10 Commandments Of Bonsai

JLK

Recently I read the 10 commandments of bonsai posted as a link somewhere on Bonsaitalk.
One of the commandments was "Make thine own soil".
Is it really that important? I buy it in volume from a dealer and like what I get. He's a great source of info and tools and is a bonsai enthusiast. He lists all the ingredients and makes different soils for different plants.
Certainly I have broken many of the Lord's Big Ten already, and I'm somewhat dismayed to be obliviously breaking someone elses 10.
If I were to start making my own where do I start? Some of the ingredients sound hard to find or would have to be bought in volume.
I await the voices from the burning bush (or perhaps the voiced from the little trees).

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TreeBay

The Commandments thread was here: http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthr...=&threadid=1025

I think the point is to experiment, keep an open mind, and find a solution that works best for you. If that solution comes out of a bag with the words FARMER JOE'S BONSAI SOIL on it, so be it.

Some growing environments are tougher than others (due to excessive rainfall or lack thereof; heat and cold) and the prepared bonsai soils readily available certain areas might not have the best ingredients, or they may be superior than those offered elsewhere.

Some commercial mixes contain too many fines and others are just plain expensive. The "make thine own soil" bit essentially meant: "get involved in your soil, know what goes into it and play with it to improve it. Sift out any fine material and rinse it to remove dust and impurities"

There is, however, only so much energy you can put into a hobby, so if you are getting good results, go with what works!

Regards,

Matt (Still looking for Farmer Joe)

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