Places to buy soil/fertilizer in Europe

[stav121]

Hello to you all,

I live in Greece where bonsai soil (especially Akadama) is way to expensive to buy in small quantities - almost impossible to find in large ones (anything above 2L), so - I am in the search of an online shop in order to buy larger quantities of Akadama/Kiryu/Lava rock and Biogold (or any similar) fertilizer - which can ship to Greece.

In my research I came across https://bonsai.de which seems to be selling larger quantities with fair prices. Does anyone have any experience or anything else to suggest?

 

[leatherback]

came across https://bonsai.de

their fysical store is an hours drive from me. It is a reliable store, run by people that do bonsai.
In europe IBUKI is also a brand often used for substrate.

 

[stav121]

their fysical store is an hours drive from me. It is a reliable store, run by people that do bonsai.
In europe IBUKI is also a brand often used for substrate.

That sounds great! They are the ones with the best prices and shipping cost that was able to find so if it gets your seal of approval I'm good to go!

 

[ShimpakuBonsai]

I think bonsai.de is a great source for supplies and I think they have a fixed price for shipping an order.
When I started with bonsai again about 5 years ago I placed a large order with substrate (akadama, pumice and lava rock) and a large quantity of Japanese training pots.
The costs for shipping was € 15,00 but I received 4 big boxes for the total order.

 

[stav121]

I think bonsai.de is a great source for supplies and I think they have a fixed price for shipping an order.
When I started with bonsai again about 5 years ago I placed a large order with substrate (akadama, pumice and lava rock) and a large quantity of Japanese training pots.
The costs for shipping was € 15,00 but I received 4 big boxes for the total order.

Exactly - that was the main reason that it got my eye.

Generally speaking - stuff like Biogold fertilizer 2kg for 35€ is unheard where I live, for such quantity here you pay 70€ at least. Soils like Akadama are normally 30€ for 14L for me (if I am lucky enough to find it on sale), so being able to get the same volume for 19€ through Bonsai.de seems like a bargain.

 

[leatherback]

Exactly - that was the main reason that it got my eye.

Generally speaking - stuff like Biogold fertilizer 2kg for 35€ is unheard where I live, for such quantity here you pay 70€ at least. Soils like Akadama are normally 30€ for 14L for me (if I am lucky enough to find it on sale), so being able to get the same volume for 19€ through Bonsai.de seems like a bargain.

it remains odd how these prices vary within one economic region. I mean.. Import into EU is the same cost everywhere right?

 

[ShimpakuBonsai]

Last year I paid € 15,00 for a 14L bag of Ibaraki akadama during a sale (at Nobiles bonsai in the Netherlands).
The regular price in the Netherlands is around € 20,00 for a 14L bag of akadama.

 

[stav121]

it remains odd how these prices vary within one economic region. I mean.. Import into EU is the same cost everywhere right?

Yes, generally the Customs Tariff is the same across EU what changes is the VAT and Taxes based on the country.

But what is going on with the prices is more related to the demand here. Bonsai is not a common hobby there are literally no places to get any resources and the few that have (I only know of 2 places) have them extremely overpriced.

Personally I some times get things while I am on a trip somewhere in Europe - my best heist was my trip to Netherlands and one in Germany where you could find pots/soils pretty much everywhere for half the cost I normally get them.

 

[stav121]

Last year I paid € 15,00 for a 14L bag of Ibaraki akadama during a sale (at Nobiles bonsai in the Netherlands).
The regular price in the Netherlands is around € 20,00 for a 14L bag of akadama.

Imagine how I feel when the cheapest one I can find from a reliable source here is this:

Akadama Hard Ibaraki 14L (1-5mm) | Aenaon Bonsai

Akadama Hard Ibaraki 14L (1-5mm) [SUB001] Προέλευση: ΙαπωνίαΚοκκομετρία: 1-5Περιγραφή : Το akadama προέρχεται από την Ιαπωνία. Είναι ψημένος άργυλος κατάλληλος για χρήση ώς υπόστρωμα σε bonsai λόγω της υψηλής αποστράγγισης και αερισμού που προσφέρει.Συσκευασία: 14 λίτραΒάρος: 10 κιλά

www.aenaonbonsai.gr

They have an excellent support and are always helpful - but 27€ + 7€ shipping (without the option to pickup because it is not a physical store) - in my opinion they should be selling in "European prices" just to make Bonsai more accessible to people.

What amazes me most here is the price of Sphagnum - it is sold almost at the price of gold.

 

[stav121]

And to clarify - I am only mentioning reliable sources here in Greece, people who do Bonsai and know their stuff. Because occasionally you might find once in a while in some nurseries in very limited quantities and high prices which are usually miss-labelled. I once tried a nursery which was selling Akadama that was supposed to be 2mm-5mm and what I ended up was nearly the sizes of stones - I promise if I threw one piece at someone they would die.

 

[Maros]

Try to look for pumice in shops around you. Someone should sell it for sure. I found this one in Greece, 20 litres for 4,35 €. Without transportation, it's still a good price.

PUMICE | Χορομίδης

Natural material without chemical additives, volcanic origin, suitable for draining. It is placed at the bottom of the pot in a thickness of 5-10 cm. When mixed with the soil in a ratio of 1:5, it serves as soil conditioner, ensuring good ventilation and proper drainage.

horomidis.gr

 

[stav121]

Try to look for pumice in shops around you. Someone should sell it for sure. I found this one in Greece, 20 litres for 4,35 €. Without transportation, it's still a good price.

PUMICE | Χορομίδης

Natural material without chemical additives, volcanic origin, suitable for draining. It is placed at the bottom of the pot in a thickness of 5-10 cm. When mixed with the soil in a ratio of 1:5, it serves as soil conditioner, ensuring good ventilation and proper drainage.

horomidis.gr

Pumice is the only one I can source locally for a descent price, but finer grinded one is harder to find. I much prefer finer one since I only have smaller pots and trees.

Some times I can find even lava rock even tho it is not too common here.

Right now most of my trees are in either pumice or perlite mixed with some high quality compost , just to keep the cost down to be honest, but slowly I aim to have most of them in something more suitable but not brake the bank :/

 

[Maros]

Pumice is the only one I can source locally for a descent price, but finer grinded one is harder to find. I much prefer finer one since I only have smaller pots and trees.

Some times I can find even lava rock even tho it is not too common here.

Right now most of my trees are in either pumice or perlite mixed with some high quality compost , just to keep the cost down to be honest, but slowly I aim to have most of them in something more suitable but not brake the bank :/

I'm able to buy locally pumice from 2-4mm, 4-8 mm up to 8-16 mm. From Italian production. Covering most of my needed sizes.
You can't find 2-4mm in Greece?

 

[stav121]

Pumice I can find most of the time:

Ελαφρόπετρα 2-4mm 5L (Pumice) | Aenaon Bonsai

Ελαφρόπετρα 2-4mm 5L (Pumice) [SUB009] Προέλευση: ΕλλάδαΚοκκομετρία: 2-4Συσκευασία: 5 λίτραΒάρος: 4 κιλάΠεριγραφή : Ελαφρόπετρα Ελληνικής προέλευσης κοκκομετρίας 2-4 κοσικινισμένη. Κατάλληλη για να την χρησιμοποιήσουμε μαζί με ακαντάμα και φυτόχωμα για να δημιουργήσουμε το κατάλληλο μείγμα...

www.aenaonbonsai.gr

I'm able to buy locally pumice from 2-4mm, 4-8 mm up to 8-16 mm. From Italian production. Covering most of my needed sizes.
You can't find 2-4mm in Greece?

But it is the only one that can be found pretty easily without the extra cost. Akadama and any other substrate are the hard ones to source on a good price.

 

[Ozz80]

Here in Turkey, a bag of 14 lt Ibaraki is sold for 90 Euros, so I have been using zeolite instead of akadama. Maybe you can look for alternatives like zeolite, seramis, etc.

it remains odd how these prices vary within one economic region. I mean.. Import into EU is the same cost everywhere right?

Cost is probably the same, but I guess the profit margin has to be different in a country where there are 10.000 hobbyist versus a country with 100 people only, especially if the vendor is trying to make a living by selling bonsai material only.

 

[stav121]

Here in Turkey, a bag of 14 lt Ibaraki is sold for 90 Euros, so I have been using zeolite instead of akadama. Maybe you can look for alternatives like zeolite, seramis, etc.



Cost is probably the same, but I guess the profit margin has to be different in a country where there are 10.000 hobbyist versus a country with 100 people only, especially if the vendor is trying to make a living by selling bonsai material only.

Exactly, I have also noticed a huge difference in price in starter and more advanced material.

Usually seedlings that a re worth 5-6€ in the EU are over 20€ here.

The few hobbyists that I have met in Greece tend to struggle with material sourcing.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Biogold fertilizer

It's just chicken manure with extra fiber from probably rice husk.
You should be able to get 50kg for about 20 euros. Add 5kg of rice husks for about 10 euros and you're set.

Bonsai.de has my seal of approval too. But for material options I would go to portugal or spain, they're offering things for prices that resemble gardening store prices here. Xedoo, Bonsai Granada and others offer material for a fair price in my opinion.

 

[stav121]

It's just chicken manure with extra fiber from probably rice husk.
You should be able to get 50kg for about 20 euros. Add 5kg of rice husks for about 10 euros and you're set.

Bonsai.de has my seal of approval too. But for material options I would go to portugal or spain, they're offering things for prices that resemble gardening store prices here. Xedoo, Bonsai Granada and others offer material for a fair price in my opinion.

So - I did the math on larger quantities and as long as the shipment fits the standard 30kg rule of DHL EU so that the shipping cost remains around 17,90€ (for Greece) - https://bonsai.de is the winner by far. For someone like me who has a few trees (I live in an apartment so I do all my bonsai on my balcony) it keeps the cost really low.

 

[Glaucus]

Düngemittel für Agrar- und Gartenbau

Professionelle Düngemittel und Stimulantien für Agrar- Gartenbau und Kommunen, Golf- und Sportplätze sowie Sonderkulturen.

www.duengerexperte.de

Has basically every major fertilizer product in Europe.
Full range of Yara, Haifa, ICL (Everris ), etc.

You can buy 25 kg of pure chemical fertilziers, hydrophonics grade, for about 70 to 90 euro. So about 10 times cheaper than the funky fermented chicken manure from Japan, that is biogold.
Problem is, you probably don't need 25kg.

 

[Glaucus]

You can filter for products by weight, like up to 1kg.
A product like this one should be good:

Hakaphos Grün 20-5-10(+2)

Hakaphos Grün jetzt bequem bei Duengerexperte.de bestellen ✔️ Günstiger Preis & schnell geliefert ✔️ jetzt sparen!

www.duengerexperte.de