John T. Jarrett wrote:

Hi John
since loam is a mix; rather that would be clayey loam -- or loam that stuck
together more than it should which would be a real stinker in a bonsai pot!

all loam is as it degradates wery quickly this is why Akadama a sort

of harder loam is better ..
its only use is for drainage

substitute it with coarse sand or coarse lava o pumice or neuter
stone ( not calcar )like granite with sharp edges(very important) and
you will get the same risult ,& with no problems of soil that might get
clumped and the roots will split more easily and grow dense

I bought a palmatum deshojo that was grown in a sort of 4 mm granite
gravel
teh soil was drying a little too fast I agree, but the plant was growing
wonderfully well and when repotted I found the best roots system ever
extremely dense and very *hairy *
since then for my climate zone 7 I use coarse gravel + some
Compost home made ( rotten oak leaves )25%
when I repot
I recuperate the gravel by sifting and wash and sterlize and use it
again






hth,
John
in Houston...and a former Soils Specialist in a region where everything but
the sand is "clayey"

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