hydroton clay ball vs pebbles

Red1966

Red1966

Well-Known Member
RM3 said:
They are exactly the same thing just shaped differently, Calcined Clay is Calcined Clay
Click to expand...
Calcined clay is not baked calcined clay. Kitty litter will absorb water and turn to gooey wet clay. Hydroton is unaffected by water.
 
RM3

RM3

Well-Known Member
Red1966 said:
Calcined clay is not baked calcined clay. Kitty litter will absorb water and turn to gooey wet clay. Hydroton is unaffected by water.
Click to expand...
Ahhh, no it doesn't, I have it in my pots as I type this and yes it is "baked" calcined clay
Google is your friend :)

Industrial clay mineral aggregates have been investigated with encouraging results. Calcined clays (like those used in cat litter) retain nutrients, encourage drainage, and enhance airspace while stabilizing pH. Clay is the product of extreme weathering that has broken large mineral rock structures down to particles less than 0.002 millimeters in diameter. Due to its large surface area and nutrient holding properties, clay is ideal for controlling nutrient leaching from pots and retaining water.
Research findings have shown that calcined clay usage in an 8:1 pine bark to clay mix can give the following benefits:

  • Reduction of irrigation by 200,000 ga/acre in a season
  • Increased available water for plants by 4%
  • Plants with calcined clay remained turgid 48 hours longer than plants without calcined clay
  • Container substrates contained 100% more phosphorus
  • Reduced phosphorous leaching by 60%
  • Some clay lots serve as fertilizers themselves by providing calcium and/or phosphorous
  • Containers are 20% lighter
The use of calcined clay in potting mixes has been shown to reduce water and nutrient loss. It serves as a form of slow release fertilizer while reducing environmental impacts of highly nutrified runoff water.

From here,
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/horticulture/nursery/container_substrates1/alternative_substrates.html
 
Red1966

Red1966

Well-Known Member
Fine, keep using kitty liter. I never have seen baked kitty litter. Then again, I don't have a cat. Do you really use 8 parts pine bark to 1 part clay mix?
 
RM3

RM3

Well-Known Member
Red1966 said:
Fine, keep using kitty liter. I never have seen baked kitty litter. Then again, I don't have a cat. Do you really use 8 parts pine bark to 1 part clay mix?
Click to expand...
I base mine off Al Tapla's Gritty Mix which is more for containers
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
Heygurlll

Heygurlll

Active Member
RM3 said:
I started out mixin hydrtron in with my peat but later switched to unscented clay kitty litter as it was the same thing only WAY cheaper (25 lbs for $3 at wally world) I never understood usin perlite as it offers nothing for the plant while calcined clay slow releases sulfur and retains a tad of moisture
Click to expand...
RM3 said:
Ahhh, no it doesn't, I have it in my pots as I type this and yes it is "baked" calcined clay
Google is your friend :)

Industrial clay mineral aggregates have been investigated with encouraging results. Calcined clays (like those used in cat litter) retain nutrients, encourage drainage, and enhance airspace while stabilizing pH. Clay is the product of extreme weathering that has broken large mineral rock structures down to particles less than 0.002 millimeters in diameter. Due to its large surface area and nutrient holding properties, clay is ideal for controlling nutrient leaching from pots and retaining water.
Research findings have shown that calcined clay usage in an 8:1 pine bark to clay mix can give the following benefits:

  • Reduction of irrigation by 200,000 ga/acre in a season
  • Increased available water for plants by 4%
  • Plants with calcined clay remained turgid 48 hours longer than plants without calcined clay
  • Container substrates contained 100% more phosphorus
  • Reduced phosphorous leaching by 60%
  • Some clay lots serve as fertilizers themselves by providing calcium and/or phosphorous
  • Containers are 20% lighter
The use of calcined clay in potting mixes has been shown to reduce water and nutrient loss. It serves as a form of slow release fertilizer while reducing environmental impacts of highly nutrified runoff water.

From here,
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/horticulture/nursery/container_substrates1/alternative_substrates.html
Click to expand...
What do you recommend for someone on high calcium well water? Perlite?
 
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