Georgia red clay ?

[Biru brooms]

I was wondering if anyone ever tried this as bonsai soil?

 

[Dav4]

Nope, though I've briefly thought about it when trying to dig a hole in my yard and hit that hard pan crap that you need a pick ax or explosives to break up. I suspect it might be similar to calidama but will leave the mining and refinement to others. The soft red clay is definitely a no go.

 

[coachspinks]

Hard pan - the earth's way of saying "Dig somewhere else"
Even if Georgia red clay were discovered to be great for bonsai I wouldn't use it out of spite.

 

[rockm]

I was wondering if anyone ever tried this as bonsai soil?

No. we have red clay here in Va. also. Clay soil is death for containerized bonsai. Clay is made up of extremely fine particles. Wet clay is used to make pottery. Over time that's what it does in a bonsai pot.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

No! If anything, I wash it all off the roots I collect. It’s like planting in wood glue.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Anyone ever calcined it?

 

[Biru brooms]

Thanks for the head up on southern red soil I been trying to find new alternative for bonsai instead of buying soils