Selecting the right soil mixture
for your Bonsai is very important. In this video I'll explain what the
best soil mixtures are for Bonsai. And how you might adept these
to your local circumstances. Some of the most important characteristics
that we look for in bonsai soil include: the retention of water and nutrients,
drainage of excess water and providing aeration. Organic soils often don’t drain water very well,
which for most tree species will lead to problems. Therefore, I advise to use a mostly inorganic
soil mixture, with akadama, lava rock and pumice. Akadama is hard-baked Japanese clay,
specifically produced for Bonsai purposes and available at all (online) Bonsai shops.
Pumice is a soft volcanic product, which
can absorb water and nutrients quite well. When used in a Bonsai soil mix, it helps to retain
water and it aids the roots to ramify very well. Lava rock retains water and adds
good structure to a Bonsai substrate. Roots can't grow into Lava rock. So what is the best soil you
could use for your Bonsai? This largely depends on your tree species, so make sure to look up the care guide on the
bonsaiempire website for more information. There are two Bonsai soil
mixtures that I usually recommend For most deciduous and broadleaf evergreen tree
species, we recommend a mixture of 50% Akadama, 25% Pumice and 25% Lava rock, For conifers and pines we recommend a mixture of one third Akadama, one third Pumice and one third Lava rock. These premixed soils are available
at most online bonsai stores, though you can also choose to mix these yourself. You can adept our recommended
mixes to your local circumstances. For example, in a dry climate you want
to have a soil mixture that retains more water, by adding more akadama. You could even consider adding
a small amount of organic matter (like potting compost) if you need a
soil mixture that retains more water. When living in a wet climate, you can choose
to reduce the amount of akadama in your mix. I hope this introduction
to Bonsai soil was helpful. If you have any questions feel
free to post those on our forum. Learn how to create your own Bonsai trees, by
enrolling in one of our online Bonsai courses. We explain techniques like
pruning wiring and repotting, and you can ask questions to the teachers. For the curriculums and free lessons, go to:
bonsaiempire.com/courses
