Michael P
Omono
My experience with both STS and NAPA 8822 is that the fines flush out with the first two or three thorough waterings.
Safe T Sorb experiment
- Thread starter Joe Dupre'
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Joe Dupre'
Omono
Michael, that "....My experience with ....." is the take-away point. You didn't read it in a book or on the internet, you experienced it.
Peconomou
Yamadori
quick slightly off track question...where is a place to buy pine bark for my soil mix in Massachusetts (Worcester)?
Joe Dupre'
Omono
I use Hapi Gro 100% organic compost from Lowe's. It's basically composted pine bark. I sift out the fines and anything over 3/8" or so. Those go into my homemade potting soil. I usually get 50-70 percent usable product out of a bag.
Arlithrien
Shohin
There's a lot of Turface or calcinated clay absorbents out there, they seem to be functionally the same with main differences in color (red, brown, black etc). I have one crape myrtle in a mix of pine bark chunks and unsifted black turface (thrifty-sorb) but those trees will grow in anything.
DE and Turface are very similar, since Turface is like ~66% silica (diatoms) and the ~33% alumina (clay), where DE is 80-90% silica.
DE has worked well for me the last couple of years. After the first year or so it starts to turn green from algae growth within its pores. I believe this to be a good thing because the soil itself drains well but maintains humidity within each granule to support life. I would recommend mixing DE/Turface with at least one other component because of its flat shape it has a tendency to compact into itself. This second year, I've began mulching with a top-layer of pine bark nuggets onto my DE in pond baskets to keep it from drying out so quickly and perhaps to keep the roots insulated. I like to think that this helps overall. During the rainy season I rarely have to water.
DE and Turface are very similar, since Turface is like ~66% silica (diatoms) and the ~33% alumina (clay), where DE is 80-90% silica.
DE has worked well for me the last couple of years. After the first year or so it starts to turn green from algae growth within its pores. I believe this to be a good thing because the soil itself drains well but maintains humidity within each granule to support life. I would recommend mixing DE/Turface with at least one other component because of its flat shape it has a tendency to compact into itself. This second year, I've began mulching with a top-layer of pine bark nuggets onto my DE in pond baskets to keep it from drying out so quickly and perhaps to keep the roots insulated. I like to think that this helps overall. During the rainy season I rarely have to water.
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