Bonsai Soil Mixture Recipe
Composition of our mix.
Bonsai soil mixture recipe. There are many variables to consider and each tree has. There are some good ideas out there but climate variations and unavailability of materials make it impossible for one soil recipe to work in all parts of the world. It is difficult to say exactly what is the perfect bonsai soil recipe. One person s soil composition for tropical trees may be too light or too heavy for a different hobbyist s tree.
Soil used in bonsai is a very widely debated issue due to every hobbyist having their own recipe mix for their soil. The truth and reality is there is no one ideal recipe for bonsai soil. For e g if we take one pot of red earth soil we take one pot of river sand and yard manure for the mix. Prepare the bonsai soil mixture.
Different tree species demand different soil mixtures so make sure to check our tree species bonsai guide to find the optimum mixture for individual trees. Although my recipe may change a bit from batch to batch i m adamant that the soil must be clean. Recommended bonsai soil mixtures. Mix together two parts granite grit one part loam and two parts peat moss for a basic soil mix.
I wash the dirtiest particles see preparing for winter for details and i always sift out the fine particles. You will however need to come back to this later because an ideal soil mixture will ensure better growth for your tree and is one of the most important steps to maintaining a healthy bonsai for a long period of time. Make sure you divide the parts by volume not weight. Of course you can lower the amount of clay provided that peat soil is added for water retention.
A recipe which is composed of three quarters aggregate and one quarter organic materials will produce a mix which is good for all evergreens and most types of deciduous bonsai. For deciduous trees one needs to use a small mix 1 16 1 4 and add 1 part akadama to it as well. As for an evergreen bonsai the quantity of granular clay and pumice is maintained at 7 3 ratio. Alternately for deciduous trees mix one part coarse sand one part loam and one part peat.
For a deciduous bonsai tree keep the ratio of granular clay and pumice to 9 1. Good bonsai soil drains well and preserves moisture necessary to keep trees healthy. We can however describe two main mixtures one for deciduous trees and one for coniferous trees.