What's your soil mixture where you live ?

[Bonsailane]

I stay in Arkansas and I have found that for the most part
40% sifted pine bark
20% compost soil
20% turfus
20% crushed granite
Works well on most species .
Then I just reverse it for the others that like a more course well drained soil.
What do you use in your area ?

 

[JoeR]

For trees in training:
1 part sifted perlite, 1 part pine bark, and 1 part napa or pumice (whatever I have on hand). Or sometimes just perlite/bark.

Trees in ceramic pots:
Boons mix (pumice: akadama: lava)

 

[sorce]

Just sifted a bag of 8822.

4 gallons good big.

2 gallons small and dust.

Sorce

 

[abqjoe]

I don't have many tree's so I treat the one's I do have to soil from Bonsai Jack. 90/10 mixture with inorganic on the heavier side.

 

[discusmike]

Whatever I can get my hands on if it's not in a finished pot

 

[chicago1980]

Just sifted a bag of 8822.

4 gallons good big.

2 gallons small and dust.

Sorce

8822?

 

[chicago1980]

Akadama
Lava rock
Pumice
1-1-1 ratio.

I also have clay kings which as a slight amount of granite as the Japanese add this to thier pumice.

Location: Chicago 5B. All conifers.

 

[eferguson1974]

8822?

Napa floor dry, part number 8822 is a popular, cheap bonsai soil. Made of DE. I plan to use it when I get back to the States and start over with bonsai in a few months

 

[augustine]

Search the site for soil and you'll find too much information. It's all been said before and I don't think there's anything new under the sun for soil.

 

[Petebak]

For trees in training I am experimenting with Moltan Absorbent and Perlite 50/50 mix. I feed the trees every time i water them, so far so good.
Moltan Absorbent is a great cheap substitute for turface.

 

[Adair M]

For trees in training I am experimenting with Moltan Absorbent and Perlite 50/50 mix. I feed the trees every time i water them, so far so good.
Moltan Absorbent is a great cheap substitute for turface.

Omg! Now we're finding substitutes for turface!

Oh! The irony!

 

[Petebak]

Omg! Now we're finding substitutes for turface!

Oh! The irony!

Yes, 40 Lb bag is under 6 dollars!

 

[petegreg]

Yes, 40 Lb bag is under 6 dollars!

Googling it it's DE and should be good.

...here in 6a whatever inorganic works fine. DE, zeolite, lava, pumice and their mixes. For acid loving plants kanuma or it's addition to mixes helps.

 

[chansen]

Lava, akadama, pumice for pretty much everything. For some trees in training I cut the akadama. I live within a 2 hour drive of both pumice and lava mines (unfortunately one is north, the other south), so I get them by the garbage can full (last time I brought back about 1 ton of pumice). I do keep my trees in a heated greenhouse over winter, with the temp held just above freezing. Don't know my zone, but it gets down to single digits in the winter and into the triple digits in the summer (both tend to be outliers though).

 

[Smoke]

Mostly a clay type top soil for about 8 inches and then about 18 inches of hard pan below that. At around 24 inches we get into some sandy type mixed clay soil. Not very good for growing anything. Most farmers have to dynamite a hole for planting things. That's the soil mixture where I live.

 

[Bonsailane]

These to do sound like some pretty interesting mixtures

 

[Giga]

I just got 15 gallons of bonsaijacks 221 for a steal but I might augment it with akadama as there's not much that holds water - and I water first thing in the morning then I got to work

 

[aml1014]

Just like my teacher. If it holds water, doesn't break down and drains free, it's a good soil. Lol

Aaron

 

[Anthony]

5 mm builder's gravel [ silica based ] - Inorganic

aged compost [ no weeds seeds ] - Organic

and if needed 5 mm crushed red earthenware brick. - Inorganic but can hold water and fertiliser in solution.

Simple soil, grows everything well.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[fredman]

Composted pine bark nuggets
Scoria
Pumice
1-1-1 ratio.