This spring will be my maiden voyage to Bonsai Soil Island. Thus far have only used potting soil with diatomaceous earth. Want to eliminate "bright white" from my soil.
Pondering buying bagged pumice. I say pondering because my understanding is that "pumice" (vs red lava rock) floats and I don't like the way diatomaceous earth floats to the soil surface, and I don't want another floater.
Will be getting coarse sand to help sprout roots on some weeping alaska cedar cuttings. Cuttings call for the sand and perlite, but am wondering about substituting "pumice" or "lava" for the perlite.
Am focussed predominantly on vine maples (specifically "rafts" or "forests" --- numerous trees growing from a buried branch "seed log"), but had the opportuniy of getting cuttings off a wind fallen Al Cedar, so I thought I'd at least try some, including "branches too large for cuttings". Have looked over a bunch of leafless vine maple trunks for good material and found some I believe will be good, but still waiting for closer to spring and dry harvest day.
I like the look of your soil products. Guess I'll post pictures after I acquire some product.