Homemade Bonsai Soil Mix

While allowing excess water to drain.

Homemade bonsai soil mix. Akadama can be easily obtained online for a relatively low price. This is my secret method don t tell anyone shhhhhh. So i mixed my own using two parts volcanic rock to one part potting soil. Peat moss humus is what retains the most water and therefore should be used sparingly.

The trees moss and miniature plants found in bonsai require specific care including the correct soil mix. Soil that drains too quickly or retains too much moisture causes damage to the sensitive. Well deciding the components for adding in bonsai soil is the trickiest part. Prepare the bonsai soil.

Conifer bark as a soil conditioner can add bulk to the mix and can retain moisture. I ll tell you why later. Making one s own bonsai potting mixture is a process. A good bonsai mixture promotes the growth of fine feeder roots.

Peat clay two kinds of fuji sand and volcanic soil. Decide the ratio of soil components. This material is really used. I use red lava scoria calcined clay turface brand and pine bark fafard organic soil conditioner.

Preparing bonsai soil at home gather the required supplies. But it s worth the effort. Now use the medium screen and again sift the material that went through the largest screen keep the material. To go into further detail.

Charcoal charcoal is traditionally used as a soil additive because it increases the drainage of the soil and helps fight bad bacteria. 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. Roots can t grow into lava rock. It involves four ingredients.

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. Lava rock retains water and adds good structure when part of a bonsai substrate. The mix is 50 lava 25 turface and 25 fafard. First sift using the largest screen and keep the material that doesn t fall through the screen into one pile or bucket.

Organic potting compost includes peat moss perlite and sand. Here under is a step by step process of how you need to do it. Bonsai soil mix explained by mr. When used in a bonsai soil mix it helps to retain water and it aids the roots to ramify very well.

It has several disadvantages it retains much water and doesn t aerate drain very well but as part of a mixture it can be used perfectly well.