurricane and there's a ton of this where his house used to be. I was sifting it yesterday and got about 20 lbs.. I felt like I was in an episode of gold rush, panning my life away. Its probably not good anyway but hey, what the heck. I can ask, right?

View attachment 196842

View attachment 196843

I have not used it for Bonsai. Would not reccomend it as chemically it would raise the general hardness, carbonate hardness, and PH level.
Coral has a PH of approximately 8 too high for most Bonsai. It may have a limited use in raising the PH if the rest of the soil mix was too acidic.

 

[Lorax7]

Crushed coral is quite basic. It’s mostly calcium carbonate and it will raise the pH of water significantly. Most trees like a neutral or low (acidic) pH. So, no, I would not use it in a soil mix.

 

[just.wing.it]

Maybe sprinkle in a little bit for azaleas!

 

[TN_Jim]

I would think that if you have species that primarily occur on or love limestone, this could be an ideal component.
For example, the several ERC I have that keep me humbly scratching my head...or even something crazy like the gnarled woody St. John’s wort I’ve seen and pondered..Hypericum fondosum I think it is

 

[Paul F.]

Wow.. thanks for all the good info. I had no idea about the PH. Damn, all the sifting for nothing! Oh well!

 

[Lorax7]

Wow.. thanks for all the good info. I had no idea about the PH. Damn, all the sifting for nothing! Oh well!

You could still make use of it if you have a saltwater aquarium or a freshwater aquarium for African cichlids.

 

[Paul F.]

You could still make use of it if you have a saltwater aquarium or a freshwater aquarium for African cichlids.

I dont have a aquarium but my buddy does. I guess ill have to give it to him... I wanted to grow a Japanese Orchid Tree (Bauhinia purpurea, I think) I read that they love limestone or lime soils..I wonder if this would be good for that?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Maybe sprinkle in a little bit for azaleas!

Wrong direction on the pH scale...

 

[milehigh_7]

Wrong direction on the pH scale...

I was going to mention that I believe this would be akin to using TUMS for potting medium. I believe I heard the pH of coral is quite high. Maybe test the pH and let us know?

 

[just.wing.it]

Wrong direction on the pH scale...

Oh....?....thanks!

 

[Anthony]

Coral = mostly calcium / a little strontium / smidgin barium cabonate
Google to the rescue.

Our seagrape, and buttonwood live on clay soils.

BUT Paul you have companies around Miami handling silica.
And you can grow in perlite and the commercial peatmoss/ perlite big bags.
Try shallow pots / saucers-less than 3 inches deep and many drainage holes.
Google.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Paul F.]

Coral = mostly calcium / a little strontium / smidgin barium cabonate
Google to the rescue.

Our seagrape, and buttonwood live on clay soils.

BUT Paul you have companies around Miami handling silica.
And you can grow in perlite and the commercial peatmoss/ perlite big bags.
Try shallow pots / saucers-less than 3 inches deep and many drainage holes.
Google.
Good Day
Anthony

ANthony, I get my normal substrate material when I need it. Napa Oil Dry, Turface and Perlite, etc that sort of stuff but I was just wondering with so much of this crushed coral right in front of my house, I figured I could use it.

 

[Lorax7]

Here’s an article about trees that can tolerate high pH. You might want to measure the pH of your crushed coral and mix with other soil components to bring the pH down into range if it’s too high.

http://www.canr.msu.edu/hrt/uploads/535/78626/RightTreeAlkalineSoilred.pdf

 

[Paul F.]

Here’s an article about trees that can tolerate high pH. You might want to measure the pH of your crushed coral and mix with other soil components to bring the pH down into range if it’s too high.

http://www.canr.msu.edu/hrt/uploads/535/78626/RightTreeAlkalineSoilred.pdf

Thanks dude, that was a good read.

 

[sorce]

all the sifting for nothing

I disagree.

There is an appropriate amount of soil to sift at once ...and a direction and style of shake ...and number of shakes...to sift your soil most efficiently.
This can only be learned with practice and observation.

Of course...I only have a small sifter so my saved time here is great.

But even large auto sifting machines deal with the same physics...so while time saved may be less....it is still time saved.

Time...(read my WP quote below)
Oh wrong one...but that time could be used to contemplate more artistic trees too!

Sorce