What Soil for a shell?

[DougB]

What soil formulas do you use for very shallow pots such as this shell (it's about 10" long) and other similar shaped pots and some of the flat forest and saikei pots where there is little room for roots let alone soil?

 

[GrimLore]

What soil formulas do you use for very shallow pots such as this shell (it's about 10" long) and other similar shaped pots and some of the flat forest and saikei pots where there is little room for roots let alone soil?

John shares his recipe for muck mix in post #16 of this thread - http://bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/potters-clay-in-a-muck-mix.10030/#post-127027He has been using it for a long time for many of his plantings.

Grimmy

 

[DougB]

Thanks Grimmy for your reply. I have used a basic muck mix on the edges to create a small pot. It is the bonsai soil along with the roots that I am curious about. I was going to use an inorganic mix, but didn't expect it to hold enough moisture. It is in the high 80f here and I'm curious as to a soil mix (not muck) that others use. OR is it just muck and the roots?

 

[johng]

I've done it both ways and a lot of times it just depends on how well the tree fits the container...sometime you just have to use muck....elms, azaleas, and junipers love it. When possible, I think bonsai soil is always a plus over just straight muck. I would definitely plan to cover whatever you use with chopped sphagnum moss....that will help you control the moisture level. Nice container!