I got my Elm from a local nursery and looks like it's using a pre-mixed soil. I'll phone them tomorrow and ask what it consists of and how it drains

I'd imagine it's quite good soil, seeing as it's from the largest bonsai nursery in the UK and owned by a well-known artist: www.bonsaiempire.com/locations/bonsai-artists/peter-chan

Valkyrie2271 wrote: I got my Elm from a local nursery and looks like it's using a pre-mixed soil. I'll phone them tomorrow and ask what it consists of and how it drains

I'd imagine it's quite good soil, seeing as it's from the largest bonsai nursery in the UK and owned by a well-known artist: www.bonsaiempire.com/locations/bonsai-artists/peter-chan

that's a good idea. You could tell how it drains yourself though. Just water it and see how it drains from the drain holes. and see how much water it retains.

I'll look more closely when it next needs watering, but I noticed that the water drains pretty quickly from the top and doesn't rest there. My pot has two holes that allow it to drain freely and the soil doesn't feel soggy afterwards, just moist.

I'll still phone the nursery tomorrow and write the details of the soil mix here, just to check that it's good enough quality for long-term care