AusBonsai

Hi All
Over a period of several years we have been been having trouble with our regular commercial potting mix . The company who had been producing this mix was sold and the new company assured us the mix was the same.We went ahead and bought our usual amount ( 3/4 tonne ) because it looked the same and we had been using it for a number of years.All went well for about 18 months then we started having problems with water repelling and poor growth.to cut a long story short we discovered the mix was waterproof!
We did the usual and looked over the Ausbonsai site and found most people who we're making their own mixes were using diatomite in various proportions . At about that time We visited Sydney and had a yarn with a well respected bonsai artist(thanks) --- he recommended diatomite as well.
So we started a look around
First stop Was diatomite
We found the mine was outside Gatton in qld not that far from us so I emailed the company and found they were willing to sell 25 bags so that was fixed
Next stop was stone of some kind
We looked at all the -- usual ones crushed granite , crushed sandstone ( couldn't get Canarvon river sand that Pup recommends) and then I read Alpines use of scoria .
The nearest source we could find was in Youngaburra on the Atherton tablelands in nth Qld( we could have got it elsewhere but they were prepared to sieve it so we only got 3 to 5 mm ) if we ordered 50 bags or one tonne.This scoria is the hard version unlike Alpine's softer version but it still holds a bit of water and opens the mix up.
So our mix is follows
One bucket diatomite
One bucket scoria
Four double handsfull coarse sand
Four double handsfull coco peat
Four double handsfull compost
We vary it a little by adding " deco plugger " for junis and elms etc
I cannot believe the growth we have attained with this new mix
Everything is going gangbusters figs junis natives elms etc
We don't have to water as often but even if we keep to our old watering regime it doesn't seem to matter -- you can't overwater and there is no sieving just mix it up water a bit chuck a bit of fertiliser in and use it
We can't recommended it too highly
Regards Steve

i manage to get 2 bags of the gravel from a Sydney bonsai nursery wehn i had friends go up there a few months ago. pretty expensive but great stuff. It was the dark colour stuff not the red stuff that i can get in Melbourne. Looks better in the soil as well just wish i could get it here....

Bamboos,
What is 'deco plugger'?


Cheers
EZ
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Debco plugger is a potting mix commonly used in nurseries but available in bags also. Debco is the brand name

Hi EZ
Sorry for the typo (but for some reason I can't use the edit function) most bonsai nurserys will sell it don't know who in Hedland! Maybe you can get it from Perth with someone travelling your way. On second thoughts WA quarantine will probably not allow it into WA.If you wish to mix your own you will be able to get "Kleensorb"(thats diatomite)from safety shops,and Canarvon river sand -- Pup has numerous references to his mix just use the search function.
Jarrod ours is also the grey / black stone it's not expensive in Yungaburra but the freight to brissie is something else
Regards Steve

G'day Steve,

Great to hear you are having good results with the new mix! I bet the reduced weight is also a bonus.
Is it MT Silvia Diatomite you are using? Can I trouble you to post a picture of your scoria with something in the shot to gauge size?

Thanks,
Steven

Bamboos do you sel the scorai in brisbane? I could buy some from you in March when i will be there? If so how much dose it sell for?

Hi Steven
Yes it's Mt Silvia diatomite I believe it's 2 to 7 mm.
The scoria is 2 to 5 mm there is a tiny little bit of smaller stuff in it but it's not worth worrying about--- the mine sells 0 to 5 mm in Cairns through various landscapers but it has a lot of dust( maybe 1/3 ).So I bought directly from the mine and had it shipped to brissie. I had to pay extra to have it graded.
The only trouble I now have is that the mix is so light I might have wire our trees in the pot Hi Jarrod unfortunately I only bought enough for us next time if there is some interest I will get extra ( it will be 12 months or so)
Regards Steve

If you email the contact for mt Sylvia, they will quite happily send you info on any stockists locally for you if any.
http://www.mtsylviadiatomite.com.au/contact/

Ken