Here in India it was a perpetual headache to find coarse sand or fine grit.
One cumbersome method was to crush the well backed clay bricks into grit and
then sifting it through different sieves and getting the desired stuff.
Brick backing is a sizeable industry in India and because of the cheap
labour cost ($2 per day!) and low infrastructure cost (Brick Kilns are 100%
labour oriented and no machine/power is used), it does not cost much.

But lately we have found other alternatives. Quarry sand (something like
Grani-grit) and mountain river sand is quite coarse and available in nearby
areas. However the brick-grit has an advantage. It absorbs water and is
also light weight. So many Indian Bonsaiests use it. I wander if this can
be a
substitute in the West!

Anil Kaushik
Bonsai Club (India)
Chandigarh "The City Beautiful"



I make a similar mix with turface, pine bark and . Any
feedstore with battered pick-up trucks parked in front of it will
carry grani-grit, at least in spring (it is a granite gravel that
comes in several coarseness levels to be used in different ages of
chickens). I get the coarsest type. My only criticism of it is that
the color (a bluish white) clashes with the turface a little bit.

It's always entertaining for me to buy grani-grit, because the owner
of the store always wants me to discuss my chickens.

Nina

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