Bonsai Soil Mix Ingredients

The recipe for bonsai soil mix includes 1 part lava rock 1 part pumice 1 part akadama 1 2 cup horticultural charcoal per 5 gallon mix and 1 2 cup decomposed granite per 5 gallon mix.

Bonsai soil mix ingredients. Medium small bonsai soil akadama and pumice with some lava charcoal and decomposed granite the medium small mix is similar in size to the medium clay king mix imported from japan. Potting soil will add bulk to. Organic components of bonsai soil. You want a mix that will provide a good balance of air and water to the roots.

Peat moss humus is what retains the most water and therefore should be used sparingly. From left to right. So i mixed my own using two parts volcanic rock to one part potting soil. Organic potting compost akadama pumice and lava rock.

Clay king is great because it breaks down more slowly than many of the other akadama based mixes i ve used. Bonsai soils ingredients whether you choose lava haydite kanuma or something else the most important consideration in choosing a soil is drainage. In addition potting soil is used in the bonsai soil mix. You can find it down by the riverside or at your local construction site.

Whereas inorganic oil comprises pumice volcanic soil sold as kanuma fired clay soil and granular clay sold as akadama and turface. Or at the local concrete manufacturer. To go into further detail. This material is really used.

But it s worth the effort. While allowing excess water to drain. There is ready made bonsai soil but ken at adachi nursery one of the remaining japanese owned nurseries in the bay area persuaded me that my plants deserved better. It is basically river rock and is the ingredient usually mixed with cement to make concrete.

Alternately for deciduous trees mix one part coarse sand one part loam and one part peat. Conifer bark as a soil conditioner can add bulk to the mix and can retain moisture. As the terms indicate organic soil particles include bark peat leaf litter and plant parts. Making one s own bonsai potting mixture is a process.

This is the substance most often included in a good bonsai soil mix. Or in bags from building supply centers. Akadama is hard baked japanese clay specifically produced for bonsai purposes and available at all online bonsai shops. Bark sphagnum moss akadama lava scoria red or black soil pumice turface river sand.

The most common components for bonsai soil mixtures are akadama pumice lava rock organic potting compost and fine gravel grit. It involves four ingredients.