Pumice a substitute for Diatomite?

[cutejai]

Hi KCpool, yes my bad, it is enfield produce near strathfield. it's the kleensorb brand that I've been using for years, but i'm very disappointed with the recent bag I bought about 2 months ago for my winter re-potting. the problem is exactly the same as mention on the other post. and the worst part is, it's too late now to re-pot my plants so I just need to be extra careful with my watering as those fine makes it very compact and very hard to dry out. and if this is naturally occurrence as mention in the other post then there is not much they can do, and there is not much I can do either but to look for an alternative than risking my money on another bad batch.

good to know an alternate source for pumice. $20 is a much better price.

Cheers

[kcpoole]

Hmm I thought all the bad stuff has been turned over.

See the trea about a bad batch earlier and see if Mt Sylvia will replace it.
The corrent lot I have is good.

ps
Whenever I get a new bag, I always test it before using.
Cupfull in a jar of water and let soak for a week and should still be firm.

I also feel it in the bag and the edges of particles should be sharp. the bad lot I have seen were all rounded smooth balls form the movement in delivery.

Ken

[Damian Bee]

Interesting to hear that some people believe Pumice will break down or that it is softer than Diatomite
I have been using Pumice as a pure medium and as a admixture with my Bonsai and Orchids for close to 8 years now and still re-use the initial batch

I find it to have been one of, if not the best and most economical of the potting mediums for Bonsai, Orchids and Cacti too

Pumice is a much more reliable product in comparison to Diatomite and gives a much better result with root system development

I have been selling pumice for almost as long as I have been using it and have not yet heard a negative point from growers who use it.

[cutejai]

hi Ken,

yeah that's what I thought, as that other post has been awhile. but from a company standpoint, they need to get rid of those bad batch somehow. so may be i'm just the unlucky one =) and returning a half use product isn't something I would do. and I don't think it will end well either.
but if i am to get more, I will definitely try to squash it in the bag, because i notice the bad batch is so soft and easily turn to powder with slight force.

hey Damian: good to know, can't wait to open the bag.

Cheers