Growing bonsai in Winterfell is not easy.
GNARLY considerations here!
And it’s easy to source . Sold in compressed blocks soak over night in water they expand 8 x there size should sift well
Watch the vid take special note of how . Akadama normal compost soil and even pumice and peat moss do badly when frozen .
THE NORTH REMEMBERS!!!!!!
Sold with expand 8 times its size on command!As I have said before in posts . Winterized in non heated or attached garage no light trees allowed to freeze on benches solid actually delay winter Storage as long as I dare . Then in the garage take steps to keep them frozen until I’m certain they come out into the light and thaw once . Have strong opinion from others failures and my own freeze thaw cycle is very unhealthy for trees not just deteriorating if soil . But re watching the test vid reminded me I wanted to try coconut coir . As organic component . Scored very high in water retention test abs highest in freeze cycle test also expands as it absorbs moisture more than mist helping aeration Seems strange that something from the tropics freezes so well
I started using coco coir this year. Can confirm it expands ALLOT when it gets wet. Generally comes in compressed bricks, and when you break a chunk off and crumble it into your soil it's like dust. Make sure it's THOROUGHLY broken up, otherwise when you wet it you just get little balls of the stuff that won't disperse, unless of course that's the effect your going for. Don't bother sifting; you'll lose 90% or better as fines. A little bit goes along way because of the expansion effect.As I have said before in posts . Winterized in non heated or attached garage no light trees allowed to freeze on benches solid actually delay winter Storage as long as I dare . Then in the garage take steps to keep them frozen until I’m certain they come out into the light and thaw once . Have strong opinion from others failures and my own freeze thaw cycle is very unhealthy for trees not just deteriorating if soil . But re watching the test vid reminded me I wanted to try coconut coir . As organic component . Scored very high in water retention test abs highest in freeze cycle test also expands as it absorbs moisture more than mist helping aeration Seems strange that something from the tropics freezes so well
Yes the only way I have seen it is compressed blocks you soak first the. You have the coir . The stuff in the vid looked pretty good visa visa long fibered line it had been sifted . If it don’t sift to a decent size I don’t see it being useful to us with bonsai my understanding is it’s ph neutral
I didn't soak it first, just broke off dry chunks and crumbled them between my fingers.
reminded me I live and was raised near Ottawa Ontario where the bars close at 1 am but across the river I. Quebec they close at 4 am serve booze till 3 am you can figure the rest out . Anyway there is a golf course with a turn of the century main building . Ball room can seat 800 for dinner or jam about 1500 in for a stage show 4 bars and balcony alone can hold 200 was still going strong into the 80s . My father and his best friend seen Elvis there . I want to say 56 but may be a year or 2 off . Said people were just dumbstruck like they were hit by lightning . They loved it or thought he was the anti christ all further shows in Canada were banned 
Thanks for the heads up on coco chunks . Although can’t seem to find a source anywhere near me . As I said above main interest in coco coir is it’s freeze thaw capabilities . Sucks it don’t sift well . I think it’s important to note pine bark scored second in break down when frozen . Still on the hunt for Hemlock bark . There is a Revival as such . In the use of the wood of the eastern hemlock . As something different . Trying to find a wood processor that has by product bark . I have seen info that the bark lasts longer in a pot than any other bark without breakdown and conifers especially like it . I’m sure there referring to western hemlock but beggars can’t be choosy .
