Akadama soil

Zhejiang Guomei Horticulture Co., Ltd. recently launched two new types of growing media - Akadama soil and Kanuma soil. According to Lu Jianxiong, manager of the international department at Guomei Horticulture, both Akadama soil and Kanuma soil are imported from Japan and are products of Japan's volcanic regions. Akadama soil is taken from volcanic mud formed by accumulated volcanic ash; its appearance is yellow round granules, and it contains no harmful bacteria; Kanuma soil comes from volcanic sand formed from lower-layer volcanic soil. Both have high permeability, are slightly acidic, and their structures are favorable for water retention and drainage. Medium-grain Akadama soil (2 to 6.5 mm in diameter) is suitable for potted applications for all kinds of plants, and can be called an "all-purpose soil"; at present it is mostly used for thecultivation of succulents such as cacti. Fine-grain Akadama soil (1 to 2 mm in diameter) can be used for lawn planting and for raising seedlings of horticultural plants. When Akadama soil is mixed with peat, coconut coir, bark, etc., the mixing ratio is 30%. Kanuma soil is suitable for plants that tolerate poor aeration, dislike moisture, and endure barren conditions, such as various types of bonsai,orchids, alpine flowers, etc. Kanuma soil can be used alone or mixed with other media such as peat, leaf mold, and Akadama soil. If used for the production of herbaceous flowers and foliage plants, the mixing ratio is 30%; for producing bulbous flowers, the mixing ratio is 50%; for producingorchids, the mixing ratio is 60%. Medium-grain Kanuma soil is 2.5 to 18 mm in diameter, and fine-grain is 1 to 2.5 mm in diameter. Regarding these importedcultivation media, what do domestic users think? Teng Liuhong, chairman of the Shanghai Cactus and Succulent Plant Professional Committee, is a large-scale succulent plant grower with more than 30 years of production experience. He told reporters that he has already used Akadama soil in large quantities. After mixing Akadama soil with bluestone, organic compound fertilizer, etc. for thecultivation of succulent plants, compared with using soil or peat for cultivation, the former results in better root development and stronger plants. Chen Wei, general manager of Xiamen Huijin Horticulture Co., Ltd., said that after using Akadama soil, he found that it has large gaps and good water permeability, and its greatest advantage is that moisture is very easy to control in daily management, and root rot due to excessive moisture rarely occurs. (Wang Haiyan)