bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Bentonite as soil component?

There are a lot of things that can be used at Cat Litter, but not all can be used in Bonsai; in fact most should not. Hartz Mountian Kitty Litter is the only cat product I would even think of using and then only in an emergency. Most Cat Litter products are made of calcined clay products. However over the last several years there are some products that have come out for that use that are not clay based, but some quasi-organic items that my cat wont poop in. Any way, the real problem here is not the intended use of the material but the chemical composition. I do not even pretend to know what Bentonite is and I would not use it until I know what the chemical composition is. It may be OK for Kitty crappers but not fit for bonsai roots.

28-Dec-2006	#3
Vance Wood bonsaiTALK ArchMaster Join Date: Sep-2002 Location: Roseville Michigan Country: USA USDA Zone: 5/6 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 2,329	There are a lot of things that can be used at Cat Litter, but not all can be used in Bonsai; in fact most should not. Hartz Mountian Kitty Litter is the only cat product I would even think of using and then only in an emergency. Most Cat Litter products are made of calcined clay products. However over the last several years there are some products that have come out for that use that are not clay based, but some quasi-organic items that my cat wont poop in. Any way, the real problem here is not the intended use of the material but the chemical composition. I do not even pretend to know what Bentonite is and I would not use it until I know what the chemical composition is. It may be OK for Kitty crappers but not fit for bonsai roots. __________________ The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa