Soil Components

skaukatt

Hello Folks,



One of these days I’m going to get this right. Well, I’ve seen a few of my trees fail over the last couple of weeks and in doing the necropsies I have noticed compacting soil and root rot, NO BIG SURPRISE since I can’t seem to get myself to learn how to water properly. I thought my soil was good enough – it is very quick draining - but apparently I need to kick it up a notch. I’ll have to do this next spring I guess since I don’t want to stress out my already “living on a wing and a prayer” collection which were potted up this past spring – correct me if I’m wrong.



Anyway, I was at the garden center recently and found a huge bag of pine bark mulch, as opposed to the larger nuggets available; the size of which looks appropriate. I brought it home and began sifting. I did manage to remove quite a bit of fine particles and was left with various sized pieces on the screen. I have also sifted my original mix consisting of a peat based pro-mix, turface and two sizes of natural gravel the kind used for reptile cages. I managed to sift out quite a bit of fines from that. I intend to use this when repotting time rolls around provided my trees live that long in their current mix.



I have some questions and I have also attached some photos in my next post if they don't fit. I have included a photo of my screens – the typical steel three screen set from Joshua Roth of which I used the smallest screen when I sifted.



1) My photos show the sifted pine bark mulch – I used a US quarter dollar coin for size reference. Is this what I should be using as the organic portion of my mix?

2) I have included a photo of my course component which was my original mix now sifted. Does this look to be what I should be striving for?

3) Then, a proportioned mixture of the two, based upon plant material will be the potting mix I should use?

4) Is there any use for the pine bark mulch, or for that matter the smaller grit material from my original mix that fell through the screen – small tray plantings?

5) Is there anyway possible that you would recommend me repotting my trees this season or is it best I cross my fingers, water less and do it next spring?

6) Is my screen system adequate?

7) Any recommendations, critiques, etc…?



I appreciate your time in reading and responding to my post. I have posted this in a few forums and I hope you don’t mind. It is frustrating to say the least when the trees you give so much attention to wind up dying off. It seems that they do better in the darn nursery pots that I bring them home in than in my bonsai soil – that’s pretty bad.



Any suggestions would be most gratefully appreciated.



Thanks,



Lou, NY

Attached Images

	close up sifted pine bark mulchb.jpg (45.3 KB, 60 views)
	close up course mix siftedb.jpg (44.9 KB, 73 views)
	sifted pine bark mulch on screenb.jpg (49.3 KB, 58 views)
	3 screen mesh system2b.jpg (41.8 KB, 23 views)

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Mcspeed

Lou, you are on the right track. You still need to run it thru the screen to remove the BIG pieces of bark.

Good observation too, you are correct, the proportions are going to be based on the requirements of the tree. Pines/Junies, you will be in the 10 to 30% bark mulch, depending on your ability to water when needed, and the needs of the tree based on your laction (Many will use NO/none on the bark mulch).

The proportions are higher 25-65% bark for diciduous trees, again the same qualifying paramiters depending on tree type, and your location.

Many people will now mix the whole batch, I like to clean up the ingrediants, and put them up, then mix as needed by the repot.

As to the repot, what kind of trees are we talking, if the one still alive are doing relatively well, then try to adjust your watering and hold off till next good season to do a repot. If they are just plain not going to live due to potting conditions, then by all means try to save em, and repot with minimal disturbance to the roots.

Use the left over dregs to sprucing up you garden soil in your growing grounds.

__________________
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Always remember that you're unique -- just like everyone else

Enjoy this day.
Bill

Graydon

Hi Lou. I don't have much time but I would like to throw in a bit of soil size wisdom for you to ponder. By no means is what I am going to tell you 100% correct or the only way...

Equal particle size is important, here's an example. Take a mason jar and fill it up with marbles (I use them as an example as they are all roughly the same size). Notice the space between all of the particles (marbles)? That will allow air and water to reach the roots as well as give the roots room to grow. Now take the jar with the marbles and add sand. See how the sand seems to fill all the space between the particles? Not so good as where does the air and water go? That is the best example of how unequal soil particle sizes hamper growth in a pot.

Screens like you have are great once you understand the process. The concept here is to get uniform particle size meaning all ingredients no matter what they may be are the same size. To do this you need to over screen and under screen (or double screen) everything. First take the smallest screen and add your raw material and sift until all of the fines pass thru the screen. Discard the stuff that came out the bottom and keep what you had left in the screen frame. Now take the medium screen that you have and sift the stuff you kept from the first pass. Keep what comes out the bottom and discard what is left in the screen. You should now have roughly the same size particle. You can add one more step using the large screen (second) but I find 2 steps works good enough.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

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PatArizona

G'day Lou...

It sounds like you are on the right track with your soil...

However, if you haven't done it yet, one of the best things you can do is hook up with a local club...get to know some of your bonsai neighbors...

You will get lots of good advive...maybe some not so good...right here on bonsaiTALK, but, the best source of information is people doing bonsai in your geographical area...ergo, bonsai neighbors and a local club.

If you haven't don so already...try it...you may like it!

Good luck...

Pat

__________________
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.

PatArizona

G'day again Lou...

You mentioned "...I have noticed compacting soil and root rot...".

"Root Rot" can kill your bonsai...

Following is some information that might be helpful...


Introduction

Here is a very brief, generic treatment that should help you identify, treat and protect against root rot.

Root Rot? What’s that?

Root rot is a generic term which describes roots that have died and rotted. It is caused by fungi that enter damaged or wounded roots. Some actions/conditions that can invite root rot are:
·Routine, but unseasonal, root pruning;
·Compacted and/or poor draining soil mixes;
·Over or under watering; and,
·High pot temperatures.

Almost any woody plant is susceptible to root rot, however, some of the favorite targets are, Yews, Cypress, Box, Apples, Acers, Beech, Azaleas and Limes.

Are any of Your Bonsai Suffering From Root Rot?

If root rot has developed, you may see rapid wilting, the dying leaves turning dark and clinging to the stem; also, if your conifers have unusually dull foliage, or, generally any plant has smaller, yellow or sparser than normal foliage, and branches dying back for no apparent reason, root rot may be present. If the fungus is not eradicated, it will generally kill the plant.

Affected roots are soon rotted by other micro-organisms naturally occurring in the soil. The disease is then encouraged by poorly drained, waterlogged soils, wet and warm weather.

How can You Control/Avoid Root Rot?

A very free-draining open soil mix (maybe even with no organic matter) will make life very difficult for fungal spores. Remember that there no way to reliably protect against root rot, other than to keep your trees are very healthy, use a fast draining soil mix. And, overwatering (particularly after root pruning) and a poor draining bonsai soil mix will provide access points for infection, and provide ideal conditions for the spores to grow. So, provide your bonsai with gritty, free-draining soil and avoid over watering.

Here is a Rather Generic Process for Treating Root Rot.

First, remove your bonsai from the pot, then try this:

If the roots are black and smelly, it is undoubtedly root rot. If so, rake out the roots with a root rake or a chop stick;

• Wash ALL of the old soil off your tree's roots, including all the black, rotten roots;
• Cut back on the black roots until you reach white cores;
• Discard the old soil and trimmings;
• Soak the root ball in a fungicide solution (follow directions on the label) for at least 10 minutes;
• Clean the pot using a fungicide or disinfectant (preferably both);
• Clean your tools and work area before continuing;
• Repot the bonsai in a fresh, fast draining soil…acoarse-grained soil like gravel and pine bark or pumice and pine bark (or even pumice with no organic component); and,
• Water thoroughly with a root stimulant solution (KLN, Roots2, Superthrive)...following directions on the label.

Aftercare:

• Place your bonsai where it will be protected from the wind, but with as much filtered sun as possible;
• Monitor water content of the soil...let the soil almost dry out before watering (ie., if the soil is bone dry, water yesterday), and water only when water is needed;
• For the next three weeks or so…EVERY TIME YOU WATER…water thoroughly using a root stimulant solution (KLN, Roots2, Superthrive)...following directions on the label;
• Keep the bonsai in partial shade or indirect sunlight for at least 10-12 days…in 2-3 weeks you should know whether or not this was successful; and,
• Then gradually, across 3-4 days, reintroduce the bonsai to normal sun light.

Again Lou...good luck.

Pat

__________________
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.