Using dye to color potting substrate

brian soldano Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:30 am

I recall an article I read once, and can't seem to find it now. Someone explained using dyes to color diotamaecious earth (some brands of oil spill absorbent) I have been using the Napa brand and the color was clay looking. Perfect. Well Napa diddnt have that kind, just the low fired clay... So I found some at the auto store except it's white.. Now my question, any advice on safe dyes to color this shiz. I feel acrylic paint even over reduced might clog the pores of the substrate... Repotting is coming up fast and I'd hate white bits in my soil

brian soldano Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:49 am

Just found the article. Coffie grounds seem to the answer, or the obvious and dress the soil with regular old chicken grit. Admins can remove this post now.

Dave Leppo Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:22 am

I would try walnut hull juice, dyes everything, including hands, chocolate brown.

Cronic Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:06 am

why on earth would you feel the need to colour your substrate?

if you want to make it more attractive, try using moss..

**Kevin S - Wisco Bonsai** Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:52 pm

brian... i have been using the napa floor dry for several years (exact bag and product # as pictured below)

Using dye to color potting substrate Nwmdc10

i wonder if you were using the same exact product as this, as i have never seen it gray colored, it being more off white-ish.
this product is 100% diamataceous earth...

do you recall what you were using from napa if different than this that was gray colored ?
also do you recall what product was the "low-fired" one ?

any insight is appreciated !

brian soldano Fri Apr 01, 2016 1:36 am

beer city snake wrote:brian... i have been using the napa floor dry for several years (exact bag and product # as pictured below)

Yup that's the stuff beer city. Apparently they were out because all they had was oildri which is clay not DE. I found opti-sorb at O'Riley auto which is 100% DE but it is white. Off white when wet. I'm testing coffie right now. Well see how it works out. I'll prob just dress the top soil with chicken grit and some chopped up spagnum and some moss I found growing in the sun. Made me a nice lil top soil that the moss will grow into
i wonder if you were using the same exact product as this, as i have never seen it gray colored, it being more off white-ish.
this product is 100% diamataceous earth...

do you recall what you were using from napa if different than this that was gray colored ?
also do you recall what product was the "low-fired" one ?

any insight is appreciated !

brian soldano Fri Apr 01, 2016 1:37 am

Man I screwed that quote up

**Kevin S - Wisco Bonsai** Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:41 pm

brian soldano wrote:
brian soldano wrote:Man I screwed that quote up - no sweat - i got the gist !!!
Man I screwed that quote up - no sweat - i got the gist !!!
brian soldano wrote:Man I screwed that quote up - no sweat - i got the gist !!!

yep !

Bruce Winter Sat Apr 02, 2016 9:20 pm

Cronic wrote:why on earth would you feel the need to colour your substrate?

if you want to make it more attractive, try using moss..

Exactly. I whirr sphagnum in a processor then soak it in water with brown cement dye. I used to use a few drops of india ink which works but I now prefer the dye.

M. Frary Sun Apr 03, 2016 6:42 am

The color of my substrate is the least of my worries. I'm more interested in how well it performs. I also have some Napa#882. Cover it with moss.

Bruce Winter Sun Apr 03, 2016 8:54 am

A man is known by the color of his substrate. Am I right, guys?

brian soldano Mon Apr 04, 2016 1:36 am

Yup pretty funny Bruce. I like how everyone is blown away by this, as if I am looking to dye it pink or someshit. I was simply looking for a way to not have white in my soil. Maybe brown or grey something that looks like dirt that's all. Thanks for your inputs though, I figured it out. I'm going to post some rainbow soil so you guys can laugh it up

M. Frary Mon Apr 04, 2016 2:48 am

Really. I'm not joking. I use this stuff exclusively. I didn't like the white either. I tried food coloring. Didn't work. So now I moss everything. Lift it out of the yard,rinse the sand off with a hose and cover the top of the substrate.
Not only does it look good and helps in moisture retention but the biggest benefit is now I'm getting roots growing closer to the surface.
If not go with chartreuse colored dye.

Dave Leppo Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:31 am

Well, I may try staining my pumice with walnut hulls just for my own satisfaction. Although moss does also help hold it down in the pot...

Bruce Winter Mon Apr 04, 2016 8:34 am

Are we really talking about surface moss like it's a new thing? Sheesh!

**Kevin S - Wisco Bonsai** Mon Apr 04, 2016 12:45 pm

brian soldano wrote:I'm going to post some rainbow soil so you guys can laugh it up

i hear stone lantern has 50% off on unicorn netsuke !!!

hey Brian - i'd like to hear/see more about the coffee grounds...
any negative hortimaculturalistic concerns ?
do you just mix it w/ the grounds and then sift out the coffee ?
or just leave 'em in ? (i know coffee grounds are good for a regular veggie garden, but...)

Precarious Mon Apr 04, 2016 2:14 pm

You don't like white substrate?? What about Pat Boone, don't like him either??

**Kevin S - Wisco Bonsai** Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:52 pm

Precarious wrote:You don't like white substrate?? What about Pat Boone, don't like him either??

Using dye to color potting substrate Dave-c11

geo Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:10 pm

Precarious wrote:You don't like white substrate?? What about Pat Boone, don't like him either??

Some people are partial to his sausage.

Bruce Winter Mon Apr 04, 2016 8:51 pm

geo wrote:
Precarious wrote:You don't like white substrate?? What about Pat Boone, don't like him either??

Some people are partial to his sausage.

WHAT?! Must be an in joke.

brian soldano Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:53 pm

beer city snake wrote:
brian soldano wrote:I'm going to post some rainbow soil so you guys can laugh it up

i hear stone lantern has 50% off on unicorn netsuke !!!

hey Brian - i'd like to hear/see more about the coffee grounds...
any negative hortimaculturalistic concerns ?
do you just mix it w/ the grounds and then sift out the coffee ?
or just leave 'em in ? (i know coffee grounds are good for a regular veggie garden, but...)

Well beer city the coffie has had very little effect, it might be slightly darker after almost a week of soaking so irs better than white, i will sift and strain a few times to rid of most if not all the grounds. I went to a different Napa and found the stuff I was looking for In The first place.

**Kevin S - Wisco Bonsai** Wed Apr 06, 2016 6:06 pm

hey brian... are you able to post a picture of the 2 different napa products ?

still wonder how you get grey and i get white from what seems like the same product... scratch

thanks
(btw - the name is kevin)

brian soldano Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:57 pm

beer city snake wrote:hey brian... are you able to post a picture of the 2 different napa products ?

still wonder how you get grey and i get white from what seems like the same product...

thanks
(btw - the name is kevin)

KeV I'm not sure where our translation mixed up but the other stuff is white not grey, it's larger than the #8822 which is nice. I'll post pics tomorrow while I'm in the greenhouse

**Kevin S - Wisco Bonsai** Wed Apr 06, 2016 11:33 pm

brian soldano wrote:KeV I'm not sure where our translation mixed up but the other stuff is white not grey, it's larger than the #8822 which is nice. I'll post pics tomorrow while I'm in the greenhouse

B - in your opening post you said that your napa didnt have the kind you were used to (the 8822), which you said was a nice grey color, so you got some somewhere else (the larger white stuff)

later you said that the stuff i use (and pictured) was the same stuff you referred to in the opening post (the 8822)...

it sounds like we are using the same product but yours is gray and mine is white so thats what i was wondering about...

my 8822 is in the foreground of this pic

Using dye to color potting substrate P3250010

so yeah... just curious... no big deal geek

brian soldano Thu Apr 07, 2016 3:24 am

Oh haha nope it looks like clay haha. My #8822 looks like a Terra cotta type color, strange your is white. I'll get some pics of both tomorrow. Oh and for the record now that the white stuff is fully dry, the coffee did nothing... I might try the walnut hull juice mentioned above

beer city snake wrote:
brian soldano wrote:KeV I'm not sure where our translation mixed up but the other stuff is white not grey, it's larger than the #8822 which is nice. I'll post pics tomorrow while I'm in the greenhouse

B - in your opening post you said that your napa didnt have the kind you were used to (the 8822), which you said was a nice grey color, so you got some somewhere else (the larger white stuff)

later you said that the stuff i use (and pictured) was the same stuff you referred to in the opening post (the 8822)...

it sounds like we are using the same product but yours is gray and mine is white so thats what i was wondering about...

my 8822 is in the foreground of this pic

so yeah... just curious... no big deal

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Using dye to color potting substrate

Using dye to color potting substrate

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