Soil mix and re-potting advice

[Aquaman]

Hi,

Having spent too many hours researching bonsai "soil" mix and sourcing ingredients I am finally close to finishing my first batch.

Because there is too much information out there I have gone with a mix that includes lots of ingredients....to hedge my bets.

Question 1: I would be interested to hear feedback on the following mix:

30% Diatomite
10% Zeolite
15% Flourite (a planted aquarium substrate I had in the shed)
10% Coir
10% Pine Bark
10% Orchid Mix (which is mostly pine bark I believe)
15% Sharp Gravel
Plus a handful of Osmocote slow release fertiliser.

All those ingredients have been sieved through a 1mm fly screen to remove fines and then through a 5mm sieve to remove larger lumps.

I grow mostly Acers, Tridents, Elms, Oaks etc.

I water twice a day in the summer and once a day in the winter.

One of the reasons I plan to repot all my trees to this mix is I have a big outbreak of curl grubs in garden and I want to discourage them from attacking my trees.

Question 2: Will this mix discourage curl grubs?

Question 3: What do people put in the bottom of your pots to help with drainage? I have loads of big lumps of pine bark left over. I am wondering if I should put that in the bottom of my pots......or should I buy something like Scoria......or should I just stick with my soil mix.

Question 4: Where do I source fine pine bark? The stuff I bought was quite chunky and all that sieving was a nightmare.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[klaery]

1: Pretty complicated for what soil actually needs to do. It should be fine though.

2: Yes it should. To a degree anyway. I use diatomite and coir (about 70/30) in my bonsai pots and never get curl grubs. Diatomite is used pretty widely for killing/repelling insects (I used it around my native bee hives). I often get them in my grow out pots which contain a much greater degree of organics. I imagine most sharp inorganics would discourage curl grubs.

3: Nothing. With a free draining mix it shouldn't be an issue.

4: I can't help sorry as I have never bought it. I suggest looking at orchid mixes though at the usual joints.

Hope this helps. I am inexperienced compared to alot here though so perhaps wait for a more experience response.

[ADO]

Hi Aquaman.

That is quite the mix you have made there.

I just use a mix of 1 mm river sand, perlite and extra small orchid pine nuggets.
That is what works for me here in Perth, WA.

Good luck

[DustyRusty]

Looks good. Free draining, water retentive etc. As the others suggested, the only concern would be how complicated it is. It just means more time sourcing ingredients, picking them up, sifting individually, measuring quantities etc. If you have that time, then go for it

Personally, I use 50% diatomite, 25% blue metal, 25% coco peat. Why? Because it's free draining, the diatomite is water retentive, the coco peat has a good Cation Exchange Capacity, it's very cheap, it's completely reusable (except for the coco peat), and if i'm using it first time and it's not for a Shohin, i don't have to sift it. That works for me, because with a toddler, another on the way, and a job that means i often work weekends, minimising time being a gold digger with my bonsai mix is something very important to me.

Yours should keep curl grubs out. No idea where to get small pine bark.

[cre8ivbonsai]

Quite the mega mix give it a go (I presume you're getting ultra organised for repotting in late winter?), and I guarantee that the next mix you make will be different due to a few factors:

1 experience - only you will notice how your trees respond to a radical change in soil mix, some trees will relish the new environment, others might sulk for up to a year. If going from standard potting mix, I would recommend either a graduated change over (half new mixed with half fresh old) or just do a few tester trees, so you know they can handle it.

2 availablity and cost of supplies (and time sieving/grading), you will end up rationalising that list down over time.


To your points:

1: make sure pine bark is already 'decomposed' (not mulch or topping) and Orchid mix is really the same thing. Therefore (point 4) hunt down 'Biogro Mini Orchid Bark nuggets' from AUS http://biogro.com.au/index.php?page=retail or 'Orchiata precission mix' from NZ http://besgrow.com/orchiata as these are what we refer to as 'Pine Bark' and far better than the general Orchid or Pine Bark from Bu$$ings.

Is this anywhere near you ? http://www.petandgarden.com.au/ausgro-o ... iogro.html

Also get yourself a bonsai soil seive then you can grade your mix properly. Remember, larger particle mix at the bottom, smaller at the top.

Hope that helps a bit

[Aquaman]

Thanks all for the quick feedback.

It sounds like I am heading down the right path.

Yes, I appreciate it is an over complicated mix. But I have almost all of the ingredients now, so I may as well chuck them all in if it will work.

Yes, I am getting organised for late winter. Not planning on repotting anything for a while.

I did visit Enfield Produce to get some of the small pine nuggets, but they had sold out. I'll give them a call in a week or 2 and see if they are back in stock.

[kcpoole]

Possibly not enough Diatomite.
I have heard of people using upto 50% and getting the odd grub but nothing like what would be with none

Ken

[longd_au]

Speaking only for myself, I often find the joy of keeping something (.e.g. aquariums, plants etc) diminishes over time if the process for maintaining them is too tedious.
You kinda get burn out. I've kept aquarium for many years and over time, I have reduced the complexity of maintenance through a combination of best practices and processes.

The same goes for Bonsai and though I have not been in Bonsai for long, my experience with other hobbies have taught me to keep it as simple as possible, especially if I plan to be doing this for a long time.
Now I am not sure if my current process is simple enough ( and will probably change over time), but I use shades that can be easily put up and taken down as well as a soil mix that compose only of high premium potting mix, scoria and diatomite. Of course, they are mixed in different proportions depending on the type of plants in the pot.

Apart from Diatomite, the other two are readily available for me.

[Scott Roxburgh]

Firstly, I don't know the what the flourite will do

It seems like it'd do the job, provided you water appropriately. However, I don't think it is the best mix you could choose.

As others have mentioned, it seems very complex.

70% inorganic / 30% organic, you'd get the same result with 70% diatomite / 30% potting soil.

Pumice does wonders...just sayin'

[Josh]

Now that's what I call a mix. Had to read it three times to remember what was in it if you already had the various components that's fine but as mentioned, keeping it simple is good. Looking at what conditions some trees grow in I think we over think it sometimes. My mix is about 70% diatomite 30% pine nuggets. I've been using recycled mix the last few repots so ratio might be slightly different. Depending on what I'm potting depends on whether I drive it. All my trees are potted in it. I don't change it for any trees and so far they love it. I water once a day and twice a day on really hot days. Over winter once a day to once every two days. I have quite a few trees at varying stages so keeping it quick and simple is what it's about for me. I add osmocote when potting and then occasionally then liquid feed when I remember works so far.
I can't see anything wrong with your mix as far as trees go, more just the time to sieve and mix. The more components the more chance of variants to and getting different moisture retention.
What it really comes down to is what works for you. As Ryan said, maybe changed over slowly depending how many trees you have and see how they respond.

Josh.

[Josh]

Firstly, I don't know the what the flourite will do

It seems like it'd do the job, provided you water appropriately. However, I don't think it is the best mix you could choose.

As others have mentioned, it seems very complex.

70% inorganic / 30% organic, you'd get the same result with 70% diatomite / 30% potting soil.

Pumice does wonders...just sayin'

What benefits do you get from pumice Scott? I've never tried it.

Josh.

[kcpoole]

What benefits do you get from pumice Scott? I've never tried it.

Josh.

Lots of larger porous particles and plenty of airspace between them.
Also very light so does no weight the pot down.

Ken

[Josh]

What benefits do you get from pumice Scott? I've never tried it.

Josh.

Lots of larger porous particles and plenty of airspace between them.
Also very light so does no weight the pot down.

Ken

Thanks Ken,
Can I ask the difference between pumice and diatomite then??

Thanks in advance
Josh

[Boics]

Pretty much what Ken just said Josh.
Pumice is far more porous than diatomite.
Due to this its lighter.

I'm sure you can find some pics online.

Damian Bee sells it around here if you're interested?
Haven't seen him online for a bit though?

P.s. OP I think the mix is to complicated.
Keep it simple. Easier to replicate and Tailor that way I reckon.

[Josh]

Pretty much what Ken just said Josh.
Pumice is fat more porous than diatomite.
Due to this its lighter.

I'm sure you can find some pics online.

Damien Bee sells it around here if you're interested?
Haven't seen him online for a bit though?

Cheers, thanks for that. Compared to my old mix diatomite is " fat, more porous and lighter" so pumice is that again. Might have to give it a go.

Josh.