Sakadama Akadama Substitute, 5-8mm, 5L

What Sakadama is

Sakadama is an akadama substitute: a hard granular clay with water retention similar to akadama but a harder structure, so it holds its particle size longer in the pot.

How it compares to akadama

Akadama softens and breaks down over a few seasons, and that breakdown is usually why an old mix stops draining. Sakadama holds moisture and nutrients the way akadama does while staying open, but it resists breaking down, so the mix keeps draining between repots. If you already grow in akadama, you can substitute Sakadama in the same ratios.

Which grade to choose

This large 5-8mm grade suits bigger trees, deeper pots and bottom drainage layers, where a coarser particle keeps water moving through the base of the pot. For most trees the medium 3-5mm grade is the general-purpose size.

Which trees it suits

Larger deciduous trees straight, or blended with pumice and pine bark. As a drainage layer it works under any mix: spread a few centimetres across the base of a deep pot before the main substrate goes in.

How much a repot needs

A drainage layer uses far less than a full repot: a few centimetres in a 30 × 22 × 8 cm pot takes roughly a litre. Potting into it straight, the same pot takes about 5 litres. The fill table above lists more sizes.