"Neal Ross" wrote in message
news:000801c2eb13$6141bf80$5f4aabcd@computer...
In all the discussions I have read concerning the subject of
soil the ingredients are usually akadama, or pine/fir bark and
some sort of grit, sand or lava rock. On the cover of Bonsai
Today #82 there is a Chinese Quince and I was wondering if anyone
can tell by looking at it what the top covering or soil in that
specimen is. It looks like plain dirt and I was wondering what
people use to get that look for their trees. The mix that I use
works well for me but looks completely different from that. Just
curious, not a life threatening question.


I think they're putting a thin layer of the sifted fines from
their soil mixing, or some peat moss/ potting soil over the top,
and smoothing it over with a paint brush before they take the
photo.

I think I read this somewhere, but I don't recall where.