Just another 'newbie' with just another soil composition question.....

I've been reading a lot about soil composition the last couple days. And am wondering about a couple possibilities for the inorganic portion of the composition....

1)'Paver Base' - because it's drainage qualities are what make it attractive for a patio/walkway base, would that possibly make it a decent candidate for Bonsai usage as well? I'm assuming it would have to be sifted to get the 'dust' out of it, but otherwise worth a try.(??)

2) Was walking around a Lowes ('big box store' hardware/home décor place for those not in the US) this am, and in the landscaping section I noticed bags of 'red lava rock'. Intended for use in typical outdoor gardens as a decorative topping, it would have to be crushed to be useful for Bonsai, but maybe.(??) My biggest concern was the color...given it was red, I'm wondering how that coloring is accomplished, and would it maybe contain some chemical/paint content that would make it inadvisable for Bonsai use. I would guess no as I would think it's intended outdoor garden use would likely be sensitive to such things as well.

Any input would be appreciated.

FWIW..., I am in the Midwest of the USA.

The lava rock can be used for drainage improvement it is porous so can absorbe a decent amount.

Sorry about the thank you.

What about 'coconut ' coco chips? Has anyone tried that?

After all the reading I've done lately, it struck me that to some degree, what some people are doing for bonsai in terms of soil, watering, and 'fertilizing' has some similarities to hydroponic gardening. Not exactly the same by any means, but some similar concepts.

And the CF is apparently the 'in' thing in the hydroponics world. One link to a description of it's properties....
www.homehydrosystems.com/mediums/mediums_page.html

Gardeners use coco hips a a mulch for thr soil. However it bejng a mulch would suggest that it break down quite quickly. I have no experience however so...

bob wrote:

Gardeners use coco hips a a mulch for thr soil. However it bejng a mulch would suggest that it break down quite quickly. I have no experience however so...

From what I've read thus far, it seems it doesn't break down all that quickly.(???) Of course, that depends on one's definition of 'quickly', but a couple descriptions I've read lead me to believe it might last from one repotting to the next (assuming a repotting schedule of every 2 yr).

I have tried Coco mulch i didn't like it , when it becomes dry ,it takes a while before it's moist again.you have to submerge the pot.

Cheers

Best not to overthink the soil composition issue- there are as many preferred mixes as there are Bonsai growers. Most trees need a free draining mix, some growers use 100% inorganic, others like myself prefer a balanced mix. I find sieved peat compost is fine for the organic part, vermiculite mixes well as the inorganic element and doesn't separate out as does say perlite. Small particle gravel or grit would work too. As for proportions, enough organic to retain some moisture & feed, not too much that excess water can't drain through the pot fairly quickly. Depends on the species and your local climate too

Dave

ironhorse wrote:

Best not to overthink the soil composition issue- there are as many preferred mixes as there are Bonsai growers. Most trees need a free draining mix, some growers use 100% inorganic, others like myself prefer a balanced mix. I find sieved peat compost is fine for the organic part, vermiculite mixes well as the inorganic element and doesn't separate out as does say perlite. Small particle gravel or grit would work too. As for proportions, enough organic to retain some moisture & feed, not too much that excess water can't drain through the pot fairly quickly. Depends on the species and your local climate too

Dave

Comprende. But there's little chance of me 'overthinking' anything. Smart people do that.

I'm just trying to find a bunch of different possibilities to figure out which of the workable options is the cheapest.

Well if you are looking for the cheapest then maybe try some tescos lightweight low dust cat litter. Its about £3.29 for ten litres so it is a bril price. Get this if you are in the uk. There are other kinds of cat litter as well. You could also get this:

(basically baked clay as soil)

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0058HTLAU/ref=...35&sr=8-1&pi=AC_QL40