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[IBC] Soil Products
Do any of you have experience using Oak Leaf Mold in
your soil mix. If so do you recomend it or is their a better organic to replace this. Also have any of you ever experimented with hemlock bark rather then pine bark, if so is there any advantage using it over pine bark. Finally I have seen allot of conflicting info on whether or not spagnum peat moss is good to use in soil or dangerous in soil "which is it???". Thanks Ben __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Soil Products
Someone recently mentioned to me that they use
diatomaceous earth in their mix. I read a bit about it and it is supposed to deter bugs in the soil. Is it dangerous or beneficial to the root system? Ben __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Soil Products
Do any of you have experience using Oak Leaf Mold in
your soil mix. If so do you recomend it or is their a better organic to replace this. Oak leaf mold (Aka rotted oak leaves -- AKA forest mold -- is often used in Great Britain (or at least many of the British bonsai-writers mention it as a soil component). I don't know of anyone over here that uses it (but I'm sure I'll hear from them now ;-); down here in the warm, humid south it would decompose too quickly and turn to fine-grained mush in our soil. Ground-up bark is better (IMHO), though I use a small amount of horse-manure-hay compost in most of my soil mixtures, and oal leaf mold is just another kind of compost. Also have any of you ever experimented with hemlock bark rather then pine bark, if so is there any advantage using it over pine bark. No experience with hemlock bark, but if it's not filled with volatiles (like red cedar bark is) I'd think it would be as good. You don't use the bark as a source of nurients, after all. Finally I have seen allot of conflicting info on whether or not spagnum peat moss is good to use in soil or dangerous in soil "which is it???". Sphagnum is good. Peat -- the dried, ground-up, powdery end product of old, dry sphagnum -- if present in too large a concentration, can actually repel water, and is bad, or at least not a preferred soil component for bonsai. Fresh (even green) sphagnum, cut or chopped small (but not powdery) is a good addition to the soil of acid-loving plants. I harvest it from my swamp, shred it and add a little of it to all of my azalea pots. Sphagnum contains a substance that promotes root growth. I have no idea if it is still present in peat. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry David Thoreau - Walden ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Soil Products
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Griffin" Someone recently mentioned to me that they use diatomaceous earth in their mix. I read a bit about it and it is supposed to deter bugs in the soil. Is it dangerous or beneficial to the root system? Ben --------------- Provided that I'm correct in assuming that DE is not granular, it is far too small to be used as bonsai soil. If the grains are smaller than 1/8" (3mm), it's not at all beneficial. The kinds of pests that DE can help to deter are not generally a problem with bonsai. BTW, DE only works when it's dry. Kind regards, Andy Rutledge zone 8, Texas ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Soil Products
Hey Ben..I'll let those more experienced than i answer most of your soil
questions...but as far as the Hemlock bark goes...I am going on 4 years using it as pretty much my only organic component for most of my trees...no problems yet...definitely need to screen it though depending on how small you grind it if you do...seems to me it gets a little powdery during the process ....I used a lawn shredder then screened out the fines with standard window screening . I ended up tossing maybe a 1/4 of what i started out with...after 3 seasons in an outdoor training bed and some in pots for that long I haven't noticed any appreciable break down yet. best of luck....BobO ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Soil Products
----- Original Message -----
From: "David J. Bockman" Subject: [IBC] Soil Products Hi Ben, I really like rotted oak leaf as an organic soil component to bonsai soil. - It is ridiculously cheap and easy to prepare. - Of the common organic components used in bonsai soil it is by far the slowest to break down, thus a longer lasting component. David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7) Dave, Please feel free to come to Ohio and rake up all the oak leaves you'd like off my property. I never got them all up before snows this year and come spring they'll be rotting away ( along with the lawn!) They are like little strips of leather laying on the grass! Dale Cochoy ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Soil Products
dalecochoy wrote:
Dave, Please feel free to come to Ohio and rake up all the oak leaves you'd like off my property. I never got them all up before snows this year and come spring they'll be rotting away ( along with the lawn!) They are like little strips of leather laying on the grass! Dale Cochoy Same here. I've got a big pile of them in the side yard. I hadn't thought of using them as an organic component in soil, but I have no lack of them. Craig Cowing NY Zone 5b/6a ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
[IBC] Soil Products
Craig: I wouldn't use them in bonsai soil, but they are rich in acid and aid roots
in getting nutrients. They're especially good as a mulch for azaleas. Alan Walker, Lake Charles, LA, USA http://LCBSBonsai.org http://bonsai-bci.com =============================== Dave, Please feel free to come to Ohio and rake up all the oak leaves you'd like off my property. I never got them all up before snows this year and come spring they'll be rotting away ( along with the lawn!) They are like little strips of leather laying on the grass! Dale Cochoy ======== Same here. I've got a big pile of them in the side yard. I hadn't thought of using them as an organic component in soil, but I have no lack of them. Craig Cowing NY Zone 5b/6a ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
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