What Is In Bonsai Soil

In addition potting soil is used in the bonsai soil mix.

What is in bonsai soil. Organic and inorganic substances mixed in a certain ratio. The soil must itself contribute only limited nutrients to the plant to allow the bonsai artist to control the application when quantity and type of nutrients that the tree will receive. Bonsai soil is a mixture of ingredients which allows the water to drain freely and at the same time retain moisture. This soilless mix is designed to provide trees with fast drainage good aeration and high water retention.

This type of mix provides an environment where the tree can more easily grow feeder roots that it needs to thrive. Generally bonsai soil include two main components. A good general bonsai mixture should be composed of about 75 per cent inert aggregate and 25 per cent organic materials. Most of the bonsai masters use soil mix that consists of fired clay river rock and some organic component like pine bark.

Therefore the gist is a soil works fine as long as it provides excellent aeration and drainage. Whereas inorganic oil comprises pumice volcanic soil sold as kanuma fired clay soil and granular clay sold as akadama and turface. Many people will prefer to call their bonsai substrate mixes to back away from actually calling it soil to mitigate confusion. The ingredients for bonsai soil must be large enough to allow for air pockets to provide oxygen to the roots and to microbacteria.

Ideal bonsai soil should be ph neutral neither acidic nor basic. Organic substances come from living things such as bark sawdust peat animal manure compost. The best suggestion is to use materials that are available in the local area. The most common components for bonsai soil mixtures are akadama pumice lava rock organic potting compost and fine gravel grit.

As these organic materials decompose they release the nutrients necessary for trees growth. Instead a mix of substrates like crushed lava rock are used which more closely resembles gravel than soil. It needs to be sifted before use. As the terms indicate organic soil particles include bark peat leaf litter and plant parts.

It might shock you but there is no soil in a good bonsai soil mix. What aggregate and what organic material becomes a matter of personal choice and often considerable debate between bonsai people. The irony in the term bonsai soil is that there isn t really any soil in most bonsai soil mixes. There are two basic types of bonsai soil a conifer mix and a tropical sub tropical mix.

What is bonsai soil made up of. Akadama is hard baked japanese clay specifically produced for bonsai purposes and available at all online bonsai shops. Organic potting compost akadama pumice and lava rock. The common ingredients in bonsai soil are akadama pumice lava rock organic potting compost and fine gravel.

Some people will even mention that bonsai soil is not even soil at all as it can contain no soil in the traditional sense. In addition the ingredients allow the roots to breathe air and prevent compaction.