One thing worth mentioning is that tree species and habitats are important to consider. For example Willow and Alder amongst others enjoy having very wet roots while many conifers and pines prefer drier conditions. Cheers. Sid
As a p.s. size of pots and developmental stage of tree. I.e. if you are trying for all lot of growth to increase trunk size, grow out scars etc you might add more organic matter than for a tree that is more developed requiring refinement. Cheers. Sid
@@kilthsenarc I think impatience is a part of it to be sure. Look at the popularity of videos creating bonsai from nursery stock. "instant" bonsai. Also i think people think a bonsai can't be grown from seed except over many years. In reality you can create small trees from seed in 3-5 years .for some species at least . Cheers. Sid.
Hey brother... Just wanted to give my thanks for making all of these videos that follow along with your learning experience available. They are explained in a beautiful and easy to understand format for the layman, and are a wealth of knowledge for people who want to learn from someone who is in a state of perpetual learning, rather than a sort of gatekeeping and almost condescending nature. Cheers, bud
Just discovered your channel, it's the most informative I've seen and you really explain how it works instead of just telling people don't do this don't do that. I have found ALOT of videos people are very condescending and act like the bonsai gods, its just a tree dude! You are really knowledgeable and I have enjoyed watching and learning from your videos. Understand HOW things work is much more important than just watching someone cut it and expecting to do it yourself. I would love you to do a video explaining how trees grow with pictures so if I cut in a certain place, where does that then grow and what type of growth? Examples like I want a branch here so I'm going to cut here to get one to grow if that makes sense. This is something I am struggling with at the minute! Thanks for the brilliant interesting videos!
Thanks Leanne that’s really kind of you! Pruning is a concept that on the surface is simple, but has layers of complexity. I’m early in my learning, but I will figure a way to relay what I learn in videos along the way. Look up Bonsai Mirai videos, there’s a beginner series that is really really good, but I forget how much detail they go into about pruning and branch development. Thanks for watching 🙏
I use foamed/expanded/swelling clay (like small Seramis which partly is broken) as a basis. The particle size is 2-6 mm. It's very cheap. 50 litres are just 10 € (at the moment). As an organic component i mix in coco fibres. Coco fibres decompose slowly a help to keep little more moisture an to balance it inside the pot. This year i want to experiment with mixing in lava and perlites or zeolites.
You just explained something I've always had trouble with and why I quit growing stuff for along time. Seriously thank you! I've never been able to balance well, so bad I started only using water I've added air to in hopes of solving the issues
I think it's the wet > almost dry > wet > almost dry... cycles that achieve the balance, but it get's difficult if the soil is compacted and/or excessively moisture retentive
Dame bro… u fixed my problem, been playing with satsuki at the moment, I have placed one in a glass pot to make into a terrarium. Being water damage at the moment, had remove the lid to let in more air, will change the soil to Kanuma as advised. Thank u
I love bonsai and I like this video of yours. It's informative and your English is super clear to understand, yet teaches some cool words and phrases like, "quote-unquote, gotcha, caveat, on the flip side, etc." which I had never heard before. Obtaining those popular bonsai soil ingredients like pumice has always been a bit hard for me. I'll not worry any more. I'll try the material that I can access and see if they work. I've got plenty of shoots to waste, anyway! 😁
I jus loved this video. Very informative and in detail. M trying my hands on some field maples and oak saplings this time as I have jus moved to UK a year back. Another subscriber for sure. Looking for more videos and surely experimenting with moler clay.
Great video. I personally don't grow Conifers. I grow primarily all 'flowering' trees, including tropical/subtropical bonsai. Do you grow any of these? and would you be doing any future videos on these types of bonsai?
Thanks Patrick! I do have a some flowering species, cherry, crab apple, potentilla among others which will be showing up on TH-cam once the growing season starts. I don’t yet have any tropical bonsai, I might invest in a ficus one day, but I’d have to overwinter it indoors, my wife might have something to say if I start taking up space in the house AND garden 😀
@@grobonsai > Thanks for the reply. Well I am a "Newbie" in bonsai, so I just acquired about 9 bonsai plants (mostly all flowering) except for the very nice Chinese Elm which I purchased and really like. Yep, it's winter here in New Jersey/USA, so all of them are indoors (except for the Wisteria and Japanese Quince, which are in my shed). I like your videos. They are all very informative, so I thank you .....
@Patrick Bowen, thanks again! Oh, I love Japanese Quince, I have one red flowering 'Chojubai' which I've put into a deep container to grow long roots, so that I can take root cuttings in a year or two. For tropicals, have a look at Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone TH-cam channel, if you haven't come across that channel yet, he has lots of tropicals
@@grobonsai LOL, I think I have subscribed to every Bonsai channel on TH-cam. Both the Japanese Quince & Wisteria are in a tub covered with Mulch in the shed for the Winter. Can't wait to see them grow ......
Ok so the different types of soils (rocks) are to find the right balance of water retention and oxygen for your tree, for your climate. Is that right so far??? So how does developing alot of fine roots play into all of this? Isn't that the goal? I'm still trying to understand. Thanks for the help. I like your videos.
Root pruning and some organic matter, or, root pruning and akadama. Without pruning roots will gain momentum and elongate eventually, no matter the medium
I have just watched your video, very good. I need to repot my elm tree as I am having to water it all the time! What components would you use for that? (I brought mine as a indoor plant) Thank you
Couple more questions, what soil is it in at the moment (if you know)? Also, how often is it needing water? Last one, what are the signs that it is needing water? Thanks
Hi I don’t know the soil it is in at the moment. The soil is dry a lot of the time The branches and leaves are not very healthy they are dried out around the top I am watering it every day or maybe every other day It does not look like a tree I can also see the tree root I don’t think I can send you a picture
It's tough without the tree in front of me, but I suspect it needs a deep watering. It sounds like the soil is not fully absorbing the water. Sit it in a bowl with the pot submerged, and leave it until bubbles stop rising, or for a minute - whichever is longer. Allow it to fully drain afterwards. Moving forward, when you water, water, wait for the water to drain, then water again to ensure it has a good chance to be absorbed. If necessary you could top up the soil if there's room in the pot, if it's full almost to the top then there's no need. Best to repot in Spring, but if problems persist a *very* gentle repot, even more conservative than I show in this video: th-cam.com/video/Z1Lc7Mksto0/w-d-xo.html For soil I think www.kaizenbonsai.co.uk sell smaller bags. But, watering everyday isn't unusual when you use a bonsai-specific soil. Thanks for getting in touch and good luck, let me know if there's anything else
Your comment about how a tree in the wild keeps sending out roots until it finds the conditions it likes reminds me of a horrible story. I heard of a chap who went out and planted a willow tree not being aware of the fact that they were frowned upon by the city. I don't know how long the willow grew, but it was said that after some time it had sent roots out to the neighbors back yard, where their inground pool was, and pushed it's roots through the concrete to reach the water inside. Needless to say, the neighbor was not very happy.
Hi, I started watching your videos lately and absolutely love how you explain everything. Question, did you try the expanded clay balls/LECA? If so, how did they perform? I was also thinking to use them on my next repot on my orange tree.
Not bad. I think most "soil" videos never really talk about that balance of water and O2 that's so important. I'm in the process myself trying to source a financially friendly alternative to akadama in my area atm. Diatomaceous earth is supposed to be a good alternative and some cat litter and oil absorbents are exactly that so i may give it a try. Akadama may have the best molecular structure but the price is crazy expensive for a poor dude like me haha
Great observation, the cat litter / oil absorbents are Moler Clay (type of diatomaceous earth) which I use a lot. It does hold a lot of water. It doesn’t scale down / actively decompose like akadama though, it is completely inert in my experience. Good luck!
Yea, I've just particularly used akadama so far. I love it but it's the price that gets me. Especially when there are cheaper alternatives. I was into bonsai roughly 9yrs ago but lost my trees I had during a move. Just recently got back into it
I love Larch! The first bonsai that ever really caught my eye was a Japanese larch and ever since its been my favorite species. I actually just planted some seeds today that finally terminated. Starting them indoors till spring
awesome video, very ilucidative about the various types of soil, but there's also a video that i would like to see, if you could provide, about fertilization and what you use to fertilize your trees. its a very intricate question and many of us, me included, are a bit confused about. if you could do that to help it would be great. thanks a lot mate. congrats for your channel. from Portugal ;)
Thanks for watching, Joao. I will try to put something together. But it will also be research based rather than from experience - there are so many approaches
Great advice, very well explained. The only point I differ on, I have two junipers in akadama/organic 50/50 mix and they are both thriving. So akadama must be okay for junipers - at least, in a mix.
I’m new to this. I am trying to make a bonsai out of a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. What is the best potting mix to use and at what proportion for this particular tree?
you mentioned a bunch of different components of soil but didnt say why to use each one or what about hot climates vs cold climates? I am in Canada and find that what works for europe or USA doesnt work here. I am always tweaking my soil and trying new ingredients and it has improved but what a struggle.
Right here in Las Vegas I prefer potting soil and I put some pumice and sand because we got a high temperature summer I mean really hot and I put my bonsai on semi shade in Summer
Enjoyed the video a lot great work! I know it’s a slightly older video but does anyone have any advice about 6 parts cat litter, 3 parts perlite and 1 part potting soil ? Thanks
Hey, great video! I just recently got a Chinese elm and a japan pepper from Herons Nursery. Both came in a nursery soil though, not much visible difference to normal compost, perhaps it's got a mix of peat/moss though. Would you recommended repotting these two trees into a more stoney substrate?
hi Darren, how did you find the Leca? i thought it was a good alternative to lava rock, been mixing it with regular compost for more aeration for my collected material etc. As i see it the most profound difference between regular potting mix and bonsai aggrigates is that you can't over water aggregate soil, although i haven't tested this to the extreme myself. I also see sphagnum moss added to soils as an extra organic component especially with azaleas. This is my first season doing bonsai though, so much to learn, thanks for your list there's couple there i hadn't heard of.
Hi, Thanks for your videos. Quick question, I just acquired a commercial bonsai Acer has full organic mix substrate. I know that I have to change as it is staying to we, but the problem is that the weather here is already nearly 30 degrees celcuis so I am scared to change to akadama. Shall I wait till early spring or still repot? Thanks
Wait until spring, just as the buds start to swell. If you get wet winters, try to protect it from staying very wet, against a wall to shelter it from some of the rain. Obviously don’t let it dry right out even in winter.
Hi @Paul Ballantine, where are you based? Reason I ask is because cat litters are not created equal when it comes to use in horticulture. I'm in the UK and the only brand of CL that I have used and can recommend is Sanicat Pink www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/lightweight-non-clumping-pink-cat-litter. This product is also sold under a different name as an absorbent material for cleaning up oil spills in car mechanics etc. and can also be purchased under it's generic name 'molar/moler clay'. It is highly absorbent - can hold 100% of it's weight of water, so good for species that aren't afraid of wet feet. I find it too wet for conifers on it's own, so will be experimenting with combining it with pumice or expanded clay (Leca) type materials for my pines. Hope that helps.
Oh also just to add, in a mix it serves the same purpose as Akadama - retains moisture and nutrients - BUT, it doesn't break down, so unlike Akadama, will not 'actively' encourage finer and finer roots.
Hi there, Thanks for the video. Very informative. I am very new to Bonsai and I have only one to start with. It's a Chinese Pepper (Zanthoxylum) and was bought from a garden centre last October. It has lived indoors over the winter and I'm about to re-pot it for the first time. I have read too many articles and watched too many videos on Bonsai soil; my head is spinning. :-) I am going to try 100% Molar clay as I bought a 30l bag of Sanicat Pink cat litter. I have sieved the small bits out and washed it several times. Should I mix this with something else or just use it neat? When I got the bonsai, I was bought a bag of Westland potting mix so should I add some of this to the molar clay or not bother? I live in South Wales but as the tree will probably remain indoors, I doubt whether that matters! :-). Many thanks.
The tree will be fine but you will need to check if it needs watering more often. If that’s gonna be a problem while you’re at work or whatever, a little potting mix might help hold moisture for longer. I wouldn’t normally recommend it though.
@@grobonsai Thank you. As working from home is the new norm, I will be able to water far more frequently so I think I will go for 100% Molar Clay. Thank you.
Greetings from Malaysia... im about to swap out the pot and soil that came from nursery to my 3 week home bonsai... the pot that i used from "day 1" at home was too large and it came with the potting soil from nursery. So what does a beginner do? He goes online to learn to water the soil entirely and let it drain out for some time. Ditto... a week later, the soil is still wet to the touch and reads 8-10 on the moisture meter. Some leaves have started to yellow and drop. I have on order a small bonsai pot that is more proportional to the tree's dimensions and then plan to go for a mix of 40% akadama/25% pumice/35% peat moss... Hopefully this mean i only need to water every 2 or 3 days (let see). Ill let this roll for a month or two to evaluate
Pines definitely prefer a drier, airy soil generally. But they also grow in flushes - one or two bursts of growth per year, so if they look healthy it may just be that. But I definitely recommend when it’s safe to do so, moving to something like pumice and pine bark or even a mix with plenty of perlite.
Hi I've had problems with my carmona to the point it's defoliated. It's on a window sill and following a light prune now baldy. Previously I experimented with an pre mix with akadama etc. In it now a bit of sphagnum moss and previously mentioned soil to try to revive it. I wonder now it's it dead😣 or is it gonna fire out new buds come spring. I dunno did I use the wrong thing as when I got it was bedded in crap coco coir. Also I live in Ireland an indoor tree watered every 2-3 days. Any thoughts would be welcome. Noel
I shouldve mentioned I rinsed off black aphids regularly before (funny they never went for any other tree) I'm wracking my brains as to any other things that may be the cause.
I know this is an older video, can you do a future video on used very rough course ground coffee or whole doubled used coffee beans as bonsai soil. My ficus retusa really loves it and spreads roots faster then what I was using before. I think pines, junipers, maples might also like this. Drains water really well, holds moisture and slow release just like academia or fire clay.
@@grobonsai I used a mixer of whole and hand crushed coffee beans as actual soil for my ficus retusa. For my other plants a few pinches at a time as fertilizer every week.
Yes it may be staying wet for too long. The key is watering deeply, only when there is a risk that the soil will become too dry. Very hard to explain in words. But it’s the wet, dry, wet, dry cycles that keeps the tree healthy.
Just getting into bonsai. I’m in Denmark, so plenty of molar clay here. Should I mix it with anything else? Or is it okay as is? I know it depends on climate, but i think Denmark and The UK are more or less The same.
Great question, there is no one single answer - but trade-offs. In a standard depth pot, compost is ok, in a shallow bonsai depth pot, bonsai soil is best. You may decide to use bonsai type soil in a nursery container if you want to get a lot of growth, but you’ll need to use fertiliser more often. Bonsai soil also makes root work a lot more pleasant. But bonsai soil is generally more expensive, needs more frequent watering, must be fertilised more often. I recommend to use bonsai-type substrate for all conifers regardless of pot etc. In fact I prefer bonsai substrate for all material as the downsides are acceptable in my circumstances. In terms of age of the tree, it doesn’t matter, but make sure they are at least a year old if you need to remove existing soil - because the roots will be less delicate. Best done in the Spring. Hope that helps
My supply of bark ran out since making the video and I’ve stopped using it. If you’re in the U.K. Pets at home sell it as Sanicat pink cat litter, or kaizen bonsai sell it in online
Yes, exactly. Thank for your answare ! I started already with 60% after a bonsai specialist in my country recomanded me, so i will give it a try...i wasnt sure about the "regular" soil mixture as well... I hope it is correct...
2:10 Hydroponics says otherwise. I don't understand the requirement for traditional bonsai that the plant is rooted in nothing but akadama. If you planted a tree in that crap here, you'd need to water it 5 times a day.
I started making these videos partly to confront my social anxiety. That is why it is awkward to watch. I really don’t need to wake up to this personal feedback, that is as actionable as it is welcome. You’ve made similar comments on my videos before, so you must have had an idea of what this one would be like. Either put up with it, or go somewhere else.
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Did I miss any commonly used bonsai soil ingredients? If so, please let me know!
Gro Bonsai eh 🤔 kiryu and ezo grit maybe?
Your the first guy that I have seen on the web explain what needs to happen in your pots
Thank you. By the way you just got another subscriber
Thanks for the great feedback!
One thing worth mentioning is that tree species and habitats are important to consider. For example Willow and Alder amongst others enjoy having very wet roots while many conifers and pines prefer drier conditions. Cheers. Sid
As a p.s. size of pots and developmental stage of tree. I.e. if you are trying for all lot of growth to increase trunk size, grow out scars etc you might add more organic matter than for a tree that is more developed requiring refinement. Cheers. Sid
Good point, I don't grow Willow or Alder but have read of people standing pots in a tray of water.
Hi Sid, why do people not pay much attention to seed grown bonsai, in pot for eg? Are people too impatient to appreciate it?
@@kilthsenarc I think impatience is a part of it to be sure. Look at the popularity of videos creating bonsai from nursery stock. "instant" bonsai. Also i think people think a bonsai can't be grown from seed except over many years. In reality you can create small trees from seed in 3-5 years .for some species at least . Cheers. Sid.
Hey brother... Just wanted to give my thanks for making all of these videos that follow along with your learning experience available. They are explained in a beautiful and easy to understand format for the layman, and are a wealth of knowledge for people who want to learn from someone who is in a state of perpetual learning, rather than a sort of gatekeeping and almost condescending nature.
Cheers, bud
Thanks that means a lot
Just discovered your channel, it's the most informative I've seen and you really explain how it works instead of just telling people don't do this don't do that. I have found ALOT of videos people are very condescending and act like the bonsai gods, its just a tree dude! You are really knowledgeable and I have enjoyed watching and learning from your videos. Understand HOW things work is much more important than just watching someone cut it and expecting to do it yourself. I would love you to do a video explaining how trees grow with pictures so if I cut in a certain place, where does that then grow and what type of growth? Examples like I want a branch here so I'm going to cut here to get one to grow if that makes sense. This is something I am struggling with at the minute! Thanks for the brilliant interesting videos!
Thanks Leanne that’s really kind of you! Pruning is a concept that on the surface is simple, but has layers of complexity. I’m early in my learning, but I will figure a way to relay what I learn in videos along the way. Look up Bonsai Mirai videos, there’s a beginner series that is really really good, but I forget how much detail they go into about pruning and branch development. Thanks for watching 🙏
I use foamed/expanded/swelling clay (like small Seramis which partly is broken) as a basis. The particle size is 2-6 mm. It's very cheap. 50 litres are just 10 € (at the moment). As an organic component i mix in coco fibres. Coco fibres decompose slowly a help to keep little more moisture an to balance it inside the pot. This year i want to experiment with mixing in lava and perlites or zeolites.
I haven’t looked at coco fibres, that’s something I missed. Thanks!
Great videos Darren 🙏🏻🪴
I'm writing so many fricken notes on these videos 😅💖👌
Great video
Very technical and very informative video 👍👍 👍
I am using small pieces of bricks and pumice in my Bonsai Soil and having a very result
Sounds great 👍 I have a sick pine that I planted into pumice and it is doing well 🙂
You just explained something I've always had trouble with and why I quit growing stuff for along time. Seriously thank you!
I've never been able to balance well, so bad I started only using water I've added air to in hopes of solving the issues
I think it's the wet > almost dry > wet > almost dry... cycles that achieve the balance, but it get's difficult if the soil is compacted and/or excessively moisture retentive
Dame bro… u fixed my problem, been playing with satsuki at the moment, I have placed one in a glass pot to make into a terrarium. Being water damage at the moment, had remove the lid to let in more air, will change the soil to Kanuma as advised. Thank u
Yeah no probs. Satsuki in a terrarium will be tricky even with kanuma I afraid
I love bonsai and I like this video of yours. It's informative and your English is super clear to understand, yet teaches some cool words and phrases like, "quote-unquote, gotcha, caveat, on the flip side, etc." which I had never heard before. Obtaining those popular bonsai soil ingredients like pumice has always been a bit hard for me. I'll not worry any more. I'll try the material that I can access and see if they work. I've got plenty of shoots to waste, anyway! 😁
How you explains everything make sense now thank you good sir cheers from Philippines 🇵🇭
Happy to help
Very informative.
Great video ! Exactly what I was looking for
Great video buddy. You're making this all very easy to understand. I should think I'll be watching a lot of your videos over the coming weeks!
Thanks so much for the feedback- happy it helped
thank you for imparting your vast knowledge, encouraging me to ear mark off cuts to experiment with
Thanks so much
Great video. I´m suprised over your choice of soil. It´s always interesting to haer what other people use.
I must admit I’ve been using akadama mixes this year
Great video! Thanks. Nice to watch UK bonsai channel
Thanks for watching 🙏
Great vid and channel! I followed the link to the litter you use. How does it compare to akadama? Do you have any issues with it breaking down?
Thank you, very detailed and informative.
Thanks for watching
I jus loved this video. Very informative and in detail. M trying my hands on some field maples and oak saplings this time as I have jus moved to UK a year back. Another subscriber for sure. Looking for more videos and surely experimenting with moler clay.
Thanks for watching. Moler is my favourite substrate for growing. These days I prefer akadama for trees in bonsai pots. Thanks again
@@grobonsai can u post d link from where u buy akadama from
ibuki-shop.com is where I get it, but kaizen and greenwoods are also good
Great video, thank you. One mistake, it's molar clay, but this doesn't count for much. Love your channel
Ah yes, thank you
Great video. I personally don't grow Conifers. I grow primarily all 'flowering' trees, including tropical/subtropical bonsai. Do you grow any of these? and would you be doing any future videos on these types of bonsai?
Thanks Patrick! I do have a some flowering species, cherry, crab apple, potentilla among others which will be showing up on TH-cam once the growing season starts. I don’t yet have any tropical bonsai, I might invest in a ficus one day, but I’d have to overwinter it indoors, my wife might have something to say if I start taking up space in the house AND garden 😀
@@grobonsai > Thanks for the reply. Well I am a "Newbie" in bonsai, so I just acquired about 9 bonsai plants (mostly all flowering) except for the very nice Chinese Elm which I purchased and really like. Yep, it's winter here in New Jersey/USA, so all of them are indoors (except for the Wisteria and Japanese Quince, which are in my shed). I like your videos. They are all very informative, so I thank you .....
@Patrick Bowen, thanks again! Oh, I love Japanese Quince, I have one red flowering 'Chojubai' which I've put into a deep container to grow long roots, so that I can take root cuttings in a year or two. For tropicals, have a look at Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone TH-cam channel, if you haven't come across that channel yet, he has lots of tropicals
@@grobonsai LOL, I think I have subscribed to every Bonsai channel on TH-cam. Both the Japanese Quince & Wisteria are in a tub covered with Mulch in the shed for the Winter. Can't wait to see them grow ......
great info left a like
Thanks 🙏
Ok so the different types of soils (rocks) are to find the right balance of water retention and oxygen for your tree, for your climate. Is that right so far??? So how does developing alot of fine roots play into all of this? Isn't that the goal? I'm still trying to understand. Thanks for the help. I like your videos.
Root pruning and some organic matter, or, root pruning and akadama. Without pruning roots will gain momentum and elongate eventually, no matter the medium
I have just watched your video, very good.
I need to repot my elm tree as I am having to water it all the time!
What components would you use for that? (I brought mine as a indoor plant)
Thank you
Hi, where are you roughly? I assume UK?
I live in Chelmsford uk
Hi thank you for getting back to me
I live in Chelmsford Essex
Couple more questions, what soil is it in at the moment (if you know)? Also, how often is it needing water? Last one, what are the signs that it is needing water? Thanks
Hi I don’t know the soil it is in at the moment.
The soil is dry a lot of the time
The branches and leaves are not very healthy they are dried out around the top
I am watering it every day or maybe every other day
It does not look like a tree
I can also see the tree root
I don’t think I can send you a picture
It's tough without the tree in front of me, but I suspect it needs a deep watering. It sounds like the soil is not fully absorbing the water. Sit it in a bowl with the pot submerged, and leave it until bubbles stop rising, or for a minute - whichever is longer. Allow it to fully drain afterwards. Moving forward, when you water, water, wait for the water to drain, then water again to ensure it has a good chance to be absorbed.
If necessary you could top up the soil if there's room in the pot, if it's full almost to the top then there's no need.
Best to repot in Spring, but if problems persist a *very* gentle repot, even more conservative than I show in this video: th-cam.com/video/Z1Lc7Mksto0/w-d-xo.html
For soil I think www.kaizenbonsai.co.uk sell smaller bags.
But, watering everyday isn't unusual when you use a bonsai-specific soil.
Thanks for getting in touch and good luck, let me know if there's anything else
Subscribed 👍
Thanks so much
Love your videos. Thank you. Where do you get your moler clay from? The only sources have found so far are expensive.
It’s not as readily available these days, so I don’t bother with it anymore
@@grobonsai Thank you for replying. That's very helpful.
Your comment about how a tree in the wild keeps sending out roots until it finds the conditions it likes reminds me of a horrible story. I heard of a chap who went out and planted a willow tree not being aware of the fact that they were frowned upon by the city. I don't know how long the willow grew, but it was said that after some time it had sent roots out to the neighbors back yard, where their inground pool was, and pushed it's roots through the concrete to reach the water inside. Needless to say, the neighbor was not very happy.
Absolutely! I can definitely believe that
Hi, I started watching your videos lately and absolutely love how you explain everything. Question, did you try the expanded clay balls/LECA? If so, how did they perform? I was also thinking to use them on my next repot on my orange tree.
Sorry I missed this. I haven't tried it I'm afraid.
Just learned tree roots need oxygen ☺
Not bad. I think most "soil" videos never really talk about that balance of water and O2 that's so important. I'm in the process myself trying to source a financially friendly alternative to akadama in my area atm. Diatomaceous earth is supposed to be a good alternative and some cat litter and oil absorbents are exactly that so i may give it a try. Akadama may have the best molecular structure but the price is crazy expensive for a poor dude like me haha
Great observation, the cat litter / oil absorbents are Moler Clay (type of diatomaceous earth) which I use a lot. It does hold a lot of water. It doesn’t scale down / actively decompose like akadama though, it is completely inert in my experience. Good luck!
Yea, I've just particularly used akadama so far. I love it but it's the price that gets me. Especially when there are cheaper alternatives. I was into bonsai roughly 9yrs ago but lost my trees I had during a move. Just recently got back into it
What species do you prefer for bonsai?
I love Larch! The first bonsai that ever really caught my eye was a Japanese larch and ever since its been my favorite species. I actually just planted some seeds today that finally terminated. Starting them indoors till spring
awesome video, very ilucidative about the various types of soil, but there's also a video that i would like to see, if you could provide, about fertilization and what you use to fertilize your trees. its a very intricate question and many of us, me included, are a bit confused about. if you could do that to help it would be great. thanks a lot mate. congrats for your channel. from Portugal ;)
Thanks for watching, Joao. I will try to put something together. But it will also be research based rather than from experience - there are so many approaches
Great advice, very well explained. The only point I differ on, I have two junipers in akadama/organic 50/50 mix and they are both thriving. So akadama must be okay for junipers - at least, in a mix.
Are they common juniper Juniperus communis? In all honesty it’s something I’ve been told, but have no direct experience
@@grobonsai one is chinensis and the other is x-media
Only applies to common juniper 👍
@@grobonsai good to know. Thanks again!
I’m new to this. I am trying to make a bonsai out of a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. What is the best potting mix to use and at what proportion for this particular tree?
you mentioned a bunch of different components of soil but didnt say why to use each one or what about hot climates vs cold climates? I am in Canada and find that what works for europe or USA doesnt work here. I am always tweaking my soil and trying new ingredients and it has improved but what a struggle.
Wood chip ? well rotted as a base layer in training pots then gravel and compost.
Any opinions on charcoal? absorbent, organic, root penetration ?
Right here in Las Vegas I prefer potting soil and I put some pumice and sand because we got a high temperature summer I mean really hot and I put my bonsai on semi shade in Summer
Las Vegas USA we have extreme hot summer
the soil I used is ok for my bonsai in our weather
I’m not sure if I’m envious or not, sounds warm! Glad you’re having success in challenging conditions
I can only find abso net granules is this fine to use it sez it’s for oil and water. And thanks for the videos u have got me as a subscriber 👌🏽
I can’t tell, if you can find out what material it is. Sorry
@@grobonsai I got some pink clay absorb granules it’s from euro car parts lol it looks ok lol
Hi Darren
Enjoyed the video a lot great work! I know it’s a slightly older video but does anyone have any advice about 6 parts cat litter, 3 parts perlite and 1 part potting soil ? Thanks
I’ve not used it personally, sorry
Hey, great video!
I just recently got a Chinese elm and a japan pepper from Herons Nursery. Both came in a nursery soil though, not much visible difference to normal compost, perhaps it's got a mix of peat/moss though.
Would you recommended repotting these two trees into a more stoney substrate?
There’s no rush, it’s best done in Spring when new buds start to swell. In the meantime practice watering. Enjoy your trees
hi Darren, how did you find the Leca? i thought it was a good alternative to lava rock, been mixing it with regular compost for more aeration for my collected material etc. As i see it the most profound difference between regular potting mix and bonsai aggrigates is that you can't over water aggregate soil, although i haven't tested this to the extreme myself. I also see sphagnum moss added to soils as an extra organic component especially with azaleas. This is my first season doing bonsai though, so much to learn, thanks for your list there's couple there i hadn't heard of.
I didn’t get around to trying Leca in the end. Thanks Matt 🙏
Hi, Thanks for your videos. Quick question, I just acquired a commercial bonsai Acer has full organic mix substrate. I know that I have to change as it is staying to we, but the problem is that the weather here is already nearly 30 degrees celcuis so I am scared to change to akadama. Shall I wait till early spring or still repot? Thanks
Wait until spring, just as the buds start to swell. If you get wet winters, try to protect it from staying very wet, against a wall to shelter it from some of the rain. Obviously don’t let it dry right out even in winter.
@@grobonsai
That was fast, Thanks :)
Cat litter as a soil ingredient, any advice.
Hi @Paul Ballantine, where are you based? Reason I ask is because cat litters are not created equal when it comes to use in horticulture. I'm in the UK and the only brand of CL that I have used and can recommend is Sanicat Pink www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/lightweight-non-clumping-pink-cat-litter. This product is also sold under a different name as an absorbent material for cleaning up oil spills in car mechanics etc. and can also be purchased under it's generic name 'molar/moler clay'. It is highly absorbent - can hold 100% of it's weight of water, so good for species that aren't afraid of wet feet. I find it too wet for conifers on it's own, so will be experimenting with combining it with pumice or expanded clay (Leca) type materials for my pines. Hope that helps.
Oh also just to add, in a mix it serves the same purpose as Akadama - retains moisture and nutrients - BUT, it doesn't break down, so unlike Akadama, will not 'actively' encourage finer and finer roots.
I have used Tesco's pink dust free light weight cat litter with good effect
Hi there, Thanks for the video. Very informative. I am very new to Bonsai and I have only one to start with. It's a Chinese Pepper (Zanthoxylum) and was bought from a garden centre last October. It has lived indoors over the winter and I'm about to re-pot it for the first time. I have read too many articles and watched too many videos on Bonsai soil; my head is spinning. :-) I am going to try 100% Molar clay as I bought a 30l bag of Sanicat Pink cat litter. I have sieved the small bits out and washed it several times. Should I mix this with something else or just use it neat? When I got the bonsai, I was bought a bag of Westland potting mix so should I add some of this to the molar clay or not bother? I live in South Wales but as the tree will probably remain indoors, I doubt whether that matters! :-). Many thanks.
The tree will be fine but you will need to check if it needs watering more often. If that’s gonna be a problem while you’re at work or whatever, a little potting mix might help hold moisture for longer. I wouldn’t normally recommend it though.
@@grobonsai Thank you. As working from home is the new norm, I will be able to water far more frequently so I think I will go for 100% Molar Clay. Thank you.
How do you regulate the pH of your soil? For example alkaline soil for olives or acidic for camellias.
I don’t grow species that can’t tolerate the normal pH range of the water I have available. I like to make life simple, not hard
What is your recommendation for junipers please
Greetings from Malaysia... im about to swap out the pot and soil that came from nursery to my 3 week home bonsai... the pot that i used from "day 1" at home was too large and it came with the potting soil from nursery. So what does a beginner do? He goes online to learn to water the soil entirely and let it drain out for some time. Ditto... a week later, the soil is still wet to the touch and reads 8-10 on the moisture meter. Some leaves have started to yellow and drop.
I have on order a small bonsai pot that is more proportional to the tree's dimensions and then plan to go for a mix of 40% akadama/25% pumice/35% peat moss... Hopefully this mean i only need to water every 2 or 3 days (let see). Ill let this roll for a month or two to evaluate
Sounds good 👍
👍🏻
I stared some pine trees in peat moss and I’m not sure how much water the pine tree needs. It has stopped growing.
Pines definitely prefer a drier, airy soil generally. But they also grow in flushes - one or two bursts of growth per year, so if they look healthy it may just be that. But I definitely recommend when it’s safe to do so, moving to something like pumice and pine bark or even a mix with plenty of perlite.
Hi I've had problems with my carmona to the point it's defoliated. It's on a window sill and following a light prune now baldy.
Previously I experimented with an pre mix with akadama etc. In it now a bit of sphagnum moss and previously mentioned soil to try to revive it.
I wonder now it's it dead😣 or is it gonna fire out new buds come spring. I dunno did I use the wrong thing as when I got it was bedded in crap coco coir.
Also I live in Ireland an indoor tree watered every 2-3 days.
Any thoughts would be welcome.
Noel
I shouldve mentioned I rinsed off black aphids regularly before (funny they never went for any other tree) I'm wracking my brains as to any other things that may be the cause.
I know this is an older video, can you do a future video on used very rough course ground coffee or whole doubled used coffee beans as bonsai soil. My ficus retusa really loves it and spreads roots faster then what I was using before. I think pines, junipers, maples might also like this.
Drains water really well, holds moisture and slow release just like academia or fire clay.
That sounds interesting- are you using whole beans or ground - and as soil or fertiliser?
@@grobonsai I used a mixer of whole and hand crushed coffee beans as actual soil for my ficus retusa. For my other plants a few pinches at a time as fertilizer every week.
Safety tread for oil spills is moluar clay, I'm looking to find the cheapest price they come in 30 litre bags
Good suggestion, thanks!
when i bought my bonsai soil was rock hard but tree was heslthy when i googled it said dont let it dry out so i water it leaves have gone yeĺlow
Yes it may be staying wet for too long. The key is watering deeply, only when there is a risk that the soil will become too dry. Very hard to explain in words. But it’s the wet, dry, wet, dry cycles that keeps the tree healthy.
Just getting into bonsai. I’m in Denmark, so plenty of molar clay here. Should I mix it with anything else? Or is it okay as is? I know it depends on climate, but i think Denmark and The UK are more or less The same.
Can be mixed with bark for more moisture or pumice/bims and lava for less moisture loving such as pines and juniper
It is an oak tree, which needs quite a good amount of water right?
100% molar will be fine, but do note that bonsai substrate can need to be watered twice a day in hot weather
I've just start some apple trees from seeds. They are currently in some potters compose. At about what stage should I them in bonsia substrate
Great question, there is no one single answer - but trade-offs. In a standard depth pot, compost is ok, in a shallow bonsai depth pot, bonsai soil is best. You may decide to use bonsai type soil in a nursery container if you want to get a lot of growth, but you’ll need to use fertiliser more often. Bonsai soil also makes root work a lot more pleasant. But bonsai soil is generally more expensive, needs more frequent watering, must be fertilised more often. I recommend to use bonsai-type substrate for all conifers regardless of pot etc. In fact I prefer bonsai substrate for all material as the downsides are acceptable in my circumstances. In terms of age of the tree, it doesn’t matter, but make sure they are at least a year old if you need to remove existing soil - because the roots will be less delicate. Best done in the Spring. Hope that helps
@@grobonsai thank you sooo much it's great
where do you buy the moler clay and bark chippings from here in uk? thanks
My supply of bark ran out since making the video and I’ve stopped using it. If you’re in the U.K. Pets at home sell it as Sanicat pink cat litter, or kaizen bonsai sell it in online
Hi
Thank you for your video.
I have a question.
Is it ok to use 40% quality soil mixture with 60% toph 2-4 ?
Thank you
Oded
(Israel)
Hi, I don’t understand what is ‘toph 2-4’? Is it a soil ingredient?
I think its called "red volcanic tuff"
Ah is it red lava? It is a good ingredient. It dries quite quickly so consider starting at 30% lava. But it does depend what else is in the mix
Yes, exactly.
Thank for your answare !
I started already with 60% after a bonsai specialist in my country recomanded me, so i will give it a try...i wasnt sure about the "regular" soil mixture as well...
I hope it is correct...
If it has been recommended locally it should be good 👍
2:10 Hydroponics says otherwise.
I don't understand the requirement for traditional bonsai that the plant is rooted in nothing but akadama. If you planted a tree in that crap here, you'd need to water it 5 times a day.
Literally the worst video I’ve ever seen. Just kidding it was very helpful. definitely subscribe
Haha ya got me! Thanks Rob
Can't you talk without using your hands, or are you using sign language !🤣😁
I started making these videos partly to confront my social anxiety. That is why it is awkward to watch. I really don’t need to wake up to this personal feedback, that is as actionable as it is welcome. You’ve made similar comments on my videos before, so you must have had an idea of what this one would be like. Either put up with it, or go somewhere else.