Rerepotting "yamadori" Douglas Fir?

[Harewood Hobbyist]

I've recently decided to "do bonsai" which for me means kind of jumping in. There was some raod work near me in January and February and I dug up 17 small tho pleasingly gnarly Doug Firs that were in the path of the work. For the most part they had good feeder roots and because of the rockygravely terrain not many had tap roots I needed to consider. I potted them up in wooden boxes I made that are 11.5" square and 4" deep on the inside (I also made a special box for one much bigger tree).

So here is my question/issue/problem. Because of where I live, I have a lot of composted fir needles that make a good, fluffy conifer soil that I use in general when I pot up seedlings in one gallon or larger pots. I used straight fir needle compost to pot the Doug Fir trees up in. It doesn't have good drainage and I suspect the roots will eventually rot in this soil. I have since switched over to half perlite half diotomaceous earth for most of my other bonsai (shallow pots). I am going to switch perlite for pumice in the summer when the mines reopen and the price goes down.

I am thinking of repotting the Doug Firs in one part fir needle compost, one part perlite, one part diotomaceous earth. None of the Doug Firs have been in their current fir needle compost pots for more than eight weeks.

How good or bad an idea is this repot?

 

[Harewood Hobbyist]

Welps, it has been twelve hours and no answear. I'm going to rerepot!

 

[hinmo24t]

the needle compost + half perlite or clay bits or gravel will be better for drainage. just not sure repotting them again is smart since a lot of times its a once a year type deal at maximum

props on the gnarly factor, yeww

 

[RKatzin]

My Dougie's are all in pure pumice and doing very well.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I would go ahead with the re-repot The mix sounds fine.

 

[Harewood Hobbyist]

It died. I have switched to half perlite and half diotomaceous gravel, no organic matter. Of the seedlings and larger seedlings I dug last winter, none of the trees in inorganic substrate died.

 

[AnacortesSteve]

I am using pumice, volcanic rock, Hemlock bark, DE (Napa Oil Dry), and composted manure on my pre-bonsai and it seems to be working pretty well, in proportions from left to right in amounts.
Even my Doug Fir from seeds are going crazy on it.