Got akadama?

[buddhamonk]

After a year of searching I finally restocked on enough akadama for the next decade

Apparently folks in California are still importing tons of that stuff...

 

[Anthony]

Just wondering,
I was told on BSG that Akadama was just pumice. I thought the US had tons of that stuff around ?
Good Evening.
Anthony

 

[Dav4]

Just wondering,
I was told on BSG that Akadama was just pumice. I thought the US had tons of that stuff around ?
Good Evening.
Anthony

I think the word "pumice", as it is used here, is referring broadly to any number of different soil types that are volcanic in origin. Akadama is considered a type of pumice due to its volcanic origin, but is quite different from the pumice, or lava for that matter, that we have available in the states. I'm no geologist, but that's my understanding of it.

 

[Beng]

Is this from the BSOP order? If so I have about 6 bags i'll be picking up when i'm out there in october! Another member was kind enough to hold mine till i'm out there next.

From the pic it looks perfect.

 

[Anthony]

Dav4,

found this

Akadama
51.3 SiO2
38.05 Al203
1.94 MgO
0.26 MnO
0.78 CaO
7.67 Fe2O3

references to it being a red ball clay, and fired to soft, medium, hard states. The medium being the best for Bonsai.
The Kanuma is listed as Pumice.

If the above is correct, you should be able to find that easily in the US.
In fact I also saw a reference to a material from Hawaii, from BonsaiNut's archives that is similar to Akadama, but I didn't stop to read the entries.

Ausbonsai also had a few entries on the subject.
Good Evening.
Anthony

 

[BigDave]

If the above is correct, you should be able to find that easily in the US.

uh huh,its here . I live 30 minutes from Tecate Mexico. They have vast supplies of raw clay materials and make scads of Red clay tiles for roofing etc. Have had lots of training pots made in the past down there. but...

Its just ...do we want to make clay soil or work on bonsai...?

Also when I went to the factory and told them about low fired clay nuggets they looked at me like I had head made of guacamole ...which Is partially true

good growing,

Big D

 

[Anthony]

Big D,

I saw something on Turface being a fired clay, additionally, I know the Europeans also use Lecca, an expanded clay product.

Down here if you go to the brick factory, there is a 40 x 40 x 60 foot room filled with crushed brick. It's free and with three friends, in less than an hour with a home-made rocking sieve you have enough to last a few years.

What I didn't know or understand was -

[1] Why didn't anyone just write the Japanese company and ask for a properties sheet for the Akadama used for bonsai ???????

[2] That Akadama is fired at 3 different temperatures.

We have naturally fired clay from underground gas fires [ this island produces oil ] and the clay is not as hard as the brick, but can be brought up to any temperature.
It is also free, you just have to sieve it.

Lastly, we also have a deposit of yellow stone, that is porous, and resists decay, it grows trees exceptionally well.

I guess, I was always curious about Akadama, but stupidly not curious enough to write the Japanese company as well - ha ha - I laugh at my self.
Good Afternoon.
Anthony

 

[Poink88]

[1] Why didn't anyone just write the Japanese company and ask for a properties sheet for the Akadama used for bonsai ???????

... not curious enough to write the Japanese company as well - ha ha - I laugh at my self.
Good Afternoon.

Anthony,

It is hard to communicate with Japanese companies sometimes. Not sure if it is much easier now but before, they will usually ignore you because they cannot read your message or cannot respond in English even if they want to.

 

[Anthony]

Dario,

on our side we speak DIALECT english. The Japanese have a reputation of being very helpful, especially the folk at the embassy.

As I typed, should have just used my noodle and asked them about Akadama, would have cleared up a great deal of confusion.

Thanks for responding and hope you are enjoying your good fortune, especially the tools.
Good Afternoon.
Anthony

 

[buddhamonk]

Is this from the BSOP order? If so I have about 6 bags i'll be picking up when i'm out there in october! Another member was kind enough to hold mine till i'm out there next.

From the pic it looks perfect.

Yes it is from the BSOP order. Are you planning on loading up a car and driving across the country? Is Akadama now impossible to find on the East coast as well?

As far as finding local clay that is similar to akadama... I prefer to just stick to akadama at this point. Why put expensive trees in some unknown soil just to save a few bucks. I'll let the experimenting to others....

 

[Beng]

Yes it is from the BSOP order. Are you planning on loading up a car and driving across the country? Is Akadama now impossible to find on the East coast as well?

As far as finding local clay that is similar to akadama... I prefer to just stick to akadama at this point. Why put expensive trees in some unknown soil just to save a few bucks. I'll let the experimenting to others....

No definitely not. I plan on shipping it back in USPS flat rate boxes when i'm out for the Artisans Cup. Will cost me about 15 per bag but that's still much cheaper then where I got mine from last year on the east coast. Was happy to learn that a nursery soon to open in my area will be stocking it in the future though.

Only DRL Akadama is banned, other heat treated akadama can still be imported without a problem.