I should have said that I'm dipping the roots in Agri-gel before planting in gritty mix. That water has just the right pH, as well as a speck of Foliage Pro, so maybe I'm OK?

So fuller's earth is all wrong. I'm changing it out.

Are you all squared away, or do you still need input?

Al

Just in case anyone ever looks at this, it appears that Fuller's earth can comprise several different things, in different proportions. According to a data sheet compiled by Moltan Company listing the components of SafeTsorb, it is made of calcined Montmorillonite clay, 87-90%; crystalline silica (quartz), 7-10%; and crystalline silica (cristobalite), less than 3%. Obviously, I'm no chemist, but it looks like the silica elements of SafeTsorb are probably sources of aluminum. Which would not be good for my cherry trees. On the other hand, as silica forms less than 13% of STs, at the most, and I already have six more bags of it on hand, and have already planted two cherry trees in it, which look happy, I'm going to stick with it. I'll use Turface some other time. Or not, depending. I only hope that the gritty mix police don't come pounding on my door in the dead of night.

Hello, Al. Thanks for asking. I was just adding my addendum when you posted your question.

Yes, Al, I would love it if you commented on my comments on SafeTsorb. I realize you may think it's no good. I could accept that. You've been such a big influence on me...

Silica may just be one of the most overlooked
minerals in terms of health benefits. Silica is most commonly found in
nature as sand or quartz. In the human body, this chemical compound is
what holds us together as it its a key element in the formation of
collagen. Silica its found in every organ of the body from the blood
circulatory system to the transmission of nerve signals. Specific
benefits of silica include:

• Promoting stronger fingernails
• Producing healthy hair and clear skin
• Countering some effects of aging
• Daily healthy functioning of our body’s organs and connective tissues
• Counteracting dry skin
• Improved digestion
• Boost to metabolism
• Stimulation of cell formation

You don't want to breath it in your lungs though!! Wear a mask!!

Thank you, thank you, Drew! In no small part due to inspiration drawn from your pictures and comments to me, I have a bunch of Aunt Molly ground cherries sprouting indoors in starter mix. My Giant Poja Cape Gooseberries have done a whole lotta nothin'. Out of 24 seeds planted, every one is a dud. Oh, well. When the weather warms up and the ground cherries are bigger, I'll plant them in gritty mix. Except for a small area filled with what my contractor called Garden Blend and dedicated to cherries and paw paws, it's hopeless to plant ITG: it's almost all clay that never drains, floods after rain. (I'll build raised beds later...)

Yes, I am rinsing the SafeTsorb through insect screen and three layers of hardware cloth. No powder or fines go in the mix -- or in my lungs.

Nothing shabbier than stone fruit with unsightly fingernails.

But Al, I thought silicon has aluminum, which is not good. That's what I got out of your comments to someone who was asking about Fuller's earth as a substitute for Turface in gritty mix. In any case, it looks like SafeTsorb is OK in gritty mix, given its various elements I listed above...?

Here's pics of my gritty mix and one of the planter 13 planter boxes I made last winter. I screwed pieces of pvc tube into the inner sides of the boxes. The hardware cloth holds the mix, but the pvc prevents the cloth from pressing against the inside of the boxes, thus ensuring aeration. At least, that's my intention

Silicon is an element, so a pure substance. Aluminum is everywhere in mineral soils, but not usually a problem unless it becomes soluble at low pH levels.

Here is what Dave from Dyna-Grow said in a reply to a question I raised about Pro-TeKt:

He says: "Because silicon, like calcium, is a non-translocatable element, optimum benefits require regular applications in growing plants to insure that the new tissue obtains soluble silicon. Benefits provided include increased resistance to fungi, insects, low light levels, increased mechanical strength and less reliance upon osmotic pressure for leaf turgidity [longer between waterings]. While silicon is incorporated in the cell walls, the principal benefits come from the deposition of silicon in an opalene form in the epidermis of leaves and stems. This mechanical barrier deters many insects as it makes the leaves too tough for insects to feed upon.

To date more than 200 university studies have been published regarding the multiple benefits of soluble silicon. If you are using distilled water, presumably you are adding fertilizer. Since most [fertilizers] are acidic and applied at a rate higher than Pro-TeKt, the fact that Pro-TeKt has a high pH is more than offset by the low pH of the fertilizer. With many thousands of long time users of Pro-TeKt, I know of no one who has lost a plant due to high pH.

Dave Neal, CEO
Dyna-Gro Nutrition Solutions"

I'm not sure what Optisorb is, but if it's the right size, stable, and produced from calcined clay or DE, it should be fine.

Al