HI Iris
Iris Cohen wrote:

If you carry this "natural" soil argument to its ultimate conclusion, we would
not grow bonsai at all. We would leave all the trees in the woods, live in
caves, and eat raw meat.
technology is one thing but we are going too far
in this way why not live into a bubble uniform like astronouts on
the moon to avoid contaminations ,breath sterilized air and eat
sysnthetic food to live healthier.....
in the 1940 1950 in switzerland ( a doctopr friend told me ) was the
craze of sterilizations of aptments from microbs
and they realized that people were getting sick easier and the *clean
apt* than in the normal ones...

my little geraniums and maples and pentaphilla and azaleas and roses
live in a spartan natural way..
of course I am changing the soil for a better accomodation to my and
their needs, as are grown in an already **artificial** environment to
stimulate better air curculation and roots development , but I use
natural materials
if we are too much byby sitting them like over cured kids will grow
spolied and get all pests and problems
I had plants for years in pots and never changed soil nor added
fertilizers beside of some cofféé waste and water for years a and
the plants were growing fine ..
Here in switzerland we have often the city decoration trees that are
in small pots to avoid wild parkings or as decoration and grow natural
bonsai and have no cure at all watering when is raining no fertilizer a
small pot no drainage no good soil and all pestas that pass by

sometimes I make picteures as they are very nice material for bonsais
and are often junipers or pines or maples...

If God didn't want us to develop technology, He would
Please .. let Him where he is .. we are already making enought harm
in the world in His name ..
not have given us a large brain and opposable thumbs. Even Betty the crow makes
tools.
it is coincidence next time others species will develope grips and
civilization . monkeys are very similar to us but nature did not make
a perfetc thumb yet with them we were the following experiment..
and was succesful ..so to say


unfortunately we use them to destroy our enviromnements and human
fellows..

If you don't want to use modern methods which research has developed to
grow healthier trees, you don't have to.

mine are healthy in their environment
just some aphids & sometimes of mildew if I water too late in the
evening in summer
If your methods work for you, fine. I
will continue to use the methods that work for me, including soilless mixes
sure it is your choice
,
weekly feeding with organic and inorganic fertilizers, and insecticides whan
necessary. And I will continue to keep myself & my plants indoors in the
winter.
it is a forum of discussion not a forum to enforce the know how for
bonsai to his members :-)
we are still in democracy
By the way, the products we use in soilless potting media: crushed gravel,
bark, perlite, vermiculite, and charcoal, are just as natural as garden dirt,
only the charcoal and expanded clay have been heated.
I prefer lava pumice or sand peat and granite and my home made oak
leaves compost
I have this materials available here as well as akadama but is too
expensive lately and the quality is getting poor

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving day

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