Potting Soil

Sterling

I know that everyone talks about soil to death on this forum and I don't want this to be a debate. I am just looking for some advice. I put together a little soil today using 1 part commercial "bonsai mix", 1 part vermiculite and 1 1/2 parts pumice. It appears to drain well but hold on to some water care of the vermiculite. I am a little concerned because I feel like there ought to be a little more soil. Right now it just looks like small gravel bits and vermiculte with some soil coloring. Any advice appreciated.
Thanks,
Sterling

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joakimlinden

Well, it's much easier to get too much soil than too little... I use, for some of my trees, pure kitty-litter (made from some kind of fired clayish material) - nothing else. They LOVE it. So, I think you're very safe.

One soil-mix will probably work on most trees, but some species will probably need much more soil and others very little.

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zenwarrior

Not sure what you mean by this. Are you talking about the ratio of other ingredients to some type of potting soil? If so, it is not necessary to even have any at all. This is something I went through when I first started, thinking plants couldnt grow in just small rocks n such.

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Sterling

Yeah I was wondering if I needed more "potting soil" in the mix. So the small rocks and the vermiculite could techincally be a soil mixture that sustains life? How do the plants feed then, just from the fertilizer that is given to them?

joakimlinden

Yes! You can fertilize in many ways...

Some make their own fert-cakes to put ontop of the soil. These are often made from bonemeal and bloodmeal, or rapeseeds. They are more "natural" than chemical ferts and are therefor probably a little easier on the plant if overfeeding.

You can add liquid ferts weekly, monthly or even daily. I use a very small amount each time I water my little victims... But you should be aware that chemical fertilizers in time will build up an excess of salts in the soil, causing problems for the roots. It's a good idea to "flush" the soil every few months or so. You can do this by simply, if you have indoor trees like me, placing the tree in a bathtub or shower and let water run trough the soil. You should try to let least 5-20 times the soil volume in water pass the soil, so that chemical build-ups will be flushed out...

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Joanie

Sterling, what you did is what I did last year... commercial bonsai soil, perlite, and lava rock. It worked fine. This year I am using even less organic stuff... actually, a handful of peat moss if the tree needs to be kept moist, but otherwise lava rock, perlite maybe (depends on the tree... perlite is cheaper but not very nice looking) and very fine bark. I'm using fine orchid bark, it's almost all the right size. And, in some tree's mix, a handful or less of bone meal mixed in. You get used to the odd look of it, when your trees thrive in it.

Don't worry, the rocks are our best friends. Just make sure to sift them. I know that many people don't sift, but they know what they are doing much more than us. Use the small but not really fine particles of lava rock to put on the top of the soil if you like. About the size of BBs, or a little bit smaller. Keeps everything in place but still allows for plenty of air and water to pass through.

We'll get it right, won't we?

Joanie

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PatArizona

G'day

Sterling...and the rest...

I'm not going to talk about soil...suffice it to say that my mix is different from anything mentioned in this thread...

However, Sterling, I think, and I'm sure that most others will agree, that you should discuss soil with local Bonsai club members...this is most likely where you will find the best information. And, undoubtedly, they, the locals, do not all use the same soil mix.

Good luck with your quest for the right soil mix...

Pat

THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of this advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid!

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BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain.
THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life.

Sterling

Thanks all for the help. I am not aware and have not had the time to find the local bonsai club since I am in school and work full time as well. However, I have been consulting with my local Bonsai nursery and the guy there at Yamaguchi bonsai nursery tells me that what I'm doing is pretty good so we'll see how the little guys do in their new homes.

clrosner

joakimlinden

I have about 40 tropicals; I add a 1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer (depending on whether they are flowering or?) to the last watering. The flowering I use super bloom 12-55-6 and if they are Ficus or Buttonwoods I use Miracid 30-10-10. I feed them week days and on the weekend I use clear water. So I flush out any accumulated salts. They seem quite happy!

Sterling:
In my humble opinion I would shy away from garden soil.... It tends to clog. Go with what you have created and watch your trees carefully. They will tell you if they are unhappy. Just watch the color of the foliage..

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