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Author Topic: Grit  (Read 6288 times)

SueG

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Re: Grit
« Reply #15 on: January 28, 2008, 05:51:39 PM »
Wandering back to the grit theme  ::) what is this cornish grit people speak of (I assume it's crushed granite?) Something which has puzzled me for a while - anyone care to explain please
Sue Gill, Northumberland, UK

David Nicholson

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Re: Grit
« Reply #16 on: January 28, 2008, 06:24:57 PM »
Wandering back to the grit theme  ::) what is this cornish grit people speak of (I assume it's crushed granite?) Something which has puzzled me for a while - anyone care to explain please

Got it in one Sue!
David Nicholson
in Devon, UK  Zone 9b
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Maggi Young

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Re: Grit
« Reply #17 on: January 28, 2008, 06:30:17 PM »
A warning from Bob and Ranweig Wallis on the use of cornish grit, taken from a presentation for the  Frit. Group in 1999 and on the Frit. Group website :
Quote
In Wales we found equally good sharp sand and were then offered Cornish grit which we tried. This was definitely one of our disasters. The soil compacted and the abrasive panicles seemed to injure the bulbs which duly became infected. The bigger the bulbs grew the worse the problem seemed to be, so we have now gone back to a softer grit sand.
See here for the article http://www.fritillaria.org.uk/fntagt.htm

Their comments seem to show that there can be difficulties with very sharp material... as I mentioned re the use of crushed slate.
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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Ezeiza

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Re: Grit
« Reply #18 on: January 28, 2008, 07:31:21 PM »
Hi:

     I wonder if it is really an issue between the Welsh and the Cornish?

      We use crushed granite here, the size of a watermelon seed, for our mixes and they have lots of sharp edges as you can imagine. For certain plants like Hyeronimiellas, Chilean Rhodophialas, desert Habranthi, Ferrarias, etc., we grow them in pure crushed granite and they thrive in it.

       It is mentioned that the soil become compacted which points to the presence of dust as the cause of the bulb rotting rather than injury by the sharp sand
Alberto Castillo, in south America, near buenos Aires, Argentina.

Alan B

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Re: Grit
« Reply #19 on: January 29, 2008, 09:01:13 AM »
Wow.  I didn't expect such a discussion !!  Sieving is no problem so having had time to reflect I think that for bulbs I will avoid the use of the slate in question (though I may later be tempted to grow some test pots).  It may be that the slate particles will be ok for some other alpines so I will start from there as it were.
Thanks for all the comments.
in South Wales

 


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