hey everyone i see so much stuff on here and also other websites about using akadama and lava and a bit different ratios for different trees...

bottom line are these good guidelines to go with when planting a tree you would like to see live & grow well?

Deciduous tree bonsai soil
50% Akadama
25% Organic potting compost
25% Grit

Coniferous / Pine tree bonsai soil
60% Akadama
10% Organic potting compost
30% Grit

also what are the substitutes for akadama?... pumice?

cheers, Tom

Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different answers. I'm not going to give advice on this other than that a well-draining soil is essential. I notice you already started reading here: www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics_Soils.html
Also check the species specific guidelines on the same page.

There's more to find (and I'm sure you know how to Google for 'bonsai soil'), like:

www.colinlewisbonsai.com/Reading.html
www.kaizenbonsai.com/bonsai-tree-care-in...oil-for-bonsai-trees (long read...)

After reading both pages you'll know what I mean. About Akadama:

Graham Potter:
"There are two major drawbacks with this material [...] The [...] most significant, failing is that the product is not frost proof, in a climate like that of the U.K. Akadama can be reduced to dust after just a couple of severe winters and this will render it useless for cultivating bonsai"

Colin Lewis:
"Some growers complain that Akadama readily breaks down into much smaller particles and therefor impedes drainage, but they are not watching closely enough. Certainly it does break down, but this only means that the pore spaces become smaller, not that they disappear altogether. Since Akadama is not a clay, but a kind of cohesive sandy structure, it still drains efficiently after several years in use just as sand would."

Walter Pall:
"I do NOT at all endorse the usage of akadama for collected conifers and I do NOT endorse the usage of akadama in general in cold climate where trees will freeze. Akadama will decompose when the pot is frozen and it will deteriorate into clay which is very bad in a bonsai pot"

you're a legend Auk thank you! it is hard to come by Akadama in NZ though have not been able to find it anywhere here!

In NZ you should be able to get baked clay quite easily. It doesn't really matter if you use the broken variety or the whole one.. optimal particle size is ~4mm.
Lavalit, baked clay, ect.. doesn't matter. You just need some substrate that has a consistent particle size and only stpres water in little grooves and holes on the surface. If the water gets into the center of the substrate particles and they freeze.. you get dust. you water the dust you get mud and you suffocate your tree.

And of course you should add about 20% organic matter to that mix for shohin and bigger (40-50% for mame). I prefer kokos soil since that is, even taken purely for cuttings or seedlings, quite well draining. In NZ however i think a Bark based substitute is more common.

And don't get special bonsai soils.. those are just ripoffs. a 40 liter bag of baked clay will cost you ~15,- and the 3 bricks of kokos soil you need on that are also just a buck each.

tomcardno1 wrote: you're a legend Auk thank you!

For quoting others? Nah...

There is no point in adding much to the above. I use and will always use Akadama. I have not had any problems with it, I don't find that it breaks down as quickly as some say.
Most of my trees are going to be re potted every 2 or 3 years anyway, so if it did start to break down it would not be a problem.
Free draining is the main requirement, so you pay your money and take your choice.
Geoff.

also could one of you advise me on pumice, would you use it instead of or aswell as baked clay/akadama?