Potting Dilemma

[Big Vine]

Got some new trees (3 ficus, 1 portulacaria) whose soil is far too dense/water-retentive for my indoor growing conditions.

Normally I would simply replace this soil with my own indoor mix, HOWEVER...
There has been a fair deal of concern expressed to me by various sources (some quite knowledgeable & trustworthy) that the Florida limestone I am using as an aggregate component might be unsuitable.

So what do I do?
Go ahead and repot using my Florida limestone (which is all I have on-hand) anyway and not worry about it?
Or keep them in the 'soggy' mix---possibly for a week or more!---while I wait and order some lava rock to use instead?
BV

[Gnome]

Big Vine,

To my way of looking at it, it would be better to wait and provide them with the optimum medium rather than act hastily and possibly regret it later.

Apparently they have been managed in the soil they are currently in so a week or so would not seem to be too great of an issue. Plants can be grown in a wide variety of soil types if your watering is adapted to the medium. Just be careful with watering in the interim. In fact, you could skip watering the Portulacaria entirely for the short period of time you mentioned.

Norm

[Big Vine]

Norm,

I appreciate your thoughts and the speedy response...
Ultimately I do want what is best for the long-term, so I am in agreement with what you said about waiting for the lava rock.

Just a bit about these plants...
The trees were kept in a greenhouse throughout the winter, and the owner was just getting things ready to have them moved outside for the growing season. So essentially they are outdoor plants which I have just brought inside.

But like you said, I can make sure they don't get watered UNTIL they really absolutely need it.

Thanks a bunch for the feedback.
The last thing I want to do is unnecessarily 'panic' and pot them into something I'll constantly worry about and want to change again right away. Best to just breathe... ...get a good night's sleep... ...place the order for the lava rock and RESIST the urge to pot them in the limestone...
BV

[TomM]

Good advice all around. There's nothing to 'hurry' about. The plants are stressed enough in the move to a new location. Let them readjust for a while. Prepare the best medium you can provide for them and use a little caution for the watering regimen.

[Big Vine]

Thanks Tom, I'll do as you and Norm suggest.
Another question that springs to mind though...

Would it be best to repot as soon as I have the appropriate materials (lava rock) in-hand---which means roughly within the next week? Or would you feel it is best to hold off until I see definite signs of new growth; telling me that the plants have 'adjusted' to the indoors---which means at least a few weeks?

Letting the plants 'adjust' first seems somewhat reasonable, but...
Then again, my gut is also telling me that leaving them in their current 'soggy' mix any longer than necessary would be a mistake...
BV

[Big Vine]

CHANGE IN PLAN:
Was all set to order the lava rock and then realized the cost of shipping would be a nightmare, so forget it.
Even though I think lava rock would ultimately be a more suitable, safer bet than the Florida limestone, it is simply not a viable option for me.

I spent a great deal of time and effort developing the mix I am currently using for my indoor growing.
It would be a shame to squander it because of some speculation that the Florida limestone 'might' eventually prove problematic for the plants in some way. Schefflera has been doing more than fine in it for me over the past year, and although I realize that Schefflera isn't the same as ficus and portulacaria, I do know at the very least that plants can in fact grow in my mix.

That said, repotting (with my 3 parts Florida limestone to 1 part coconut husk) shall begin immediately.
It has been getting warm enough to just begin repotting tropicals down here, and this is especially true for plants being kept indoors anyway. The plants are mostly starter stock, so I won't be totally devastated at any losses (which I think is highly unlikely anyway).

Thank-you to everyone for your input.
BV

[Gnome]

Big Vine,

Do you have a NAPA auto parts chain in your area? If so you can get D.E. (Diatomaceous Earth) sold as Oil-Dry there. I recently purchased a 25# bag for about $8.00. Have you made an attempt to locate Turface? How about appropriately sized swimming pool sand? There are always options even if they are difficult to locate.

How much can shipping be for one bag of Lava? I understand that it may seem expensive but you are only going to be using a relatively small amount this year and if you accept the additional expense once, that will buy you an entire year to investigate other options.

Have you checked with our member [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=20031]Tachigi[/url] (Tom B.) he offers this material and others. I obviously can't give you a quote on shipping but I'm sure he would be happy to.


Norm

[Big Vine]

Norm,

Just moments ago I spoke with the 'local guy' at a nursery (mostly specializing in bonsai) about an hour away...same place I bought the new trees from.

Without going into too much detail, he basically just made the same recommendations to me as you did regarding 'Turface,' 'Oil-Dry', 'Speedy-Dry,' or some other similar form of high-fired calcined clay product.

He also reiterated his concerns about the Florida limestone I've been using. He said he would definitely stay away from it because of too high pH and potential 'soil toxicity' issues over the long-term. I don't think it has as good of physical properties as the Florida limestone---it certainly won't be nearly as porous---but I suppose it is a better alternative than the long-term 'soil toxicity' concern which seems like it might be a factor with the Florida limestone.

As I indicated earlier, others have expressed concerns over the limestone, and I would guess that perhaps the general consensus might be along the lines of what my 'local guy' mentioned. Sounds like I need to just stop and re-evaluate everything I've been doing.

Anyway, I'm fairly certain I can hop in the car and find one of the products mentioned earlier---do you have a preference out of the ones listed?

Thanks again.
BV

[Bonsai Nutcase]

Norm-you were reading my mind! I am going to try the DE from NAPA auto parts as soon as I run out of the other soil I have. I've heard lots of good things about it.

[JTred]

Norm,

Just moments ago I spoke with the 'local guy' at a nursery (mostly specializing in bonsai) about an hour away...same place I bought the new trees from.

Without going into too much detail, he basically just made the same recommendations to me as you did regarding 'Turface,' 'Oil-Dry', 'Speedy-Dry,' or some other similar form of high-fired calcined clay product.
BV

"special Kitty" cat litter works as well. it just takes a little bit of prep work before you can use it. I have rooted and grown a cutting in purely kitty litter and plan to continue to use it in future mixes. If you can find it and decide to use it I can tell you how I prepare it for bonsai. I assume the NAPA stuff would need a bit of prep work as well.

[Bonsai Nutcase]

"special Kitty" cat litter works as well. it just takes a little bit of prep work before you can use it. I have rooted and grown a cutting in purely kitty litter and plan to continue to use it in future mixes. If you can find it and decide to use it I can tell you how I prepare it for bonsai. I assume the NAPA stuff would need a bit of prep work as well.

I think the NAPA stuff just needs a rinse. What do you do to make the kitty litter useable?

[JTred]

I think the NAPA stuff just needs a rinse. What do you do to make the kitty litter useable?

The special kitty needs a little more than that. I sift it, rinse it, then soak it overnight. After it dries its usually good to go. I use it because I get it for free.

[Big Vine]

My little 'crisis' is over!
I found some Turface 'All Sport' which I'll be mixing with some crushed granite. I sifted out the fines from both using a 1/16" screen.

My normal potting routine is such that the vast bulk of the new stuff gets rinsed out in the pot before the plant gets put in it, so that should take care of most of the fine dust that might be left over.

Tomorrow I'll do the actual repotting work.
BV

[Big Vine]

I got all of the repotting done today, and I'm happy with how things look so far.
BV

[Bonsai Nutcase]

Where did you find the Turface? I'd love to see some pictures of your newly repotted guys!

[Big Vine]

I got the Turface at a local John Deere landscaping outlet.
And yes, I'll be sure to post up some photos of the new trees...I just want to make sure they bounce back from their recent re-potting/root-trimming ordeal first.
BV

[djlen]

I believe Turface cost me about $12.50 for a 50# bag and one rinse makes it good to go for mixing with the other necessary ingredients.
The John Deere place has outlets practically everywhere and sells two different sizes. You want to buy the coarser variety. They are pretty uniform in size from bag to bag.