Finding Soil in Toronto

Graydon

Keep it simple, add some coarse sand. You want bigger than "play sand" found at building supply stores. Contact a masonry supply store. Often times that have larger grades in piles. If no luck there try a pool or spa supply store and inquire as to the largest size they have for sand type filters.

How about decomposed granite? Stone yards in your area? Give them a call.

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SuperFubario

Two places i know of are: Pea gravel at any Rona (we have one in Ajax) and Turface at Kim's Nature corner of Major Mac and......Markham road i think.

Hope this helps.

SF

CRZY_Canuck

I called kim's the other day, the told me the don't have any innorganic growing medium...

weird...

SuperFubario

One thing I've learned from Kims nature is not to bother calling. I called them and asked if they had low nitrogen furtilizer...they said no.....i went the next day just for the hell of it and they had a bunch of different kinds. They sell Perlite, turface (little bags and big bags) that i know of. I know for a fact they use turface on thier bonsai trees. I was there in the summer and bought a big bag. If you got some free time take a run down there. If they dont got turface in at least you can look at pots and tropicals.

They hide the big bags of turface under the bonsai pot benches....or they use to. They are kinda expensive though....30 bucks for the 50lb bag. But its the only place i know to get it.

I also tried lava rock but i find our harsh winters turn it into muck.

SF

rlist

You must have softer lava rock than we have here, as ours is, well rock - and I doubt that your winters would have any effect on its makeup. Anyone know the difference in various types of "lava" so that there would be this kind of result?

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NW Oregon, Zone 8a
www.oregonbonsai.com
Both gold and muck come out of the same shaft...

SuperFubario

Ya its strange but the first year i used this lava rock i went to repot in spring and found it had turned into muck at the bottom of the pot. I dont think winter has anything to do with its makeup but when the water in and around the lava rock freezes it crushes and cracks it up....well thats what i think anyway. Could be just cheap quality as well. It was the first time i used lava rock in my mix....and the last because i found the recipe that works with me.

rlist

Which is exactly the reason that Crazy Canuk should hang out with someone like you to get substrate advice than listen to us in the NW - I use 35% lava in my standard mix and wouldn't do without it!

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NW Oregon, Zone 8a
www.oregonbonsai.com
Both gold and muck come out of the same shaft...

CRZY_Canuck

Thanks again for the advice... I also just found a source for haydite...

What's in your mix? (if you don't mind me asking of course...)

SuperFubario

Mostly my mix consists of turface with a bit of peat. I eye it mostly in a big bucket. Probably 70% turface 30% peat. And for trees that like sandy soil i put less peat and add sand/grit. Tropicals get a Turface/tropical soil mix.

Basically whatever i had easy access to (turface, Peat) became my soil and i just adjusted it to suit my needs. Its working for most trees and others dont like it as much (J. maples). Ive only been into bonsai for 3-4 years and getting to know each trees behavor is still challenging me. I think this year im gonna add some pea gravel and see how that goes. Like I said I tried lava rock but didnt like the wet gooie muck it made.

Anyway I hoped this helps.

SF