Soils by Colin Lewis

Colin gives us a through review of bonsai soil mediums and the ingredients that make them up.

Thanks Tom and a well represented and informative article by Colin. From my perspective in south Victoria Australia I have access to a bonsai mix from Debco which I use as the basis for my bonsai. To this I add 50% 1/4 minus crushed granite for aeration/drainage. The basic mix contains zeolite which contains great help for the root system. No bark exists in the mix which is of a fine grit consistence and drains freely on its own. I do add to my mix peat moss for the acid lovers of course.


Happy to be here ...Ash

"I do add to my mix peat moss for the acid lovers of course. "

Ash...Have you ever added spaghnum to any mix?
Flex / 4MAAT

I understand the properties and benefits of spagnum but I have only used it when layering. Never used it in my mix... should I? Sounds as if it might help reduce stress when re-potting.

Ash

I use fresh sphagnum that I have collected myself and mix it with kitty litter for my collected trees. It's hardly science but I've had amazing results with pines. Trees that I thought were goners have had normal sized needles and backbudded very well without any manipulation apart from the collecting itself.

I have found that replacing "barks" with sphagnum as the organic has had tremendous benefit for my trees. I believe that its antiseptic qualities takes it to the next level when you are talking about an organic in your soil mix.

Shady Side produces Colin's "Recipe Soil Mix" and sphagnum is the organic ingredient. The sphagnum volume percentage varies from the Conifer mix, Deciduous mix, and Pine Mix. It is fine chopped and then introduced in the blending process. This fine chop method gives a pleasing soil texture as well as being visually appealing.

While all my trees have responded extremely well, of note has been junipers and pines. Pitch and Virginiana responding the best in this category.

Something also interesting to note. I have used sphagnum (80%) with lava rock (20%) as a medium for bougainvillea cuttings. Over the past two years these cutting have out grown the parent plant by better than 300%. I am still scratching my head about this, but can not deny the visual results.

Seems I attended the wrong school. Many thanks for the information and the sales of spagnum moss will soar in my area.

Ash

"Many thanks for the information and the sales of spagnum moss will soar in my area.
"

Ash...One more thing on spaghnum....there are many types. Tom Brown and I use the long-leaf variety.
I have found that some orchid shops have live spaghnum, as the orchids are shipped in it. Some also carry bales...I lucked out and picked up a 10KG bale for use in my mixes.
Like Tom Brown, I have found that my pines respond extremely well when some is mixed in...same with Taxus.

Speaking of taxus...I did an experiment several years ago...took a dozen collected Taxus and put 6 into Akadama with grit and spaghnum, and the other 6 into red lava rock, grit and spaghnum.

Guess which trees did better.....the ones in lava rock!

Taxus have masses of very fine root hairs, which, on a healthy tree, grow close to the trunk. I suspect that the sharp lava rock helped to split these roots even farther, resulting in even larger mass of hairs, all working to absorb nutrients, water and air....a great combo!
Flex / 4MAAT

Flex I find your input and knowledge of great benefit not only for me but the greater audience. Many thanks for that. See even at my age you can still learn and I never lose sight of that.

Ash

"...See even at my age you can still learn and I never lose sight of that. ..."

Ash..."young" is not the keeper of knowledge.....and knowledge doesn't happen only when we are young.
I thoroughly enjoy input from anywhere...cause it means I am still learning, and ain't that a neat thing!

I am not a spring chicken either...summer 2K7 was my 50th year on a surfboard, and surfing is my first passion!
Flex