Soil mx picture

Discuss repotting, soil, lighting, fertilizing, watering, etc. in this category.
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keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Soil mx picture

Post by keith »

I was mixing in a new ingrediant I found dumped in a big pile at the far end of ae parking lot. Crushed brick. I like the color and the size which is smaller than my lava rock and pumice but larger than my sandy soil base. Had to wash it pretty well it had sunflower seed shells in it so my lawn got a watering. I don't know where to get this stuff never seen it before ?

The Mix is Sandy soil from the desert moutain region of S. CA, Pumice, lava rock, Diatomaceous earth not fired, sand from filmore and now this crushed brick stuff. No floating organic which I add to certain species that seem to need it. Seem to means me guessing because of the color and lack of growth if grown in this base soil.

Some bone meal added in also a few table spoons per 5 gallon bucket. I grow North American cactus in this. Dries out pretty fast.
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Crushed brick I found
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iann
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Location: England

Re: Soil mx picture

Post by iann »

That brick is pretty well crushed. Wonder who did that?
--ian
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

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Post by keith »

Who crushed it and where do they do this? I don't know but it was dumped so I guess it was the reside left over at the end of a large landscape project ? Bottom of the dump truck stuff that's why its so fine? I like to grow seeds so like the fine size of it. Nice color too reminds me of AZ soil. Clay- iron is why its red ?
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: Soil mx picture

Post by keith »

Mystery of red crushed brick looking stuff. say a big pile of it next to a Baseball field at the local JC 'Junior college' Not Pro Gold I found the other "most " cheap mix. I guess its cheap IDK?

I posted a text from a typical Baseball dirt supplier. I like the cheap course abrasive gravel brick dust but I'm not diving on it .

"Most infield mixes such as “brick dust” are coarsely screened and contain abrasive gravel and course sands. Pro Gold Infield Mix is finely screened at 1.8 mm with gravel and course sands neglible.
Pushrestart
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Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2015 4:11 pm

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Post by Pushrestart »

That crushed brick looks amazing, wish I could buy some locally! Its the perfect size.
DaveW
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Location: Nottingham, England/UK

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Post by DaveW »

Some cat litters are baked clay, virtually the same as crushed brick, but you need to make sure you get the correct one since a few other substances are sold as cat litter, from shredded paper to Fullers Earth, which clumps into a mass so is unsuitable. We borrowed the idea in the UK of using cat litter as a cactus soil ingredient from the Bonsai people.

See:-

http://www.bonsai4me.co.uk/Basics/Basicscatlitter.htm

For the USA:-

http://www.bonsai4me.co.uk/Basics/Basic ... page3.html
jfabiao
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:45 am
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
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Post by jfabiao »

Crushed brick in various sizes is available over here and sold as ground cover or flower bed dressing. I would test it before using it, as it can leach some nasty stuff into your mix - just soak a portion for 24-48h and check the pH and hardness of the water.
Z, in (mostly) sunny Lisbon.
http://jardineiroazelha.blogspot.pt/
DaveW
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Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

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Post by DaveW »

Franz Buxbaum, in his book "Cactus Culture Based on Biology" if I remember the title correctly, used to crush old bricks for use in his cactus soil and for growing seedlings on, but he used to soak it in weak nitric acid I seem to recall (though probably weak vinegar would do) to remove the alkalinity before use, since some bricks have added lime.

"Building bricks are a mixture of clay and sand which is mixed with water to create the correct consistency. Sometimes the bricks also have added lime, ash or organic matter which speeds up the burning of the brick."

The baked clay in cat litter and in products sold specifically for growing plants like Seramis does not have that problem.

One of our nurserymen used to sell a potting soil known as "Whitestone One Eleven", which was an early form of mineral potting soil composed of sharp sand and "grog", which is a baked clay similar to cat litter used in making pottery.

http://pottery.about.com/od/potterygloassary/g/grog.htm
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

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Post by keith »

Lithops seedlings seem to grow well in it, conophytums seedlings not at all. IDK if its the soil with crushed bricks added. maybe ?

Cactus do well so far but I've just started using it in my mix this year. My old mix was too dense. maybe ?

we will see
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

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Post by keith »

dry stall Pumice 70% in the mix keeps my soil wetter longer compared to 50% desert soil and lava rock chips and bigger pumice pieces. that's both good and bad . It seems really good for Lithops seedlings and OK to not great for cactus seedlings. I think I need a finer sand in the seedlings mix for the tiny plant roots to hand on to.

my 2 cents. Good to great for big cactus plants .
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

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Post by keith »

Pretty sure my Crushed brick is Turface used in baseball fields and bonsai potting soils. A few cactus that were on the way out I re-planted in this stuff and they made a recovery. Coryphanta compacta - I lost all my larger ones in a poor soil choice I made when I ran out of pumice and used lava rock instead. Two small ones also on they way out recovered in turface mixed with a small amount of sandy soil. I found pumice called dry stall and am repotting all my lava rock soil pots. But impressed with Turface in case you can't find pumice which I hear is hard to find in many areas.

My 2 cents
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