What Soil To Plant Bonsai In

Organic potting compost akadama pumice and lava rock.

What soil to plant bonsai in. Potting soil will add bulk to your mix as well as used as a bonding agent. Decomposing plant matter is added as feed. Decide the ratio of soil components. The most common components for bonsai soil mixtures are akadama pumice lava rock organic potting compost and fine gravel grit.

There are endless combinations and you ll have to experiment to figure out which works best for you. Bonsai trees like other plants grown in containers need to be regularly re potted. Be aware potting soil is highly water retentive. Fill the pot to about four fifths full.

The exact mix of bonsai soil is dependent on what type of tree species is being used. A good bonsai soil needs to retain water well without drowning the roots. It needs to be sifted before use. It s important to know moss can hold a substantial amount of water and without proper drainage it can hold onto a large amount of water for a long time.

Mix this with finer soil and river sand. As the terms indicate organic soil particles include bark peat leaf litter and plant parts. For deciduous bonsai trees use 50 akadama 25 pumice and 25 lava rock. Learning how to re pot bonsai trees will provide you with an essential skill when undertaking bonsai as a hobby.

When organic components are used grit makes up 40 to 50 percent of bonsai soil and fired clay or pumice around 25. Use tweezers to push the soil in and to create airspace between the roots. Run coarse soil through a sieve. Whereas inorganic oil comprises pumice volcanic soil sold as kanuma fired clay soil and granular clay sold as akadama and turface.

Re potting keeps the tree healthy by replenishing the nutrients in the soil regulating root growth and keeping the soil from getting too compacted. The soil should finish just below the rim of the pot. Bonsai trees should be planted in soils specifically formulated for use with conifers or bonsai plants which will ensure the soil has a texture and nutrient value appropriate for these types of trees. Soil most bonsai soil mixes are a combination of akadama hard baked clay pumice lava rock and soil.

In addition potting soil is used in the bonsai soil mix. The soil must itself contribute only limited nutrients to the plant to allow the bonsai artist to control the application when quantity and type of nutrients that the tree will receive. From left to right. Akadama is hard baked japanese clay specifically produced for bonsai purposes and available at all online bonsai shops.

That said here are guidelines for two types of soil one for deciduous trees and one for conifers. Therefore the gist is a soil works fine as long as it provides excellent aeration and drainage.