Leesa

Hi Lesley - I think you said that you were a member of the Midori Club - you might check out JT's latest newsletter - his article is on repotting this month. He is very high on using Akadama - but there are other ingrediants that could be used instead. To begin with - I used one of the prepared soils from Bonsai suppliers (Dallas Bonsai is one that I have used) and other club members - LarryWhite used to offer it for sale. I think. It helps to begin with because you don't have to buy in such large quantities (Akadama comes in 20 pound bags) and you get a chance to see what it looks like - both composition and particle size - and experiment with your own trees and growing conditions.

I also suggest that you read the thread that Bonsaial started on his "stinky backyard" - on fertilizing. I found it very helpful and started to use the fish fert./seaweed combo as well as the Biogold last fall - both seem to working well for me. I have the Dyna grow on my bench to try next month.

Good luck! PM me if you are interested in the "Bonsai Babes" club - it is a group of women in your area who get togethor monthly.

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Respectfully, Lee Sanner