pumice

[YukiShiro]

Hello people

I have a question. How much involume(liters) would a bag of 20kg pumice be?

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Mass = Density * Volume

20 kg = Density * Volume

According to this article, the density of pumice is .95 g/mL, which is what...950 g/L, right? I haven't done conversions in a while. So with that (which could be wrong), .95 kg/L.

So, 20 kg = .95 kg/L * Volume, thus Volume = 20 kg / .95 kg/L which is...21.05 L

Someone check my math, please.

 

[YukiShiro]

Thnx man

Your math is spot on!

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

No problemo.

Thanks for the refresher. I'm going to need to remember conversion stuff for my exam next week. lol

 

[Poink88]

I haven't used pumice yet but someone is selling to our bonsai club sifted small pumice at $18.00 per 5 gallon bucket. Is this a good deal?

View attachment 27558

Thanks!

 

[bonsaibp]

I haven't used pumice yet but someone is selling to our bonsai club sifted small pumice at $18.00 per 5 gallon bucket. Is this a good deal?

View attachment 27558

Thanks!

That's up there. I buy 1 cubic yard of 1/4-3/8" for $49.00 not sifted. Try to find a place that sells bulk soil products. You'll also need a pickup to haul it in.

 

[yenling83]

I haven't used pumice yet but someone is selling to our bonsai club sifted small pumice at $18.00 per 5 gallon bucket. Is this a good deal?

View attachment 27558

Thanks!

That seems super expensive to me. I get mine at Air Vol Block in San Luis Obispo, CA and I could get ten 5 gallon buckets for about $10. They usually sell it by the yard, but then again somethings are much harder to get in diff states.

 

[Poink88]

Bob & Yenling, Thanks!

Yukishiro...sorry for the hijack.

 

[misfit11]

Try Dry Stall. It is pumice used in horse stalls. It is in the right grain size for bonsai and is readily available at animal feed stores.

http://www.drystall.com/

 

[frozenoak]

Thanks for the link Misfit11. I'll be picking some up this weekend.

 

[rockm]

Prices for pumice east of the Mississippi are substantially higher than they are west of it. Primarily because of shipping costs. What's "unreasonable" in California can be "reasonable in Texas.

The pumice that Californians take for granted is rarely available in bulk east of the Mississippi. We use stuff like dry stall that doesn't quite fit the "usual" description.

FWIW, "Vole Block" may or may not be pumice. Permatill, or Stalite, is an expanded shale (slate)product (high fired in a kiln) used to keep the critters away from bulbs and plants, but it's not really pumice per se. It's also mostly too coarse to use in bonsai soil.

 

[Poink88]

Thanks rockm. Good to know about Dry Stall and I will check it out.

For now, I decided to stay with my tried and tested substrate...Turface

 

[dpowell]

The best pumice I've been able to find in CA is dry stall. It's cheap, but you have to sift/wash it quite well before use otherwise it leaves a lot of muck in your pots.

 

[bonsaibp]

The best pumice I've been able to find in CA is dry stall. It's cheap, but you have to sift/wash it quite well before use otherwise it leaves a lot of muck in your pots.

That's the case with any pumice. The powder will turn into a concrete like substance in your pot if not washed and sifted first.

 

[logan3]

I pay around 9$ for a 40lb bag of Drystall @ my local feed store. The stuff works great.

 

[Poink88]

I contacted Dry stall and was informed that they do not have a supplier in Austin TX

I am told however to check McCoys since they (at one time) used to carry it.

 

[bonsaibp]

The best pumice I've been able to find in CA is dry stall. It's cheap, but you have to sift/wash it quite well before use otherwise it leaves a lot of muck in your pots.

I would check the internet or call around to large landscape places that sell bulk soil mixes and amendments. Often they'll have pumice.

 

[rockm]

"contacted Dry stall and was informed that they do not have a supplier in Austin TX

I am told however to check McCoys since they (at one time) used to carry it."



Ya gotta look harder... Ask to sift the bottom of this pile over in Round Rock

http://www.989rock.com/products/gravels/red-lava-gravel.html

 

[Poink88]

Ya gotta look harder... Ask to sift the bottom of this pile over in Round Rock

Hmmm, I won't go that low. FYI, I have been buying my Turface from Wittlesey until I found a closer supplier (Ewing).

Thanks anyway.

 

[Dav4]

I contacted Dry stall and was informed that they do not have a supplier in Austin TX

I am told however to check McCoys since they (at one time) used to carry it.

Try local feed stores...that's where I'm going to get mine.