seramis growing

[Yann]

Does anyone also experienced Seramis with Crocus? A shame it's expensive because results are greats.

2 years ago i sown seeds, the bulbils are twice the size of the ones in classic compost.
Last year i repotted 30 pots with a 80% seramis and 20% coarse sand mix.
i checked the pots to compare with loam based compost, the result is great: bulbs are bigs, tunic is clean.

The main difficulty is to gauge water, adding sand retain more humidity and lost several bulbs. I reduced the watering and all goes well.

[SJW]

Does anyone also experienced Seramis with Crocus? A shame it's expensive because results are greats.

Cheaper alternatives are the cat litter brands based on moler clay - smaller granules than Seramis but many growers report excellent results with, for example, fritillarias. There's a number of cat litter threads on the forum.

[Janis Ruksans]

Does anyone also experienced Seramis with Crocus? A shame it's expensive because results are greats.

2 years ago i sown seeds, the bulbils are twice the size of the ones in classic compost.
Last year i repotted 30 pots with a 80% seramis and 20% coarse sand mix.
i checked the pots to compare with loam based compost, the result is great: bulbs are bigs, tunic is clean.

The main difficulty is to gauge water, adding sand retain more humidity and lost several bulbs. I reduced the watering and all goes well.

What is Seramis? Will try cat-litter with some surplus corms, but in any case it is far too expensive.

[Yann]

I'm not able to find cat liter such the one sold in UK, instead garden centers and supermarkets sell infamous calceorous chips and dust binding. The pumice ones are not sold anymore.
I also use pumice but it keeps to much water for crocus.

[SJW]

I'm not able to find cat liter such the one sold in UK, instead garden centers and supermarkets sell infamous calceorous chips and dust binding. The pumice ones are not sold anymore.
I also use pumice but it keeps to much water for crocus.

There's a section here on alternatives available in France and Germany. Any use? http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basicscatlitter%20page3.html

[SJW]

https://www.fruugo.fr/litiere-de-chat-sanicat-rose-30ltr/p-10411389

[Yann]

Thanks for the links, never heart of Myta.
The sanicat has perfumed chips (inhibitors) added and it's expensive. Last year i found a wholesaler than sold me Seramis 5.5£ for 15L.
But stock is random.

[arisaema]

I used perfumed moler clay cat litter for Cypripedium in Norway (X-tra brand), just soak the granules in water for a day or so and the perfume dissipates. Never had any issues, the Cyps loved it. But, as you say Yann, ordering cat litter shipped from the UK sounds prohibitively expensive.

[Yann]

Hi Bojnar, i'll then try a to soak a bag and make trials with common plants.

[brianw]

I used to soak it too, but gave up and now use it straight from the bag. The first 1 or 2 waterings lose the smell and not found any other problems. It is only a perfume, as far as I know, to cover the normal cat latrine smells. Nothing more scientific.

[SJW]

I used to soak it too, but gave up and now use it straight from the bag. The first 1 or 2 waterings lose the smell and not found any other problems. It is only a perfume, as far as I know, to cover the normal cat latrine smells. Nothing more scientific.

Same here. I use it particularly for seed sowing (mixed with coir) and have had excellent results with a range of species.

[Gabriela]

Same here. I use it particularly for seed sowing (mixed with coir) and have had excellent results with a range of species.

This discussion got me thinking and looked at the nearby supermarket - there are many options, scented and unscented and the price is not bad, but all are marked  'clay' on the bags  - so what should I take the clumping or non-clumping one?
Roughly, how much do you add to the sowing mix please?

[Maggi Young]

Definitely the non-clumping  type of cat litter - going by previous comments in the forum - search "cat litter" by the search button fourth left in the row near the top of the page - there are quite a number of results reported .... this is an excellent example:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=7878.msg310165#msg310165

[Gabriela]

Thanks Maggi; I browsed at fast rate, very interesting results.
I have some species that need sowing asap so I'll make a mix with the cat litter, see how it goes. The sand we can buy here to improve the drainage in potting mix is awful.

[Graeme]

Same here. I use it particularly for seed sowing (mixed with coir) and have had excellent results with a range of species.

Could you possibly advise me which cat litter you are using and from which shop in the UK