Decomposed granite in bonsai soils

[James H]

What is everyone thoughts on using decomposed granite in their bonsai soil mix? I live in an area where it is readily available and find trees growing in it naturally. I was thinking of using it as part of my soil mix and it would be sifted down for set sizes.

 

[Eric Group]

It it fine as an additive

Adds some weight to the mix, drains well but holds a little water.. Comes in sizes suitable for bonsai. Pretty good stuff. It is too heavy to use as a major part of the mix on a large tree though I think.. Would make a heavy tree unmanageable very fast.

 

[PaulH]

I used it for years but trees just do better in akadama/pumice/lave mix. Its very important to sift DG very well if you use it because it packs pretty tightly.

 

[Dav4]

Heavy, heavy, heavy!! Large potted trees with granite in the mix can be quite difficult to move, at least by myself. I replaced it with lava yeas ago...hasn't been part of my mix since

 

[sorce]

Sounds good(for some reason) when it's called decomposed granite.

7 on the Mohs.

It's really just rocks!
(not to be confused with, IT really just rocks)

Sorce

 

[armetisius]

Since it is so plentiful I would probably use it as part of my soil mix----
in my GROWING OUT BED. However, for all the reasons pointed
out above, your potted work would be a shift over to another mix. It
may save yourself the herniated discs you would produce using it for
much more than a medium small bonsai.

 

[Anthony]

We have a source of it from Canada. Just a mix of 5 mm average particle size, since it is crushed, and compost [ less than 1/3 by volume ] grows anything well. Please note we have 6 months on average of no rain, and 6 months at around 6 " of rain.
Max high in summer / for the year - under 93 deg.F

Good Day
Anthony

 

[barrosinc]

and what about fired clay bricks bashed with a sledge hammer?

 

[armetisius]

and what about fired clay bricks bashed with a sledge hammer?

Will still need to sieve it for size but I don't see why not.
High fired clay is high fired clay regardless of its source.
Crushed brick has been used in alpine/scree gardens for
quite some time.

 

[Anthony]

Max,

if there is a brick factory near you, they will have a room for crushed red brick. Across here we get permission from the folk at the factory to sift, and so many buckets later, a year or two's supply.
One of our soil ingredients since 1980 or so.

The heaps outside an older factory, had mimosa pudica growing all over them.

Good Day
Anthony

 

[LeftHandLuke]

Sounds good(for some reason) when it's called decomposed granite.

7 on the Mohs.

It's really just rocks!
(not to be confused with, IT really just rocks)

Sorce

Sorce - You were being an ass way back in 2015!

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

I used it for years but trees just do better in akadama/pumice/lave mix. Its very important to sift DG very well if you use it because it packs pretty tightly.

This same answer for me too.