Bonsai Soil: Cat Litter Vs Akadama

Cat litter for bonsai soil is a contentious subject. In this video I compare it with Akadama, detailing some of the advantages and disadvantages of cat litter (moler clay). I also list some pros and cons of Akadama, including what makes it so effective for bonsai soil.

UK Links:
*As an Amazon Associate I might earn money from qualifying purchases.

Choosing bonsai soil can be tricky. I talk a little bit about my applications of cat litter, and Akadama respectively, so that it might inspire your thought process.

[stefaanwalleghem]

I find "a little bit pricier" a real understatement, but I do like your video's. I'm really happy with your explanation, you're the first person that explains in depth what's the difference between moler clay and akadama. You also have given me a way to start my expedition into the bonsai forest. Going from cheap to expensive medium according to the age and value of the tree. This is the answer I was looking for. Thank you very much.

[yetanotherperson]

Your explanation of how Akadama functions was much appreciated. I have been reading and watching videos for a while now and this finally explained it to me. Thank you.

[michaeleber]

Watching this reminds me from when I was first in Bonsai back in the 90's. At that time they said to use a sharp sand particle. It causes the roots to get bruised during growth as it goes against the edges of the sand causing the roots to split. In much the way that akadama does today.

[murphyorama]

I switched to cat litter some years ago after having a problem with acadama turning to a horrible clay paste. It may have been inferior acadama so I may try it again as part of a blend for some of my trees. Great video.

[invertevision]

Good video. Really like how you broke it down. I've already know all this information but I like how you have made it so all van access it this vital bit of information. Great video

[gordonallan]

Hi Darren, this is one of the most informative vlogs that I have seen for ages. I used to use Tesco cat litter for all my bonsai but Tesco no longer do moler clay and I didn't know where to find it. I have been buying pumice, which is quite expensive and I will continue to use it for my conifers. My delivery of Sanicat arrived this morning! I will now mix cat litter with pumice for my deciduous trees. Many thanks.

[BonsaiTalk]

We have, on several accounts talked about TESCOS type (Since this is the most common questions people ask about the-cat-litter-thing) where do you get it? What is it and so on.. It's seems like it's also confusing for Americans, they don't really have catlitter like moler clay / diatomite like E.U.... "The Danish Moler" is better then Akadama in our opinion, atleast for tougher climates..great vid bro.

[bryan.holmes]

Great info! Where I live they sell a type of cat litter which is pure diatomite (sediments), there are several brands. I've been using this since a year now, normally in combination with some organic matter. Species like thyme even prefer 100% diatomite. The thing is I have done lots of research about its properties and found it has many important micronutrients, which you didn't consider in this comparison. The water retention and cationic exchange capacity are about the same as akadama, but diatomite has all these minerals and is also fungicidal and insecticidal. Now, even when the roots stick to diatomite grains, they don't seem to penetrate, so it wouldn't be happening their division.

[everettbonine]

I was actually just wondering if cat litter could work! Glad I found your video!

[SmallBalconyBonsai]

Great explanation! If we had that cat litter in Portugal it would be awesome. I tried to find a substitute but in the end I went with akadama, pumice and lava!👍

[maxinla]

I’ve left my sycamore maple in a shallow pot filled with akadama the whole winter and at times it did completely expand and formed a sort of mountain of frozen akamada, but to my suprise, I repotted it a few weeks ago and the roots were fine. I didn’t see any dead roots even though there were some that almost came to the surface. The akamada didn’t break down at all. I’m happy everything went well, the tree is also fine

[TonyHigginsonVlog]

Superb informative video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[japreet_kah]

Hello mate. Ca you update us on what cat litter to use? i went to tescos and they have 6 pounds and 1.50p - none of them say the ingredients on the back so im lost lol thanks

[TheBonsaiGarden]

Great points Darren 😊
Just having a refresher before dipping my toe into this can of worms 😂

[RosarioCostanzo]

Interesting informations and video. I use cat litter too but with a different component: pure sepiolite! I have to say that sepiolite in bonsai soil isn't bad, it helps a lot and it's very cheap. At least, it's good for my wallet and my climate

[jaimepalazuelos]

Thanks for the info, working fine for me. Unfortunately it looks like Sanicat is no longer making Sanicat Pink, so you might want to grab some stock.

[natrjack]

Are you still using molar clay and if so what brand? I also use molar clay I did at one time. Use Tesco's dust free but I found recently it has come slightly perfumed so I no longer use it. I found that I use sanicat pink Which would you recommend or which do you use?

[alexanderkurokawa]

Thank you for this video! here in Australia its very expensive to import akadama from Japan, thank you for giving me an alternative!
Edit: I found cat litter which is made not from molar clay, but "zeolite". I researched the stone and it is a type of volcanic clay. Does it act similarly to molar clay?

[BackSeatHump]

I used cat litter for years here in Sweden. There were three to choose from and easily available. But they've all disappeared from the shops. No moler clay cat litter in Sweden.

[trashbuilds]

Wow this is the first clear explanation I've come across, thank you! I've been practicing pre bonsai on a ton of wild trees and propagated branches collected from my yard and it is just too expensive to use bonsai substrates for all of them so I haven't known what to do...

Your process of air pots with normal compost soil for the young trees before refining the soil along with the quality of the bonsai so perfect! I now feel more confident that I'm not going to ruin all my pre bonsais lol