Akadama?

[zpeckler]

Anyone have any thoughts on the use of akadama in a cactus growing medium? I was taking to a bonsai grower the other day and it's something they use frequently. It sounds like its combination of porosity, CEC, and large particle size/drainage would make it useful for cactus, but I don't recall it ever being talked about here on the forums. Looking at Amazon it is pretty pricey, though!

[anttisepp]

I know many growers use suitable cat litter successfully.

[Hanazono]

I think more than 70% Japanese cacti growers use Akadama as pottind-mix for cacti. I am not sure Akadama in USA is same product in Japan or not. Akadama is weatherd scoria and there are several huge deposits near Tokyo.

You can not use a standard Akadam for cacti because the life of standard one is just 1 year. The grain of Akadama is broken in a year.
You have to use "double lines or triple lines" grades for cacti.

Double lines: Natural akadama but it has higher strength.
Triple lines: Burnt akadama

[BenCSS]

The Japanese use Akadama because its abundant and affordable in Japan. But in the USA you will pay more since it has to be imported. If you don't mind the cost its fine but it does break down so you will need to repot every year or so. My recommendation is just find a local alternative you can get at a better price. There is a place near me that sells large bags of pea sized red lava rock(scoria) at a low price so that is what I use.

[MikeInOz]

I think more than 70% Japanese cacti growers use Akadama as pottind-mix for cacti. I am not sure Akadama in USA is same product in Japan or not. Akadama is weatherd scoria and there are several huge deposits near Tokyo.

You can not use a standard Akadam for cacti because the life of standard one is just 1 year. The grain of Akadama is broken in a year.
You have to use "double lines or triple lines" grades for cacti.

Double lines: Natural akadama but it has higher strength.
Triple lines: Burnt akadama

I got 10 bags of triple line akadama for my bonsai last year but I have used most of it for my cacti. (about 25%) I do not think it is burnt though (?) It is very good. I think it is especially good for tap root species which grow in clay like Some Ariocrapus and lophorphora and many rebutia and lobivia, and some Mammillaria like napina etc. Kanuma is good too. It does not seem to break down very easily a long as it is not on the surface of the mix. The same with akadama.

[Tom in Tucson]

I think that that there are many uses for akadama. The softer forms are proven to disintegrate quickly, but I use this condition to my advantage. Instead of using organic material with an equal rate of decomposition. for healthy root formation, akadama can give you the same advantage without the proliferation of multitudes of detrimental organisms.

Hardened forms work well as an attractive top dressing:



Here I've used the color changing characteristic (dry - tan, wet - brown) for starting Cycas seed:



I am using this method to prevent rotting (or fungus attack) by adding more water when the akadama starts to dry out.

[Nino_G]

I use akadama in my mineral mixtures for all cacti. I managed to find a dealer of bonsai soils that offer "hard type" akadama which is very stable and lasts for 3 or more years in the pots without disintegrating. Plants seem to like it,

[DaveW]

As Ben says it depends what is available at a cheap price in your country depending if it has to be imported. You use a lot of pumice in the USA, but it is expensive in the UK since it has to be imported.

I looked up Akadama:-

https://bonsaitonight.com/2016/07/15/all-about-akadama/

The British were put onto similar red clay cat litter by an article by the Bonsai people suggesting it as a cheaper alternative for Akadama.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ca ... ORM=WRVORC

Not all cat litters are created equal as he says and most are unsuitable for potting plants. Tesco in Britain he mentions stocks three. The cheapest is shredded paper, the next is fullers earth that clogs and only the premium grade is red molar clay and suitable for plants. Some also use the oil absorb\ants sold for cleaning up garage floors, but be careful since like cat litter whilst they all absorb oil only certain ones are red molar clay and suitable for plants.

Seramis seems very similar, but again expensive in the UK. I think Leca is sold as Hortag in the UK?

https://askgardening.com/leca-vs-seramis/