Bentonite as soil component?

thedoc_

Dear All,

I live in an area (Cyprus, mediterranean sea) where bentonite is readily available. It is extracted and exported as cat litter by one local company. Has anyone used bentonite as soil component?

Thank you very much for your input.
Stav.

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thatfredguy

Stav,

I have used plain [un-scented] cat litter as a soil component, and it works quite well. It has that property of absorbing and releasing moisture, which is highly valuable in bonsai pots.

I think current practice is to use akadama or something else, but I have had success with a mixture of cat litter, peat [or coconut fibre], and well-composted potting soil. If you are near a source of a component like bentonite, you might as well save money and go with the local product.

Fred R.

Vance Wood

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

bonsaial1

Out here in California, bentonite is used in a slurry form and sprayed on the walls of bare dirt to form ponds. When the stuff dries it is fairly waterproof and keeps the water from sinking into the soil. I can only imagine how this would perform in a bonsai pot in which we try to encourage free draining.

ak

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It's about time that the proper respect be given to the fine art of balloon animals...

Vance Wood

That sounds like a no to me. It also suggestes that possibly the product has a good deal of lime in it, which could be a big deal for most bonsai, and not in a good way.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

bonsaial1

Check here. Google search will yield many sites. I have used this for such purposes here for feeder goldfish in the aquarium trade. A past pastime while building acrylic filters also.


http://msucares.com/wildfish/fisher...lems/leak3.html

al

__________________
It's about time that the proper respect be given to the fine art of balloon animals...

thedoc_

Dear All,
Thank you for you input; it is really interesting and helpful to have feedback from others. I would like to add something to the discussion; this may give a new insight to bentonite.
According to Wikipedia, Bentonite is an absorbent aluminiumphyllosilicate generally impure clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite, (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2·(H2O)n. Two types exist: swelling bentonite which is also called sodium bentonite and non-swelling bentonite or calcium bentonite. It forms from weathering of volcanic ash, most often in the presence of water.

Bentonite also has the interesting property of adsorbing relatively large amounts of protein molecules from aqueous solutions.
Bentonite can be used in cement, adhesives, ceramic bodies, cosmetics and cat litter. Fuller's earth, an ancient dry cleaning substance, is finely ground bentonite, typically used for purifying transformer oil. Bentonite, in small percentages, is used as an ingredient in commercially designed clay bodies and ceramic glazes.

I have found out that it is also used in pesticide industry cosmetic industry, as a carrying agent for the active ingredients.
I have contacted the company that produces this and i was told that"Even after wetting each individual granule absorbs without dissolving and stays hard and maintains its original shape, which is a very important factor. You simply scoop away the soiled clump and top up with fresh litter. Other bentonite clays that swell and dissolve form a muddy pancake, sticking to the cat's fur and paws and litter the floor."

I am not an expert or enything but I suppose calsium bentonite (non swelling type) may be used. I will probably experiment with it.

Waiting for your comments and advice.
Thanks.
Stav.

Vance Wood

If you are going to experiment with it we wait for your results. If it keeps it granules it might be alright. The problem with many of the Kitty Litter like products they break down. This does a number of things. One, it inhibits the arability of the soil (ability to breath), two it inhibits the ability to drain off excess water, three it becomes slow to dry making the soil become sour, and because of one through three it can encourage root rot.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

thedoc_

Dear all,

Thank you very much for your advice. I will try to experiment with bentonite by planting something (obviously not bonsai!!) and i will keep you posted.
In the meantime i wish you all a Happy New Year.

Kind regards,
STav.