Price of Akadama

cquinn

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I think I'm going to have to stick to shohin trees, because I can't afford to buy more than one bag off akadama now. Geeze, what happened? Price is up to $55 a bag. Maybe I'll just repot my bigger trees every 10 yrs.
 

Ang3lfir3

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thats pretty much the regular going price on imported soil.... We usually get together with local clubs and order by the shipping container.... comes out to about $12 or less per bag...

Price is also worse now because of Tsunami etc.... basic economics
 

Kevster

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Use oil dry. It is basically the same thing which is high temperature fired clay. I know many people that use it and I have been using it for a year now.
I buy 40 pounds for around $6.00. Thing is you have to sift it. There is a lot of dust and small pieces that is not usable. Well the small stuff is great for cuttings.

Anyway out of the 40lbs I get about 25 usable pounds.
Check out your local auto part store. I get mine from Napa autoparts.
Which reminds me I need to buy some more!
 

yenling83

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Use oil dry. It is basically the same thing which is high temperature fired clay. I know many people that use it and I have been using it for a year now.
I buy 40 pounds for around $6.00. Thing is you have to sift it. There is a lot of dust and small pieces that is not usable. Well the small stuff is great for cuttings.

Anyway out of the 40lbs I get about 25 usable pounds.
Check out your local auto part store. I get mine from Napa autoparts.
Which reminds me I need to buy some more!

Unfortunately from my experience I have found that akadama is the way to go. I used oil dry then I tried MVP Turface and neither of them seem to serve the same function as Akadama. My trees are a lot healthier after I switched. My trees would grow well in Oil Dry and Turface, but they grow better, faster and stronger when I switched that part of my mix to Akadama. Wow $55/bag is pretty pricy, where do you purchase it from? Also are you mixing it with something else? I just bought a bag I think for $35 in the Bay area. If only someone could start refining it in the U.S! I know there is akadama(a volcanic material) in the U.S. I believe the demand is not high enough yet to make the production worth it. But hopefully someday!
 
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Vance Wood

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Not meaning to be argumentative but it is my suspicion that Akadama should be ranked right up there with Super Thrive according to the legendary qualities of its ingredients, and the questionable results of its uses. But then I may be wrong. I just can't understand spending and literally throwing money in the dump for a product that may or may not be worth the price of it.
 

Mike423

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Unfortunately from my experience I have found that akadama is the way to go. I used oil dry then I tried MVP Turface and neither of them seem to serve the same function as Akadama. My trees are a lot healthier after I switched. My trees would grow well in Oil Dry and Turface, but they grow better, faster and stronger when I switched that part of my mix to Akadama. Wow $55/bag is pretty pricy, where do you purchase it from? Also are you mixing it with something else? I just bought a bag I think for $35 in the Bay area. If only someone could start refining it in the U.S! I know there is akadama(a volcanic material) in the U.S. I believe the demand is not high enough yet to make the production worth it. But hopefully someday!

I agree Akadama seems to work best but can be used in a mixture for similar results. Boons mixture with equal parts Akadama,Lava rock and pumice seems great and would work just about anywhere geographically. I haven't really begun to use this mixture yet due to problems finding a good retailer to purchase pumice from as of yet (going to ask around in my next meeting). Since Akadama is on the pricey side I reserve it for my more quality trees. I pay about $35 a bag as well, which I acquire from a vendor at my local bonsai show.
 

jk_lewis

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Not meaning to be argumentative but it is my suspicion that Akadama should be ranked right up there with Super Thrive according to the legendary qualities of its ingredients, and the questionable results of its uses. But then I may be wrong. I just can't understand spending and literally throwing money in the dump for a product that may or may not be worth the price of it.

I think it's a "the-Japanese-use-it-so-it-MUST-be-the-best" thing. As in other things bonsai, the Japanese used materials that were handy for them -- trees, dirt, and fertilizer.

We should use trees, dirt, and fertilizer that are available around us (wherever "us" is).

The idea of importing dirt has always struck me as being -- if not odd, at lest a bit silly.
 

Ang3lfir3

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Not meaning to be argumentative but it is my suspicion that Akadama should be ranked right up there with Super Thrive according to the legendary qualities of its ingredients, and the questionable results of its uses. But then I may be wrong. I just can't understand spending and literally throwing money in the dump for a product that may or may not be worth the price of it.

personally I think any hard clay will work... when buying the way i described it turns out to be mostly pretty affordable (I hate Oil Dri personally but it works great) ..... if I could get my hands on it I would prefer to use Cal-dama .... ne one know if Royola Pacific is producing Cal-dama again???

so in my case I can tell you it has NOTHING to do with what the Japanese use.... it just happens to have the properties that work well and is available more easily here.... in the Midwest USA you should totally use something else... cuz $50/bag is down right robbery....
 

cquinn

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It used to be $35. Look around the web to see what the new price is now. I know some folks who were buying it in pallets in anticipation of the price hike............some very reputable people in the bonsai community. Word on the street is the primary supplier is tired and wants to retire. I'm sure someone will purchase the mining business though. I didn't want this to turn into a thread about substitutions though. Akadama does not have a substitute at the moment. I do mix it with sand components and fafard #52 mix for deciduous trees.
 

Ang3lfir3

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I know some folks who were buying it in pallets in anticipation of the price hike............some very reputable people in the bonsai community.

Lol I know... We used up a pallet worth already at Elandan .... we were hoping to get another one or two.... its great stuff but not akadama... I actually like it better (and how long can a thread really go on about the price of a commodity??? )
 

Vance Wood

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Lol I know... We used up a pallet worth already at Elandan .... we were hoping to get another one or two.... its great stuff but not akadama... I actually like it better (and how long can a thread really go on about the price of a commodity??? )

It must be the mood I am in at the moment but it seems to me that any discussion about "dirt" is guaranteed to have a long life especialy if it is dirt on somebody.
 

Vance Wood

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By the way Ang3 I am still planning on sending you the Mugo pictures I have just not had the time to go through all of my archieves.
 

Ang3lfir3

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@Vance LOL thaz too funnah !!!

I have much patience!!! I can wait ... it will be worth it!
 

Smoke

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personally I think any hard clay will work... when buying the way i described it turns out to be mostly pretty affordable (I hate Oil Dri personally but it works great) ..... if I could get my hands on it I would prefer to use Cal-dama .... ne one know if Royola Pacific is producing Cal-dama again???

so in my case I can tell you it has NOTHING to do with what the Japanese use.... it just happens to have the properties that work well and is available more easily here.... in the Midwest USA you should totally use something else... cuz $50/bag is down right robbery....

I live in the land of cali dama, in fact next weekend I will be digging 100 year old grape stumps at the farm that has the crusher. There is a lot of cali dama around. You just have to know who to ask. If you want it shipped, that will make it cost prohibitive. Just too heavy.

I have been using akadama for over twenty years. Cali dama is no substitute for akadama and cali dama "is" just clay. Akadama is not. Akadama has an organic component to it that no other clay product on earth has. Just because it comes from Japan does not mean it fits the "Japan it has to be good" badge. If it came from Syria I would still buy it because I know what it can do.

Those that think it snake oil, don't buy it. Leave it for me since I get it cheap and readily available.
 

Si Nguyen

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The red clay in Hawaii is perfect for bonsai too. The kind they grow pineapples in. Somebody should package that up and sell it.
 

Ang3lfir3

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I live in the land of cali dama, in fact next weekend I will be digging 100 year old grape stumps at the farm that has the crusher. There is a lot of cali dama around. You just have to know who to ask. If you want it shipped, that will make it cost prohibitive. Just too heavy.

I have been using akadama for over twenty years. Cali dama is no substitute for akadama and cali dama "is" just clay. Akadama is not. Akadama has an organic component to it that no other clay product on earth has. Just because it comes from Japan does not mean it fits the "Japan it has to be good" badge. If it came from Syria I would still buy it because I know what it can do.

Those that think it snake oil, don't buy it. Leave it for me since I get it cheap and readily available.

I usually fly to Cali for GSBF but maybe next year I can drive.... then maybe if it were possible to get a pallet I could put it in my truck ... :) .... and of course its not the same as akadama.... but they do serve similar purposes.... tho they are different in many ways.... and its great stuff
 

Nubster

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I can get 15L bags of Double Red Line Akadama for $24 plus $15 for usps priority shipping. Unfortunately my only source is ordering it. If I asked for it at my local nursery they'd look at me like I had a parasitic second face growing out of the side of my head. I use Akadama in my aquarium for shrimp because it has excellent water buffering abilities keeping the pH at a rock steady 6.4.
 

rockm

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A gallon isn't much dirt if you have more than one tree. Also, what's the shipping cost?
 

Fangorn

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Seems my local supplier of double redline is not going to be able to get me any akadama this spring. Does anyone here have a place they get it at a reasonable price/shipping online?
 
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