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You may be seeing some kind of fired clay in that mix that looks like stone to you. *Buy or borrow a little and wet it down and see how its properties change. *In Japan, trees are frequently potted in a mixture of sharp sand and akadama, which is a red clay that can be be used either fired or unfired; and azaleas are often potted in 100% kanuma, which is a yellow volcanic product related to pumice but with some very unique properties that let it wick moisture right into the core of the particle. *Roots even grow into it.

In general, as any soil becomes finer, more moisture can be held between the particles by surface tension. *So it's possible to create bonsai soils that have no organic content whatsoever. *I have seen conifers potted in soil-less mixtures, even 100% sand or 100% perlite, for that matter. *Watering and ensuring they receive trace minerals and fertilizer becomes more critical, so I wouldn't recommend going to these extremes except in special cases like a collected juniper or something where you need absolutely fantastic drainage at the expense of every other concern.

Regards,

Matt

19-Oct-2001	#5
TreeBay Tips:5¢ Advice:Free *MODERATOR GROUP* Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Silicon Valley Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 9,742	Re: Soil Mixes You may be seeing some kind of fired clay in that mix that looks like stone to you. Buy or borrow a little and wet it down and see how its properties change. In Japan, trees are frequently potted in a mixture of sharp sand and akadama, which is a red clay that can be be used either fired or unfired; and azaleas are often potted in 100% kanuma, which is a yellow volcanic product related to pumice but with some very unique properties that let it wick moisture right into the core of the particle. Roots even grow into it. In general, as any soil becomes finer, more moisture can be held between the particles by surface tension. So it's possible to create bonsai soils that have no organic content whatsoever. I have seen conifers potted in soil-less mixtures, even 100% sand or 100% perlite, for that matter. Watering and ensuring they receive trace minerals and fertilizer becomes more critical, so I wouldn't recommend going to these extremes except in special cases like a collected juniper or something where you need absolutely fantastic drainage at the expense of every other concern. Regards, Matt __________________ Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today! bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!