It is essentially a type of semi absorbent ceramic with non interconnected spherical pores.
Is ceramic clay balls good for bonsai soil.
Too much water retention will.
Can t find bonsai soil here in my small town i ordered some bonsai roses an i need to know how to plant them please.
Vinny chirayil from hyderabad india on august 13 2016.
In the end using clay pellets for hydroponics has been proven to work effectively.
It s a bit more expensive than other soils but this medium truly does do wonders.
But it is meeting specific requirements then matching appropriate pot shape size color matte or glossy to species size design of tree that is difficult.
The clay watering spikes work better in potting soil than they do in many inorganic bonsai soils.
Likewise if the center of the root ball is hard pack clay it may resist absorption of water and roots will not grow.
I assume it s due to more particles in close contact with the spike making water transfer more efficient.
It is excavated from quarries between an upper layer of topsoil and a lower level of sand in akagi yama in honshu 75 miles north of tokyo.
Akadama is the standard soil for most conifers including pines.
Hence the relatively high dollars paid for good bonsai pots.
Akadama is a mineral rich granular clay ball soil that s highly prized for its plant nutrition and good water retention drainage in bonsai.
The only time you can use them outdoors is if you have raised garden beds.
Akadama from bonsai today masters series pines literally translated akadama means red clay balls.
The soil needs to be able to hold and retain sufficient quantities of water to supply moisture to the bonsai between each watering.
Lastly don t use clay pebbles instead of soil outside.
People here say don t crush it so i guess it is better to buy in the adequate sizes.
I believe good drainage aeration begins with the pot not bonsai soil.
One rule about bonsai pots i don t understand is minimal amount of glaze on inside of pot.
They work but i worry a bit about them in my most granular inorganic mixes.
Soils lacking good drainage are too water retentive lack aeration and are liable to a build up of salts.
While most people can end up getting it right on the first try many do not.
If the old soil mass holds onto more moisture than the new soil mix it may remain too wet and a condition of root rot will set in.
Akadama is a naturally occurring clay like but not clay mineral found only in one region in japan.
As for the de cat litter i ve been using it with success.
Good article and i relate to the question why not have pots with holes.
You can find it in small sizes like 4mm to 6mm and it is commonly used as one of the components in bonsai soil mixes.
We recommend that you don t use a 100 or a super high percentage of akadama soil due to its water holding properties.
Hydroton is the same as leca light expanded clay aggregate.
