|
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
I have a question on bonsai soil. I understand the concepts of the soil
you would use in a "bonsai pot", good drainage etc. I buy my bonsai soil pre-made, it's cheap when you're only using it in small bonsai pots. What do you use on your pre-bonsai? Large containers, 5 gallons or more. Five gallons of pre-mixed bonsai soil is expensive. I was using potting soil, but I lost a lot of trees this winter. We had a VERY cold winter in Connecticut. A lot of other things other than the potting soil may have contributed to the death of my plants in training. What I started using this spring, after the harsh winter is a 50/50 mix of turface mvp and pine bark mulch, do you think that's fine for LARGE training pots? Antonio Quental ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
----- Original Message -----
I have a question on bonsai soil. I understand the concepts of the soil you would use in a "bonsai pot", good drainage etc. I buy my bonsai soil pre-made, it's cheap when you're only using it in small bonsai pots. What do you use on your pre-bonsai? Large containers, 5 gallons or more. Five gallons of pre-mixed bonsai soil is expensive. I was using potting soil, but I lost a lot of trees this winter. We had a VERY cold winter in Connecticut. A lot of other things other than the potting soil may have contributed to the death of my plants in training. What I started using this spring, after the harsh winter is a 50/50 mix of turface mvp and pine bark mulch, do you think that's fine for LARGE training pots? First, I presume you are talking about winter hardy trees. Those big containers get real awkward indoors! I would concentrate on drainage for your mix. There's no need for (relatively) expensive bonsai soil for the whole pot. After all, you're NOT trying to grow deep roots, My inclination would be to use the turface mix (probably with less bark, unless it was "chunky") for only the top 6 inches or so of the pot. Under that you can use gravel, packing peanuts (aka "ghost tu*ds), etc. Anything to support the actual growing part of the soil will be fine AS LONG AS IT IS FREE DRAINING!. Having said that, I confess that the azaleas I rescued (bare root) this spring are in potting soil to help promote new root growth. Haven't decided whether I'll disturb them in the fall. Probably will. Regards. Bart ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
I hear you about the cold part, it was cold as heck here in Pennsylvania as
well. I lost very few trees (in training) and I use a 1/3 turface, 1/3 medium pine bark, 1/3 turkey gravel which is about 1/8". This has worked well for me over the years. hth Robert "Quental, Antonio" wrote in message hemdc.net... I have a question on bonsai soil. I understand the concepts of the soil you would use in a "bonsai pot", good drainage etc. I buy my bonsai soil pre-made, it's cheap when you're only using it in small bonsai pots. What do you use on your pre-bonsai? Large containers, 5 gallons or more. Five gallons of pre-mixed bonsai soil is expensive. I was using potting soil, but I lost a lot of trees this winter. We had a VERY cold winter in Connecticut. A lot of other things other than the potting soil may have contributed to the death of my plants in training. What I started using this spring, after the harsh winter is a 50/50 mix of turface mvp and pine bark mulch, do you think that's fine for LARGE training pots? Antonio Quental ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
Billy,
I'm over here in Tampa and I use the Pine Bark Mulch. What do you use for the organic material? "Quental, Antonio" wrote in message hemdc.net... I have a question on bonsai soil. I understand the concepts of the soil you would use in a "bonsai pot", good drainage etc. I buy my bonsai soil pre-made, it's cheap when you're only using it in small bonsai pots. What do you use on your pre-bonsai? Large containers, 5 gallons or more. Five gallons of pre-mixed bonsai soil is expensive. I was using potting soil, but I lost a lot of trees this winter. We had a VERY cold winter in Connecticut. A lot of other things other than the potting soil may have contributed to the death of my plants in training. What I started using this spring, after the harsh winter is a 50/50 mix of turface mvp and pine bark mulch, do you think that's fine for LARGE training pots? Antonio Quental ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
Since I sent out this email the other day asking for advice I went on a
shopping spree. I've been to Agway; they sell Chicken Grit (crushed granite). It was only $7 for a 50 lb bag, so I picked up two. The granite looks to be a perfect size; it doesn't seem to have any fines!! I also went over to another local store, about 5 miles away and picked up two more 50lb bags of Turface MVP, for $8 each. Then I went to the local Home Depot and picked up 2 bags of Pine bark mulch, for about $2.50 per bag. The only thing I still need to do is to get some window screens and some sort of larger screen to get rid of the fines. The larger screen would be to get rid of the large, uglier pieces of pine bark mulch. Any recommendations on screens? Or where to get screens? Do window stores sell screens with varying hole sizes? Thanks!! You guys have helped me out a lot! Antonio Quental -----Original Message----- From: Donald Veasey ] Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 10:48 PM To: Subject: [IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil Billy, I'm over here in Tampa and I use the Pine Bark Mulch. What do you use for the organic material? "Quental, Antonio" wrote in message hemdc.net... I have a question on bonsai soil. I understand the concepts of the soil you would use in a "bonsai pot", good drainage etc. I buy my bonsai soil pre-made, it's cheap when you're only using it in small bonsai pots. What do you use on your pre-bonsai? Large containers, 5 gallons or more. Five gallons of pre-mixed bonsai soil is expensive. I was using potting soil, but I lost a lot of trees this winter. We had a VERY cold winter in Connecticut. A lot of other things other than the potting soil may have contributed to the death of my plants in training. What I started using this spring, after the harsh winter is a 50/50 mix of turface mvp and pine bark mulch, do you think that's fine for LARGE training pots? Antonio Quental ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
Quental, Antonio wrote: Any recommendations on screens? Or where to get screens? Do window stores sell screens with varying hole sizes? Try your local hardware store or building supply and ask for "hardware cloth .. It comes in various sized screening and sometimes in stainlessl Jim Harwood zone 7b central Arkansas ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
I agree with Jim, but, in most hardware stores, they carry the fine mesh
needed to get rid of fines without losing too much good soil, only as window screening. By the time you buy all the minimum size rolls (unless your store sells by the yard), you will have spent more than the cost of bonsai screens. If you buy those, make sure that the set includes the 1mm mesh (about the same as window screening). ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim" To: Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 12:43 PM Subject: [IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil Quental, Antonio wrote: Any recommendations on screens? Or where to get screens? Do window stores sell screens with varying hole sizes? Try your local hardware store or building supply and ask for "hardware cloth . It comes in various sized screening and sometimes in stainlessl Jim Harwood zone 7b central Arkansas ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Pre-Bonsai Soil
Since I sent out this email the other day asking for advice I
went on a shopping spree. I've been to Agway; they sell Chicken Grit (crushed granite). It was only $7 for a 50 lb bag, so I picked up two. The granite looks to be a perfect size; it doesn't seem to have any fines!! I also went over to another local store, about 5 miles away and picked up two more 50lb bags of Turface MVP, for $8 each. Then I went to the local Home Depot and picked up 2 bags of Pine bark mulch, for about $2.50 per bag. The only thing I still need to do is to get some window screens and some sort of larger screen to get rid of the fines. The larger screen would be to get rid of the large, uglier pieces of pine bark mulch. Any recommendations on screens? Or where to get screens? Do window stores sell screens with varying hole sizes? Thanks!! You guys have helped me out a lot! Antonio Quental ================= You can buy (at any nursery or from catalogs or on line) a set of three screens, 1/4, 1/8/ 1/16 screens that are very useful at screening your bonsai soil. The sent shouldn't cost more than $20. (US). Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase 'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:45 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter