where can I buy Safe T Sorb in SoCal?

[cjccmc]

No Tractor Supply stores nearby, so wondering where I can get this or an equivalently good product to use in DIY potting soil. Thanks!

[FigMania]

Cat litter? Works well as an absorbent and doesn't break down IIRC. Also consider these.. I believe Safe T Sorb, Cat Litter, etc are really all the same material.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Cleaning-Floorcare-Spill-Absorbent-Sweeping-Compound/N-5yc1vZcb6o

[AscPete]

A Kitty Litter discussion...

https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-home/71391-calcined-clay-and-clay-non-clumping-kitty-litter

[Needaclone]

Excellent link, Pete...but it's worth stating the conclusion explicitly here: not all Cat Litters are made of the calcined clay product that is being sought out. Bottom line, gotta check the label and/or research the ingredients.

[AscPete]

Needaclone ,
You are correct, It cannot be emphasized enough...

It HAS TO BE CALCINED CLAY, not simply heat treated as is most clay based Cat Litters which crumble into "mud" after being exposed to water / moisture for a few hours or any extended period of time.

[BrooklynMatty]

Napa Auto Store has a comparable product:

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NFN8822

There was some comparisons done on this before from pete and others here on this site.

[AscPete]

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NFE6040

is the Calcined Clay Napa Product...

[CliffH]

+1 on the Napa product. If you use cat littler, make sure the ingredients say it's 100% clay.

Also search for local landscaping places that sell Expanded Shale or a product called Turface.

[Needaclone]

Not just clay in general, but calcined clay in particular. Calcined clay has been processed to have the properties we want as a potting medium.

[AscPete]

Try Grainger ...


https://epminerals.com/products/safe...nd-safe-t-sorb


Its similar to Turface MVP

Its not Cat Litter, but some inexpensive brands are made with the same calcined clay, calcined fullers earth or calcined montmorillonite clay. Good luck.

[cjccmc]

Thanks all for the inputs and ideas. Only place that has the (almost) exact same product in my area is Grainger. I never knew they had so many branches but there are two not far from my route from home to work, and one had it in stock. Here's the info on that if anyone else is interested:

EP MINERALS Clay Montmorillonite Universal Absorbent, Container Size: 50 lb $12

• Item# 6RKH8
• Mfr. Model# 7951
• Catalog Page# 1904
• UNSPSC# 47131902

[AscPete]

Its the same product per the manufacturer's Literature and MSDS as Tractor Supply's (40 lbs @ $6.00), just a larger 50 lb bag.

Granger had even more Branches, they've closed a good percentage and reduces their stock diversity over the past few years...

[Needaclone]

Try any autoparts store and seek out the products they sell for absorbing oil spills. Then, check the label and/or research the manufacturers website to get the ingredient list and/or MSDS.

[AscPete]

Produced by Molton Company.

Part# 7941 40# bag
Part# 7951 50# bag

https://images.hillyard.com/IMAGES/MSDS/MSDSMTN7941.pdf

[cjccmc]

Here's what the Safe T Sorb in the red bag looks like, about half the particles are about 1/8" and remainder are smaller. These came from the top of the bag and I would expect to see more dust size stuff at the bottom. Wet stuff shown on one side mostly maintains particle size when squeezed but does make a light muddy film if you keep working it. The 50 lb bag at $13 only provides about 1 cu ft of material so very expensive on a $ per unit volume basis. For some reason I thought this material was going to be mostly spherical shaped and the size of coarse perlite but it isn't. Since it's about 3X more costly than perlite is there enough of a benefit to choose calcined clay as a potting soil ingredient?

[AscPete]

The Calcined Clay is not a replacement for Perlite / Aerated portion of the potting mix...

Calcined Clay provides aeration, water retention, trace minerals and increased CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity, which helps to retain applied fertilizers and minerals) similar to Vermiculite,

http://nmsp.cals.cornell.edu/publications/factsheets/factsheet22.pdf

Any DIY / Custom potting mix ratio of aeration / water retention has to be trialed to insure desired characteristics, following a Commercial Potting Mix recipe ratio is always a good start when deciding on your ingredients and application,

http://www.pthorticulture.com/en/products/

For example Promix HP is 65% - 75% Peat / water retention with 25% - 35% Perlite / aeration. In a custom mix the Peat portion could be replaced with Coco Coir, Compost, even Composted Manure or some combination. Good luck.

[cjccmc]

Thanks for the explanation Pete.

In the Cornell document it states that organic matter can have a CEC 4 to 50 times higher than clay, although it is somewhat pH dependent. If peat or bark counts as OM, wouldn't that make the CEC of the clay unnecessary?

If I wanted my DIY soil to mimic Promix at 75% peat and 25% perlite, how much Calcined Clay would you suggest be added to get the benefits it provides?

[AscPete]

Calcined Clay is not actually necessary in potting mixes. I add it to my mixes @ 10% - 15% because of its many benefits. The Calcined Clay actually Absorbs water along with any dissolved nutrients. It aids in "wetting" the Peat Moss, reducing or eliminating the possibility of a hydrophobic Peat potting mix. An additional benefit is that it extends the life span of the mix, like Turface the particles take years to break down in the Perennial Potting mix.

I've used Pine Bark, Clay Pellets (Hydroton) and Perlite at up to 50% with Peat or Coir, a 1-1 ratio. A simplified mix could be a 3 - 1 ratio of Peat or Coir - Perlite or Pea Gravel (if weight is not an issue) which will have the equivalent ratio to Promix HP.