It would be much better than a typical cactus mix (which is still mostly peat, not much different from standard mixes). You could sift away the fine sand with some window screen if it looks like too much. You probably wouldn't lose much volume either, since the fines are just filling in the pore spaces created by the larger particles.

I think it would be a fine choice. But if you're willing to locate the ingredients, you could probably make your own for a fraction of the price.

I agree with all of what was just said.

Brad

I picked up a small bag, I rinsed it over a mesh screen, the kind that would go in a window. It looked like most of the fine stuff washed away. I havent found a source for the Turface in my area yet so this is the closest I can get for now. Maybe I should have added some perlite also?

{{gwi:483964}}

I wouldn't have rinsed it, the point of this mix is to dry quickly, I wouldn't have wet something which we'd want dry to start (IMO). One can sift dry next time.

I recently used it because I killed my first bonsai and I liked the shallow container it was in. The succulents seem to like the mix. It dries out incredibly fast and rains quickly, which is ideal, especially here in SWFL during the wet season.

Lumpy,
A good substitute for the Turface is NAPA floor dry #8822. If you have any NAPA auto parts stores by you, they should stock it. It's made from diatamacous earth, instead of clay, but it works the same.

Rob

Lumpy. Years ago, when I first started into bonsai, I tried Hoffman's and found it wholly unsatisfactory for my trees because of the volume of fine particles it contains and its excess water retention. It IS better than peaty soils, but not even close to being as easy to grow in as a well-made gritty mix.

Where do you live in NJ? I'll see if I can find a Turface source near you.

Al

AL

They should put some kinda gong function on here to summon you for these kind of questions.

I live in northern NJ work in NYC and have family in eastern PA so that would be my travel range. I also grow orchids so I have bark which I suck up in my leaf vac to break into smaller pieces. I also have Dyna Roc which is diatamacous earth and hydroton pellets for hydroponic growing. I have something called PON that came with some hydro pots I bought which is to fine for orchids but might work for succulents. I have been reading your threads on gritty mix and learned lots. I have only been buying succulents for a few months but have a few citrus trees in 24" pots so I would need quite a bit of material. Thanks for the help.

Thanks

I picked up a bag of bonsai mix (don't remember the brand) at a local nursery out of curiosity. It's great for my plants that require a gritty mix but I'd go broke if I used it for all my plants. A small bag that maybe equaled a pint was $6.99! It's much more economical to make my own mixes. I can find Turface locally sold as a soil conditioner but it's actually cheaper for me to buy it on Ebay. The only places, besides Ebay, that I can find it online sell it in huge quantities for athletic fields.

Rob I've never heard of the NAPA floor dry #8822. The only DE I know of is the kind that's used in our pool filter and the horticultural grade that I use as an insecticide. I take it the floor dry isn't as fine? I'm sure there's a Napa store somewhere around here.

Lumpy - What's closer to you - Randolph, Tennent, Clifton, Somerset, Pine Brook, Bridgewater, Flemington, Bound Brook, Ledgewood, Dallas PA, Wind Gap PA? It would have helped if you'd given me at least a large city near you so I didn't have to look all of these places up on a map. ;-)

How about you, Karyn. Where do you live or what large city are you near?

Al

Hey Lumpy!

Just a side thought! I posted to your thread at the citrus forum and I have noticed the roots growing in that hydroton of your orchids. Not bad! I actually started a few in that and they are doing great!

Al is the man when it comes to the gritty mix! I am glad to see you here.

Mike

copy to browser ..http://www.turface.com/ ...... has MVP locator on left top of page by zipcode

Thanks for the info, Looks like Clifton is the best place for me.
One other thing I was thinking about is the weight of Grity mix due to the granite. I have some 24" pots that go inside for winter. Does the stone need to be granite, or would any stone work like lava rock or marble chips or blue stone?

Mike - A few years back I was having trouble finding good orchid bark, everything at the Home Depot was soggy and decomposed, so I started looking for some inorganic media.
I tried Dyna Roc, and Hydroton so far I like the hydroton better but not for everything, but that's for another forum.

Thanks to all for the input!

I don't think the bluestone, being high in copper, sodium, and aluminum, would be a good choice, nor is marble or limestone.

Size is quite important. If you can find lava rock or pumice of suitable size, that will work well, but you might need to vary the ratio of Turface:lava because it holds more water than granite. Coarse perlite with all fines screened out will work, and would be my next choice. I'd also consider Haydite (about like lava), but finding it in a suitable size has always been problematic for me.

Al

Karyn,
The NAPA floor dry is very similar to the Turface. I used it in my gritty mix with good success. I've found a local Turface distributor, and will be trying that next time I buy.

Rob

Al I'm in MD, about 13 miles outside of DC. If you know of a distributor for Turface that sells in reasonable quantities I'd love a link. Mike I'll check the link you provided. All I've found only sell enormous quantities and I don't plan on building an athletic field anytime soon. lol I've been making my own gritty mixes for years with what's available, pumice, perlite, coir croutons, crushed granite, Hydroton, etc but I do like the Turface.

Karyn,

Turface MVP is sold in 50-lb bags, not cubic yards delivered with a 'dozer. You can find pumice on the East Coast? Good on you. I live in the Ring of Fire but can't find it at all here (yet).

This place has a really good variety of stuff to mix in, thou some pieces are too large as are meant for Orchid substrate. Some are probably too expensive compared to what you can get locally. If you know where.

http://www.repotme.com/orchid-media/index.html

Here is a link that might be useful: repotme

Karyn, I got a bag of Turface at a seed store called Newsom Seed. They have 2 locations: 1 in Howard County, 1 in Gaithersburg.

The local John Deere retailers are supposed to carry them, but they were all out when I called late last year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's a link to Newsom Seed Co.

Another thing - the John Deere retailer who sells tractors may be different from the JD retailer who sells irrigation / landscape products.

cactusmcharris, I called the JD retailers around here and they said they do carry Turface, but they were out of it at that time and having supply issues on the East Coast. But that was back in Nov/Dec, so they might be in.

Karyn, from what I remember, the price of the bagged Turface at Newsom's was pretty reasonable.

The Newsom Seed in Fulton is close. Thanks for the link. They do carry 50 lb bags and they also carry the 2000 lb bags that I'd been seeing. 50 lb is fine, 2000 lb not so much. lol

I talked one of the nurseries that I buy from to order pumice some years back as I was using for rooting plumeria cuttings. All that's normally found locally are the little bags of the decorative dyed pumice.

Karyn, I found Gran-I-Grit, growers size, at a farm supply store in Ellicott City. I haven't found any grit of that size in any of the garden centers or big box stores.

For Turface MVP - if Fulton is close, these shouldn't be too bad:

Pennington Seed in Laurel (800) 732-3332
Fisher & Son Company, Inc. in Savage (301) 604-9852

The John Deere Landscapes website hasn't worked for a LONG time. I wonder wassup w/that?

Al

Hey Karyn,

I will be checking on those Dr's for you and i wanted to say that i do get up into your area several times during the spring. I want to visit Wolftrap Nursery and when i do, i could bring to you bags of Turface and Gran-i-grit. Just let me know what you need before i come and i will have some bags on hand for you!!! Ill check on the flowers tomorrow and at the PHL show on Saturday!!! The show tomorrow is just a little one, but the show in PHL is an international SHow the theme is "Hawaii" Im so excired!!! i guess you what im going after? LOL...

Hopefully i will have some luck!!!

Take care,

Laura

Like your picture!!! Looking pretty! : )

Oh...thanks for the sweet email... You made my dat!!! THnk You!!! You made my day... Yep, this will be the "first" Ohhh myyyy!!! : )

Take care and i will let you know.

Laura