100% Lava Rock soil mix? - bonsaiTALK Community

10-Feb-2007	#1
kompik bonsaiTALK Expert Join Date: Apr-2005 Location: Ohio USDA Zone: 6 AHS Heat Zone: 5 Posts: 177	100% Lava Rock soil mix? I've read several places that Lava Rock has ideal properties for a soil component. As opinions shifts towards totally inorganic soil mixes, would 100% Lava Rock be a good canidate for some or all types of trees? If not, what properties of other inorganic materials make them better at a particular job. Just curious.

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10-Feb-2007

tachigi

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Kompik, Colin Lewis has used lava "neat" with success. I believe his use was with conifers. I think deciduous wouldn't respond well to a diet of pure lava.

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10-Feb-2007	#3
Mortalis Darkness abides him. Join Date: Dec-2006 Location: The 8th layer Malbolge... Country: USA Posts: 88	I used 100% Lava rock for a long time before discovering what I use now.. leca.. Remember though 100% lava does not have any nutrients of its own.. you need a complete fertilizer I used Hydroponic fertilizer at every watering with lava rock. A good place to get cheap hydro fertilizer is http://www.growinhydro.com/21332.html

10-Feb-2007	#4
onlyrey BonsaiTalk Enthusiast Join Date: Aug-2005 Location: Tampa Country: USA USDA Zone: 9b AHS Heat Zone: 10 Posts: 349	I was really attracted to the bonsai at this site, and contacted the owner who happens to live in Costa Rica and teach bonsai there. I believe they use 100% lava rock on most of the trees here, except for some that require higher humidity and they supplement with coconut shreds (Coir), of course, the general climate in Costa Rica is different than yours or mine: http://www.bonsaicima.com/ __________________ onlyrey Faunapolis Web Site Drupal Florida Users Group Join us in Orlando every third Saturday of the month Disclaimer: All my bonsai are beautiful, the pictures lie. Last edited by onlyrey : 10-Feb-2007 at 11:43 PM.

11-Feb-2007	#5
malik Bonsai Master in Training Join Date: Jul-2006 Location: Nashville USDA Zone: 6b AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 510	This is the type of question I've been asking for the past couple months. Using pure lava rock can and will work for you, IF you provide the tree with everything the lava rock isn't providing. For example the nutrients that Mortalis talked about. Also the major factor is that using a 100% inorganic mix will force you to keep a much closer eye on your watering needs. The tree will dry out much much faster with this sort of mix and if you don't stay on top of it you will end up with a dried out root system. I always add some pine mulch to the mix. It is water retentive and can provide organic matter while not interfering with drainage. Turface is also a wonderful additive. __________________ "History will be kind to me for I intend to write it" -Winston Churchill

11-Feb-2007

mike108

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Quote:

Originally Posted by malik

This is the type of question I've been asking for the past couple months. Using pure lava rock can and will work for you, IF you provide the tree with everything the lava rock isn't providing. For example the nutrients that Mortalis talked about. Also the major factor is that using a 100% inorganic mix will force you to keep a much closer eye on your watering needs. The tree will dry out much much faster with this sort of mix and if you don't stay on top of it you will end up with a dried out root system. I always add some pine mulch to the mix. It is water retentive and can provide organic matter while not interfering with drainage. Turface is also a wonderful additive.

Malik im inpressed youve done your homework.

11-Feb-2007

Graydon

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Quote:

Originally Posted by malik

I can agree with this to an extent. Inorganics do force you to feed regularly but you should do so with all soils. There is little nutrient value in any soil mixes that would be used. It's been said that we underfeed our bonsai, especially in development and I can agree with that. Overfeeding can produce long internodes and wild growth but that is of little harm on many trees in the early stages of development.

I use 100% inorganics almost exclusively now. I do have a few plants in almost 100% pine bark and I have noticed (by weight and digging down) that they seen to dry down faster than others in inorganic mixes. That was not what I expected nor had heard. Go figure.

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11-Feb-2007	#8
gregb bonsaiTALK Master Join Date: Jan-2005 Location: Hood River OR Country: U.S. USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 436	I have given my opinion on this in different threads; here goes again. Pumice and lava are both volcanic "soils". Pumice weighs half as much as lava and when we're talking about anything of any size, this can be significant. I have been using 100% pumice to pot up collected trees since 2001 and have had great success with it. Pumice IS NOT perlite. They are not the same and should not be confused. You need to ask for AGRICULTURAL PUMICE and it needs to be of around 1/4" particle size. That means there can be particles 3/16" and particles that are 5/16" and even as large as 3/8". You must sift pumice before potting and flush with water very well during your first watering. The dust from sifting is not good if inhaled, so a dust mask is recommended and never never never do it indoors. I have done my homework on this topic too, and have made the observation that pumice is present in EVERY mix that my healthiest trees have been in. Lava has its place in a proper soil mix and looks prettier than pumice but functions poorly if used on its own.

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