名媛直播

Hi everyone, I started being interested on bonsai a couple weeks ago and it's really becoming a passion for me. One thing to note: I never been interested in any kind for plants/tree before so let's say that I know n o t h i n g.

But the main question I have is a bout soil as I'm not sure I'm doing it right. So far I bought a Ficus tree that I splitted out into 2 ficus, I wired them simply just to have the impression of a shape. One seem to be doing fine, the other one looks pretty sad, it has lost most of its leaves. I read that it might be due to a "stress" and should grow leaves again. One has the original soil in which it came in, looks like basic garden potting soil and the other one has a mixture of garden potting soil, akadama and lava rock. Both soil aren't drying out at all. They are facing sun about 4-5 hours per day, and are still wet since a week ago.

I also own a Portulacaria afra, an Hibiscus and a juniper all potted in similar kind of soil that dries just right.

My question is: Everytime a see people talking about soil mix, most of the time they talk about "drainage" and mostly includes "rocky" substances. While most tree we buy comes is garden potting soil.

What doesn't do the job with original garden potting soil, like, why is it fine at the shop, not when you want to make a bonsai out of it?
How can it grow in just rocky substances? I don't understand how tree can grow without potting soil.

Again, newbie here trying to save ficus's lives. Every books I read, posts and forum I read are pretty a vague about the reasons. Thank you for all your help in my understanding.

EDIT: if worth anything, every trees are indoor as I live in an appartment in Canada and it's pretty cold out there.

名媛直播 soil is for bonsai pots. Potting soil is for normal nurcery and flower pots. I develop most of my trees in oversized nurcery pots in mostly organic soil.

Edit: the juniper needs to go outside as soon as risk of frost is over. If possible keep it at 0-5 degrees until then.

Understand, thanks! So this is due to the fact that bonsai pots are most commonly less high than nursery pots and have, again most commonly, less drainage hole?

I think that would make sense, I used some for most of them until I feel they really worth glazed pots.

In such case, what kind of soil mix would you recommend? Akadam kinda act like potting mix as they retain water is that correct? So following 名媛直播 Empire's recommandation with Lava rock, Pumice and Akadama should be a good fit?

The best substrate is depending on species, local conditions and care regime. Since I dont grow trees indoors and live in a very cold climate I cannot tell you what the best substrate is in your case. Just start to add more non organics in your mix and evaluate. If not entirely happy try something else. That is what most of us has done.

Tree roots (and maybe a lot of other plants) pick water vapor out of little air pockets in soil, not by picking up water straight out of the soil. (This surprised me when I read it, so I asked a Biology PhD and he said yes, not quite hinting that I should have known something so obvious. Ah, well. If the root sit in water too long they will die and then start to rot. Since there isn't any air around them there isn't any water vapor, so they can't do their job.

That means that a soil mix containing nothing but potting soil is pretty hard to grow trees in long term. You have to water them just right and then let it dry out just right. And, there is little air space for them to breathe from and they just won't be that healthy. The garden shop is expecting you to take it home and put it in the ground, where water will seep through the ball and it will dry out pretty well. In a pot it is very hard to get the right level of watering.

The usual bonsai mix has stuff like pumice that soaks up water, akadama that soaks up water, and lava rock which has crazy little shapes that supply lots of air pockets. Practically everybody in a hot climate includes some organics to hold more water for longer. This is so that we only have to water once a day most days. (Over 100F/40C or so you will still have to water twice, particularly if there is wind).

Find some people in your area, talk to the ones that have the oldest trees, and see what they do. Do something sort of like it. That means how they mix soil and how they water.

Wow! That is really insightful! Thanks for that. I will repot the dying ficus again in a pumice/lava rock/akadama mic and see how he’s doing. At the moment I see leaves starting to grow but they even have a chance to grow that they die.

I found out some canadians near that basically told me what to use but without the explanation on why. And I hate doing things without knowing why.

If those Canadians near you grow healthy trees the why is quite simple....Because it works.

If you are based in Canada, akadama may not be the best possible soil... Akadama is a Japanese soil, and quite ideal here in Japan, but many people outside Japan complain that with lots of freeze-thaw cycles, it becomes mushy clay that won't drain, which probably is true in some parts of Canada. But, as I'm sure you have noticed, all kinds of trees grow quite well in Canada in Canadian soils... If you want to grow a juniper bonsai, go somewhere where junipers naturally thrive, dig a hole, and have a look at the soil (take some soil with you in a bag if it is legal...). Chances are, it is sandy/rocky, and not at all like the organic potting soil/compost people plant their basil plants in. Anyways, if you wish to use Akadama, somebody has first shipped it in from Japan, paid for freight and customs etc, so chances are, it costs much more than your domestic soils, and isn't even ideal for your climate.

If you do a bit more googling, you will find endless discussions of people arguing for and against akadama, with some saying it is the only acceptable substrate for bonsai, and some saying they wouldn't even bury dead people in it, let alone try to grow plants in it... Such flame wars are fun to read, but contain little useful information.

PS. I live in Japan, and use a mixture of akadama + kiryu sand ( + some organic compost for some deciduous species) for my bonsai. Over here, akadama and kiryu sand are cheap and available at any garden center.

The biggest problem with to heavy organic soil is experienced on the wet season. When trees are kept outside and get rain on them constantly they dont get to dry out enough and roots suffocate. In dry season when one are watering more or less frequently that is less of a problem. I put my trees in an unheated greenhouse in winter protected from rain, hence can put more organic material in my mix. With the added benefit of not needing to water just as often in summer. Since you will keep some of your trees indoors for part of the year, it might benefit you as well with a soil a little heavier on organics. I use sifted bark mulch. It is still quite good draining keeps wet for longer time and takes a while to break down. I am still experimenting on best soil for my conditions and care. Havent found the perfect solution just yet.

If you live in Canada, you might want to follow Nigel Saunders youtube channel, as he lives there too.