Koreshoff Bonsai Soil Mix

[Scott Roxburgh]

...And while I am at it - can one buy akadama in Sydney...

I have some in Canberra, take a drive to see the NBPCA and pick some up from me, $28/bag.

[Sean M]

Hi Scott, how often are you at the collection with the mix?

[Scott Roxburgh]

Not often at the NBPCA, but only a phone call away...often at CBS meetings though

[Sean M]

Nice, I wont be there this month, but I'll chat if you're there in Aug.

[Graeme]

I used the Koreshoff mix for years and years with great success. I modified it a little when I lived in Darwin, only because I couldn't get the sharp grit they used. I supplemented it with the local Hort river sand, which wasn't as sharp, but did the job. I only stopped using it when cow manure became so hit and miss as to if I could get it or not once I moved back to suburbia. The bagged stuff from the Big Green Shed is OK to use, but buy a couple of bags now, open them, turn them often and use it next year, so it has time to completely compost down. Make sure you buy the straight cow manure as well, as they do carry a couple of blends.

Interested to read your problems with it pup, as I never had an issue with the manure component 'clagging' up. I wonder why? The thing I found most amazing about using the mix was, with the exception of Chinese Elms I could grow everything in the one, unmodified mix. Azaleas up to Ficus and Cypress all went into the one mix. Up in the Tropics I had to add a heap more composted manure to the mix for my Elms. In the end I used to just pot them up into my standard Nursery potting mix.

Only thing to watch, if your using the 'Koreshoff' mix is your fertilizing. DO NOT forget to feed all the time. Because of the openness of the mix the fert' doesn't get to sit around in the pot for long.

[Andrew Legg]

Used it for years, but found the cow manure went to sludge after a while changed to coco peat, no problems after that. A quality potting commercial potting mix and carnarvon river sand.
No Problems now.

This is in Perth where it is a lot drier less humidty ( not at the moment I am happy to say)

Also we now have a ready supply of Akadama and Kanuma from Japan.

Cheers Pup

Hey Pup,

I'm curious. Akadama and Kanuma are obviously used with great success in Japan, but it is not available in South Africa. You guys have both, so may I ask what your experience is with the traditional mixed vs. the home made variety you use? I'm not interested in price, but rather whether I'm missing something by not having access to the Japanese materials!

Cheers,

Andrew

[ADO]

I used the Koreshoff mix for years and years with great success. I modified it a little when I lived in Darwin, only because I couldn't get the sharp grit they used. I supplemented it with the local Hort river sand, which wasn't as sharp, but did the job. I only stopped using it when cow manure became so hit and miss as to if I could get it or not once I moved back to suburbia. The bagged stuff from the Big Green Shed is OK to use, but buy a couple of bags now, open them, turn them often and use it next year, so it has time to completely compost down. Make sure you buy the straight cow manure as well, as they do carry a couple of blends.

Interested to read your problems with it pup, as I never had an issue with the manure component 'clagging' up. I wonder why? The thing I found most amazing about using the mix was, with the exception of Chinese Elms I could grow everything in the one, unmodified mix. Azaleas up to Ficus and Cypress all went into the one mix. Up in the Tropics I had to add a heap more composted manure to the mix for my Elms. In the end I used to just pot them up into my standard Nursery potting mix.

Only thing to watch, if your using the 'Koreshoff' mix is your fertilizing. DO NOT forget to feed all the time. Because of the openness of the mix the fert' doesn't get to sit around in the pot for long.

Hi Graham,
can you remember the size of the grit/gravel you used in your Koreshoff mix? I have access to coarse granite gravel (bluemetal) which is around 7 mm in size. I can also get much smaller grit in the 2-4 mm range. also, did you add anything else to the mix apart from manure and grit? the recipe calls for a rich loam based soil to be added - did you add this component. I assume agood quality potting mix or cactus mix might substitute ok?

cheers

Adrian

[Graeme]

Adrian, Hi. Mate it was a while ago and the old grey matter isn't what it used to be. Can't remember what the size of the grit was, but can remember it was sieved through mesh about the size of flywire and also a 1/4" mesh. I used the stuff retained by the flywire and threw the rest. During later times I included Zeolite, of the same size as the grit, at around 50/50 with the grit component.
I didn't include any soil at all in my mix, instead using 100% well composted (totally actually) cow manure.

[ADO]

Hi Graeme,

thanks for that. Zeolite is hard to find here in WA so I might just use 50/50 grit and cow manure + slow release fertiliser.

cheers

Adrian

[Damian Bee]

I have been trying out leaf mould or rotted leaves from my Liquid Amber's. They drop copious amounts of leaf and seed capsule each year so why not make use? In Koreshoffs book there is a paragraph about Liquid Amber leaves making good compost to add to potting mix, I have to say that it is chockers with worm castings and is nice and fluffy. It's being used on my maples at present so next year we will see how it is sitting in the pot, (holding well or clogging the drain?).