Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Cultivation => Composts => Topic started by: Maggi Young on January 31, 2011, 02:23:08 PM
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As I understand it, this stuff is able to be 'cleaned' for re-use : my questions are.... how does one clean the stuff and how many times is this possible and how many of you can report prolonged use of it as a potting medium with good results?
Reason is, we've just had two tonnes of sand and two tonnes of 5 to 6mm grit delivered and after moving the first tonne, I'm thinking that another way MUST be easier!
I was prompted to this Seramis questions by seeing Tony Willis write about his Frit. experiments ( after Paul Cumbleton's Log entry on the material here : http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6490.msg182693#msg182693 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6490.msg182693#msg182693)
I know that Seramis is expensive, but if it is truly re-useable then it might be something to consider when my back and that of the BD, gives out entirely and this four tonnes of ingredients are used up!
(Thankfully the other three bag loads are on the side of the drive and need not be moved immediately. Phew! What a relief! ::) )
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Paul's log is at:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2011Jan261296057047Log_1_of_2011.pdf
At Home Bargains the latest thing are big bags of silica gel cat litter.
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We have similar products here going by the name of Axis or Turface.
It's expanded clay products used on golf courses and baseball infileds. Good at absorbing water to help surfaces dry. Also used for fuel spills.
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Hi Maggi,
I re-use small amounts by sieving to get rid of any bits of old root etc, then to sterilize it I moisten it a little and put it in the microwave on full power until it is really steaming. Somewhat larger amounts I put in trays in a hot oven. Both ways seem to work fine.....as long as whoever controls your kitchen accepts unorthodox uses of equipment (and some smell)!!
Of course this only works if you grow stuff in pure seramis. Those who use it as just one ingredient of a mix presumably use new stuff each time.
Paul
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Thanks Paul..... I'm getting less enthusiastic by the minute. The smells I like in the kitchen are those of delicious food cooking.
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Thanks Paul..... I'm getting less enthusiastic by the minute. The smells I like in the kitchen are those of delicious food cooking.
Hi Maggi,
Personally I have not re-used seramis yet. But I believe sterilization is not required. According to my information you can re-use seramis endlessly without sterilizing. A good rinse with hot or boiling water will clean the stuff sufficiently.
I use it in my garden to "improve" my soil for my Cypripedium orchids. It is great stuff but in this way I will probably not re-use it and leave it in the garden soil.
Best,
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Thank you John.
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after moving the first tonne, I'm thinking that another way MUST be easier!
There's a much easier way Maggi, have Ian move it instead. ;)
Seriously now, is Seramis - aka Turface in North America - the same as Lecadan in Denmark? Seems to me when I received a plant - Shortia as I recall - many years ago that was grown in Lecadan solely the particles were very porous looking and less like pressed clay - i.e kitty litter. ??? ???
I tried incorporating turface into a bulb mix (mainly around the bulb) thinking it would draw excess moisture away from the bulb. Well it probably did that until it got saturated and this resulted in too much dampness around the bulb with disastrous results. Coincidentally I have just read Paul C.'s excellent article on drainage in pots. I have made the fatal mistake of making a coarser grittier mix in the upper half of the pot in the region of bulb. You'd think after all these years one would have at least figured a decent mix for bulbs especially Galanthus, but not I. Amaryllidaceae are the crankiest I find, must be the eternal dampness of our coastal air (dense fog).
johnw
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after moving the first tonne, I'm thinking that another way MUST be easier!
There's a much easier way Maggi, have Ian move it instead. ;)
Seriously now, is Seramis - aka Turface in North America - the same as Lecadan in Denmark? Seems to me when I received a plant - Shortia as I recall - many years ago that was grown in Lecadan solely the particles were very porous looking and like pressed clay - i.e kitty litter. ??? ???
I tried incorporating turface into a bulb mix (mainly around the bulb) thinking it would draw excess moisture away from the bulb. Well it probably did that until it got saturated and this resulted in too much dampness around the bulb with disastrous results. Coincidentally I have just read Paul C.'s excellent article on drainage in pots. I have made the fatal mistake of making a coarser grittier mix in the upper half of the pot in the region of bulb. You'd think after all these years one would have at least figured a decent mix for bulbs especially Galanthus, but not I. Amaryllidaceae are the crankiest I find, must be the eternal dampness of our coastal air (dense fog).
johnw
John,
Lecadan is broken clay pebbles and not the same as Seramis. Seramis is not used as cat litter either. Way to expensive.
Seramis is made of special clay originating from the Westerwald region in Germany. It can absorb a lot of water.
Cheers,
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Thanks for the clarification John. You may note I had gone back to my posting while you posted and changed to Lecadan was "less like kitty litter" (than the fine grade of turface here). Have you tried using Lecadan the same way as Seramis? The Shortias were certainly well grown and settled into a bark peat mix without a hitch. Theey were mainly larger and looked like spheres split in half with a bubbled interior.
johnw
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Thanks for the clarification John. You may note I had gone back to my posting while you posted and changed to Lecadan was "less like kitty litter" (than the fine grade of turface here). Have you tried using Lecadan the same way as Seramis? The Shortias were certainly well grown and settled into a bark peat mix without a hitch. Theey were mainly larger and looked like spheres split in half with a bubbled interior.
johnw
Hi John,
No, I have never used Lecadan the same way as Seramis. Clay pebbles broken or not broken are only used by me as a bottom layer in large pots or plant holes in the garden for drainage only. Seramis' or any other calcinated clay granulate's (e.g. Turface) ability to absorb water is far more superior when compared to Lecadan. I have no experience using Seramis as a single potting medium for a plant, but I know it is used by many other enthusiasts as a single medium for all kinds of plants.
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Hi Maggi,
may I ask, what do you intend to use the Seramis for and why would you want to re-use it?
I use the stuff all the time for different things. If you tell me what you intend to do with it, I can be more helpful. :)
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I don't "intend" to use it as such, Maren.... it was just that on reading various forumists' reports on using it for Fritillarias in pots I got to thinking that it might, if re-useable, be an option for a replacement potting medium ( or even one ingredient of a future potting mix) when we get too motheaten to be able to shift the tonnes of sand and gravel we need for our existing potting mix.
Ian bagged four tonnes of sand and gravel and then we've unloaded it from those bags , barrowed it and reloaded it to storage bays over the last few days. We've both decided we're getting past it - that works out to moving a lot of tonnes!
The prospect of a medium that could be cleaned and re-used was appealing.
But....the price would be prohibitive for us, I'm sure. Ian says when we can't cope with the potting mix ingredients we'll just have to make ssure all the bulbs are out in the garden., where they'll have to take their chances.... poor little devils, I hope it's later rather than sooner ::)
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I use pumice grit, which makes my compost for small snowdrops (seedlings, bulbils from chips etc) very well drained and aerated but also water retentive. Small bulbs love it. And it weighs so little you can pick up large bags with one hand quite easily. Lot more expensive than ordinary grit though. I also use small baked clay particles from the same supplier, called Moler - supposed to do the same sort of thing as pumice grit, give good drainage and aeration but also good water retention and also said to hold nutrients well.
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Ian bagged four tonnes of sand and gravel and then we've unloaded it from those bags , barrowed it and reloaded it to storage bays over the last few days.
A stone slinger can put sand, gravel, mulch, etc into otherwise inaccesible areas.
Do you have them over there?
Or your bags could be lifted up and over with a rented crane.
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Ian bagged four tonnes of sand and gravel and then we've unloaded it from those bags , barrowed it and reloaded it to storage bays over the last few days.
A stone slinger can put sand, gravel, mulch, etc into otherwise inaccesible areas.
Do you have them over there?
Or your bags could be lifted up and over with a rented crane.
Access to where we want to store the sand and gravel is severely restricted, Diane, even for such machinery. Even if that were not the case we could not afford that sort of hire cost. :( We are on a very limited income and anything we can do ourselves we will work away at.
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Martin,
where do you get your pumice grit from? I have been looking to source it from the UK, but it was so expensive, I didn't bother. Instead, I rented a van and took it to Belgium, where I bought a tonne of pumice, which I decanted into used compost bags so that I was able to lift them into the van.
It proved quite a challenge for the French customs police at Calais who were hoping that I had lots of dope stashed in the bags. Every bag was opened, a sniffer dog was deployed and eight officers stood about supervising, guns at the ready. Two bags were taken to their office, where they were probably tipped on the floor and inspected. Much to their annoyance, they didn't find anything.
Before they let me go, the head honcho asked me why the pumice was in used bags. I told him it was because was unable to lift a 1 tonne bag into the van. - He was not happy.
So if you have a UK source for the stuff, I'd love to try it. ;D
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Maren,
I've always got mine from Viresco, which used to be John Mclaughlan Horticulture, in North Yorkshire. They've previously offered various grades. But recently they decided to stop stocking it and sell off their remaining stock, a lot of which I bought. They still stock Moler baked clay granules which are also good.
The other day John phoned me and asked if I'd like some more pumice grit as he'd had various customers requesting more than he could supply from remaining stocks. He was taking advance orders so he could place a bulk order for more, but only of the 2-3mm pumice grit (which I find is ideal for composts for small bulbs).
You could try giving them a ring and ask if it's too late to order some. If you want a lot he might even do a special order for you. It's pretty expensive by the bag, so ask for prices, but they do quantity discounts. It's delivered by courier. Here's a link to their web page with the phone number:
http://www.viresco-uk.com/information/horticultural_other_products.asp
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Ian bagged four tonnes of sand and gravel and then we've unloaded it from those bags , barrowed it and reloaded it to storage bays over the last few days.
A stone slinger can put sand, gravel, mulch, etc into otherwise inaccesible areas.
Do you have them over there?
Or your bags could be lifted up and over with a rented crane.
Access to where we want to store the sand and gravel is severely restricted, Diane, even for such machinery. Even if that were not the case we could not afford that sort of hire cost. :( We are on a very limited income and anything we can do ourselves we will work away at.
My husband is in construction and has had to hire cranes to lift material over houses as there in no access at the rear or side of the property. It is so costly, with permits and hire. I think the cheapest cost that we have managed to get is I hr hire @ £250 .No I think the barrow and the good back is better and then you can spend the £250 that you have saved on plants and chocolate cake ;D
Angie :)
I am with Maggi, wheel barrows and a good back is the way to go.
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Ahhh... but if the back is NOT so good? ???
Neither Roger nor the dogs will come near me at present as I've just discovered the benefits of Mentholatum Deep Heat cream for bad back and a strained shoulder. It is not quite a miracle cure but does relieve the pain to quite a large degree. Makes some things possible that have not been recently.