Turface Is The Worst?

[Bunjeh]

Are you sure 20 pounds is 2 cubic feet? Seems awfully light. 40 pounds is about 1 cubic foot when I order it.

Scott

You are right. It's a 40 pound bag and it's one cubic foot. I was confusing it with the D.E. Where out here are the good local sources for pumice? Everytime I google it I get directed to Eastern, WA and the gas alone (even at 1.99) makes buying retail worth it.

BTW: What are doing in Moscow? Russian Linguist here (DLI 8/"88).

 

[Bunjeh]

TE Walrath. Found 'em. Thanks!

 

[Bunjeh]

Yup. Fill your own 5 gallon bucket of 3/8 - pumice for $5.00. Thanks again.

 

[markyscott]

There you go. Glad that I worked out!

In Russia on a business trip - been coming here for years. Every winter it seems. I love this town.

Scott

 

[sikadelic]

When I sift bags of pumice I get very little. I'll maybe be able to keep a fifth of the bag, if even that.

I purchased 2 bags last year from a Mom and Pops farm store. There was, like any other mix, a decent amount of waste but I had MUCH more than a fifth of the bag left after sifting. I might have had a fifth of waste though.

 

[mcpesq817]

I purchased 2 bags last year from a Mom and Pops farm store. There was, like any other mix, a decent amount of waste but I had MUCH more than a fifth of the bag left after sifting. I might have had a fifth of waste though.

That's been my experience with Dry Stall as well.

 

[jeanluc83]

I'll agree with Chris that Dry Stall is hard to source in the Northeast. Before moving out of MA, I called Agway to see if they could have some some Dry Stall shipped to a store near me. If I recall correctly, the closest bag they could find for me was in a store in Virginia...and the bag was ripped open. Even down here in GA, I've got to drive close to an hour to get to the nearest supplier.

I've had good luck getting it here in CT. The local Agway stocks it for about $18 a bag.

 

[Giga]

I've had good luck getting it here in CT. The local Agway stocks it for about $18 a bag.

I tried 3 places over the weekend to find pumice local. It was all stall dry and a powder material, very frustrating. Have to order online!

 

[michaelj]

I used turface in 2012 and 2013, and phased it out last year after reading that Hagedorn article. This year, having repotted some trees that were in pure turface or mixes that included a lot of turface, not only am I done with it, I'm going to repot *almost everything that is currently in it, replacing it with mixes that are primarily pumice and/or DE. Many of the trees in turface were soaking wet 3 or 4 inches down the pot, and the root systems were as one would expect under those circumstances.

*I might recycle some of my used turface for repotting my bald cypress trees. Those things actually love to sit in water.

 

[Smoke]

I used turface in 2012 and 2013, and phased it out last year after reading that Hagedorn article. This year, having repotted some trees that were in pure turface or mixes that included a lot of turface, not only am I done with it, I'm going to repot *almost everything that is currently in it, replacing it with mixes that are primarily pumice and/or DE. Many of the trees in turface were soaking wet 3 or 4 inches down the pot, and the root systems were as one would expect under those circumstances.

*I might recycle some of my used turface for repotting my bald cypress trees. Those things actually love to sit in water.

There is nothing wrong with the actual turface. What is wrong is the particle size. The small size is what keeps the soil wet. If you could get turface about 1/4 to 3/8 even I would use it.

 

[0soyoung]

There is nothing wrong with the actual turface. What is wrong is the particle size. The small size is what keeps the soil wet. If you could get turface about 1/4 to 3/8 even I would use it.

I am just gobsmacked that any medium can be 'wet' in Fresno.

 

[Smoke]

I am just gobsmacked that any medium can be 'wet' in Fresno.

I water once a day even when it is 110 degrees. Couldn't do it without akadama.

 

[fredman]

Pumice is my best friend. It holds water just as good as it releases it. Don't want to think about anything else, talk about anything else or look at anything else..... (maybe its because I cant get anything else)

 

[fredman]

Pumice is abundant and very cheap here. One can pick it up along the rivers and lakes, ranging from matchbox to car engine in size. I have a few Satsukis planted in hollowed out pumice blocks. The roots grows readily into the pumice and they thrive in it. I soak the blocks in water until its saturated once per week....

 

[markyscott]

Pumice is abundant and very cheap here. One can pick it up along the rivers and lakes, ranging from matchbox to car engine in size. I have a few Satsukis planted in hollowed out pumice blocks. The roots grows readily into the pumice and they thrive in it. I soak the blocks in water until its saturated once per week....

Do you have any native New Zealand trees to show us? I'd love to see...

Scott

 

[fredman]

No sorry Scott. Nothing in bonsai pots as yet. Only been in NZ for 10 years and doing bonsai here for the last 5. Still growing the natives on in the ground and nursery pots.
Some NZ trees has evolved a defence strategy that is very frustrating to a bonsaist. They have an immature, intermediate and mature growth pattern. They grow themselves into a shrub like ball of tangled twigs to protect the leaves from predation from mostly the now extinct Moa birds. They only produce the tiniest of leaves then.
Later when they are higher and upright they change into a recognisable different looking tree with different looking leaves. Other trees around the world does that to, but these are very pronounced...Very frustrating to work with them going through those stages. They remind me of us humans going through our stages.

 

[badatusernames]

Just came across this article on Google actually. Was curious what folks thought of Turface six months later, and for those who don't use it, I was curious what they use for things like rooting cuttings etc. where you may not want to use The Good Stuff just in case it never takes.

 

[RJG2]

I haven't used turface, but for cuttings I use the smallest stuff (but not dust) that comes out when I sift pumice and DE.

The smallest screen is 1/20th inch, and second smallest is 1/12th" - so anything between those two I use for cuttings.