Muck

kklopping

I am interested in getting materials ready for making over the rock bonsai. I was told to get potter clay and oak leaves (crush the leaves) and mix it with the clay. Why oak leaves and not maple or others?

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soonami

There's been a lot written about the types of materials to make the muck for root over root plantings, but I think anything that has high water retention, such as clay or loam is very necessary. The organic materials like shredded leaves, peat, sphagnum moss, etc just help provide some structure. I don't know of any reason why you can't use maple leaves if those are availible to you. Koreshoff recommends a part silt clay and 1 part fresh cow manure, John Naka recommends 1 part clay and a little more than 1 part shredded moss.

However, I would not recommend you use potter's clay, that kind of clay has a lot of silica and minerals that might be in too high of a concentration so as to dry out your tree. I would suggest that you use clay from your garden, like the clay that is underneath the foot or so layer of humus and top soil.

Good luck

johnbonsai

HI, Soonami is dead right about potters clay, it's full of additives to help with working it and firing it, it will probably poison any plantlife. Once you've dug some clay from the ground any excess will probaly keep if you put it back outside just under a layer of topsoil. Then you will be able to use it when needed, without the deep digging. Good luck.

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Joanie

Hi guys! Hate to disagree with you, but a low fire white potters clay is very pure. It doesn't have any additives per se. Mold grows on it easily, and the best clay is aged and smells of organic decomposition. (high fire clay, like stoneware, does however have minerals, like iron oxide) You can eat it, although you shouldn't. My old dog used to eat it all the time, and she lived to be ancient.

However, potters clay is probably bad for another reason. Once it dries it, it would be very difficult to rewet. It would dry up and crack and that would make it hard to use, even mixed with spaghnum moss.



Joanie

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mike_p

I take a large hunk of earth toned potters clay (approx. 2 gallons by volume) break into chunks and put it in a 5 gallon bucket. Then add water. Then using a heavy duty drill motor with a large paint mixer in the chuck, I'll stir it until it's a slurry. Then add stringy spagnum to the mix and stir in. Then dump the whole mess into an old pillow case. hang it up and allow to drain for a few days until it's a workable consistancy.
Put it in a sealed container until ready to use.

Madmucker Mike

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