Potting up

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

You know how I hate to be picky, but not only do I not observe the above formula for soil, I do the opposite. I never allow any mineral components larger than a grain of sand. 50% by volume of the mix is composted pine bark, most of which are fines. It is a moisture retaining mix that suits me and my watering habits and my local rain & humidity patterns. Everybody needs to customize their soil to their situation. Flat statements belong in the Flat Earth Society, not for bonsai people in too many different climates to count and with too many personal habits, and agendas to list.

I have for the last several years noticed that there are wet belts and dry belts and everything inbetween across the US and I suspect everywhere else in the world, so my advice is necessarily more pertinent to places like southeast Michigan which is different from northern Michigan an southern Ohio, etc. There is a really wet belt across the deep south states that I see big storms pass over very often. That is very different weather from mine. Since I can't possibly know about the rest of the world, everyone needs to take what I say, and what everyone else says, with that proverbial grain of salt. Flat statements tend to flat wrong.

Using a soil, such as the one you described above, would be extremely water retentive, I will explain what happens when you water such a soil: The first is, you water, and a part of the soil near the bottom of the container does not drain. This water has a name, it is called 'perched water', so named because it 'perches' (like a bird) in the soil above the pot bottom. This excess water is critically important because it very quickly begins to kill roots growing near the bottom of the pot - within hours. The first roots to die are the roots that do the lion's share of the work - the very fine roots often referred to as 'hair roots'. The longer the soil remains saturated, the larger the diameter of the roots killed. When air finally returns to this once saturated soil, roots can only then begin to regenerate. This takes energy and is extremely expensive for the tree in terms of energy outlay. During the cyclic death and regeneration of roots associated with excessively water-retentive soils, the tree is actually forced by chemical messengers that tell it to 'grow roots', to direct energy that would have otherwise gone into growing more leaves, branches, or just increasing it's overall mass, to replacing the lost roots.

The second thing that might happen when you water if you are using a water retentive soil is, you adopt the practice of watering in 'small sips' so the soil remains damp instead of wet; this, to guard against root rot. It makes sense to only give the plant a little water at a time so the soil never gets soggy - right? That might be a workable option if you have the luxury of using water that has been processed through a reverse osmosis water filtering system, or if you are watering with distilled water, but regular tap water has things dissolved in it, like magnesium, calcium, iron, sulfur, and others. If you water in 'sips', these dissolved solids remain in the soil and build up over time. This has an impact on the plant's ability to absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in water. To illustrate the potential impact these dissolved solids have on a plant, picture in your mind what curing salt does to ham or bacon. It literally pulls water from the cells & dries out the meat. Any solutes (anything dissolved) in the solution surrounding the roots of trees can have the same potential effect on the trees cells. It can make it difficult for trees to absorb water and nutrients, it can make it impossible, and in some cases can actually reverse the flow of water so it moves OUT of cells, effectively collapsing and killing them. We commonly call this 'fertilizer burn', but it does not necessarily have to result from an over-application of fertilizer. The factor that determines how water retentive and difficult a soil is to grow in, is the size of the particles it is made from. The smaller the particles - the greater the water retention and the greater the degree of difficulty for growers. Soils made of any combination of peat, coir, compost, sand, topsoil, and other fine particulates are going to be very water retentive, which we know is undesirable from the perspective of the tree, and they cannot be suitably amended to correct drainage or the height of the perched water by adding other drainage material (ie sand, perlite, granite etc. Adding these to soils made up of fine particles reduces the overall water retention of the soil, the reduction usually being a plus, but it does nothing measurable for drainage (flow-through rates) or the height of the perched water table, the later being the critical consideration when it comes to a healthy root zone.
It was not my intention for the OP to copy the mix I use verbatim, but to give him an idea of what each of those components contribute. You can absolutely customize the this mix (I believe I said that), however instead of the water being retained via fine particles forcing water to perch and remain saturated for long periods of time thereby compromising normal root health and function ,it is being held by the turface and barks micropores internally , allowing you to water as much you want without fear of roots being deprived of air.
Sure, " Flat Earth statements tend to flat wrong" however statements made with a rational approach and then thoroughly explained using logic and scientific evidence are, at the very least, worthy of consideration.

 

[Alcam]

Using a soil, such as the one you described above, would be extremely water retentive, I will explain what happens when you water such a soil: The first is, you water, and a part of the soil near the bottom of the container does not drain. This water has a name, it is called 'perched water', so named because it 'perches' (like a bird) in the soil above the pot bottom. This excess water is critically important because it very quickly begins to kill roots growing near the bottom of the pot - within hours. The first roots to die are the roots that do the lion's share of the work - the very fine roots often referred to as 'hair roots'. The longer the soil remains saturated, the larger the diameter of the roots killed. When air finally returns to this once saturated soil, roots can only then begin to regenerate. This takes energy and is extremely expensive for the tree in terms of energy outlay. During the cyclic death and regeneration of roots associated with excessively water-retentive soils, the tree is actually forced by chemical messengers that tell it to 'grow roots', to direct energy that would have otherwise gone into growing more leaves, branches, or just increasing it's overall mass, to replacing the lost roots.

The second thing that might happen when you water if you are using a water retentive soil is, you adopt the practice of watering in 'small sips' so the soil remains damp instead of wet; this, to guard against root rot. It makes sense to only give the plant a little water at a time so the soil never gets soggy - right? That might be a workable option if you have the luxury of using water that has been processed through a reverse osmosis water filtering system, or if you are watering with distilled water, but regular tap water has things dissolved in it, like magnesium, calcium, iron, sulfur, and others. If you water in 'sips', these dissolved solids remain in the soil and build up over time. This has an impact on the plant's ability to absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in water. To illustrate the potential impact these dissolved solids have on a plant, picture in your mind what curing salt does to ham or bacon. It literally pulls water from the cells & dries out the meat. Any solutes (anything dissolved) in the solution surrounding the roots of trees can have the same potential effect on the trees cells. It can make it difficult for trees to absorb water and nutrients, it can make it impossible, and in some cases can actually reverse the flow of water so it moves OUT of cells, effectively collapsing and killing them. We commonly call this 'fertilizer burn', but it does not necessarily have to result from an over-application of fertilizer. The factor that determines how water retentive and difficult a soil is to grow in, is the size of the particles it is made from. The smaller the particles - the greater the water retention and the greater the degree of difficulty for growers. Soils made of any combination of peat, coir, compost, sand, topsoil, and other fine particulates are going to be very water retentive, which we know is undesirable from the perspective of the tree, and they cannot be suitably amended to correct drainage or the height of the perched water by adding other drainage material (ie sand, perlite, granite etc. Adding these to soils made up of fine particles reduces the overall water retention of the soil, the reduction usually being a plus, but it does nothing measurable for drainage (flow-through rates) or the height of the perched water table, the later being the critical consideration when it comes to a healthy root zone.
It was not my intention for the OP to copy the mix I use verbatim, but to give him an idea of what each of those components contribute. You can absolutely customize the this mix (I believe I said that), however instead of the water being retained via fine particles forcing water to perch and remain saturated for long periods of time thereby compromising normal root health and function ,it is being held by the turface and barks micropores internally , allowing you to water as much you want without fear of roots being deprived of air.
Sure, " Flat Earth statements tend to flat wrong" however statements made with a rational approach and then thoroughly explained using logic and scientific evidence are, at the very least, worthy of consideration.

The problem with turface, though, from what Ryan at Mirai reports, is that, although it does a good job of retaining water, it doesn't give that water back to the roots when they need it; it just hoards the water for itself.

 

[World Bonsai Police]

Using a soil, such as the one you described above, would be extremely water retentive, I will explain what happens when you water such a soil: The first is, you water, and a part of the soil near the bottom of the container does not drain. This water has a name, it is called 'perched water', so named because it 'perches' (like a bird) in the soil above the pot bottom. This excess water is critically important because it very quickly begins to kill roots growing near the bottom of the pot - within hours. The first roots to die are the roots that do the lion's share of the work - the very fine roots often referred to as 'hair roots'. The longer the soil remains saturated, the larger the diameter of the roots killed. When air finally returns to this once saturated soil, roots can only then begin to regenerate. This takes energy and is extremely expensive for the tree in terms of energy outlay. During the cyclic death and regeneration of roots associated with excessively water-retentive soils, the tree is actually forced by chemical messengers that tell it to 'grow roots', to direct energy that would have otherwise gone into growing more leaves, branches, or just increasing it's overall mass, to replacing the lost roots.

The second thing that might happen when you water if you are using a water retentive soil is, you adopt the practice of watering in 'small sips' so the soil remains damp instead of wet; this, to guard against root rot. It makes sense to only give the plant a little water at a time so the soil never gets soggy - right? That might be a workable option if you have the luxury of using water that has been processed through a reverse osmosis water filtering system, or if you are watering with distilled water, but regular tap water has things dissolved in it, like magnesium, calcium, iron, sulfur, and others. If you water in 'sips', these dissolved solids remain in the soil and build up over time. This has an impact on the plant's ability to absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in water. To illustrate the potential impact these dissolved solids have on a plant, picture in your mind what curing salt does to ham or bacon. It literally pulls water from the cells & dries out the meat. Any solutes (anything dissolved) in the solution surrounding the roots of trees can have the same potential effect on the trees cells. It can make it difficult for trees to absorb water and nutrients, it can make it impossible, and in some cases can actually reverse the flow of water so it moves OUT of cells, effectively collapsing and killing them. We commonly call this 'fertilizer burn', but it does not necessarily have to result from an over-application of fertilizer. The factor that determines how water retentive and difficult a soil is to grow in, is the size of the particles it is made from. The smaller the particles - the greater the water retention and the greater the degree of difficulty for growers. Soils made of any combination of peat, coir, compost, sand, topsoil, and other fine particulates are going to be very water retentive, which we know is undesirable from the perspective of the tree, and they cannot be suitably amended to correct drainage or the height of the perched water by adding other drainage material (ie sand, perlite, granite etc. Adding these to soils made up of fine particles reduces the overall water retention of the soil, the reduction usually being a plus, but it does nothing measurable for drainage (flow-through rates) or the height of the perched water table, the later being the critical consideration when it comes to a healthy root zone.
It was not my intention for the OP to copy the mix I use verbatim, but to give him an idea of what each of those components contribute. You can absolutely customize the this mix (I believe I said that), however instead of the water being retained via fine particles forcing water to perch and remain saturated for long periods of time thereby compromising normal root health and function ,it is being held by the turface and barks micropores internally , allowing you to water as much you want without fear of roots being deprived of air.
Sure, " Flat Earth statements tend to flat wrong" however statements made with a rational approach and then thoroughly explained using logic and scientific evidence are, at the very least, worthy of consideration.

I have used this for mix 20 years. I water with a hose and wet everything down thoroughly so the pots are as soaked as possible. My pots are dry in one normal summer day and my trees actually "grow". I see your icon is a cactus. I think you are growing especially low water use plants in shade in a wet belt and it colors your thinking. I have everything in full sun (for the most part) and the humidity stays in the 70% range. It works for me, long term. It was my intent to draw attention to the fact that one-size-fits-all thinking is wrong and there are gross disparities in applying your "science" to all or even very many different situations. Apparently, I didn't get my points across.

To wit: According to Weatherspark, "Birmingham is practically underwater when compared to Detroit. On average, Birmingham has 53.7 in. of precipitation while Detroit has 29.6 in., a difference of 24.1 inches. Detroit averages 128.0 days of precipitation every year, while Birmingham averages 116.8 days of rain per year. So, Detroit gets an average of 11.2 days more of precipitation than Birmingham every year."

Add to that that I have a real winter in which the ground is frozen and the precipitation does not penetrate the earth or pots. It snows, melts, evaporates and/or runs off down drains in winter so the average yearly precipitation which actually gets to penetrate the pots is lessened by the deep winter share of the 29.6 inches. Detroit also is in a zone of even precipitation year-around.

It gets worse. Peak precip in Birmingham is 5.2", ~March 1st. Peak precip in Detroit is 2.7" ~May 31st. I can't speak to Birmingham's usefulness or growing conditions on Mar. 1, but lots of rain for Detroit on May 31 is very welcome at our peak of spring.

Birmingham's summer has 23% of the 143 days between May 12 and Oct 2 of muggy, oppressive or miserable humidity (33 days).
Detroit's summer has 9% of the 113 days between May 31 and Sep 20 of muggy, oppressive or miserable humidity (10 days). I interpret that as a day with essentially no evaporation.

Average wind speed in summer is 3.1 mph in Birmingham verses 8.1 in Detroit. Again, greater evaporation forces at work.

These numbers speak for themselves. They say the difference is night and day. I can see why my mix wouldn't work in Birmingham. Can you see why mine would work just fine in Detroit?

 

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

I have used this for mix 20 years. I water with a hose and wet everything down thoroughly so the pots are as soaked as possible. My pots are dry in one normal summer day and my trees actually "grow". I see your icon is a cactus. I think you are growing especially low water use plants in shade in a wet belt and it colors your thinking. I have everything in full sun (for the most part) and the humidity stays in the 70% range. It works for me, long term. It was my intent to draw attention to the fact that one-size-fits-all thinking is wrong and there are gross disparities in applying your "science" to all or even very many different situations. Apparently, I didn't get my points across.

To wit: According to Weatherspark, "Birmingham is practically underwater when compared to Detroit. On average, Birmingham has 53.7 in. of precipitation while Detroit has 29.6 in., a difference of 24.1 inches. Detroit averages 128.0 days of precipitation every year, while Birmingham averages 116.8 days of rain per year. So, Detroit gets an average of 11.2 days more of precipitation than Birmingham every year."

Add to that that I have a real winter in which the ground is frozen and the precipitation does not penetrate the earth or pots. It snows, melts, evaporates and/or runs off down drains in winter so the average yearly precipitation which actually gets to penetrate the pots is lessened by the deep winter share of the 29.6 inches. Detroit also is in a zone of even precipitation year-around.

It gets worse. Peak precip in Birmingham is 5.2", ~March 1st. Peak precip in Detroit is 2.7" ~May 31st. I can't speak to Birmingham's usefulness or growing conditions on Mar. 1, but lots of rain for Detroit on May 31 is very welcome at our peak of spring.

Birmingham's summer has 23% of the 143 days between May 12 and Oct 2 of muggy, oppressive or miserable humidity (33 days).
Detroit's summer has 9% of the 113 days between May 31 and Sep 20 of muggy, oppressive or miserable humidity (10 days). I interpret that as a day with essentially no evaporation.

Average wind speed in summer is 3.1 mph in Birmingham verses 8.1 in Detroit. Again, greater evaporation forces at work.

These numbers speak for themselves. They say the difference is night and day. I can see why my mix wouldn't work in Birmingham. Can you see why mine would work just fine in Detroit?

You've made some strange assumptions just based on the small amount of personal information I've provided. My icons a cactus and I live in Birmingham Al, so I must grow "low use water plants" in shade?? If you believe soil that stays half saturated for a week (this would be inevitable in bonsai pot with a soil that was 50% mineral components "no larger than a grain of sand" and 50% composted pine bark "mostly fines") before air finally returns to the root zone is your best option(In any climate) for optimal root health and getting your trees to thrive, I'm won't say anything more to try to convince you otherwise. Roots come first. If you cannot keep the roots happy, there is no chance you can keep the rest of the plant happy. That was a paraphrased quote from Dr. Carl Whitcomb, PhD, who wrote the bible on "Plant Production in Containers". I'd like to add that just because your plant grows, does not mean that it's not stressed and growing as well as it could be.
The OP asked what soil to use in order to maximize growth and I think I pointed him in the right direction. He doesn't have to use the same soil I use, that was only an example, the most important part was ensuring he kept out particles under 1/8 inch so he could water properly, without fear of compromising root health/ metabolism. This is important to remember when growing anything in small pots.

 

[Forsoothe!]

You've made some strange assumptions just based on the small amount of personal information I've provided. My icons a cactus and I live in Birmingham Al, so I must grow "low use water plants" in shade?? If you believe soil that stays half saturated for a week (this would be inevitable in bonsai pot with a soil that was 50% mineral components "no larger than a grain of sand" and 50% composted pine bark "mostly fines") before air finally returns to the root zone is your best option(In any climate) for optimal root health and getting your trees to thrive, I'm won't say anything more to try to convince you otherwise. Roots come first. If you cannot keep the roots happy, there is no chance you can keep the rest of the plant happy. That was a paraphrased quote from Dr. Carl Whitcomb, PhD, who wrote the bible on "Plant Production in Containers". I'd like to add that just because your plant grows, does not mean that it's not stressed and growing as well as it could be.
The OP asked what soil to use in order to maximize growth and I think I pointed him in the right direction. He doesn't have to use the same soil I use, that was only an example, the most important part was ensuring he kept out particles under 1/8 inch so he could water properly, without fear of compromising root health/ metabolism. This is important to remember when growing anything in small pots.

I was pulling your leg about your shade. You're pulling my leg about my soil being half saturated for more than the one day I stated. I agree that roots come second in the pecking order of overall growth. Microbes come first, and they like to breathe. I would like to hear you address the oppressive, hellish soggy weather you live in verses my perfect growing conditions. You are still laboring under the false assumption that my soil is necessarily compacted. It is 50% by volume of wood fiber which, while it holds lots and lots of water, holds lots and lots of air space when that water has been removed via evaporation, transpiration, or whatever. Water has a displacement, and when the water ain't there, that volume is filled with, "AIR".

When I say my trees grow, I mean they continue to get bigger. And everything in a pot is stressed. If the OP lives in a soggy hell, he may need your rocky soil. After all, lots of people use the same stuff, -more than use my type. But I would point out that plants can only have access to the outer molecules of a grain of mineral and that means my smaller size has more exposed surface than yours. The entire inner volume is unavailable to disintegrate into a size usable by microbes. Also, your rocks are a single compound verses mine which are much more varied in composition. I also add Menefee Humate and Jersey Green Sand to cover all the bases of micro-elements along with lots of bone char to increase available carbon. So there, My microbe lunchbox is bigger than yours.

One more thing. The perched water thing only occurs with soils that have an underlying layer of old fashion "drainage" materials at the bottom of pots, and such a pot shards/brickbat drainage layer is no longer in vogue. When the soil goes all the way to the bottom of the pot it drains, albeit slowly, normally.

 

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

I was pulling your leg about your shade. You're pulling my leg about my soil being half saturated for more than the one day I stated. I agree that roots come second in the pecking order of overall growth. Microbes come first, and they like to breathe.

You first stated your mix was 50% composted pine bark "mostly fines" and that you "don't allow any mineral components larger than a grain of sand". Assuming that the other 50% of your soil mix consist of "rocks" no larger than a grain of sand" this would mean the majority of your soil is fine particles. Because there will be a perched water table in the bottom of a pot when soil particulate size is under about .100 (just under 1/8) inch, and this table increases in height the smaller the particles are, a large layer of soil near the bottom of your pot will remain saturated & will not drain from the pot until it evaporates or the plant uses it. Now it might be possible for alot of it to evaporate during your hottest days, but the rest of the year, that perched water is just depriving your trees roots from getting air.

I would like to hear you address the oppressive, hellish soggy weather you live in verses my perfect growing conditions.

is that supposed to be funny?

You are still laboring under the false assumption that my soil is necessarily compacted.

Not compacted but holding excess water that won't drain, thereby depriving roots of air.

It is 50% by volume of wood fiber which, while it holds lots and lots of water, holds lots and lots of air space when that water has been removed via evaporation, transpiration, or whatever. Water has a displacement, and when the water ain't there, that volume is filled with, "AIR".

If by "wood fiber" you mean composted pine bark, then I agree it does hold water in it's micro pores, however when the particles of bark and other components are so small, their also holding water in between each other, and when fine particles make up the majority of your soil, a natural perched water table forms at the bottom layer of the pot. This water won't drain immediately, and if it doesn't evaporate shortly afterwards or get used by the roots it stays saturated, depriving this area of the pot of air for an excessive amount of time, killing roots trying to grow in the proximity.

When I say my trees grow, I mean they continue to get bigger. And everything in a pot is stressed.

Just because a tree manages to grow does not means it's growing at it's genetic potential. Think of stunted trees growing out of the side of a cliff. There is a difference between surviving and thriving.

If the OP lives in a soggy hell, he may need your rocky soil. After all, lots of people use the same stuff, -more than use my type. But I would point out that plants can only have access to the outer molecules of a grain of mineral and that means my smaller size has more exposed surface than yours.

what?

The entire inner volume is unavailable to disintegrate into a size usable by microbes. Also, your rocks are a single compound verses mine which are much more varied in composition.

Mixing large particles with small is ineffective because the smaller particles fit between the large, increasing surface area which increases the capillary attraction and thus the water holding potential.

I also add Menefee Humate and Jersey Green Sand to cover all the bases of micro-elements along with lots of bone char to increase available carbon. So there, My microbe lunchbox is bigger than yours.

My soil already has a good structure for roots to grow in and my trees get all the major and minor nutrients they need from the chemical fertilizer (foliage pro 936) I use. Since I don't depend on microbes to break down soil amendments to make those nutrients available, their presence is irrelevant. Also, Its likely that most of your "lunchbox" gets massacred from the levels of chlorine and chloramine in your tap water. Food for thought.

One more thing. The perched water thing only occurs with soils that have an underlying layer of old fashion "drainage" materials at the bottom of pots, and such a pot shards/brickbat drainage layer is no longer in vogue. When the soil goes all the way to the bottom of the pot it drains, albeit slowly, normally.

The drainage layer doesn't cause the perched water table but it doe raise it. Only by increasing the particles size in your soil will you decrease the hight of the perched water table.
It's pretty clear to me that you get some form of gratification from making multiple accounts and screwing with people. I dont know wether youre serious and at this point I have no desire to keep defending this simple logic.

 

[Alcam]

Welcome to crazy, indeed, ha!

 

[Yugen]

Absolutely. I live on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, and I've been told not to use any organic mixture because of all the rain. But I live in the capital city of Victoria (southern tip of the island), which is actually in a rain shadow of the US Olympic and Vancouver North Shore mountains, so we get 55% less rain as Vancouver and about 35% less than Seattle, contrary to what people think, and we actually get droughts during the growing season. I need some water retention.

All of our situations, our tree's needs, and our goals are different, so blanket approaches do no one any good. It's important to know what options there are for what we're trying to accomplish, and what of those options are best suited for our tree in particular in relation to where we live. Then we try to make the best decisions possible.

Edit: how does the joke go? If the Earth is flat, cats would've pushed everyone off the edge centuries ago.

I live in Vic and I and friends around town have had great success with pure inorganic soil. Right now most of my trees are in pure pumice

 

[Alcam]

I live in Vic and I and friends around town have had great success with pure inorganic soil. Right now most of my trees are in pure pumice

Great! I'm quite liking pumice as well, and it seems to be ok with some peat moss, but next repots I won't use it again. Any downfalls to pure pumice?

 

[Yugen]

From my limited experience a tree in in refinement could really use some akadama for fine root growth. But in my pure pumice I have fine roots, mycelium and a host of rock moss loving it up. It drains freely, doenst break down over winter, is aesthetically beautiful, holds desired moisture and is super cheap. Maybe the other thing that pumice lacks is possibly a low electron transfer capacity.

 

[Alcam]

From my limited experience a tree in in refinement could really use some akadama for fine root growth. But in my pure pumice I have fine roots, mycelium and a host of rock moss loving it up. It drains freely, doenst break down over winter, is aesthetically beautiful, holds desired moisture and is super cheap. Maybe the other thing that pumice lacks is possibly a low electron transfer capacity.

My few trees are decades away from refinement, so no worries there. Some akadama would be nice. Know of anywhere in our area that sells it? I haven't been able to locate any.

 

[Yugen]

My few trees are decades away from refinement, so no worries there. Some akadama would be nice. Know of anywhere in our area that sells it? I haven't been able to locate any.

Consider becoming a member of the Vic Bonsai Society. A few lads there know where we can source akadama in Vancouver, but I missed the last outing. There is also some decent bonsai nurseries, pot stores and the like in van. Im currently thinking of ordering this Boon's mix online

Boon Bonsai Soil Mix

SuperFly Bonsai's Boon Mix This mix is the most commonly used and accepted mix by bonsai professionals around the world. Here in the United States it is known as "Boon Mix" after Boon Manakitivipart who pushed the mix to promote better bonsai tree health in America. Some also refer to it (in...

www.superflybonsai.com

 

[Alcam]

Consider becoming a member of the Vic Bonsai Society. A few lads there know where we can source akadama in Vancouver, but I missed the last outing. There is also some decent bonsai nurseries, pot stores and the like in van. Im currently thinking of ordering this Boon's mix online

Boon Bonsai Soil Mix

SuperFly Bonsai's Boon Mix This mix is the most commonly used and accepted mix by bonsai professionals around the world. Here in the United States it is known as "Boon Mix" after Boon Manakitivipart who pushed the mix to promote better bonsai tree health in America. Some also refer to it (in...

www.superflybonsai.com

I've already considered it and almost certainly will at some point in the future. I really want to get into yamadori, especially, so I'm sure some members will have lots of good info about that too. I'm guessing meetups are on a hiatus at the moment, unfortunately, but hopefully soon.

That soil looks pretty darn nice!

 

[Yugen]

I've already considered it and almost certainly will at some point in the future. I really want to get into yamadori, especially, so I'm sure some members will have lots of good info about that too. I'm guessing meetups are on a hiatus at the moment, unfortunately, but hopefully soon.

That soil looks pretty darn nice!

Oh yeah, me and my mate hunt for wild yams on van isle. Thats where the real action is. Meetings are on hiatus right now but some members are doing social posts and virtual garden walk throughs..

 

[Ryan Eavis]

I'm going to bump this thread with a quick semi-related question: I am new to bonsai and newer to Victoria. I am curious when those of you in Victoria start the spring repotting/collection. I have some trees in their first year of potted dormancy and some look ready to bud, others look still sleeping.
Thank you

 

[Alcam]

I'm going to bump this thread with a quick semi-related question: I am new to bonsai and newer to Victoria. I am curious when those of you in Victoria start the spring repotting/collection. I have some trees in their first year of potted dormancy and some look ready to bud, others look still sleeping.
Thank you

I just finished repotting all of mine yesterday, as they are all bud bursting. I'll be keeping an eye on the overnight temps, though. Any negative temps will freeze the new roots and fresh buds, and I certainly don't want that.

 

[leatherback]

@Catclow how is this developing?

I like the idea of developing this as is. However, I would pot it in a larger container and let things run a bit. Ideally your forest has trees of different sizes, to make it look natural. This will be harder using the trees as is, espacially as trees on the fringes of a forest planting tent to develop fater than thos on the inside. So allow more growth inside than outside.

Continous pinching will hold the development back so much that YOU will be old and grey before you have good variation in sizes. Best to let the trees run for the year and doing maintenance pruning infrequently.

I would recommend looking at the trees people post, and compare them. Then go with the advice of the person creating trees that you like.