what a great soil explanation!
ok... WOW MidMich thank you so much for actually giving me a somewhat scientific breakdown of why these components work so well... So I suppose lava rock and pumice are comparable to the perlite and the lesser amount of grit i'm using... but superior in that perlite will crumble apart after a while, and I don't know if granite grit really holds anything at all (moisture or nutrients?!)
I find it very helpful to know that Pumice absorbs and holds nutrients I will definitely try this soil combo out in the future (once I run out of my current stuff, or just try some out next spring.)
One more question... So if Akadama isn't clay based what is it made of?? because i know it is 'fired' just like turface... ?
Basically since this has been my first season delving into the art of bonsai I've been using the best soil I can make, made of readily available substrates. I'm not too sure how available or pricey Lava Rock, Pumice, and especially Akadama are here in upstate NY.
Most of my trees are in pre-bonsai stage right now as well so I think my current soil is ok, but would definitely want a higher caliber soil to repot them in as they develop. THANKS again for all the wisdom!!
Lava rock is great because it does well with water retention while still being free draining. It seems to reliably aid in the production of many fine feeder roots. It also does not break down and, because of this, can be reused over and over though it must be washed and allowed to dry before reusing.
Pumic has a very high cec (cationic exchange capacity) which means it is very good at absorbing nutrients for later release (helpful when using a primarily inorganic soil and a fertilizer regimen).
Akadama does breakdown over time but because it is not clay based (like turface), it still has sufficient drainage capacity even in it's broken down state (similar to sand). Akadama is arguably the best medium for creating fine feeder root growth which is essential for the health and vigor of the tree.
ok... WOW MidMich thank you so much for actually giving me a somewhat scientific breakdown of why these components work so well... So I suppose lava rock and pumice are comparable to the perlite and the lesser amount of grit i'm using... but superior in that perlite will crumble apart after a while, and I don't know if granite grit really holds anything at all (moisture or nutrients?!)
I find it very helpful to know that Pumice absorbs and holds nutrients I will definitely try this soil combo out in the future (once I run out of my current stuff, or just try some out next spring.)
One more question... So if Akadama isn't clay based what is it made of?? because i know it is 'fired' just like turface... ?
Basically since this has been my first season delving into the art of bonsai I've been using the best soil I can make, made of readily available substrates. I'm not too sure how available or pricey Lava Rock, Pumice, and especially Akadama are here in upstate NY.
Most of my trees are in pre-bonsai stage right now as well so I think my current soil is ok, but would definitely want a higher caliber soil to repot them in as they develop. THANKS again for all the wisdom!!
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