DIY Nursery Mix and growing out pre bonsai trees

[jkg777]

I bought some small pre-bonsai trees (Chinese elms, shimpaku, Japanese black pines) with the intent of growing them out. I don't have room to plant them in the ground and the place I bought them from said they put the small trees in a colander or pond basket and then put that inside a larger container filled with "nursery mix" to maximize the growing process. I wanted to give this a try but I haven't been able to find nursery mix at any of the local garden centers. I can find potting soil/garden soil but wasn't sure if this the the same or not.

Does someone have a recipe for making a nursery mix from ingredients I can buy at a local place/big box store?

Thanks.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Coco coir and perlite seem to work well. Just be mindful about watering, it dries slower than bonsai soil.

 

[jkg777]

Coco coir and perlite seem to work well. Just be mindful about watering, it dries slower than bonsai soil.

Thanks. What ratio should I start with?

 

[Jrmcmich]

Thanks. What ratio should I start with?

I have done 80% perlite 20% coco coir and seems to work pretty well. I took that ratio from bonsaify and some of his videos on you tube. As mentioned above do need to monitor watering according to tree and not schedule as some dry out quicker than others even with same soil.

 

[stewarjm192]

I would buy a bag of fox farms soil conditioner and a bag of pumice and go 80/20 pumice/organic

 

[Shibui]

Potting soil in the garden centre should be equivalent to nursery soil.
If they have a range of different potting soils, avoid the cheapest ones which tend to be as good as the price. Premium bagged potting soils will cost a bit more but are usually well worth the extra - better air filled porosity (drainage), better fertiliser included, better pH balance, etc.

 

[stewarjm192]

Potting soil in the garden centre should be equivalent to nursery soil.
If they have a range of different potting soils, avoid the cheapest ones which tend to be as good as the price. Premium bagged potting soils will cost a bit more but are usually well worth the extra - better air filled porosity (drainage), better fertiliser included, better pH balance, etc.

I think for a grow mix though, staying away from lots of peat moss maybe beneficial, more composted bark and forest products rather than thick heavy peat

 

[Shibui]

I think for a grow mix though, staying away from lots of peat moss maybe beneficial, more composted bark and forest products rather than thick heavy peat

Agree. Not sure what potting soils are sold over there. Down here, most commercial potting soils are pine bark based with varying amounts of sand but very little, if any, peat used. Some of the cheaper mixes are bulked up with aged sawdust, pine bark fines or composted green waste.

 

[Frenchymanny]

Promix all purpose gives me good results for that application and it is seeded with mycorrhizae

Will probably be tagged as am erethic now

Manny