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This video shows how I make my bonsai soil. I have used equal parts compost, perlite and molar clay (also sold as kitty litter and the oil spill absorbent) for many years. As my environment has changed and I now have more rain, the balance of water retention is off, so I will be adding horticulture grit to my mix to help balance the amount of water held in the soil.
🔴You read more about soil on my website:
⭕️ https://www.backgardenbonsai.com/a-general-guide-to-bonsai-soil/
Channels mentioned in the video:
🔴Appalachian Bonsai:
Bonsai Soil Tests: Part 1: Water Retention
⭕️://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt_a7g6C2Ls&t=61s
Bonsai Soil Tests: Part 2: Freeze-Thaw Cycles
⭕️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJuRmunExtk
🔴Beets by Eric:
⭕️Cat Litter & Bonsai? Making "Fake-a-dama"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DNN3vwwsQ&t=108s
🔴Aussie Bonsai Bloke:
⭕️://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeG4j3ikpP76jME7EKmfetg
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Everyone will tell you that you're doing it wrong and that you should do it their way
0:10
Basically soil is the bonsai version of pasta sauce. Everyone's grandmas version is best
0:16
The reality is they're all probably great. This video is going to be a quick explanation of what
0:22
I wish on you when I started and what I do now. So bonsai soil can be made of a mix of organic
0:28
Inorganic matter, such as these, tend to hold water. And inorganic matter, such as these
0:38
These have various levels of water retention, but in general they hold less
0:43
You should watch Appalachian Bonsai's video about soil water retention. It's really useful
0:48
The link will be below. It's down to you to decide how you mix and blend the two
0:52
It's totally acceptable to just use 100% of one or use a load of different components
0:57
all mixed together. It really depends on what you can get hold of, what species you have
1:02
and what you want from the soil. The main goal is to get your mix to hold just enough water to keep
1:07
the tree happy, but less the rest of the water drain away. It also has to have enough little
1:11
gaps in between the particles to have a good amount of air. I'm not going to get into water
1:15
tables and drainage columns or stuff like that, or even pot size or material particle size
1:21
That's for another day and really not important unless you've got some serious good specimens
1:27
When I started back in spring 2014, I didn't know any of this
1:31
I bought a bag of compost and just planted everything in that Did everything live Yes This pure compost maybe hold a bit too much water and maybe not have enough aeration I think so
1:46
So as spring 2015 approached I went to the shop and bought some more compost along with some
1:50
perlite and some kitty litter. I'd done some reading and I'd also seen some other people
1:54
use these and since then I've been using them. Now I just buy these bigger bags, it's more
1:59
cost effective. This will last me a good while. I just mixed up and put it into a big box
2:05
So how can you come up with your own mix? The simple answer is research and experiment
2:09
You need to really start studying your local weather throughout the whole year. You need to learn what your species of trees likes and what it needs. Some like it drier
2:16
than others. You need to think about how much you can water. If you're not going to be around
2:20
every day to water, you're going to need more organics in your soil to keep it a little bit wetter for longer. This is what I use. Basic multi-purpose compost. I also have
2:32
this ericaceous compost from my azaleas. They like a more acidic soil and this
2:39
compost provides that. Perlite, which is very lightweight
2:48
The white colour is annoying but I can't imagine. And motor clay
3:01
Also stole this kitty later. This is a bay clay that holds some water
3:11
There is a video by Beats by Eric you need to watch he shows what happens when you buy the wrong type of kitty litter and how to fix it The link will be below I mix these in equal parts and
3:22
I've had great success with this. I don't sift it or anything. If you see any video where I repot it's
3:28
always very loose and crumbly soil. It's never overly waterlogged but it does remain damp for a
3:34
a few days so I don't have to water daily. This suited my crazy work life in London perfectly
3:40
The only exception is I grow my succulents in just perlite and motor clay. I don't want
3:45
any water retention in those so I just leave the compost out
3:50
As you may know I moved away from London not long ago and this move really highlights how
3:55
you need to study your environment and your trees needs as well as experiment and tweak
3:59
of your soil mix. I'm going to have to change a few things come spring
4:04
This is my willow. It loves being wet. I actually have it in a tray of water at all times
4:11
I could probably add more organic material to its mix. I would probably really enjoy that. This is my olive. It's from the Mediterranean and likes to be slightly drier
4:21
This one lives inside. It's the exact same soil as a water-loving willow
4:26
But I control the water so I can judge how much to give it and when
4:30
So it's never overwhelmed with too much. However, this soil lives outside and now it gets a lot more rain than it did when it lived
4:38
in London. It's also in the same soil but this one struggles and I feel it's too damp, especially over winter
4:45
I can change the weather but I placed this wood over the pot to try and stop so much water getting in The seam is happening here with some shells on this yew that prefers it to be drier as well Luckily I can repot them all soon
4:58
and I can add more non-organic soil. So I'm going to add this grit. It doesn't absorb any water so it
5:04
should help balance it out and stop it being so damp all the time. I'm not sure how much I'm going
5:09
to add but I'm sure I'll work it out. Just for a further comparison this is Ozzy Bonsai Bloke. You
5:14
You should check out his channel, the link's below. He has some epic olive trees, but he plants them in this pre-made mix
5:20
It's made up of composted bark and sandy loam. It's still quite loose, but looks very, very composty to me
5:25
Especially compared to my soil, which is only one third compost. But my point is, his trees love it, and I'm also certain mine would drown for days if I used it
5:33
This is solely down to the environment. It's very hot where he is. His average winter days are actually warmer than my summer's hottest days
5:41
He needs the extra organics. They work for him in his mix. This is perfect for his environment
5:46
Alternatively, I think if he used my mix, it would just dry out too fast in the heat
5:51
He would need to water his trees like 10 times a day. It just wouldn't work for him
5:55
So hopefully this helps explain a bit about experimenting with your soil to fit your trees needs
5:59
trying to find a balance that will work with the conditions you have. Our pots are quite small and we just want to find that optimum balance for them
6:08
So now the next time someone on the internet tells you your soil is wrong
6:11
You can happily ignore them as they have no idea what your weather conditions are like
6:15
Just use your common sense and you'll be fine. Thanks for watching
6:19
See you next time
#Gardening & Landscaping