Bonsai soil is really important in growing bonsai. If you don’t have the suitable kind of soil, your tree will at the best grow slowly. So what is the right kind of soil? Ask 10 bonsaists, and you’ll likely get 10 different answers. Soil mixes will be variable, based on the type of tree. It is for and the climate you are growing in but there are a few basic guidelines in making bonsai soil.
Bonsai soil must be free draining. It must not take a lot of water. You really like to see the water pour strait through the pot, not collect on the surface, sit there awhile and then slowly sink in. Water should start coming out of the bottom of the pot right after you start pouring it into the pot.
Why is draining so crucial? A slow draining soil holds moisture. Moisture leads to soil breakdown, icky stuff growing in the soil, and eventually to rotting roots and dead trees.
Next to free drainage properties, the particle form and size is the next most important aspect. Larger particle size helps with the drainage and aeration (getting air – oxygen – to the roots). Also, smaller particles tend to sink down to the bottom of the pot and clog up the drainage holes. This is why most sources propose sifting out the smaller particles from your soil.
So what kind of stuff is large, sharp and free draining? And where can you get it to make a soil mix out of it? Some good ingredients are small size gravel, or large size sand, Baked clay products like terra-green or turface, chicken grit, turkey grit etc, decomposed granite, lava rock or pumice. Continue reading Make Your Own bonsai Soil
