Getting Ready...

Mellow Mullet · Jan 6, 2016

Repotting season is getting close, especially with the mild winter, so I went today and got some soil materials (pumice, lava, and fir bark, already have some Turface and some soil conditioner form Lowe's). Just thought I would share what most of use in the Heart of Dixie for soil components. Not wanting to start another soil war or anything, just sharing. What are you doing to get ready for repotting? New Pots? Soil components? Tools? Show 'em off.

John

jomawa · Jan 6, 2016

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.

Eric Group · Jan 6, 2016

jomawa said:
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.

DE floats? Pumice doesn't really float either... It is light and can't kind of wash out of a pot easy, but it doesn't float like... Perlite does or something like that. What kind of DE you using? Most of it I have seen is like the Napa Oil dry stuff and it doesn't float. It is basically grey turface IMO. Identical shape, size, water retentive props are pretty similar too...

Eric Group · Jan 6, 2016

I got ready in October! Bought some Akadama, Kanuma and already had half a huge bag of lava left... Just want to get some regular pumice for the trees that don't need as much acid and I should be good to go!

I may have to report a LOT this Spring and some big stuff... So I am thinking of getting a backup bag of lava in case a I run out.

jomawa · Jan 6, 2016

Eric Group, appreciate your input. Looks like I need to get my facts straight. Possibly am confusing the white floaters in my potting soil which I am calling diatomaceoud earth with what are actually Perlite. I will get my terminology straight.

Andrew Robson · Jan 6, 2016

Mellow Mullet said:
Repotting season is getting close, especially with the mild winter, so I went today and got some soil materials (pumice, lava, and fir bark, already have some Turface and some soil conditioner form Lowe's). Just thought I would share what most of use in the Heart of Dixie for soil components. Not wanting to start another soil war or anything, just sharing. What are you doing to get ready for repotting? New Pots? Soil components? Tools? Show 'em off.

Spent the last few days planning for this years work. It's a season of lists for me. I've made lists about which trees need to be repotted, lists about what pots I need for those trees, lists about what supplies I need to restock (soil, wire, tools, etc.), lists about what trees need to be worked on this year, and the list of lists goes on and on...

For me, now is the best time to:

1. Gather soil for repotting season
2. Order wire
3. Clean and sharpen tools
4. Make plans for my trees
5. Study and read up on information
6. Make lots and lots of lists, aka get organized

Cheers!

Ps. One of my favorite things about repotting season is seeing all the auto corrected repottings to reporting

Tieball · Jan 7, 2016

Andrew Thomas said:
Spent the last few days planning for this years work. It's a season of lists for me.

Lists are good! ......and something to do so there is an organized effort during the chaos of spring. I think I go forward with your list in this order: 4, 5, 6, identify new soil components needed, 1, 2, 3, stare at my trees (they seem to blankly stare right back), and add that everything's not going to go perfect - weather and trees - so I expect to scramble and prioritize. In my list number 4..... I think priority moves. Something always throws a curve at me.

Weird....I have detailed lists for almost everything.

Repotting so .....I don't get an auto correct to reporting...I get "repotting so".

Breeze46 · Jan 7, 2016

John,
Where do you get the pumice? I am in Pensacola FL and no one here stocks it.

sorce · Jan 7, 2016

For the money!

Sorry that, one, wouldn't go away.

Yeah, about this far into not thinking about outdoor stuff at all for a month or more.....

I start making a list from memory of my trees. Just to see if I can remember.
Then the notes come....drawings, and by the time spring gets here, all plans go out the door, and it's just back to listening to them!

Better get to Napa!

Sorce

Mellow Mullet · Jan 7, 2016

Breeze46 said:
John,
Where do you get the pumice? I am in Pensacola FL and no one here stocks it.

A club member here sells it, he also has black and red lava and fir bark. PM if interested and I can give you his number.

John

Adair M · Jan 7, 2016

Try www.bonsaijack.com

Mellow Mullet · Jan 7, 2016

Adair M said:
Try www.bonsaijack.com

Wow, they have a lot of stuff, but it is kinda pricy.

Thanks,

John

Breeze46 · Jan 7, 2016

John,

I think I know who you mean, Rodney Clemens recommended him also.

PaulH · Jan 7, 2016

I've got a fifty gallon barrel of soil I mixed up last year plus a couple bags of clay king and akadama and a bag of large pumice for the drainage layer. That might be enough.

johng · Jan 7, 2016

Mellow Mullet said:
Wow, they have a lot of stuff, but it is kinda pricy.

Thanks,

John

It's not cheap but the quality and service is there, the price shown is the delivered to your door price...mine shipped the same day I ordered. This is my second year using BonsaiJack and I have been very pleased thus far.

vaibatron · Jan 7, 2016

johng said:
It's not cheap but the quality and service is there, the price shown is the delivered to your door price...mine shipped the same day I ordered. This is my second year using BonsaiJack and I have been very pleased thus far.

Ditto. Washed, particle size is uniform, and fast shipping. But honestly is 70$ for 7 gallons of lava or pumice really that overpriced for the East Coast?

M. Frary · Jan 7, 2016

Eric Group said:
DE floats

Not mine. So no.
And I haven't even thought about getting ready. I have a few months until repotting time rolls around.

Mellow Mullet · Jan 7, 2016

Breeze46 said:
John,

I think I know who you mean, Rodney Clemens recommended him also.

His business is right off I10, exit 10, I think (Mcdonald Road)

Anthony · Jan 7, 2016

Repotting started last Saturday.

New this year, trying compost tea on the older trees, quite a few are at the 30 to 35 year old mark, and the
mother plants [ 5 elms ] from England were sold as 35 years + in 1990/1.

Testing to see if the compost can keep the Fustic moist for a day, if not it's peat moss mixed in with compost.
Pot on Fustic is now smaller.

The oxy was a shocker, roots so dense, the cut material was so dense, it was like cutting cheese.

Apart from that same soil mix, 5 mm gravel [ silica ] 5 mm crushed red brick [ porous earthenware ] and
sifted aged for 1 year compost [ in a barrel ] choosing the next 10 for Saturday, as the others come out for
sunlight.
NO fertiliser for a month.
Good Day
Anthony

*The older Chinese Snow roses may get growing on pots.

Mellow Mullet · Jan 7, 2016

vaibatron said:
Ditto. Washed, particle size is uniform, and fast shipping. But honestly is 70$ for 7 gallons of lava or pumice really that overpriced for the East Coast?

I pay $5.00 for lava, pumice is a little less, so I would say, "Yes", $70 is overpriced. The business is about 15 min from my house, so delivery is not an issue.

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