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Bonsai nare-do-well
Join Date: Jan-2003
Location: Summerville SC
Country: USA
Posts: 4,653
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Will Heath
Is this because of some well kept secrets? Because of masters not wanting to share the basest knowledge? Jealousy? Greed? Gluttony? Pride? Vanity? Or is this just a right of initiation that all are forced to go though?
Will Heath
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Hate to sound like a broken record but please read this
http://www.memobug.com/csn/csn.cgi?...0.5995123805917
All soils are a combination of organic and inorganic materials. How much of each are in the particular mix determines the function it will fill for the tree.
Think of the properties of each ingredient not the ingredient itself. For example crushed lava , Terragreen, Turface and even that Japanese stuff all fulfill the same basic function. Aeration and drainage. Some better than the others but basically the same.
The organic material helps with water retention and does provide some nutrients.
Now seeing as there are many different climates and even more types of trees the only way that one can answer your question is that a good basic soil would have the proper amounts of organic and inorganic materials to fit the trees needs in the climate it is in. This will vary.
But as a guess I would say to start off with a 50-50 mix and then adjust it as needed.
What ingredients that go into a bonsai soil is not nearly as important as the properties of those ingredients. What ever is available locally that fulfils those properties will work.
There is no conspiracy just no pat answer to your question. |