Of course a perched water table can be a bad thing, but I don't think that
bonsai pots with layered soil end up with enough of a defined layer size
differential to actually create one; I think the layers get somewhat
blended, especially with all the action of working soil in around the roots,
etc. when potting. Therefore, I think that layered soil in a bonsai pot
does no harm.

Many methods are passed along as the way a thing is done because that is the
way it has always been done, and if the way it has always been done seems to
work (or does no harm even if not necessarily beneficial), then there is no
reason not to continue to pass the traditional method along.

Jim, I am curious, you say that now your trees are healthier that ever using
Boon's soil mix and layered soil. Did you also use Boon's mix in your
pre-layering days, and was your treatment of your trees otherwise identical
back then? (Watering & fertilizing regime, etc.) If not, then I don't
think that the improved tree health can necessarily be attributed to the
layering of your soil. It may be that Boon's soil mix is just superior to
your old mix, and your other care methods may have improved.

Marty layers his soil and notices a preponderance of roots in the bottom of
his pots in the drainage layer. I don't layer my soil, and I use a mix
similar to Marty's, i.e. crushed lava rock in the 1/8" to 3/8" range, and I
also notice a preponderance of roots in the bottom of my pots. I think this
is a normal situation because it is always moister there, drainage layer or
not.

My conclusion is that if one uses a coarse, free draining soil mix layering
the soil will probably do no harm, and will also probably be of no
additional benefit.

Regards,
Roger Snipes
Spokane, WA. Zone 5-ish

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Gremel"
Sometime I hear or read that layered soils are bad because they will
create "perched water tables". I think every horticultural student
"learns" this. I would never want to buck science (even though that seems
to be a major sport in our country right now), but I would ask the
anti-layerers why layered soils work so well. After all, the best and
healthiest bonsai in the world have layered soils; so, why do they work?

Actually, I am only mildly curious about it. I didn't layer the soil for
my first couple of decades. Now I do, using Boon's soil recipes, & my
trees are healthier than ever.

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