Favorite Online Akadama & Lava Rock Dealers

emk

Mame
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I'm about ready to place my annual online order for Akadama and Lava Rock (no local retailers in my area carry suitable supplies of these materials), and I was wondering if anyone else out there has a preferred online retailer for these soil components. Personally, I've been ordering from Wee Tree Farms for the past few years and been happy with the quality of what I've received.
 

gibmeister

Sapling
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emk,

What quantity do you order. I live in the Akron, OH area and also can not find these materials locally. Any way we could place an order together and possibly save some shipping charges? I would be willing to drive down to Columbus and pick up.

Gib
 

Nubster

Sapling
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I can get Double Red Line Akadama for $39 shipped for a 15L bag. I cannot find a decent price on crushed lava rock though. Nothing local that is. Still looking online.
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
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Try Cass bonsai in St. Louis. The monastery is great but their prices have really jumped up in the last few years., Cass might be cheaper. P

PM me if you're looking for a source for a lot (pallet) of lava rock. I've brokered the purchase of 2 pallets for the club in AL and sold it all both times. Good way to use club funds, bankroll the buy charge a few cents more and call it a fundraiser. Suddenly you have $3.00 gallon bags of lava rock and the club picks up $200 for financing the deal. Win win.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
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EMK, if you do a bulk buy, I'm near Columbus, and would be interested for sure.
Update the thread or PM me...
gibmeister, you have a haydite factory near you, have you ever tried it? I'm thinking of driving up that way for a load of that.
 

crust

Omono
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EMK, if you do a bulk buy, I'm near Columbus, and would be interested for sure.
Update the thread or PM me...
gibmeister, you have a haydite factory near you, have you ever tried it? I'm thinking of driving up that way for a load of that.
I can't say I perfer haydite for finished bonsai but it can usually be had at any place that makes concrete blocks. They usually by it by the yard to make lightwieght block. I convince a local concrete block company to let me buy a 1/4 yard once and just shoveled it into buckets. It was cheap. Much sifting of course.Still am recycling it in general mixes.
 

gibmeister

Sapling
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JudyB,

I went up last year and picked up a pick up truck load. I did 50% small and 50% medium. I have enough to last me a few years now. The stuff is very reasonable if you pick it up yourself.

Gib
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
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Thanks Gib.

Crust, what is it that you don't like about haydite? I'm going to have to source components for next year, so am trying to gather information to get the best possible mix of ingredients. Currently I'm a turface user, but got a small batch of a mix of haydite, river rock, charcoal for this year to try out. I'm hesitant to spend so much for akadama, and I've repotted trees that were growing in akadama that has broken down to mush in our winters here.
Would you share your mix ingredients?
 

Bill S

Masterpiece
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Judy haydite is just smooth chunks of grey, no absorbtion, it works, is lighter than most stone, and it's fairly cheap. Drainage filler.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
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Thanks for this info, I thought haydite was as good at water retention as turface.... Glad to know otherwise.
 

lordy

Omono
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Judy haydite is just smooth chunks of grey, no absorbtion, it works, is lighter than most stone, and it's fairly cheap. Drainage filler.
The haydite I got a few years ago online (ebay?) was brick red and very porous, like pumice almost. Found other products at local shows so never repeated the purchase.
 

Poink88

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Currently I'm a turface user, but got a small batch of a mix of haydite, river rock, charcoal for this year to try out.
Hi Judy,

Are you having any sort of problem with Turface? I am only asking since I started with different mixes (decomposed granite, pine bark, perlite, sphagnum moss, etc.) and slowly gravitated to pure turface. Depending on plant specie, I sometimes add chopped sphagnum moss still. I try to keep it as simple as possible and so far I do not see any reason to "complicate" it again unless there is a reason (which you may provide).

Thanks!
 

FrankP999

Shohin
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The Monastery has this statement on their website:
A note about akadama:
The Double Line Brand company went out of business in early 2011. We have a new supplier who shipped 18 liter bags of akadama of the same hardness as the Double Line Brand.
The USDA has stopped a shipment of akadama from entering the country. Until this situation is resolved, akadama supplies will be tight and prices will be steady.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
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Hi Judy,

Are you having any sort of problem with Turface? I am only asking since I started with different mixes (decomposed granite, pine bark, perlite, sphagnum moss, etc.) and slowly gravitated to pure turface. Depending on plant specie, I sometimes add chopped sphagnum moss still. I try to keep it as simple as possible and so far I do not see any reason to "complicate" it again unless there is a reason (which you may provide).

Thanks!
I'm interested in finding something with a larger grain size. I would try akadama, but I do know that it can break down in cold winter freezing areas. Between that and the cost...

Well not really unhappy with turface, but I've heard such great things about lava, and of course akadama, I just started to look around. I usually use almost straight turface, sometimes 20% bark mix for thirsty trees... I found a mix that I like for pines at The Bonsai Den, haydite, river rock and charcoal. They have a mix with orchid bark as well if you want organic component. I'm trying it out on a few trees this year.
 

MBatcho1

Seedling
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I have Haydite in five gallon buckets for $50 plus shipping. Just throwing that out there...
 

iant

Chumono
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I agree with Judy about grain size... That's my biggest issue with turface is that it you want larger particle size you have to toss 1/2 to 2/3 of the bag.
Ian
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
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I agree with Judy about grain size... That's my biggest issue with turface is that it you want larger particle size you have to toss 1/2 to 2/3 of the bag.
Ian

I toss the fines into my growing beds, use it as filler for material in grow boxes, and as part of my "top-dressing". While only 1/3 of each bag is an ideal size for use as a soil component, it all gets used.

Admittedly, I wish the average granule size was still bigger. 15 years ago, the same 1/8" sieve would retain 2/3 of a bag's contents, and now it only retains 1/3, so it has changed. Fortunately, I found a cheap and local source.
 

Poink88

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Thanks Judy!

Being down south, I need more water retention (at least I believe) so I do not even sift my Turface. I add more decomposed pine bark again since I found a good and cheap supply at Lowe's (labelled as soil conditioner). On newly collected trees, I always add some chopped sphagnum moss which right now seems to be the most expensive part of my soil mix ($/volume wise). The amount of bark and sphagnum is influenced by the plant specie also.

That said, when in a hurry (or in a pinch) I can live with pure Turface on most of my trees, or if need be...mixed with their old "soil" if I deem it good.
 

Bill S

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Seeing as we can get haydite at about $15.00 for (3) 55 gal barrels thats not even close to being neighborly, where are you buying it at that kind of cost?????

Lordy yours sounds more like pumice. Haydite is an expanded shale product.
 
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