I would like to find this product as well. I know you read about it and can purchase it simply in the U.S. We can find it here so they say but I have not actually gone out to look seriously . Does not need to be necessarily Al's Gritty Mix, ae other names and even un named poduct. If you locate just where to purchase some I would like to know as well THey say in my reading to look at places where they have materials for baseball diamonds it is a combination of this mix I have seen it used though down in FLorida where I have a winter home Things really do grow well in it. Is fabulous and worth looking for Good luck and nice of you to try gardening I have a Meyer Lemon tree growing in Florida about three years old now Of course there it is growing right outside but in Canada, I am sure you know it can not be outdoors in winter.

I have ordered hostas from Bob Solberg a couple of years, and their plants were gorgeous with very long roots. Here's some info that may be of some interest: Importing hostas from the United States This link provides info on the requirements from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/toc/importe.shtml Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspectors work in partnership with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency officers to enforce CFIA legislation. The CFIA has implemented the Administrative Monetary Penalty system (AMPs) to complement existing enforcement tools that apply to the Health of Animals Act and the Plant Protection Act. AMPs is a flexible and cost-effective response to violations that do not warrant costly and lengthy prosecution procedures but are serious enough to pose a risk to our country. If you declare all imported animal and plant products, you will not be subject to the Administrative Monetary Penalty system. We all have a role to play in food safety, animal and plant health, and the protection of our environment. By working together, we can contribute to a better quality of life for all Canadians. For more information about the Administrative Monetary Penalty system, the Health of Animals Act and the Plant Protection Act, visit the CFIA web site at or contact: Canadian Food Inspection Agency Enforcement and Investigation Services Division AMPs Coordinator 59 Camelot Drive Nepean, Ontario K1A 0Y9 In Canada, call a CFIA Import Service Centre toll-free: Eastern: 1-877-493-0468 A $ 13-per-shipment fee (Customs transaction value of shipment less than $1600) applies for import services pertaining to regulated plants that have been certified by the country of origin as meeting Canadian requirements. (A regulated plant that is not certified will not be allowed into Canada.) Import Service Centre (Toronto) This is the link that provides info. ISC works in close relation with the CFIA and the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/publications/importe.shtml Central ISC (Ontario) 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.(local time) Telephone and EDI: 1-800-835-4486 (Canada or U.S.A.) 1-416-661-3039 (local calls and all other countries) Fax: 1-416-661-5767 Mailing Address: 1122 Finch Avenue West Unit 22 Toronto, Ontario M3J 3J5 Its easy for travellers to help protect Canada Success depends on every international traveller. Please ensure that you report all agricultural or food item to the CFIA inspectors. Better yet, when you are planning your trip abroad, check the list of approved products in our What can I bring into Canada? booklet. Or, if you are still uncertain about what is allowed into the country, contact a CFIA Import Service Centre. RETURNING TO CANADA Oral Declarations . 9804.20.00 6. Travellers arriving by private conveyance at highway border crossings can make an oral declaration for goods claimed in the $750 exemption only when the goods accompany the traveller. If unaccompanied goods are declared, a written declaration on Form E24, Personal Exemption Customs Declaration, is required. What I need from the country of origin (USA) Âis a Phyto Sanitary Certificate (Federal type not State type) What I need from Canada before going to the USA To obtain a permit call Ottawa (613) 952-8000

Wanted to see if there are any updates. I honestly dont know what to do to make my next soil mix. I have a bucket left of Flourite, Ill use that in place of turface. I used it for a few years to feed my aquatic plants. Flourite absorbs nutrients from the water and releases it slowly to the plant roots. I can buy succulent soil from anywhere, I think its the same price everywhere. I still need to call humber to check for periite, I went there a few weeks ago and didnt see any perilite. I also cannot buy it in cu ft because I dont have the space. Bark, Ive not seen bark anywhere where its not an inch in size. Same thing for crushed granite, no idea where they will have it.

hostalady I think almost every person making gritty or 511 first time is frantically trying to get exact ingredients. Until after a while (it may take long time :) they realize that there is no need to use exactly same ingredients, rather understand why they are recommended. And then they can be substituted with something else that is easier to find and has same or very similar function. I went thru driving mad & looking for bark...then buying smaller I can find - still too big to use - and breaking it, trying old blender...but pruners worked best except it takes loooong time. I gave up and read Al's article again. I do not use bark in gritty. Now I use what I can get easily and also consider price. Maybe I am cheepo, but am not willing to pay (relatively) high $ for a product that will cost much more to ship (only some stuff from Amazon has free shipping, but not buying from other sources). Lechuza-Pon looks great. I really like look of it. I am sure it works great too. These are the ingredients: Zeolite, German washed pumice, German, light Lava and a fully coated premium quality fertilizer. PON is free from contamination and pollutants. I do not have an idea if German pumice or lava is any better than non-German... The particles are great size, and it is washed. I sift perlite, even lower half of bag of grit. I also rinse them. I could 'sterilize' them in micro or by adding some bleach to rinse water, I think? I do not know anything about zeolite, found this -50lb bag of Zeolite- on Amazon for $34...no idea about it. (And some ridiculously priced packages specially for plants...) There is some cost in sourcing ingredients and making one's own mix, and that should be factored into cost of ready-made. If I had fewer plants, I would likely buy premade mix. For now, I use chicken grit #2 from farm supply store (50lb bags); perlite (bought in large bags 10kg/22lb) and turface (50lb bags) for gritty mix.