Testing EcoTraction Pro; Zeolite Ice Traction As Soil Component

[ShadyStump]

I'm short on cash, but curiosity got the better of me, so before I spend all my money on responsible adult-like things I ordered a bag of EcoTraction Pro.
Here's a link to the brand website if you'd like to familiarize yourself with its intended use, but it's marketed as a traction aid for icy conditions.
SDS says it's pure zeolite, which is sometimes sold as a soil amendment, and used in labs in appropriate contexts where a medium needs to be adjustable to a certain pH. Was unable to source zeolite for those purposes with a cursory internet search.
Sounds good for a soil component to me.

Arrived yesterday.

About $45 for the bag through Walmart online.
Respectable particle size relative to NAPA 8822 or similar. Seems much harder, so I suspect less prone to breaking down and compacting.

The bag appears relatively dust free, and a quick sift of a handful yields very little.


So far so good. I'll start some water absorption tests tonight, and report back.
I'll be starting out with a couple tropicals in it when the time comes - just because of the season - but that will come in its own time.

I'm apprehensive about its water holding capacity on it's own, but we'll see what happens.

 

[Clicio]

I'm short on cash, but curiosity got the better of me, so before I spend all my money on responsible adult-like things I ordered a bag of EcoTraction Pro.
Here's a link to the brand website if you'd like to familiarize yourself with its intended use, but it's marketed as a traction aid for icy conditions.
SDS says it's pure zeolite, which is sometimes sold as a soil amendment, and used in labs in appropriate contexts where a medium needs to be adjustable to a certain pH. Was unable to source zeolite for those purposes with a cursory internet search.
Sounds good for a soil component to me.

Arrived yesterday.
View attachment 488739
About $45 for the bag through Walmart online.
Respectable particle size relative to NAPA 8822 or similar. Seems much harder, so I suspect less prone to breaking down and compacting.
View attachment 488740
The bag appears relatively dust free, and a quick sift of a handful yields very little.
View attachment 488742

So far so good. I'll start some water absorption tests tonight, and report back.
I'll be starting out with a couple tropicals in it when the time comes - just because of the season - but that will come in its own time.

I'm apprehensive about its water holding capacity on it's own, but we'll see what happens.

I have been using Zeolite in some of my mixes, and it works for my tropicals. I also like the color, a light bluish green.
Let us know your results.

 

[ShadyStump]

I'm surprised it's not more common as a soil component, based on what I've read. I suppose it has something to do with sourcing it easily.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it does.

 

[Clicio]

I'm surprised it's not more common as a soil component, based on what I've read. I suppose it has something to do with sourcing it easily.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it does.

I've got some European friends who use Zeolite even for seedlings.
Here in South America it is sold as a swimming pool filtration component.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

In the US maybe not so much. In other countries it’s used more to boost the CEC due lack of media components like akadama. It should work well for developing trees, but use needs to be moderated a lot as it’s CEC is roughly triple that of akadama… a better component than diatomaceous earth imho due to shape, which has a CEC about double that of akadama.

Perhaps @leatherback @BobbyLane or @Shibui would be able to give more information about zeolite’s characteristics in bonsai media.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[BobbyLane]

In the US maybe not so much. In other countries it’s used more to boost the CEC due lack of media components like akadama. It should work well for developing trees, but use needs to be moderated a lot as it’s CEC is roughly triple that of akadama… a better component than diatomaceous earth imho due to shape, which has a CEC about double that of akadama.

Perhaps @leatherback @BobbyLane or @Shibui would be able to give more information about zeolite’s characteristics in bonsai media.

cheers
DSD sends

Seems like really great stuff from what ive read. @Maros is the guy to ask, he uses it exclusively and I think his trees he posts here speak for themselves.

 

[ShadyStump]

WOW
Learning allot already! Thanks everyone!

Didn't get to the water absorption tests tonight - life with children - but should have a moment tomorrow.

 

[Maros]

Seems like really great stuff from what ive read. @Maros is the guy to ask, he uses it exclusively and I think his trees he posts here speak for themselves.

From pictures seems like similar to mine. It is great product and I'm using it since 2008 in most of my trees. It does not break down at all, and we have sometimes winters with below -20°C. Only disadvantage is weight, when used with big tree and soaked with water. So for really big trees im scaling down the amount in mixtures towards pumice or other lighter stuff.
In hot environments, during hot summers(like we have during last decade) it is absolutely perfect substrate due to the amount of water it is able to keep and release.
I know some people dont like like the color, I dont care. I use fractions 2.5-5 mm, 4-8mm, and 8-16mm as drainage.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Thanks!

Can you please give a quick rundown on the media mix you use zeolite on deciduous and coniferous for trees under development and in ramification?

cheers
DSD sends

 

[minkes]

You could stop testing and start using it . Here in europe / slovakia, we use it many years with very good results. For me it is best with some lighter component, because it is quite heavy. My mix is usually 50/50 zeolite + perlite. I have very good results and beautiful roots with almost all my trees potted in zeolite / perlite mix (spruces, firs, birches, maples, pines, …)

I dont recommend it only for very acid loving trees like azalea, camelia..

 

[leatherback]

I have zeolite in my mix, rather by accident as it was in some bags of substrate I bought a few years ago.
So no contious thought behind it. (Also, I feel the role of substrate components is a bit overplayed by hobbiests, and do not spend too much time thinking about it.)

 

[ajm55555]

I use a mix of zeolite, perlite, lava rock and pine bark.

 

[BobbyLane]

I have zeolite in my mix, rather by accident as it was in some bags of substrate I bought a few years ago.
So no contious thought behind it. (Also, I feel the role of substrate components is a bit overplayed by hobbiests, and do not spend too much time thinking about it.)

This!

 

[ShadyStump]

I feel the role of substrate components is a bit overplayed by hobbiests, and do not spend too much time thinking about it.

I hardily agree with this!
I've experimented with so many soil components by now (it's the thing I've actually done the most of in bonsai so far) that I can assure anyone that the old saying is true: the most important and hardest thing to learn is proper watering.

I'll take @minkes advice and just start using it, but I'll still post my findings here for the sake of others that are new to zeolite.
I'll also see about other sources available to the North American market. Given the price of this stuff I just got, it may not be as economical as I'd like.

Edit: @minkes , very good to know about the acid loving plants. Thank you! I may still run some experiments there, just for the sake of understanding how it affects them.

 

[Maros]

Thanks!

Can you please give a quick rundown on the media mix you use zeolite on deciduous and coniferous for trees under development and in ramification?

cheers
DSD sends

I'm not into conifers generally, 95 % of my collection is deciduous trees. I use mostly zeolite plus 20% rough peat. No big alchemy as Jelle wrote earlier.
I did not start using zeolite because of its properties, color, cation exchange, or whatever. My motivation was purely economical and logistical, I was driving around the factory bagging it several times a year, and I was buying it for less than 4 euros/25kg bag. Now it is more like 8 euros per bag but still the cheapest stuff I can find, any usable fraction I could need from powder-like stuff to big rocks. Still, I understand the need for different substrate components in relation to weight, color etc. for different purposes. But for the foreseeable future, all heavy lifting in my garden will be done by zeolite.

 

[ShadyStump]

Found a cheaper source!

ZeoSource Crushed Natural Zeolite for Artificial Turf Infill 2000 lbs. Super Sack ZSSFSS2000 - The Home Depot

Artificial Turf Infill - ZeoSource Artificial Turf Infill crushed Zeolite is a 100% natural and listed for organic use (by OMRI), non-carcinogenic alternative to SBS or vulcanized rubber pellets used in a wide variety of applications. Zeolite, when used as a turf infill, helps control odors and...

www.homedepot.com

Might need to upgrade my shed, though.

 

[ShadyStump]

@MRdoozlSnoozl__ What exactly do you mean by, "spent?" Do you mean the the CEC declines over time?
If so, I imagine that would be an issue with just about anything. This is another reason I like organics in my substrate. They decompose over time into different materials, diversifying the potential for chemical reactivity as various compounds are produced at different stages. In nature this can lead to higher CEC, or at least generally stabilizing it over time.