Re: laterite

From: Chris Teichreb (cteichreb@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue May 16 2000 - 08:54:23 PDT


Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 08:54:23 PDT
From: "Chris Teichreb" <cteichreb@hotmail.com>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg1561$foo@default>
Subject: Re: laterite

Hi everyone,

>
>Is "laterite" the name of a product, or do you have some source of
>lateritic soil? And how about "hydroton"?
>

   Laterite is an iron (Fe) rich soil that's poor in nutrients.
It's often found in tropical areas subject to heavy rainfalls
which strip the soil of organic matter and nutrients. It's
usually red due to the presence of oxidized Fe.

>
>
>Where do you get laterite from?
>

   Aquarium stores will sometimes stock it, as it's used as an
Fe fertilizer for aquatic plants. Dupla is one of the major
suppliers. However, this can be extremely expensive. One
source that our local aquatic plant club found was potting clay.
This has the same consistency, is rich in iron, and is a fraction
of the cost.

Chris



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