Soil, Soil what should I use.... - bonsaiTALK Community

5-Mar-2008	#11
AndyWilson bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: May-2006 Location: Johannesburg Country: South Africa USDA Zone: 10 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 681	Jay, do you find that you have enough water retenion for your hot aussie summers with just "sand"? How often do you guys water? i use an 80 percent "dolomite" mix, with organics just for water retention due to high winds and high heat.

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7-Mar-2008	#12
JayC bonsaiTALK Master Join Date: Sep-2006 Location: Sydney Country: Australia Posts: 425	I find it is perfect for me. I water daily for most of the trees potted in just sharp sand. I need my daily watering fix (i find it enjoyable and i prefer them to dry out and get watered daily than sit in soils that retain moisture for a few days). As mentioned, they are mostly Australian natives and HATE phosphorus, even in small amounts. I also noticed that all the regular potting (non bonsai) mixes, except for natives, had fertilizer in them already which contained phosphorus. The native mix was too expensive for my liking (plus regular potting mix inst good for bonsai) so i experimented with just sharp sand. Its pure so i know exactly whats going into my trees. It works for me! JayC

7-Mar-2008	#13
Attila Attila Soos Join Date: Jan-2002 Location: Los Angeles, California Country: USA Posts: 2,003	John, Based on the latest research, HUMAN HAIR is one of the best material to use for soil compost. There was a news piece on one of the "green" tv channels, about how chinese enterpreneurs export human hair for gardening purposes. So, you may want to consider taking home your hair clippings nex time when you get a haircut.

7-Mar-2008	#14
Vance Wood bonsaiTALK ArchMaster Join Date: Sep-2002 Location: Roseville Michigan Country: USA USDA Zone: 5/6 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 2,431	I saw an interesting program on the Discovery Channel the other night about a ledgendary Amazon civilization, now proved to have actually existed, grew lush crops in what is considered some of the worst soil in the world. The areas where they lived were on patches of land that today are called the Terra Preta and is among the most fertil farm land in the world, so much so that it is excavated and sold over-seas. It seems that these pre-colombian natives made this soil; it is sef renuing because of some bacteria they found to incorporate into it along with a healthy dose of Charcoal. __________________ The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

7-Mar-2008	#15
crust bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Jan-2008 Location: mn Country: usa USDA Zone: 3 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 25	to all, I think discourser on this subject is good.Many years ago when I first started potting and growing trees I lost many collected plants due to bad soil..yes bad soil there is such a thing.What I think is really helpful is finding sources for soil compontents especially for those of us that need many sq. ft. of the stuff.I have yet to find a source for graded lava or pumice that I can get shipped or pick-up in Minnesota in medium quantity.For instance Colorado Lava says they can sell me a truckload of lava or a pallet of course the shipping for the pallet is 500.00.They never mention any closest source.

13-Mar-2008	#16
chrispr bonsaiTALK Craftsman Join Date: Feb-2008 Country: Luxembourg Posts: 83	soil mix I am experimenting with various soils with various plants. The last mix I did was composed of 2 parts potting compost, 2 parts 4mm gravel, 2 parts fine (2mm) gravel and 5 parts ditomaceous earth. It will probably work fine(I hope) The thing I liked most was the "rice crispie" crinkly noise it makes when watered which lets me know air is getting sucked in - very satisfactory - and the plant seems to be happy in it. As far as I can tell, for mature plants it doesn't matter much what you put it in so long as it retains moisuture without becoming soggy. I am far less sure about cuttings. I am trying finer soil - actually crushed hydroponic stuff - too early to get any definitive results, also Diatomaceous Earth and Cat-San which is some kind of extruded clay/ceramic. I have (I think) 6 different soil types at the moment all in the experimental stage. It is going to take me a few of years of experimenting with different soil compositions before I am comfortable using any particular one with any particular plant. In the interim I will probably pot anything that comes my way in a mix of Diatomaceous Earth and grit/gravel. Going to do a huge experiment this year with geraniums in DE and nothing else. BTW Geraniums make excellent bonsai practice plants for hardly any $$, Hack, chop, trim, root prune, kill, throw away and start again. Seriously a two or three year old geranium can provide the practice in horticulture and allow you to kill your plants at low cost.

14-Mar-2008	#17
Vonsgardens Professional Amateur Join Date: Feb-2005 Location: Arkansas Country: USA USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: Hot Posts: 2,612	Chrispr, OK. I recommend buying a good sized juniper and do a bunch of cuttings and do your work on viable material. just my thoughts, thou gardening is fun. John __________________ "Wiring is simple; However, it is not easy to do it right" Boon

14-Mar-2008	#18
chrispr bonsaiTALK Craftsman Join Date: Feb-2008 Country: Luxembourg Posts: 83	You have a point John. I'll take a look for one next time I'm in the garden centre. Actually I bought a large very healthy sacrificial f. benj last week for the much same purpose to the disgust of my wife who thinks it should be a bush. lol. Chris

16-Mar-2008

#19

MarcS

bonsaiTALK Artisan

Join Date: Dec-2007

Location: Gent

Country: Belgium

USDA Zone: 8

AHS Heat Zone: ?

Posts: 101

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vonsgardens

Ok,
I read here all the time about what to use if you cant find all those expensive ingredients for the notorious "Boon's Mix" (what I use for trees in Bonsai pots).

Soil ingredients I have used to rear plants to and through the prebonsai stage, as with all advice remember how much you paid for it.....

Haydite (litewate, Haydite, Arkalite)
Oil Dry (Walmart, napa, tractor Supply, Turface (just another calceined clay product))
perlite
Bark (fir, pine, cypress, as mulch as organic premix or as planting mix)
volcanic rock 1/4" (I buy mine at a regular nursery in Denver when I go and visit friends every summer, or when they come to visit me- $5.95 for 50lbs- bagged.
Plastic packing peanuts (under the small mix above)
Pea Gravel (aka Coarse river sand)
Peat (he brown ground up stuff and the long fibered stuff)

Guess what? They all work if you repot according to the needs of the plant and the soil condition, and (in the case of pea gravel) you can carry the trees and if you water and fertilize appropriately.

This summer I am going to plant 50 Japanese black pines in to colanders in just pea gravel (~$3 for 1/2 cubic foot at lowes, or $15 Yard if you have a gravel pit nearby). I have always mixed something in with it in the past, this year just Pea Gravel and organic fertilizer.

Anyway, don't blow a gasket looking for the secret ingredient- just figure out to use with your system. Oh, and by the way, I am still use Boon's mix for all my "bonsai" and many of the prebonsai.

Cheers,
John

The substrate doesn't matter. When it drains well, and it's neutral, it will work.
http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot....edient-for.html

__________________
Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into
action is the most difficult thing in the world.
Goethe

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