03-07-2008, 10:01 AM
Cinder is indeed just lava. In volcanic events a fountain of lava would shoot into the air. Billions of small lava bits would fall and cool creating piles, mounds, mountains of "cinder". This is now mined in red, black and mixed red & black cinder.
Red cinder is usually used for road and walkways. Black cinder is usually used for planting areas.
People who are used to "dirt" are not accustomed to the growing abilities of cinder. Dirt is not much nesessary here unless you really, really like mud. Cinder is rich in the nutrients plants need and rain forest jungles spring forth from the cinder. Plants, at least tropical plants, will grow nicely in cinder.
Other soil mixes, if needed, can be created - but start with a nice load of black cinder.
It is qute astonishing that you can take a plastic pot, fill it with cinder, whack off a cutting of most any local plant and stick it in the pot and it will grow. Takes a bit of getting used to but it is true.
What cinder does poorly is retain water. Here, where it rains 100+ inches a year that is usually not a problem. But for those dry spells (we are in one now) I would make a simple recomendation that in Seaview you spend your most energy on catching and keeping water and think about building soils later.
Red cinder is usually used for road and walkways. Black cinder is usually used for planting areas.
People who are used to "dirt" are not accustomed to the growing abilities of cinder. Dirt is not much nesessary here unless you really, really like mud. Cinder is rich in the nutrients plants need and rain forest jungles spring forth from the cinder. Plants, at least tropical plants, will grow nicely in cinder.
Other soil mixes, if needed, can be created - but start with a nice load of black cinder.
It is qute astonishing that you can take a plastic pot, fill it with cinder, whack off a cutting of most any local plant and stick it in the pot and it will grow. Takes a bit of getting used to but it is true.
What cinder does poorly is retain water. Here, where it rains 100+ inches a year that is usually not a problem. But for those dry spells (we are in one now) I would make a simple recomendation that in Seaview you spend your most energy on catching and keeping water and think about building soils later.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Punaweb moderator