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maybe it was me that told you about the raffia?
i use raffia to do that and also to pull my trees into positions. after they are in a position i think will be the permanent one i attach a wire cord to the tree to meet the tension of the raffia then cut the raffia.
the reason i do this is because it's easier to adjust raffia then a wire cord. sometimes i leave the raffia on for a week or so. i will change the raffia to alter the shape 2 or sometimes 5 times before i actually set it with the wire.
but this really has nothing to do with dirt.
basically my dirt has Akadama some kind of red clay bits and bark bits. the bark holds moisture i've been told but not enough for some of my plants like my bald cypress so i mix it with 100% organic soil mix.

8-Sep-2003	#24
LivingArt Penjing Wu Wei Join Date: Feb-2003 Location: FL Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 457	maybe it was me that told you about the raffia? i use raffia to do that and also to pull my trees into positions. after they are in a position i think will be the permanent one i attach a wire cord to the tree to meet the tension of the raffia then cut the raffia. the reason i do this is because it's easier to adjust raffia then a wire cord. sometimes i leave the raffia on for a week or so. i will change the raffia to alter the shape 2 or sometimes 5 times before i actually set it with the wire. but this really has nothing to do with dirt. basically my dirt has Akadama some kind of red clay bits and bark bits. the bark holds moisture i've been told but not enough for some of my plants like my bald cypress so i mix it with 100% organic soil mix.