What is The Best Bonsai Substrate? (Understand bonsai substrate) 

May your trees stay healthy and stay firmly bent or straight May free drainage and nutrition be supplied by your substrate May your plants survive summer heat and winter cold May your designs, chops and wiring, and desires be bold May your tools stay sharp and shiny bright May your yamadori be easily dug and for transport quite light May your dream greenhouse or cold frame or bonsai stands miraculously appear May we all share green thumbs, prosperity, great health and share our good cheer! Whichever year you are celebrating, may be it a Happy New Year!

This is it, the holy grail of bonsai substrate videos. This is the information I've been scouring the internet for. THIS is what beginners need to know in order to keep their first few plants healthy while they learn more specifics. THIS is the 'How to make scrambled eggs' video amongst all the videos about how to prepare a five course meal with a fancy dessert. My sincere gratitude Jelle.

Bonsai made understandable and logical by Jelle. Thanks as always for your straightforward approach to the hobby. Thanks, keep growing

Great video Jelle. As ever clear, educational and well presented.

I have rewatched again after a month. I bought my first sieve of 3 sets and I will sift for the first time. Thank you Jelle!

Best video on substrate I have seen, Thank you and HAPPY New Year 🍾🥳❤️

Thank you so much for all the content. We really appreciate it. It really helps.

Great information Jelle. So basically find what works for us as long as it breaths, drains, provides nutrients and holds water. Thank you for sharing!

Really interesting video mate, thank you so much 😊

Here in Brazil, this discussion about the substrate is endless because we have a tropical and subtropical climate for most of the year. And also the sudden variations a few hundred kilometers should be considered, after all we are a tropical country. The "caqueira" is a genuinely Brazilian substrate that surprises the entire world bonsai community.

Very well presented and very informative.

Excellent. Informative and straightforward. Thank you.

Great job showing the importance and benefits of recycling substrate! 👍 If a trees dies I always throw out the soil it was in… just in case. Always interesting to see what substrates people use.. it changes from country to country depending on what you can source locally and affordably too. Cheers! 🐦💙

Nice to see someone using Seramis. I have been working with it for about 20yrs with very good results.

Thank you so much posting this video, it helped answer so many questions

Another straight forward, and simply explained Bonsai video on soil for our trees. Many times I have seen or heard you HAVE to use this ingredient or that if you do not use ingredient A, B, or C from one or more general world regions - you are not a true bonsai enthusiast. You have broken it down to which ingredients serve you best. Thank you.

Definitely worth waiting for Jelle. I agree about mixing ratios - it gets harder once you start re-using soils. Availibility and price also plays a factor in my soil mixes some years. It was only last year that I was able to source the smaller pine bark so that now goes into the mix. I mixed up 80 litres a few weeks ago and I already know I will need a lot more than that - I hate sifting so much !!! Cheers, Xav

super video, thank you, i'm a beginner and sick of experts who all contradict each other, i've had to watch dozens of videos to learn what i know now and this has moved me to a new level, i'm glad i started to learn before springtime, LOL!

Well done, thanks for sharing!

I love your common sense approach.

Very helpful, thank you!

Thank you for this video Jelle! Likes others have said very well described and easy to understand. Didn't consider that root rot is a soil condition. and not necessarily an overwatering condition.

This video explains a lot thanks

Great vid! Not really an answer to the question all beginners have. But still so true. I have another take on the same subject coming up soon.🙂👍

Thanks for sharing your way to do. I proceed exactly the same, in summer with the wind and a mask 😄

Nicely explained🎉

Great Jelle! I don’t know how I missed it

Great video again my friend.

A very good video!

Terimaksih atas sheringnya kawan.....selamat tahun baru sukses selalu.

Great explanation and hard work sieving! I'm using Akadama and pumice here in UK but I do have small trees! I currently make individual mixes in a bowl to what I want for the particular tree, using small scoops of the individual components, then blending till it looks right. More pumice for pines, less for deciduous etc. I've also been adding in a bit of ericaceous soil to acid loving trees for a bit more water holding and organic content. All that said, I've bought a box of premixed small grain soil from Kaizen and intend to give that a go when spring comes, looks great in the box and is working nicely in an indoor planting test so maybe I won't need any akadama this year!

Thanks for the video. Very educative. Didnt think about the solarization process. Quite known in the agricultural area. Was curious, about a good replacement for akadama, but you kinda anwsered it. Thanks!

Thank you sensei Jelle!!!

This is a great video! I don't have these available locally. I will have to order. I need something that doesn't dry out so quickly indoors. So far the cactus and succulent mix, sometimes with extra perlite added, seems to work best.

I went to the bonsai museum few weeks ago in Omiya, it is incredible!!! I recommend anyone go there for a visit! Bonsai are so cool 🌳

Bonsai phill very good video thanks jelle keep it up mate

I don't subscribe to channels. I feel it only promotes the people out here making obscene amounts of money for doing nothing while half our population can't afford to put a loaf of bread on the table. That being said this video was real and I think that I now understand your approach to bonsai also I have been reading your comments and you answered every one. Respect! Not going to waist anymore of your time. I just wanted to say your my first subscription and thank you.

Thank you 😊

I'd like to propose another category. pH The substrate has strong influence on pH, and some plants prefer more acidic soils.

Thank You.

Hi. Thank you soo much for this video. I remember asking you about it last month...and as you promised ...here is the video. 😃 I live in the equatorial climate belt. I see some people incorporating matured compost into their soil mix as a source of slow release of nutrients. At what percentage of the soil mix can we use the compost?

Thank you for using the F temp.

Nice!

Looks like a good soil!

Thanks for this video Jelle! I think I'll try adding shale based on what you said because lava is really expensive where I'm at. Most of my trees are really early in development and I want to facilitate more growth. Sounds like I should use medium to large soil particles. How many mm should my medium and large soil particle be? Thanks again!

Great video, thanks for sharing! Where do you buy the diatomaceous earth? I can only find it in powder form.

Hi Jelle! Thank you very much, this video helps a lot! My additional question to the topic would be how often do you have to water the trees in this substrate in the different seasons? Thank you very much in advance and keep in with the good content! 😊

Happy new year Jelle 👍👍👍

Thanks for video, this really helps a lot! Do you have the names/trademarks of the specific products? I tried to search a bit but its quite hard. Seramis is 8-16mm right?

Here in South Louisiana, U.S., our summers run in the mid 90's F for months. We need organics in our soil. I have been using about 50/50 pine bark and diatomaceous earth for 8 years. Conifers get a higher percentage of D.E. At present, I have about 25 different species and cultivars and haven't found anything that won't grow well in this mix.

Great video! Question, is there any difference in substrate regarding indoor vs outdoor bonsai? Thank you for you response.

You buy all the products on Amazon or what are good bulk suppliers in Europe? Many thanks. Great video🙏

I use akadama for my tropicals that come inside for the winter, I find it a good substrate basic. Only affordable in smaller pots that not see frost.

Hi Jelle great Video i was searching for akadama substitutes in germany. Can you please tell me the name of the Clay components in your video and where did you buy it. Thx :-)

I reuse mine. No akadama at all. Mostly lava rock, perlite, regular garden soil and sandy grit. Summer is really hot and humid in New Jersey and cold in the winter. My trees are doing well with the coarse and organic mix...lol, and I also don't really care about percentages.

Jelle - Coincidentally, I also recycle substrate, much like your do, even with what appear to be the same Japanese (?) sieves. I mixed the leftover fines into our garden soil until I discovered birds like to dust-bathe in it in the summer, so I now just leave it in a pile for them. Waste nothing, right? Thanks for another informative video!

I think that the Japanese use their local soil so we should be able to as well. however volcanic soils are so good for bonsai, but there are artificial ones available like you mentioned. After doing many experiments, I also broke my soil down into 3 groups, with a choice of components within those groups. Reusing the substrate also works well fo me too... although I quite like this job compared to dealing with pests and diseases.

Well, I’m impressed! Do you have a business that sells bonsai, or is this your hobby that you obviously love very much! Do you live somewhere in Scandinavia? It sounds like you have to deal with long and harsh winters. I live in upstate SC, in zone 7a. I have only been in this hobby about 6 months and am entering my first winter with the few Bonsai trees that I own. I hope you will come out with more videos in the future! Regards, John J in SC

What do you think about cat litter Linda Moler combined with Vulkastrat en pine bark? It's basicly the same as your composition but pretty cheap.

Hi. We have something like black sand . Think it's very small Granite granules It's black. It it for aeration or does it have any neutrintional value? Can you pls tell me if I need to use it in the mix or not necessary?

For the last couple of years I’m using a mix of zeolite and pinebark. Not bad so far.

Hi Jelle. Mag ik vragen wat je zou gebruiken voor esdoorns hier in Nederland?

I wanted to ask, if you would be willing to share some brand names for the expanded shale. The only thing similar that I'm able to find here is the expanded clay balls, but not the ground clay matter. I am thinking some more direct information would be useful.

Thankyou for the great video! I struggle with a good substrate in our climate. Our summers can be very dry therefore need a substrate that will retain water, perhaps a good coir base, however our winters are very wet and therefore require good drainage! Any suggestions?

I feel u are real.

Hello Jelle I was just reading one of your articles about substrate on your Website. I think that you are suggesting to have 2mm size substrate in bonsai pots?

Dag Jelle, je maakt geweldige video’s. Kan je mij zeggen welke diameters van zeven je gebruikt en eventueel merk ? Alvast bedankt, Pat

does the clay group provide any nutrients at all ? if not, why not use more vokcanics, like pumice

If I were to buy 1 from every 3 categories what ratios should I use?

Hi Jelle, what is your take on Seramis clay?

What substrate is good for dry climates? I never get frost or root rot, but I have intense sun & wind which dry everything out.

Thanks. 2 questions. Why do you ensure to have a lava component in your mix, what does it do that clay doesn't? Also did you see Appalachian Bonsai, they have a video covering this as well, testing different organic and inorganic substrates. Diatomaceous Earth came out on top for inorganic as far as I recall, is that what you use as well and if so shouldn't you be wearing a mask? DE is not good for the lungs.

❤️❤️

I like to use crushed pistachio/walnut/hazelnut/almond shells in my mix to add coarser "stuff". Of course crushing the shells when you've eaten the nuts is a pain in the neck.

Jelle Vraagje Waar kan ik de bims, lava en de organische substate hier in Nederland kopen. Verder duidelijke filmpjes Jij bedankt en groetjes Kees.

Thanks a lot Jelle! I live in NL and I’m not happy with akadama, it’s expensive and not good for our climate. However I have difficulty finding lava and fine pine bark in the market. Can you please share the brand names for your substrates, for lava, pine bark coco? I read all the comments, find out it’s seramis for clay but couldn’t find the brands for others. Thanks a lot.

How do you feel about spag Pete in lieu of Coco hair?

Love the video. The only problem is that I am new to bonsai and I don't know the ingredients you are using. It would be handy to see them spelt out. I can't quite catch what you are saying.

Beste Jesse, dank voor jouw video’s. In deze en ook in de laatste video zie ik dat je heel mooi fijn pine bark gebruikt. Waar kun je dat in in Nederland kopen? Ik heb dat nog nergens kunnen vinden. Groet Henk

Excellent! I'd been convinced you'd mentioned substrate components before but could never find it. Terrific overview here. One question I have: what do you gain from using both clay-based and volcanic materials? What properties does one group have that the other doesn't?

My basic response is that beginners with only a few tree's should migrate towards commercially available bonsai mixes. A lot of the suggested individual substrates tend to be expensive to obtain. Perhaps when they have some knowledge, they can work on making their own mixtures.

Where is the sifter from?

👍👌🙂

Hoi Jelle, leuke video, bedankt! Hoe heten deze producten in het Nederlands?

Try stack seeving. It saves you a lot of energy 😇😎👌🏻🌹.

My soul mix is mola clay ,pumice ,perlite, lava rock and pine bark ...

I wonder if you buy the clayballs“seramis” crushed of you crushe them yourself or you use them as they are? For the rest: thumbs up!!

Dag Jelle..ik zoek mij scheel naar fijn dennen schors. Weet jij waar ik dit kan bestellen of krijgen?

sir, why isn't cow dung not used in bonsai, although it seems like a good and easily available

U forgot to mention how akadama is the best to produce ramification it definitely does have its pros n cons

Hoi Jelle, gelukkig en gezond 2023. Ik ga dit jaar mijn boompjes in substraat planten zonder akadama, ik ben benieuwd of ik verschil merk.

Perfect. Gotta find diatomaceous earth in pellets instead of powder now and no idea where to get volcanic pellets…..pet store?

Back breaking work sifting through all the grades.. Seeing all the dust and super fines fall through the big grader thinkin, Ill be sifting through you another 3-4 times..

Zur Info, in Deutschland kannst du Seramis auch direkt mit Lava kaufen ;-) Grüße

I’m leaving a comment 😅

You deserve a 🍺

i live on a very hot tropical area, akadama and kiriu are not the best for my tropical trees... they grow naturaly on a very organic and fertile soil... so its not the best to use 100% inorganic substrate... i use 70% minileca or similar and 30% Worm·Humus... i try to use a a soil that matches the soil you could naturaly find in nature for each species, but taking care of the drainage...

ZEOLITE BLUE AND/Or BROWN. + POMICE . less pollution + € + QUALITY .

Sure you deserved a shower--and hopefully a cold one 😉.

Anyway you can put a list of the things you use some of your language is hard for me to understand with your accent that is