Planting bulbs in pure pumice (plus compost)

11 years ago

I can't find coarse sand so easily. It is highly unusual to find it even in a hardware store. The closest thing I can find is aquarium sand, but this one comes in a small bag and is much more expensive than a truckload of regular (fine) sand. Perhaps it's a matter of geology: Being not very common in my country, it has to be imported, or maybe the process of making the sand usable for aquariums is behind the high price.

I've read how much pumice is good for bulbs. The ground pumice is not uniform, and it may contain a mix of particles mostly the size of sand grains and all the way up to 4mm size grains. My experience with sand is negative, as a result of the fine particles. Ground pumice, on the other hand, is a sand with grains of mixed size. My guess is that I have to separate the fine from the coarse particles and use the coarse ones. How can I do it to get the right size particle? Do you order sieves with a particular mesh size? Where do you get them?

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Comments (5)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
11 years ago
Which country are you in? Can you get grit? And which bulbs is this for?
asclepiad_fan
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I'm from Israel,

We have quarry sand in hardware stores, but I guess I can sift and wash it if i'm right? It is made-up of crushed stones with irregular grain size, but most is like fine silt.

I see lots of pictures of grit, but I can't tell the grain size just by looking at it. Which size do you use?
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
11 years ago
I don't use grit or sand or anything. I was just wondering what you had available. I just plant bulbs straight in the garden or, if in containers, in bagged container mix. That's why I asked what bulbs you were growing in case it was something unusual that needed special treatment. These tulips are just in a standard potting mix from the garden centre.
asclepiad_fan
Original Author
11 years ago
I noticed the grain size of soil garden does not have any ill effect on the bulbs. It is a bummer that most of the garden lies in a deep shade in the winter, when the sun is low behind trees, buildings and other construction. The end result is etiolation, and gladiolas are mostly affected because their stem does not stand well against the winter storms. Tulips do well in peat but I don't plant them because they need a much colder winter and the summer is just too hot. My experience shows they can't store enough nutrients and they divide into many tiny bulblets, losing mass overtime.

My targeted plants are mainly South-African bulbs, comprising Gladiolus species (not including the hybrids in European gardens), Ixia, Massonia, Geissorhiza and Daubenya. I'm exploring the market for more species. Other bulbs grow in peat and I'm not concerned about finding the correct potting mix. These include Crocosmia, Watsonia, Homeria and Ledebouria.

I'm also a member of the Cactus society, and the website has one recipe for cacti. Is that soil good for these bulbs? The soil make-up is:

1x dune sand or fine sand

1x perlite

3x peat

4x ground pumice

1x compost (This amount is for seed-starting, you can add more for mature plants)

All five components are readily available.
Michaela (Zone 5b - Iowa)
11 years ago
Wow floral. I am going to have to grow some tulips in a window box after seeing that photo!