Kleensorb/Diatomaceous earth... Any ideas on where to get?

[Damian Bee]

Try Pumice too...

http://www.australianperlite.com/

[GavinG]

Hi Morenito, and welcome to the forum.

You are just in time - the Canberra Bonsai Society will be bringing in diatomite and zeolite in the next month or two. The next meeting is next Saturday at the Hughes Community Centre from around 9am. I think the only other alternative is Enfield Produce in Sydney.

Growers here have mixed diatomite with zeolite, pine bark nuggets, coco peat and sifted potting mix - search "Soil Mix" for proportions if you want to know. Even my small trees have survived Canberra in diatomite/pumice mix, with 20% coco peat to retain water, watering once a day in summer.

Gavin

[Morenito]

Hi Gavin,

Thanks for your welcome!

That's great news - I guess I should become a member of the Canberra Bonsai Society then. Does it cost much to join? Do you have a link I can jump on?

Thanks for your reply.

[GavinG]

http://www.cbs.org.au/

See you Saturday.

Gavin

[Morenito]

Thanks Gavin, c u then.

[Scott Roxburgh]

I'll have pumice from sydney in 25 litre bags available for sale at the cbs meeting this sat too if you are interested. It has been quite popular but let me know and i'll hold you a bag.

[Morenito]

Hi Scott,

I've never used pumice before. Is it finely crushed? How much do the bags cost?

I probably wouldn't buy it as I'll be catching a bus and it might get a bit awkward! Thanks anyway.

[ness]

If you live in Melbourne, this is the place i go. http://www.vitec.com.au/shop-online/soi ... eous-earth
But i also just discovered this guy who looks like they have an awesome selection. http://www.ology.net.au/#!bonsai-soils/c1n0f
I hope this helps

[Damian Bee]

Thanks ness, I do have some great stuff, (at least in the way of soils ) and if I am able I can get it to you or at least close by.
5-8mm pine nuggets will be in later this week along with the Sphagnum moss

[Morenito]

Ooooo....now I want to live in Melbourne.

[Gerard]

In the past I would make a two hour round trip to buy diatomite, but the maiden-well dried up.
So in recent times I have been using the Mount Silvia product which I obtain from Damian Bee. I think my trees are happier than ever!
Damian has supplied me with diatomite, mini pine nuggets and pumice in the past at very reasonable prices. And free advice!
When I ran out of diatomite on Good Friday
A half hour round trip and I was back in business.

[Damian Bee]

[Morenito]

I just bought a 6 litre bag of cheap kitty litter from Woollies (their generic brand) just to try it - nothing on the bag indicated what it was made from, just that it's highly absorbent - so this was just an experiment.

The granules are creamy coloured - could be fired clay, but there's now way of telling. I don't know what diatomaceous earth is meant to look like. I soaked some granules in water overnight. They didn't disintegrate to mud and remained in tact and stone-like. I crushed some of it with a spoon - it did crack and crush, but with a bit of effort.

Does anyone know what it's made from?

[Damian Bee]

It is possibly a low fired clay or attapulgite. If left constantly damp they do turn to plant killing glug.
The other thing to watch is the PH on this stuff, it can be quite high (alkaline) which can lock up/make unavailable vital nutrients causing whatever is planted into it to suffer or even die.

Be careful.

[Morenito]

Yikes!
Thanks Damian. Is there a way to identify diatomaceous earth without a microscope: eg does it have a certain texture; or can we test it - eg does it react in any telltale way with certain household substances, eg vinegar or peroxide?

Cheers