Cat Litter in orchid compost - a season's experience

[Maren]

Hi David,
all my spent orchid compost goes straight onto the allotment. I've used up the cat litter with some of my cypripediums and I am a bit nervous about that. Still, I only used it on some C. reginae, the most robust of them all. Let's hope they don't mind.

[Peter Maguire]

Hi Maren,
Interesting to see you find C. reginaes to be robust. That's the one I generally found I could kill most easily!

[Maren]

Hi Peter,
you must have special skills

[gote]

Hi Göte,

you've got me interested. I have been importing Seramis from Germany and it cost £450 per cubic metre, that was 5 years ago.

What's the danish stuff? where do I get it from and how much is it?

I am in a hurry so I cannot look it up for you but if you google catlitter or moler clay you will eventually end up with a danish company who makes the stuff It is a kind of mixture of clay and diatomacees that the burn.
If you cannot find it ask me later
Göte

[Slug Killer]

Hi Göte,

you've got me interested. I have been importing Seramis from Germany and it cost £450 per cubic metre, that was 5 years ago.

What's the danish stuff? where do I get it from and how much is it?

Maren

You can buy in bulk here in the UK if you look back and click on the link in my post above to the information I supplied Paul with. The companies website does not seem to be working at the moment. They sent me samples in the past free of charge and the horticultural grade seems slightly larger than the cat littler as they remove many of the smaller particles to cut down on dust. The product is also used as a commercial absorbant for chemical spills as well as cat litter.

Gote, the only thing they add to this companies cat litter is something to make it smell nice and it does not change the PH value. I did have the data sheet somewhere.


Steetley Bentonite and Absorbents Ltd Now called TOLSA
West Carr Road
Retford
Nottinghamshire
DN22 7SW (Road Map)

Tel: 01777 712800
Fax: 01777 700344

[/swww.steetleybentonite.co.uk[s http://www.tolsa.com/index.php?seccion=23&contenido=123&padre=25&idioma=1

[gote]

Gote, the only thing they add to this companies cat litter is something to make it smell nice and it does not change the PH value. I did have the data sheet somewhere.

Cat litter or oil absorbent made from crushed aerated concrete has a high pH by itself. I once had it tested at botanical institute in Stockholm. It was impossible to grow most things in it.
Göte

[Slug Killer]

Gote, the only thing they add to this companies cat litter is something to make it smell nice and it does not change the PH value. I did have the data sheet somewhere.

Cat litter or oil absorbent made from crushed aerated concrete has a high pH by itself. I once had it tested at botanical institute in Stockholm. It was impossible to grow most things in it.
Göte

I'm talking about the PH value of dried Moler Clay supplied by the named company above not aerated concrete. I remember it had a PH value of 6.5. Where did aerated concrete suddenly come from as you are replying to a quote made by me about the company in question?

[Anthony Darby]

I still think Seramis^® is the best, when mixed with an equal quantity of Perlite making a total of 80% of the mix.

[gote]

Gote, the only thing they add to this companies cat litter is something to make it smell nice and it does not change the PH value. I did have the data sheet somewhere.

Cat litter or oil absorbent made from crushed aerated concrete has a high pH by itself. I once had it tested at botanical institute in Stockholm. It was impossible to grow most things in it.
Göte

I'm talking about the PH value of dried Moler Clay supplied by the named company above not aerated concrete. I remember it had a PH value of 6.5. Where did aerated concrete suddenly come from as you are replying to a quote made by me about the company in question?

I took up the high pH problem in my first post in this thread. Your post (suddenly  ) takes up the pH as a function of the additive. I wanted to make clear that it is not the additive that is causing the problem. I did not respond to what you wrote about the Danish company but to what you wrote about pH.
With sudden regards
Göte

 

[Maren]

I still think Seramis® is the best, when mixed with an equal quantity of Perlite making a total of 80% of the mix.

Anthony, and what's the remaining 20%? I am confused.

[Anthony Darby]

I still think Seramis^® is the best, when mixed with an equal quantity of Perlite making a total of 80% of the mix.

Anthony, and what's the remaining 20%? I am confused.

The organic part, which is 10% orchid bark & 10% sieved loam.

[monocotman]

Anthony,

do you find that your mix with seramis grows better plants than just 80% pure perlite?
Or is the preference aesthetic?

Regards,

David

[Anthony Darby]

I used Seramis^® because that is what was recommended by Hardy Orchids Ltd. I changed to 80% Pertlite because I couldn't find Seramis^® in the local garden centres. It is quite wet in Dunblane and pure Perlite affords a much lighter compost, better draining. For drier areas Seramis^® would retain more moisture. Most of the year I do not need to water my pots except to add liquid feed.

[monocotman]

Thanks Anthony - I too cannot source Seramis easily and it is way too expensive to use for me.
A 100 litre bag of super coarse perlite is still only about £15.
But it can get to be quite a chore watering all the pots.
I may try the low dust Tesco cat litter as a replacement for Seramis.
Say 45% perlite, 45% cat litter and 10% orchid bark.
I have a couple of hybrid divisions that I could use to compare the composts,
Regards,
David

[Maren]

Just an update on my experience. I am now 3/4 through with my pleione harvest.  Pots with cat litter are still wet, those without are not.  The cold weather is accelerating the demise of those that weren't up to much. I have now developed an eye for what to expect just by looking at the surface: healthy looking pseudobulb? no cat litter. Blackened or wizened bulbs or no bulbs? cat litter. Works every time. Of course, I blame my watering. - Please take care.