AusBonsai

If you are buying kitty litter then it will usually say somewhere on the bag what is inside, even if it is home brand.
Diatomite won't go to pulp if left in water where as attapulgite and other low fired clays will go mush after being submerged or waterlogged for a period of 1-2 days.
I hoe this helps out.

Most of the generic brand clay kitty litter seems to be bentonite. You can probably crack the grains with your fingernails. It will clump and turn to mush- don't use it (unless you are a cat, then it might well be ideal).

Thanks guys,

The stuff I bought is Woollies own brand. I bought a bag to test it out since the ingredients were not written on the outside. The grains are roughly 5 mm chunks, and the colour is a light brown to cream.

Anyway I placed a handful of the stuff in water to soak, and even after several days it was still in tact and firm. I could grind and crush the grains it with a bit of force, but it was by no means mushy.

What do you think it might be, and is it safe for bonsai? I hope so because it was only a couple of dollars for a fair sized bag.

Morenito wrote:Thanks guys,

The stuff I bought is Woollies own brand. I bought a bag to test it out since the ingredients were not written on the outside. The grains are roughly 5 mm chunks, and the colour is a light brown to cream.

Anyway I placed a handful of the stuff in water to soak, and even after several days it was still in tact and firm. I could grind and crush the grains it with a bit of force, but it was by no means mushy.

What do you think it might be, and is it safe for bonsai? I hope so because it was only a couple of dollars for a fair sized bag.

Probly Diatomite then
I have had some in water for 5 years and still Hard.
It is quite brittle and can break apart, but very hard to try and sqaush.

Ken

Got to ask the silly question Morenito
Where in Australia are you?
If you are in or close to a major city why not just buy some diatomite?
It would probably work out much cheaper than buying it in little bags.
(Unless you only have and intend on only having 1 or 2 trees).

Have to agree with Damian - Kleensorb is usually available pet stores as kitty litter or engineering supply stores as a spill absorbent. It ranges from $14 - $20 for 35 litres which is much more economical

ive been looking on the internets for somewhere to buy larger bags of diatomite and I found this place in Enfield, I haven't checked it out yet but i'll probably got and have a look this weekend.

Enfield Produce, 56 Coronation Pde Enfield NSW 2136

PAUL2229 wrote:ive been looking on the internets for somewhere to buy larger bags of diatomite and I found this place in Enfield, I haven't checked it out yet but i'll probably got and have a look this weekend.

Enfield Produce, 56 Coronation Pde Enfield NSW 2136

Yeah, they're recomended in other threads too

Hi, I was recently searching for diatomaceous earth and
Found a website called http://www.organics-made-easy.com that
Are dedicated to helping people find local stores to purchase
DE from. They were a great help

From the ad, it seems that they are selling the diatomite as powder - far too fine for bonsai mix. Enfield have big bags of the stuff.

Gavin

I use the food grade Diatomaceous Earth on my dogs in order to get rid of fleas without having to use chemical stuff on them (I'm allergic to the standard stuff sold at vets), I buy it online here: http://shop.fossilpower.com.au/2-KG-FIN ... G-2-KG.htm The prices including postage are actually pretty reasonable and because they sell it online you don't get nay extra mark up so it's good if you're on a tight budget.
You can get a garden grade which is fine for use on plants and the like but pets can eat it so you might want to keep that in mind if you've got pets.

Morenito wrote:Thanks guys,

The stuff I bought is Woollies own brand. I bought a bag to test it out since the ingredients were not written on the outside. The grains are roughly 5 mm chunks, and the colour is a light brown to cream.

Anyway I placed a handful of the stuff in water to soak, and even after several days it was still in tact and firm. I could grind and crush the grains it with a bit of force, but it was by no means mushy.

What do you think it might be, and is it safe for bonsai? I hope so because it was only a couple of dollars for a fair sized bag.

Hey Morenito, I use the same litter for my cats and wondered the same thing! so i looked up the MSDS online (here is the link just type cat litter into the search engine http://jr.chemwatch.net/backpack/testco ... ssdirect=y )

It says it is a Silica Crystalline Quartz, not sure if thats the same as diatomite? ill leave that to the experts I use diatomite from enfield and i highly recommend it! great value for money

Cheers
Matt

I know it is a bit of time lag, but I am selling Diatomite from Queensland in a 35L bag 2-7mm, I also have Orchiata bark now 6-9mm to compliment both products.

If anyone wants to purchase some from me please send me an email and we can discuss price and delivery. Discounts for purchases of 10 bags or more, mix of bags ok too.

Regards Julie