small seramis

[mark smyth]

Does anyone know where to get small sized Seramis 5mm or smaller?

[Eric Locke]

Good value from Ratcliffe Orchids and although a little larger it is so easy to crush.

Eric

[mark smyth]

Thanks Eric. It wasnt for me but I've passed on a link to the orchid site

[Darren]

Does it have to be Seramis Mark? Some cat litters are the same stuff - see the cat llitter thread- and are also smaller in size (the Wilkinsons Pink one is anyway).

[iann]

Is this what you want?
http://www.easyorchids.co.uk/shop/SERAMIS-GRANULES-30-LTR.html

No experience with that seller or that product, just something I came across.

Cat litter is about the size you want.  It isn't exactly the same as Seramis, but you wouldn't easily spot the difference.  Seramis is a fired clay, the cat litters are a diatomaceous earth clay mix known as Moler.  If anything I'd have thought the diatomaceous earth was a more desirable ingredient, but I haven't tried the two side by side.

[mark smyth]

I forgot the cat litter thread. I will email both idea to my friend

[JPB]

Seramis is sold in every gardencenter here; and we don't have John Innes....I smell business

[Darren]

Hans - it was once sold in every garden centre here too when first launched but I don't think it ever became popular enough for them to continue selling it. Now it is impossible to get in our part of the UK unless by post. You must have a more adventurous gardening public in the Netherlands if they still buy it.

[iann]

There are lots of things available widely all over western Europe that never make it to this side of the Channel.  Just the variety of plastic pots from German sellers is amazing compared to our one-size fits all Sankey selection.

Now John Innes is a major coup   Consistent quality loam is a real pain to find everywhere else in the world.

[Darren]

Agreed Ian - I've frequently seen some great pots for bulbs (small square deep ones) sold by continental nurseries.

[art600]

Paul Cumbleton had a great article in the September 2009 Plantsman on the use of Seramis to grow fritillarias to flowering size in greatly reduced timespans.

If you follow this link http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/RHS-Publications/Journals/The-Plantsman and then select the September issue, you can read the article in full it is free  .  Frit group members will already have seen this in our own magazine.

[Darren]

It was a great article Art. And thankfully I saw it in the frit group mag in september, early enough to try it with this years seed. No frit results to report yet but, as Paul suggested, it has worked really well for the calochortus seed with none of the usual heavy losses so far.