Bonsai Soil Basics: How to Choose Bonsai Soil (2019) 

Gro Bonsai eh 🤔 kiryu and ezo grit maybe?

Thanks for the great feedback!

As a p.s. size of pots and developmental stage of tree. I.e. if you are trying for all lot of growth to increase trunk size, grow out scars etc you might add more organic matter than for a tree that is more developed requiring refinement. Cheers. Sid

Good point, I don't grow Willow or Alder but have read of people standing pots in a tray of water.

Hi Sid, why do people not pay much attention to seed grown bonsai, in pot for eg? Are people too impatient to appreciate it?

@@kilthsenarc I think impatience is a part of it to be sure. Look at the popularity of videos creating bonsai from nursery stock. "instant" bonsai. Also i think people think a bonsai can't be grown from seed except over many years. In reality you can create small trees from seed in 3-5 years .for some species at least . Cheers. Sid.

Thanks Leanne that’s really kind of you! Pruning is a concept that on the surface is simple, but has layers of complexity. I’m early in my learning, but I will figure a way to relay what I learn in videos along the way. Look up Bonsai Mirai videos, there’s a beginner series that is really really good, but I forget how much detail they go into about pruning and branch development. Thanks for watching 🙏

Thanks that means a lot

I think it's the wet > almost dry > wet > almost dry... cycles that achieve the balance, but it get's difficult if the soil is compacted and/or excessively moisture retentive

Thanks for watching

Thanks so much

Thanks for watching 🙏

Sounds great 👍 I have a sick pine that I planted into pumice and it is doing well 🙂

I must admit I’ve been using akadama mixes this year

Thanks so much for the feedback- happy it helped

I haven’t looked at coco fibres, that’s something I missed. Thanks!

Thanks 🙏

Thanks for watching. Moler is my favourite substrate for growing. These days I prefer akadama for trees in bonsai pots. Thanks again

@@grobonsai can u post d link from where u buy akadama from

ibuki-shop.com is where I get it, but kaizen and greenwoods are also good

Yeah no probs. Satsuki in a terrarium will be tricky even with kanuma I afraid

Happy to help

Sorry I missed this. I haven't tried it I'm afraid.

I’ve not used it personally, sorry

Thanks for watching, Joao. I will try to put something together. But it will also be research based rather than from experience - there are so many approaches

Are they common juniper Juniperus communis? In all honesty it’s something I’ve been told, but have no direct experience

@@grobonsai one is chinensis and the other is x-media

Only applies to common juniper 👍

@@grobonsai good to know. Thanks again!

There’s no rush, it’s best done in Spring when new buds start to swell. In the meantime practice watering. Enjoy your trees

Thanks so much

It’s not as readily available these days, so I don’t bother with it anymore

@@grobonsai Thank you for replying. That's very helpful.

I didn’t get around to trying Leca in the end. Thanks Matt 🙏

The tree will be fine but you will need to check if it needs watering more often. If that’s gonna be a problem while you’re at work or whatever, a little potting mix might help hold moisture for longer. I wouldn’t normally recommend it though.

@@grobonsai Thank you. As working from home is the new norm, I will be able to water far more frequently so I think I will go for 100% Molar Clay. Thank you.

I shouldve mentioned I rinsed off black aphids regularly before (funny they never went for any other tree) I'm wracking my brains as to any other things that may be the cause.

Thanks Patrick! I do have a some flowering species, cherry, crab apple, potentilla among others which will be showing up on RU-vid once the growing season starts. I don’t yet have any tropical bonsai, I might invest in a ficus one day, but I’d have to overwinter it indoors, my wife might have something to say if I start taking up space in the house AND garden 😀

@@grobonsai > Thanks for the reply. Well I am a "Newbie" in bonsai, so I just acquired about 9 bonsai plants (mostly all flowering) except for the very nice Chinese Elm which I purchased and really like. Yep, it's winter here in New Jersey/USA, so all of them are indoors (except for the Wisteria and Japanese Quince, which are in my shed). I like your videos. They are all very informative, so I thank you .....

@Patrick Bowen, thanks again! Oh, I love Japanese Quince, I have one red flowering 'Chojubai' which I've put into a deep container to grow long roots, so that I can take root cuttings in a year or two. For tropicals, have a look at Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone RU-vid channel, if you haven't come across that channel yet, he has lots of tropicals

@@grobonsai LOL, I think I have subscribed to every Bonsai channel on RU-vid. Both the Japanese Quince & Wisteria are in a tub covered with Mulch in the shed for the Winter. Can't wait to see them grow ......

Wait until spring, just as the buds start to swell. If you get wet winters, try to protect it from staying very wet, against a wall to shelter it from some of the rain. Obviously don’t let it dry right out even in winter.

@@grobonsai That was fast, Thanks :)

Ah yes, thank you

I can’t tell, if you can find out what material it is. Sorry

@@grobonsai I got some pink clay absorb granules it’s from euro car parts lol it looks ok lol

Hi, where are you roughly? I assume UK?

I live in Chelmsford uk Hi thank you for getting back to me I live in Chelmsford Essex

Couple more questions, what soil is it in at the moment (if you know)? Also, how often is it needing water? Last one, what are the signs that it is needing water? Thanks

Hi I don’t know the soil it is in at the moment. The soil is dry a lot of the time The branches and leaves are not very healthy they are dried out around the top I am watering it every day or maybe every other day It does not look like a tree I can also see the tree root I don’t think I can send you a picture

It's tough without the tree in front of me, but I suspect it needs a deep watering. It sounds like the soil is not fully absorbing the water. Sit it in a bowl with the pot submerged, and leave it until bubbles stop rising, or for a minute - whichever is longer. Allow it to fully drain afterwards. Moving forward, when you water, water, wait for the water to drain, then water again to ensure it has a good chance to be absorbed. If necessary you could top up the soil if there's room in the pot, if it's full almost to the top then there's no need. Best to repot in Spring, but if problems persist a *very* gentle repot, even more conservative than I show in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z1Lc7Mksto0.html For soil I think www.kaizenbonsai.co.uk sell smaller bags. But, watering everyday isn't unusual when you use a bonsai-specific soil. Thanks for getting in touch and good luck, let me know if there's anything else

That sounds interesting- are you using whole beans or ground - and as soil or fertiliser?

@@grobonsai I used a mixer of whole and hand crushed coffee beans as actual soil for my ficus retusa. For my other plants a few pinches at a time as fertilizer every week.

Sounds good 👍

Root pruning and some organic matter, or, root pruning and akadama. Without pruning roots will gain momentum and elongate eventually, no matter the medium

Great observation, the cat litter / oil absorbents are Moler Clay (type of diatomaceous earth) which I use a lot. It does hold a lot of water. It doesn’t scale down / actively decompose like akadama though, it is completely inert in my experience. Good luck!

Yea, I've just particularly used akadama so far. I love it but it's the price that gets me. Especially when there are cheaper alternatives. I was into bonsai roughly 9yrs ago but lost my trees I had during a move. Just recently got back into it

What species do you prefer for bonsai?

I love Larch! The first bonsai that ever really caught my eye was a Japanese larch and ever since its been my favorite species. I actually just planted some seeds today that finally terminated. Starting them indoors till spring

Great question, there is no one single answer - but trade-offs. In a standard depth pot, compost is ok, in a shallow bonsai depth pot, bonsai soil is best. You may decide to use bonsai type soil in a nursery container if you want to get a lot of growth, but you’ll need to use fertiliser more often. Bonsai soil also makes root work a lot more pleasant. But bonsai soil is generally more expensive, needs more frequent watering, must be fertilised more often. I recommend to use bonsai-type substrate for all conifers regardless of pot etc. In fact I prefer bonsai substrate for all material as the downsides are acceptable in my circumstances. In terms of age of the tree, it doesn’t matter, but make sure they are at least a year old if you need to remove existing soil - because the roots will be less delicate. Best done in the Spring. Hope that helps

@@grobonsai thank you sooo much it's great

I don’t grow species that can’t tolerate the normal pH range of the water I have available. I like to make life simple, not hard

Good suggestion, thanks!

My supply of bark ran out since making the video and I’ve stopped using it. If you’re in the U.K. Pets at home sell it as Sanicat pink cat litter, or kaizen bonsai sell it in online

Las Vegas USA we have extreme hot summer

the soil I used is ok for my bonsai in our weather

I’m not sure if I’m envious or not, sounds warm! Glad you’re having success in challenging conditions

Can be mixed with bark for more moisture or pumice/bims and lava for less moisture loving such as pines and juniper

It is an oak tree, which needs quite a good amount of water right?

100% molar will be fine, but do note that bonsai substrate can need to be watered twice a day in hot weather

Pines definitely prefer a drier, airy soil generally. But they also grow in flushes - one or two bursts of growth per year, so if they look healthy it may just be that. But I definitely recommend when it’s safe to do so, moving to something like pumice and pine bark or even a mix with plenty of perlite.

Absolutely! I can definitely believe that

Hi @Paul Ballantine, where are you based? Reason I ask is because cat litters are not created equal when it comes to use in horticulture. I'm in the UK and the only brand of CL that I have used and can recommend is Sanicat Pink www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/lightweight-non-clumping-pink-cat-litter. This product is also sold under a different name as an absorbent material for cleaning up oil spills in car mechanics etc. and can also be purchased under it's generic name 'molar/moler clay'. It is highly absorbent - can hold 100% of it's weight of water, so good for species that aren't afraid of wet feet. I find it too wet for conifers on it's own, so will be experimenting with combining it with pumice or expanded clay (Leca) type materials for my pines. Hope that helps.

Oh also just to add, in a mix it serves the same purpose as Akadama - retains moisture and nutrients - BUT, it doesn't break down, so unlike Akadama, will not 'actively' encourage finer and finer roots.

I have used Tesco's pink dust free light weight cat litter with good effect

Yes it may be staying wet for too long. The key is watering deeply, only when there is a risk that the soil will become too dry. Very hard to explain in words. But it’s the wet, dry, wet, dry cycles that keeps the tree healthy.

Hi, I don’t understand what is ‘toph 2-4’? Is it a soil ingredient?

I think its called "red volcanic tuff"

Ah is it red lava? It is a good ingredient. It dries quite quickly so consider starting at 30% lava. But it does depend what else is in the mix

Yes, exactly. Thank for your answare ! I started already with 60% after a bonsai specialist in my country recomanded me, so i will give it a try...i wasnt sure about the "regular" soil mixture as well... I hope it is correct...

If it has been recommended locally it should be good 👍

Haha ya got me! Thanks Rob

I started making these videos partly to confront my social anxiety. That is why it is awkward to watch. I really don’t need to wake up to this personal feedback, that is as actionable as it is welcome. You’ve made similar comments on my videos before, so you must have had an idea of what this one would be like. Either put up with it, or go somewhere else.