cat litter at last

delboy · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 6:48 pm Post subject: cat litter at last

Hi, finally got down to Tescos, amazingly there isn't one near to where i live. Got some premium cat litter. when would be the best time to change over? i have a gingko biloba, a jasminium nudiflorum, mame, and a couple of chinese elms. All are doin ok at the mo should i disturb them or wait til next spring to change the medium? please advise.

Stymie · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: cat litter at last

I hope that you obtained the premium lightweight brand buddy or it will clump up. I've introduced the CL in stages over three years and am using it almost exclusively now that I know it is safe and suitable. You may find that more frequent watering will be necessary than it has been in the past and it may be an idea to use it mixed with your previous medium at first 1 to 1, before going the whole hog. All your trees should be in full growth mode by now and I would recommend waiting until re-potting time next spring to make the change. Welcome to the CL revolution.

AlanM6 · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 6:11 am Post subject: Re: cat litter at last

I was about to start a thread asking how all of you were doing with the cat litter, all of my trees other than my Azaleas are in a mix of 80% Sophisticat pink & 20% finely chopped bark and they seem to be loving it. Ive got really vigorous growth and a dense crop of leaves on everything and they are all looking very healthy
However I notice that some of the CL is starting to take on a greenish cast, could be a fine moss but it looks more like Algae
not a problem at the moment,in fact I prefer it to the glaring pink of the litter.
So its so far so good. How about you lot,I know that some of you have been in the pink for years, others like myself will be using the CL for the first time.
AlM6

Cherry Blossom Bonsai · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 7:39 am Post subject: Cat Litter - Alternative view.

Hi all, this is my first posting on this board, in fact any board, so forgive me if I fall foul of any conventions or etiquettes.
I have been aware for some time of the increasing interest in the use of cat litter as a growing medium for bonsai as a way of reducing the cost of the hobby. At the risk of raising some hackles I would like to air an alternative opinion about cat litter that up till now, I haven't seen expressed.
Before I go any further I would like to own up to two things. First and most obviously, as a bonsai retailer I have a commercial interest. Secondly I am a bit of a traditionalist (stick in the mud?).
I am very aware of the price difference in cost of Japanese soils and cat litter, and the savings that can be made when re-potting your cherished trees.
When I say 'cherished' I am not talking about monetary value here, but just the time and sheer effort that we all devote to nurturing and maintaining our various collections. Surely the lowliest of starter trees is as worthy of the very best growing medium as the mightiest Bonsai.
Put in simple terms, we could quite easily revert to living in Wattle and Daub huts as our ancestors did. They provide a degree of shelter and support. But isn't it better to live in a higher quality dwelling made of more suitable materials that provide a better quality of support?
I would question how much of a saving is achieved by the average hobbyist when re-potting a few trees every 2 to 3 years. Whatever you save, is it really such a good idea to use the cheapest medium available for the very thing that supports and helps sustain the trees that we all value so highly? And by the way it is not without risks as a few people appear to have discovered.
As a continuing hobbyist I make no apologies for being passionate about the care of my own trees, and as a retailer about the stock that I (hope) to sell. I couldn't look a customer in the eye and tell them that I have used cat litter to plant their prospective purchase in.
As custodians of potentially perpetual trees, I feel the use of cheap growing medium is in complete contradiction to the entire philosophy surrounding our involvement with the magic that is Bonsai.
I wouldn't presume to tell anybody that didn't ask my opinion how to keep their trees. But I would ask that you think about the motivation for using the cheapest materials available.

yamadorinige · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 7:41 am Post subject: Re: cat litter at last

I started using CL last year and most of my trees are now in it. I too have got algae on the surface which is not a problem at all the colour looks far more natural than the orange colour of the CL.
I am currently using a basic mix of 1:1:1, CL:composted bark: course grit and all my trees seem to love it

yamadorinige · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 7:50 am Post subject: Re: cat litter at last

Cherry Blossom Bonsai · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 8:02 am Post subject: Cat Litter - Alternative view.

I understand the concerns about 'Exploding Akadama'.
However if you are using a mixed medium, for instance part Akadama, part grit, part Loam,(or whatever your favourite flavour is), and you are re-potting at appropriate intervals, say 2 to 3 years, you would find that the breakdown of Akadama due to the action of freezing conditions is not usually a problem.

delboy · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:05 am Post subject: Re: cat litter at last