Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Crocus => Topic started by: Yann on August 06, 2017, 06:01:13 PM
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 (http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basicscatlitter%20page3.html)
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https://www.fruugo.fr/litiere-de-chat-sanicat-rose-30ltr/p-10411389 (https://www.fruugo.fr/litiere-de-chat-sanicat-rose-30ltr/p-10411389)
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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.
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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.
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Hi Bojnar, i'll then try a to soak a bag and make trials with common plants.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=7878.msg310165#msg310165)
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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.
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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
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Could you possibly advise me which cat litter you are using and from which shop in the UK
The usual one quoted is Tesco non-clumping low dust. It's in a pink package. https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/265235247?sc_cmp=ppc (https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/265235247?sc_cmp=ppc)
There's also this one which I haven't used and I think the clay granules are slightly larger: http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/lightweight-non-clumping-pink-cat-litter (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/lightweight-non-clumping-pink-cat-litter)
The link I posted above has more info on brands available in different countries incl UK.
Gabriela - you won't go far wrong with a 50:50 mix but you can increase the % of cat litter. As an experiment, I have had cyclamen seed germinate in pure cat litter but not so easy to grow on unless watering/feeding is spot on.
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Gabriela - you won't go far wrong with a 50:50 mix but you can increase the % of cat litter. As an experiment, I have had cyclamen seed germinate in pure cat litter but not so easy to grow on unless watering/feeding is spot on.
Thanks! Tomorrow I go cat litter shopping ;D I am curious about the contents of the bags, probably I will take 2-3 brands to see the difference in the clay particles.
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Thanks! Tomorrow I go cat litter shopping ;D I am curious about the contents of the bags, probably I will take 2-3 brands to see the difference in the clay particles.
If you can't get the right sort of moler clay based, non-clumping cat litter where you are then Turface may be an alternative http://www.turface.com/products/infield-conditioners/mvp (http://www.turface.com/products/infield-conditioners/mvp)
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yeah Turface is sold in whole north america
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:)
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If you can't get the right sort of moler clay based, non-clumping cat litter where you are then Turface may be an alternative http://www.turface.com/products/infield-conditioners/mvp (http://www.turface.com/products/infield-conditioners/mvp)
yeah Turface is sold in whole north america
Seems that you guys know every plant related product that sells on this planet! ::) :) 8)
After a closer inspection, only one brand had the non-clumping stuff so I bought the last two bags of it; looks Ok in my inexperienced opinion. It should make it for a better mix than what I've used before.
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If you can't get the right sort of moler clay based, non-clumping cat litter where you are then Turface may be an alternative
I found this on-line:https://crataegus.com/2013/11/24/life-without-turface/ (https://crataegus.com/2013/11/24/life-without-turface/)
Makes no difference to me as I doubt either is available around here! ;D
cheers
fermi
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I found this on-line:https://crataegus.com/2013/11/24/life-without-turface/ (https://crataegus.com/2013/11/24/life-without-turface/)
Makes no difference to me as I doubt either is available around here! ;D
cheers
fermi
Fermi - thought this was interesting from the website link I gave at the beginning of this thread:
Grant Bowie, the curator of the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia has mailed me to give his thoughts and recommendations with regards catlitter/diatomite for bonsai."There are two main sources of Diatomite in Australia; one that has already been noted in this article is Maidenwell. Sage Horticultural of Melbourne carry it in stock. The other is Mt Sylvia Diatomite which is available in Sydney at Enfield Produce.At the moment it is 38 to 40 degrees celcius outside but in winter it can be -6 or -8 degrees. It can be very wet like this year or very dry as per usual. I am still experimenting but not inclined to go 100% Diatomite; but as a blend with others. The tests so far don’t support use of it on its own in Canberra anyhow. A blend used very successfully by the best (IMHO) bonsai grower in Oz is 50% Maidenwell Diatomite, 25% Coco Peat and 25% Pine Bark Mini Nuggets(graded 5mm to 8mm).I am using 40% Diatomite, 20% Coarse Gravel or Zeolite, 20% Coco Peat and 20% pine Bark Mini nuggets. I will progressively try higher rates of Diatomite but steady as she goes."
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I've also make trials with zeolithe, it's a very dry material, you need to add humus element (coir, turf).
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The plot thickens ;D
Maidenwell mine apparently closed in 2012 but back then someone posted on a Bonsai forum that they could get Diatomite through Sage Hort. in Melbourne.
Diatomite not on the Sage Hort. product list so I sent an email and got told
"We don’t sell Diatomite, we have an alternative which is called Turface.
It is used by bonsai growers & propagators, It sells for $ 40.00 in a 40 litre bag ( 22 Kgs )"
How bizarre! Not sure how it compares price-wise but not sure yet that I want to try it
cheers
fermi
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Here's the mix used for 2 years, i also added osmocote fertiliser, potash.