Hello guys,

I'm wondering if it's possible to make bonsai soil mix instead of buying ready made soil mix like as Akadama or Perlite?

If it has basic principles of drainage, water and nutrient retainment capacity, can't it be to create another cheeper soil mixes for bonsai.

The only basic principle is that you need to fullfill all of the mentioned. Drainage, moist holding and nutritient retaining capacity.

Different people have different preferences of substrate mix. Ask 10 bonsai enthusiasts about best soil mix and you get 12 answers. You simply need to experiment a little bit until you find what suits you best.

Tropfrog wrote:

Ask 10 bonsai enthusiasts about best soil mix and you get 12 answers.

Hahahaha, so true!

Decorateworldwithtrees wrote:

Can't it be to create another cheeper soil mixes for bonsai.

Yes, you can use different mixes if they fullfill the basic principles, as Tropfrog said.

Many of us agree that expensive soil components from Japan isnot better than cheap locally awailable stuff. Crushed leca balls, cat litter, industrial absorber etc. There are a lot of good options to be found if one searches. I live in Sweden and use danish burnt clay, swedish bark mulch and pumice and lava rock from iceland. All scandinavian mix. The only japanese stuff I use is tools. I haven't found good enough options here.

Tropfrog wrote:

Ask 10 bonsai enthusiasts about best soil mix and you get 12 answers. /quote]

Just 12? I have three different mixes, at least.

The soil mix should hold water for a while, but not too much so the roots don't rot. It should allow roots to grow and develop. What you do to accomplish this depends on how much you want to spend, what is available, your climate, and many things.

Most around here (Birmingham, Alabama) mix a generous amount of organics in the soil mix. That is because in August we have very long, hot days, and we either water the trees three or four times a day or we mix organics. Some use ground up pine cones or pine bark as the primary organic. I uses used coffee grinds.

Other than that I use a by product of some plants around here which amounts to expanded shale. It holds water OK and provides ample space for roots. Kitty litter would be just as good, but you have to get litter that is not treated with aromatic chemicals.

I mix quite a big portions of organics as well. Root rot is not a problem in summer. In winter I keep my trees on the dry side protected from rain. No risk there eigther.

But I guess the best recomendation is to check what successful growers around you use. It cannot go totally wrong.