Ground Growing prep
- Thread starter Drew
- Start date
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Lotta folks use dust free fines and old bonsai soil.
I'd put it somewhere you can maintain it over winter...out of wind, or blockable, out of heavy waterfalls from roofs, or roofable.
Nice!
Sorce
I'd put it somewhere you can maintain it over winter...out of wind, or blockable, out of heavy waterfalls from roofs, or roofable.
Nice!
Sorce
Stan Kengai
Omono
As Sorce said, bonsai substrate fines. They will help keep the soil open.
Compost, as many types as you can get your hands on: manure, mushroom, leaf. The variety of compost ensures that there are a wide variety of both macro and micro elements.
Mix thoroughly to a minimum depth of 6". Or use these items as soil in a raised bed.
Compost, as many types as you can get your hands on: manure, mushroom, leaf. The variety of compost ensures that there are a wide variety of both macro and micro elements.
Mix thoroughly to a minimum depth of 6". Or use these items as soil in a raised bed.
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
http://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Today-...&qid=1453214767&sr=8-48&keywords=bonsai+today
can be done easily in clay pots.
Also shows trunk size to years needed - example - 5 years - 3" trunk
Good Day
Anthony
can be done easily in clay pots.
Also shows trunk size to years needed - example - 5 years - 3" trunk
Good Day
Anthony
So I have moved into the new house now and now that I have removed all of the old trees and shubs that where growing wild in there I am now ready to prep the grow bed for my JBP's. The soil is heavy clay, you can only put a fork in it when its wet and it sticks to your shoes when you walk on it, there are loads of worms in it (i'm guessing that's a good thing). When its dry is rock hard! here are a few picks:
The sun comes up over that big tree on the right and over my right shoulder and sets behind me.
I am planning on adding almost 2 tonnes of horticultural grit to try and break up this soil and peat, I've also bought a Mantis tiller to help break up the soil and add the grit/peat.
Some samples of the JBP's I'm planting out are below they have been in these pond baskets for a few years now:
The sun comes up over that big tree on the right and over my right shoulder and sets behind me.
I am planning on adding almost 2 tonnes of horticultural grit to try and break up this soil and peat, I've also bought a Mantis tiller to help break up the soil and add the grit/peat.
Some samples of the JBP's I'm planting out are below they have been in these pond baskets for a few years now:
1. Is there anything else you would do to the soil?
2. Would you take these out of the pond baskets and plant them directly into the improved soil? or would you keep them in the pond baskets, half bury them and maybe make some wholes bigger in the bottom or in the sides of the baskets for the roots to escape?
This is what the garden looked like before any work:
2. Would you take these out of the pond baskets and plant them directly into the improved soil? or would you keep them in the pond baskets, half bury them and maybe make some wholes bigger in the bottom or in the sides of the baskets for the roots to escape?
This is what the garden looked like before any work:
Last edited:
PeaceLoveBonsai
Chumono
Have you considered building grow beds out of cedar?
clive bennett
Mame
If it is really heavy clay I would advise a raised bed, how ever much compost etc you add you could just be building a trough that will fill with water under your compost say 6 inches down. Rotorvators also tend to leave a smeared layer of clay at the depth the tines run at. plenty of grit/and sand will help and place a tile under each plant to force the rooys horizontal , this will save a huge amount of work and set back when you dig them up.
Good luck, sort the roots now when it is easy
Good luck, sort the roots now when it is easy
If I were to build a raised bed, how high would you build it?
I was planning on rotovate to the max depth of the tines then move the loose soil to the side and rotovate again to get as deep as possible then start added adding grit and compost, you think that would work?
I was planning on rotovate to the max depth of the tines then move the loose soil to the side and rotovate again to get as deep as possible then start added adding grit and compost, you think that would work?
clive bennett
Mame
Oh yes that would be OK, hope you realise just how heavy wet clay is, still you will be really fit by the time your growing bed is finished. Good luck
So this is what i've done so far, I dug a trench in the clay soil as deep at the garden fork would go and moved it to one side, then added grit and compost and turned it in with the cultivator. I then put the clay soil back on top and added more grit and compost and used the cultivator again. this is the result:
One ton bulk bag of grit and one of compost later and still another half to go... its been had work:
Today however I had to dig up a load of trident and Japanese maples from my old grow bed so I think I'll just put these in this year and see how it drains before I try the JBP:
One ton bulk bag of grit and one of compost later and still another half to go... its been had work:
Today however I had to dig up a load of trident and Japanese maples from my old grow bed so I think I'll just put these in this year and see how it drains before I try the JBP:
clive bennett
Mame
looking good with all that added grit and compost it must be slightly raised now anyway so should be great for your trees the compost will get those tridents fattening fast.Congratulations on a job well done
parhamr
Omono
Oh my that's a lot of digging! Impressive work!
Thanks mate, yeah the soil mound is higher than the grass level now and I've left a trench between the grass and the mound and it seems to drain very well so far. I've planted nine maples in there so far, I'll take another pic once I've finished planing them out.
clive bennett
Mame
A field of dreams, some super trees will grow here
So here they all are screwed to boards, roots arranged and starting to leaf out although the TM's are a bit slower than the JM's.
The TM's roots were not as good and I had to cut them back harder so they are allot slower to leaf out. The JM's are all air layers and their root structures were far superior than the TM's.
I also planted 2 JBP in there as a test to see how they would go, they are also on boards.
The TM's roots were not as good and I had to cut them back harder so they are allot slower to leaf out. The JM's are all air layers and their root structures were far superior than the TM's.
I also planted 2 JBP in there as a test to see how they would go, they are also on boards.
clive bennett
Mame
looking forward to some super growth in a couple of years time good luck and have fun
dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
That will be a lot of fun!!
So here they are during and at the end of the second growing season. I lost one of the TM sadly as I don't think it had enough feeder roots to survive the move.
The TM grew taller than the JM, Pictures 5th June 18:
28th October 18:
November:
The TM grew taller than the JM, Pictures 5th June 18:
28th October 18:
November:
Now the question is would you guys leave these for another season or pull them up and re-arrange roots? I still want build thicker trunks and don't really want to cut back the top growth they have on them now which is fell over 10 feet tall in some cases. If I where to pull them up the wooden board could help anchor them back into the ground i guess?
