Sharp
Senior Member
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Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:42 pm

Soil

Soil, for some reason grasping good soil has eluded me.


So reading the stickied Ynot post about free draining soil I have some questions.

What are the advantages of a faster draining soil? Is it only to help avoid root rot? If you have a thicker soil do you just water it less? Does it help produce healthier roots which in turn a better healthier tree? Ive read and read that is how its supposed to be, but every real practice ive seen in bonsai nurseries here have used a thicker clay like soil. And its not normal potting soil, but they seem to mix it heavier than the recommended. And maybe thats just because its a commercial element of bonsai.


Educate me guys. :)


Here is a pic of my lil ficus. THe soil was my fault. (there is a rock in there that the roots are wrapped around, you just can't see it well) For better or worse. Should I redo it? If so, is it ok to do it this time of year? or does that even matter for this type of tree?

[url=https://img180.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00943gn1.jpg][img]https://img180.imageshack.us/img180/451/dsc00943gn1.th.jpg[/img][/url]

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Gnome
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Sharp,

Your original post regarding this topic was split off of the nebari sticky. You can find it here.

[url]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3530&sid=3dd1177d5503ff2a3f03c200417600b6[/url]

EDIT:

Regarding your soil mix.
THe soil was my fault.... Should I redo it? If so, is it ok to do it this time of year? or does that even matter for this type of tree?
Your mix does not look too bad. Does it drain freely? If so I think you will be OK. Ficus don't mind a mix that is a little heavy on the organics.

Norm
Last edited by Gnome on Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ynot
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Posts: 1219
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:49 am
Location: USDA Z:5a Sunset Z. 41 IL

Soil, for some reason grasping good soil has eluded me.

So reading the stickied Ynot post about free draining soil I have some questions.

What are the advantages of a faster draining soil? Is it only to help avoid root rot? If you have a thicker soil do you just water it less?
Does it help produce healthier roots which in turn a better healthier tree?
The answer to that, Is a resounding yes.
It is explained more in a thread started off of your previous question in the sticky thread, Read all about it right here :D https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3530
Ive read and read that is how its supposed to be, but every real practice ive seen in bonsai nurseries here have used a thicker clay like soil. And its not normal potting soil, but they seem to mix it heavier than the recommended. And maybe thats just because its a commercial element of bonsai.
Clay [Unless you mean high fired clay particles such as Turface, Akadama, Or Arcillite] would be really inappropriate for bonsai IMO.
Could it possibly be something else [Mistaken identity possibly?- Just asking.]

I am not sure what you mean when you say they 'mix it heavier' do you mean more fines?
You are in Utah is that correct? I think the answer to your question is in location. Consider that a bonsai nursery has hundreds or thousands of trees to care for. These circumstances dictate that they use a more water retentive soil considering
A] Utah is arid
B] They would either require a massive staff to attend to watering or spend so much time watering they would have little if any time to do anything else.

Time is money.

This strikes me as the primary reason they would use a more water retentive soil. This does not by any means suggest that there are not better potting media available. We as enthusiasts have far more time wrt our [far fewer] trees also.

Tell us a bit more about your ficus.

How long has it been going on the rock, How long since you last repotted [Those might not be the same answer... So I will ask. :wink: ]

Ficus, Being tropical trees have no growing season- They just grow. 8).
Provided they are healthy it is fine to repot at any time they are not experiencing rapid growth.
ynot

I also have an EDIT wrt soil mix: :lol:

Sharp, That looks pretty good to me also w/ one caveat: The particle size I am seeing on the surface, Is that consistant all the way to the bottom of the pot? Or am I seeing a top dressing and the contents of the pot consist of a much more fine particle matter? If your soil is sized like that throughout I think all is well.
If not.... :( .



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