Billy: I believe the idea is to have a fast draining soil. In
general, the fact that it doesn't hold much water is an asset,
not a problem, pretty much irregardless of climate. It does mean
that you need to water more often, and that isn't feasible for
some, but that is one of the keys to good bonsai horticulture.

Alan Walker
http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Billy M. Rhodes

I was trying to say that the larger particles of inorganic
materials
you mentioned as making up the potting media for the Pacific Rim
Collection would be appropriate for larger trees but might not
hold enough moisture for smaller trees.
Also the climate of Pacific northwest is unique in this
county and the
choice of potting media mixtures will depend upon many factors.

Billy on the Florida Space Coast

In a message dated 7/2/2004 4:39:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:

Hi Billy,
I'm not sure what your point is. Yes, many of the trees in the
Pacific Rim collection are in the three foot range. They also
have a number of trees in the 18 inch to two foot size range as
well. The soil mix seems to be the same for all.

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Quite right Billy, the choice of potting media will depend on one's local
conditions.

I don't consider the media the Pacific Rim collection uses to be on the
large side. As I mentioned their mix is in the 1/8 inch range, which I
would class in the medium size range. I use a mix of that size for many of
my smaller trees, and the mix I use for a lot of my larger trees tends to be
more towards the 1/4 inch size. The climate on my side of the state is also
considerably drier than the west side. I think their average annual
rainfall is in the neighborhood of 50+ inches, where ours is more on the
order of 16 to 20 inches. I don't have any problem with my trees that are
in a larger size media drying too fast, but they do require daily watering
in the summer when it is hot. If anything one would expect the Pacific Rim
collection to use a larger size potting mix to keep their trees from being
too wet.

I guess the mix they use works well for them though; all their trees seem
quite healthy.

Regards,
Roger Snipes Spokane, WA Zone 5, or maybe Zone 6.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it,
and then misapplying the wrong remedies. Groucho Marx (1895-1977)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Billy M. Rhodes"
I was trying to say that the larger particles of inorganic
materials
you mentioned as making up the potting media for the Pacific Rim
Collection
would be appropriate for larger trees but might not hold enough moisture
for
smaller trees.
Also the climate of Pacific northwest is unique in this county and
the
choice of potting media mixtures will depend upon many factors.

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

In a message dated 6/15/05 12:08:22 AM, Dave Ward writes:
Since cocoa shell mulch is not the best, and it seems to be much easier to
find, does anyone know of a good source for smaller size pine bark nuggets?

I found the only solution is to have a friend with a chipper/grinder, and
have him grind up the commercial grade bark for you.
Iris

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++