Bonsai soil in training pots?

JLK

I have a bunch of potensai that are in two to five gallon plastic pots to help thicken their trunks up. I've also started making growing boxes.
Do I really need to use bonsai soils in these? I'm using soooo much soil and I'm not sure I need to at this stage. After all, if I were in a more temperate clime I'd put 'em in the ground.
Is regular potting soil or promix OK?

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TreeBay

The only rule with the growing boxes is that the soil has to support good drainage until you repot. In a large box that might be 3 or more years. The deeper the box, the more flexibility you have in soils because the deeper pot will drain better.

You can amend an available potting soil with inexpensive ingredients like pumice and sand to improve its characteristics. Discarded bonsai soil is another option. Every year when I repot I wind up with about two 30 gallon containers of reclaimed soil thats perfect for growing containers. It would be a help to pasteurize the soil, but as long as you aren't reclaiming it from diseased plants, you should be okay using it in growing boxes.

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