potting mix

[Guy]

hello everyone-
I'm trying to round up some info on turface mvp--Does anyone here use it in their soil mix-and is it any good. Also are there any turface suppliers in south oz?-any info is appreciated thanks in advance.

[Chris]

Welcome to AusBonsai Guy

i have never seen this stuff turface let's see who has !!

[Bretts]

The closest to Turface we have here is Diatomite I think you will find.

[AndrewM]

G'day Guy

Bretts is on the money, Diatomite is a siliceous skeletal remains product rather than a silica crystalline quartz. You should be able to find it at a pet supply store, Ask for Kleensorb I found that not to many shop assistance new it as diatomite.

Andrew

[anttal63]

I'd love to get my hands on turface too. It sounds great! I have heard not all diatamite is the same. PH can differ. Maidenwell is the one used in horticulture.

[Jamie]

I'd love to get my hands on turface too. It sounds great! I have heard not all diatamite is the same. PH can differ. Maidenwell is the one used in horticulture.

i dont think the PH differs that much in diatomite even though there can be different sources, it is pretty much the same sillicous material which will be around 6 PH level.

it is great stuff though as its structure holds and releases water and nutrients and being the shape it is allows for plenty of fresh air to flow through.

i was talking to IreneB aka. mom a few weeks back and turface come up and i asked if it was diatomite, i was told it was very similar if not the same.
they just use different names over there.

jamie

[bluetoo]

Different diatomaceous earth products differ in:
* particle size
* heat treatment of DE for pool filtration increases the quantity of crystalline silica, which presumably is no longer plant available

See for example different products http://www.mtsylviadiatomite.com.au/. Kleensorb has about 4% crystallised silica. Pool products from other suppliers have 50-96% crystallised silica. Kleensorb is quoted to have pH 8.75 in Plurasil brochure. Plurasil is quoted to have ph 7.6. Apparently, calcining raises the pH. Plurasil appears the preferred garden product.

Google search for MSDS data from various DE products - looks like most DE is slightly alkaline (pH 7.6+) presumably because they are a limy sort of product, though some are slightly acid (pH6). Not sure what makes the acid ones acid.

[kcpoole]

I have used Both Maidenwell which is supposed to be about PH of 7, and Mt Sylvia which is suppsed to be about 8.6.
Despite the differences, my plants do not seem to mind either one.

Ken

[plantmanky]

hello everyone-
I'm trying to round up some info on turface mvp--Does anyone here use it in their soil mix-and is it any good. Also are there any turface suppliers in south oz?-any info is appreciated thanks in advance.

Hi Guy,

Turface is used here in the US and it doesn't seem that it's distributed outside of the contential US. However, It's used as a an American Baseball field conditioner and is primarily composed of non-decomposing high fired clay. I don't know if you Aussie Folks play that much American Baseball, but if you do, or have other sports with infields it may be available through those types of suppliers. Another product, equivalent to Turface is Mule MIx which is manufactured for the same purpose as Turface and I use extensively in my bonsai mixes. Not sure it will help but I have included below the links to these two manufactures for you if you wish to investigate further.

Turface
http://www.turface.com/
Mule Mix
http://www.mulemix.com/product_details.php?product_id=5

Randy

[Gareth]

Its a montomorillite clay, same sort of family as diatomite in that they are both an aluminosilicate material, just made of slightly different things.

Montomorillite clay is sometimes know also as calcium bentonite. Perhpas you can find a fired version of this is Australia, i know i bought some bentonite from Unimin for another purpose once, not sure if they do fired product, but maybe they do.

A fired product of this clay might be something like hydroton, or Aquaclay from accent hydroponics, this is a fired clay, but im not sure what type of clay.

Having said that, diatomite is a bloody great product, even though you may find something similar to turface, why not just use diatomite. Its cheap, drains well and lasts for forever and a day, and holds water great.

Gareth

[MattA]

Hey Gareth,

Where do you get your diatomite from? I havent been able to find anywhere round Newcastle that stocks it & really dont want to have to go to Sydney. I got a load of akadama in the group buy last year & while I love it the cost can be a bit prohibitive with the size of my collection these days.

Matt

[hugh grant]

yes id be interested to know where i can get it around the central coast or newcastle area aswell with out having to go out of my way to get it.

hugh

[Gareth]

I used to live on the mid north coast, and i bought it from Productive gardens (online) when i was living up there.

Freight can be a bit of a drama though.

I recon we should organize a group buy, a pallet would be split up pretty quick, and freight would probably only $150 or $200. with around 40 bags of diatomite (4 bags each in a group of 10 people) and diatomite at around $25 a bag direct from the maidenwell mine, it brings it up to $30 a bag, freight per bag from productive gardens can be up to $30 a bag.

It might even work out less cost per bag buying a pallet.

No, to find the time to join the newcastle bonsai club............

But we wouldnt nessecarily have to be in the club, anyone on the central coast could come pick up from a central point, i have no room here and work a lot so wouldnt be able to accept or store a pallet of diatomite, but the idea is good in principal.

[kcpoole]

Hey Gareth,

Where do you get your diatomite from? I havent been able to find anywhere round Newcastle that stocks it & really dont want to have to go to Sydney. I got a load of akadama in the group buy last year & while I love it the cost can be a bit prohibitive with the size of my collection these days.

Matt

Send an Email to Mt Sylvia and see if they have suppliers there http://www.mtsylviadiatomite.com.au/contact/
the only one I know of is at Enfield Produce in Sydney.

Ken