Bonsaimatt wrote:yeah. I got "bonsai soil" it's just that I'm getting so varied with the types of plants (some are acid lovers, some like sandy soil, some just regular (if there is such a thing) soil, ya know) that I have that I'm going to have to start mixing my own soil. That should be cheaper in the long run anyways by buying big bags of one type and mixing them, ya know that whole bulk thing.
You may find that you need less tweaking than you think, Say three varieties -OR- You may individualize each tree...
Thats the thing about soil,
'It's Personal'
It's more accurate perhaps to say it is 'singular' as it relates to a combination of:
The tree species, Your climate, And your habits wrt watering.
If you change any one of these three things it potentially changes the amount of time required between waterings.
There are many more variables IE: Pot size, Sun/Shade, Season, Tree health, Repot, Age, Defoliation...Etc.
I am sure you can think of others.
It comes down to starting with good components and then tweaking the combination to see if you can improve the results. I admit to being a proponent of the 'Keep it simple' mindset when it comes to bonsai soil.
I want my soil to be one simple thing:
Effective.
I am happy with how effective my soil is at promoting fine fibrous root systems required to have thriving trees in extremely shallow pots.
Do you guys have any good places to buy soil components from? I wana good deal (like most people) on soil.
[url=https://www.profileproducts.com/sports_fields/product.cfm?category=1&product=trf_mvp&bhcp=1]Turface MVP[/url] Call the 800# at this website and ask them to find your local dealer [It will most likely be an ag place.].
Akadama, To many of the pros this is the holy grail of bonsai soil, A High fired clay particles that retain moisture and oxygen.
Ask your local dealer about Turface MVP, Mine [A 45 minute drive] has 50lb bags for less than 8$ [Yes! 8$- That is not a typo
]
[Needs to be sifted].
I have used another Profile product [Same company as Turface ] called Schultz aqua soil [It is the 'soil' for water garden plants]
'Arcillite' is what it actually is and though I find it stays a bit too wet [If I am not careful] I have used it as a primary component in my soils for the last 2 or 3 years or so.
Thanks to Gnome, On another thread he wrote:
Gnome wrote:
1. Turface MVP, is is fired clay product that is intended primarily for sports applications but is ideal for use with bonsai. The 'MVP' moniker simply designates the grade/size of the product. The parent company of this product, distributes various products under various names. Many of which have been used as bonsai components.
2.[url=https://www.hpbhaydite.com/Haydite_Soil_Amendments.htm]Haydite[/url] , is an expanded shale material. I believe its intended application is for construction and is available in various grades as well.
3. Lava rock, the familiar material that is seen as a landscape product in almost any home center/box store. The problem is locating it in the proper size. I have read that some have located the proper size locally but I never have. I am limited to either buying by mail order, something I try to avoid for obvious reasons, or sizing it myself.
4. Perlite, an expanded mineral that resembles Styrofoam beads is available everywhere and is effective if not particularly attractive.
I will try to add a bit to this in a while..
ynot
