Cable
Omono
So, where do you guys get your soil components on the cheap?
Substrate, wooden boxes, pond baskets & colanders
- Thread starter Japonicus
- Start date
Tieball
Masterpiece
That’s one of the reasons I buy from BonsaiJack....spectacular customer care and service. One of the few businesses I’ve found that’s a customer advocate with service....hard to find. I am like you....I would not do that either. Excellent service is worth something to me.
And related....with BonsaiJack...you don’t have to drive anywhere...saves you gas money and maintenance frequency on the car.
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Sand blasting company - 100 lbs - about 8 $ US.
Brick factory - free - you sift
Compost - home made
Brick factory - free - you sift
Compost - home made
Gustavo Martins
Omono
I live in a volcanic island so I collect pumice and scoria myself. The only expensive stuff is akadama. I can get 28L (Ibaraki Hard Quality) by 28€ (plus shipping). Once in a while they offer shipping
Sometimes I also use Leca and pine bark. Not sure about the prices but they are really cheap.
Clicio
Masterpiece
Gustavo, what is Leca?
Japonicus
Masterpiece
I should've worded that, I asked Jack if it was too late to change my order. He had already shipped
but was willing to send a return label. I didn't say why. He just said if I didn't like the colour or
decided to quit doing bonsai, he would retrieve the order. So...kudos for service.
Today I received the order. I have to commend Bonsai Jack on cleanliness.
Their product it sifted, and rinsed, as well as tested for pathogens.
I saved about $50-70 on the 5g pre mix I was getting. Hard to tell just how much
since I'm still tweaking my new mix, and it has some of the old mix in it too.
I also may add more akadama to this mix, especially for cypress and junipers (as I did before for all my trees).
I would prefer to add 1/4" Monto clay/turface.
The 1/4" lava rock is noticeably larger than the 1/4" pumice. ugg
Nothing really needed sifting, but I still do. Only the fir back yielded a negligible amount of fines < 1/16 tsp/2g
after pouring contents into a bucket and mixing it well to blend any settling for sizing prior to sifting.
These ^ are the 3 components I received today after blending
Preliminary base line for new mix is as follows + 0.6 parts crushed granite
Not sure if the granite had been added when I took this pic. Long day.
I did end up for the preliminary mix rounding the fractional parts up to ~ 2/3 or .6 give or take.
So, old current mix on the left, I can't help but think I still need more moisture retention, by sight.
Will have to pot up a couple junipers this week, but wrong time of year to judge if changing up my mix
will hold as much moisture or not.
Weight wise it is unchanged. I'm adding fir bark and granite, as well as the 8822 diatomite.
So the weight of the granite is equaled out by the lighter bark and diatomite, per my shipping scales.
Scoop for scoop same weight. Now I need to soak each in water 24 hrs and compare against each other
after draining and a dry period of X number of hours. Visually I want to add more akadama but that may
defeat the whole purpose of this thread
. So I will do the soak for 24 hrs / dry 24 hrs and compare.The drainage and life expectancy of the soil has to be increased. I'm not worried about drainage
of my soil during the 1st 18 months. It's the 3+ year mark and the fact that potting a tree is the most stressful
event typically. My plants enjoy the akadama the 1st 2 years, then it begins breaking down and drainage slows
in my experience.
Tieball
Masterpiece
Nice mix....and excellent documentation. Well organized. Thanks for posting....gives me A solid background for how to approach my mix when needed. I test some of my mixing ideas in an empty box....same box as trees go in. I put it out in the sun right along side the trees. Water it as I’d expect. Then I check it in various places just to see results. Not to scientific...but works for me. The end result for me is that I know what to generally expect when trees will sit in the mix...sort of a head start a season ahead of time.I should've worded that, I asked Jack if it was too late to change my order. He had already shipped
but was willing to send a return label. I didn't say why. He just said if I didn't like the colour or
decided to quit doing bonsai, he would retrieve the order. So...kudos for service.
Today I received the order. I have to commend Bonsai Jack on cleanliness.
Their product it sifted, and rinsed, as well as tested for pathogens.
I saved about $50-70 on the 5g pre mix I was getting. Hard to tell just how much
since I'm still tweaking my new mix, and it has some of the old mix in it too.
I also may add more akadama to this mix, especially for cypress and junipers (as I did before for all my trees).
I would prefer to add 1/4" Monto clay/turface.
The 1/4" lava rock is noticeably larger than the 1/4" pumice. ugg
Nothing really needed sifting, but I still do. Only the fir back yielded a negligible amount of fines < 1/16 tsp/2g
after pouring contents into a bucket and mixing it well to blend any settling for sizing prior to sifting.
These ^ are the 3 components I received today after blending
Preliminary base line for new mix is as follows + 0.6 parts crushed granite
Not sure if the granite had been added when I took this pic. Long day.
I did end up for the preliminary mix rounding the fractional parts up to ~ 2/3 or .6 give or take.
So, old current mix on the left, I can't help but think I still need more moisture retention, by sight.
Will have to pot up a couple junipers this week, but wrong time of year to judge if changing up my mix
will hold as much moisture or not.
Weight wise it is unchanged. I'm adding fir bark and granite, as well as the 8822 diatomite.
So the weight of the granite is equaled out by the lighter bark and diatomite, per my shipping scales.
Scoop for scoop same weight. Now I need to soak each in water 24 hrs and compare against each other
after draining and a dry period of X number of hours. Visually I want to add more akadama but that may
defeat the whole purpose of this thread
The drainage and life expectancy of the soil has to be increased. I'm not worried about drainage
of my soil during the 1st 18 months. It's the 3+ year mark and the fact that potting a tree is the most stressful
event typically. My plants enjoy the akadama the 1st 2 years, then it begins breaking down and drainage slows
in my experience.
Your work and documentation, including photos, is very helpful.
Last edited:
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Unfortunately, soil wars have turned to soil overthought!
Break out the Missles.....
Let's fight!
.....
Is there a prize for the first person to use x number of different particles in their soil?
A tree can grow in anything EXCEPT rocket science!
Actually, if we take a textbook on rocket science, petrify it, and chop it into 10mm blocks we can carve down to 8mm spheres...
We CAN grow trees in Rocket Science too!
.........
Ballers Use Boon mix...APL.
Monsters use Godzilla Mix...APL.
Professional collectors use P.
(This may have to do with the smell of RMJ)
Have you ever picked Apples and placed them on your LAP with a PAL in the ALPs?
Just when I think RN has pushed the right button to make people see the light!
Extreme Ballers are going to use THAT GOOD DE!
.........
I got Happy Pine roots in 8822.
Juniper, Boxwood, Elm, Crabapple, Lemon, ficus, spruce...
Happy roots in 8822.
Found another earthworm crawling out of a basket yesterday too.. And I think what was a nematode.
Sorce
Break out the Missles.....
Let's fight!
.....
Is there a prize for the first person to use x number of different particles in their soil?
A tree can grow in anything EXCEPT rocket science!
Actually, if we take a textbook on rocket science, petrify it, and chop it into 10mm blocks we can carve down to 8mm spheres...
We CAN grow trees in Rocket Science too!
.........
Ballers Use Boon mix...APL.
Monsters use Godzilla Mix...APL.
Professional collectors use P.
(This may have to do with the smell of RMJ)
Have you ever picked Apples and placed them on your LAP with a PAL in the ALPs?
Just when I think RN has pushed the right button to make people see the light!
Extreme Ballers are going to use THAT GOOD DE!
.........
I got Happy Pine roots in 8822.
Juniper, Boxwood, Elm, Crabapple, Lemon, ficus, spruce...
Happy roots in 8822.
Found another earthworm crawling out of a basket yesterday too.. And I think what was a nematode.
Sorce
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Structure, structure, structure. I don't give a rodents posterior what you use, if what you use breaks down and becomes more compacted over time your tree will suffer.
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
@Vance Wood ,
and that's why you are Lord Mug-h-o.
The powers that be, do realise that Mugo is spelt Mugho.
Good Day
Anthony
and that's why you are Lord Mug-h-o.
The powers that be, do realise that Mugo is spelt Mugho.
Good Day
Anthony
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
The spelling of Mugo is Mugo. I got into a big argument with some arborist a number of years ago and he pretty much convinced me that it is actually Mugo and not Mugho, which I prefer. It was the spelling used by Hortus III I believe. Personally I don't care either way but I do not wish to spend an inordinate amount of time arguing about one letter. Major wars are caused like that: Iran and Iraq---- Good Day.
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
And before this might have become confusing, that was a run on congrats on
your wisdom expressed before as - structure , structure, structure.
Hence admiration for you as Lord Mugho.
Good Day
Anthony
your wisdom expressed before as - structure , structure, structure.
Hence admiration for you as Lord Mugho.
Good Day
Anthony
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
No problem no offense given or taken.And before this might have become confusing, that was a run on congrats on
your wisdom expressed before as - structure , structure, structure.
Hence admiration for you as Lord Mugho.
Good Day
Anthony
Japonicus
Masterpiece
Number of components? Shucks, what about biochar? Just when I was about to ask about
the addition of horticultural carbon LOL
Rocket science, not in my world. I would like to understand more about SOC's with organics though...
how they affect growth vs compaction. Can you have SOC's with inorganic soil and food?
Is there any benefit to soil carbon sequestration in bonsai or at least SOM ? With carbon being the food
for life (not activated carbon) then why wouldn't we want to incorporate a home for it amongst our roots?
While I'm not looking for number of components, I do like a variety.
I was not happy with the performance of my soil.
This thread at least has given me some direction, under the forum title of New to Bonsai
about options and possibly their benefits or detriments.
i.e. you Sorce have trees in 8822, Bonsai Jack says, that medium, will cause acidic shock.
Some enthusiast and professionals use only akadama, Potawatomi says it's expensive mud, it is.
So I understand what you mean about the soil wars.
Thanks for your input on the 8822. Good to know it is serving you well,
and could be increased in my mix without any drawbacks.
My recently established baseline will surely be evolving. Nothing scientific to it.
Just need happy roots when my deck hits 110º. I own 1/12 of 1 acre. I have one place
I can keep bonsai in a "full sun" setting. It is harsh.
Timbo
Chumono
While i would never use Treated wood, i find it kind of confusing people are worried about treated lumber when lots of people use pesticides, and chemical fertilizers...among other things. Seems those are worse for the ground/environment than treated wood.
I use mostly DE and granite grit, as i can't find much else up here. Local store got rid of the mini pine bark a few years ago
I use mostly DE and granite grit, as i can't find much else up here. Local store got rid of the mini pine bark a few years ago
substratum
Shohin
10"x10"x5.25" SmartPond Aquatic Plant Baskets from Lowes are $2.98 each, and per their website, the store I drive by twice a day has 29 in stock. Cool.
Timbo
Chumono
I use those and colanders mostly....Wish i could find the 15" pond baskets some people sell.
Space wise the pond baskets are nice, can get a lot of trees on a bench.
Space wise the pond baskets are nice, can get a lot of trees on a bench.
Cable
Omono
Thanks for the tips. I'll look around for components but I've seen a lot of BJ stuff floating around and after Japonicus' story I'll probably get some stuff from them, too,
And yes, it is Mugo.
And yes, it is Mugo.
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