QUALITY and FERTILIZER

QUALITY
Keep in mind that when growing Bonsai, you use very little soil. Therefore, you can afford to buy the best. Most Bonsai experts will recommend you use pumice, perlite, and lava rock in that they are great at holding water, lightweight, and can be found at just about any gardening center or nursery. The one drawback is that while these are quality components, they also break down. That means in one to two years, you will be repotting your Bonsai.

Another option to consider in addition to these mediums is decomposed granite. This can be run through a screen to ensure you get the particle size needed and it is great for drainage. The only downfall to this type of soil is that it is heavy and does not retain water well.

Just be sure you go with the best you can buy. Since Bonsai take years to train, you certainly do not want to skimp on the soil only to set yourself up for problems. By providing the best medium possible, you have a much better chance of growing a healthy and happy Bonsai that will respond to the training much better.


FERTILIZER
Regardless of the type of fertilizer you buy, it will be comprised of a NPK value, which is nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. With Bonsai, using the right type of fertilizer is
crucial. Each of the fertilizer, each of the three elements playsa very important role.

• Nitrogenous –Helps with the overall growth of the plant/tree
• Phosphorous – Promotes bud and fruit development
• Potassium – Produces a hardy tree for the winter months

In the early spring months, you will need fertilizer that has a strong nitrogen value. Then in the summer and fall, the potassium will need to be high. You will find fertilizers sold specifically for Bonsai but remember that most fertilizers will do just fine, as long as the nutrient value is correct.

Typically, you would fertilize your Bonsai starting during the early spring monthsand into fall. You then want to add a firm fertilizer no more than twice a month and liquid fertilizer weekly, which will help the leaves.

The best way to fertilize is to use half the amount recommended for very young plants and trees. You also do not want to fertilize your Bonsai until it has been repotted for two months. The following guide will help:

• Early spring and summer – Use fertilizer high in nitrogen, which will stimulate growth. The values should be 15-10-5 (nitrogen/phosphorous/potassium). If the plant or tree is already formed, then use a 5-10-5 value.
• Late summer and fall – This will stop the growth stimulation of buds, allowing the Bonsai to survive these seasons. In this case, you would want a 5-5-25 value, meaning the potassium is quite high.

Bonsai Gardening Secret

Bonsai Gardening Secret - Container Soil

Container Soil

Did you know that soil could age? One important thing to remember is that it is important that the soil’s life expectancy be coordinated with the schedule of repotting. What this does is ensure your Bonsai will not be fighting and struggling in soil that is old and collapsing.

Most people are unaware that soil does in fact age and when this happens, it will break down. This consists of the particle size changing, thus retaining too much water. When that happens, too much water can be retained, which can cause root damage to your Bonsai.

You see, pots that are newly potted do not require as much water as Bonsai that are already established. With the roots, they are compromised when the repotting occurs, coupled with combing out old soil and pruning, and things could be a mess.

When you are in the process of establishing a new root system, fertility and aeration are crucial to success. Typically, people think the amount of water held by the soil is what helps but this is not the case.

As your Bonsai’s roots grow and new foliage and shoots develop, the transpiration will increase. To handle this, you can prune, which will help cut back the transpiration. Additionally, you will want to increase the water while cutting back on the amount of sunlight. When your Bonsai has its rootsestablished where they are strong and not in a position to collapse, you will need to keep the soil aerated.

Shelf Life Again, soil actually has a shelf life that is important for you to know. Many of the soil mixes that you can buy at nurseries or growing centers are designed to help with quick growth. While this is fine, these mixes also have a very short life cycle.

In a perfect world, your Bonsai should never stay in the same soil longer than two years. When they are in the soil longer, the soil will collapse, or you will be dealing with root bound problems.

Instead, you need a soil for your Bonsai that will last longer while also being more stable and flexible to give the support needed during training and pruning. Now keep in mind that when your Bonsai is in a training pot, you might consider using lave, perlite, and fresh bark to help the soil last longer.

One way to help the soil last longer is again, using inorganic components such as lava rock or pumice. Even using an unstable inorganic material such as clay or akadama will help the soil to last two to three years. If you notice the soil breaking down prior to this time, then you would need to repot earlier.


Drainage and Water Retention
The key with soil for Bonsai is that while you want it to stay moist, you also want it to drain quickly. Typically, keeping the level of moisture at 25% isperfect. Additionally, you want the space of air after the first drainage, which is called the saturation point, also to remain at around 25%.

As mentioned, peat moss is the best medium when it comes to retaining water without causing problems for drainage. In addition, peat moss hasexcellent nutrition retention. Another good choice when it comes to drainage is vermiculite. Once it begins to break down to clay, it will retain both moisture and nutrients.

Pathogens
Keep in mind that whenever you use compost that has not been thoroughly composted or pasteurized, or if you use native soil, then there will always be risk of pathogens. Other problems in this case include insects and other types of pests.

If you have concerns about pathogens affecting your Bonsai, you can put the soil in an oven bag, the type you would use for roasting chicken or beef, add just enough water to moisten it, and then bake at 160 degrees for about 30 minutes. Once the soil is cool, it can then be used as pasteurized.

Soil Collapse/Root Colonization
Just remember that the soil you would use in a regular garden versus the soil for your Bonsai is very different. First, the size of the particles has a direct correlation to the amount of air that is retained as well as water retention. If the particle size is small, then the air and water retention will also be small, with the opposite being true for large particles.

Therefore, as long as the organic material has particle sizes not too small, then you could use clay soil to help with the aggregation. This works in that the organic soil particles and the clay will clump, forming larger particles that will then trap air and water. The result is better aeration and air in the soil.

In fact, clay is wonderful for Bonsai in that it holds nutrients. If you do choose to have a Bonsai container with little to no clay, then you will need to fertilize on a regular basis. You will also find soil-less mixes on the market, which mean they do not contain any earth. These are generally deficient in trace elements, meaning that they too would need to have
some type of other matter added.

The soil you will find at nurseries that are “soil-less” may or may not contain compost. Regardless, they are typically comprised of three things:

1. Organic structural elements, which hold water and nutrients such aspine bark, fir bark, redwood chips, and so on
2. Inorganic structural elements such as perlite, lava rock, baked clay, sand, pumice, decomposed granite, and so on
3. Water holding element, which would include vermiculite, peat moss, or compost

If the elements in the organic soil should decompose or compost prior to the roots being completely colonized within the pot, then the soil collapses, losing air spaces and drainage. When this happens, the rootswill no longer grow.

By allowing the roots of the plant to fill the pot first, the soil will not collapse. As the roots form their colony, it serves to support both the plant and the soil. This is beneficial when it comes to watering in that it helpsthe maintenance of water drainage.

While this process when associated with organic soil elements can happen quite fast, with inorganic elements, the process tends to be slower. However, if the soil has volcanic additives, then it could be faster. Because of this, you need ensure the soil life matches the root growth rate, as mentioned.

When it comes to root colonization, this will vary depending on the plant or tree species you choose, as well as the degree of watering, sunlight, fertilizing, and pruning. Since each of these factors are independent, that means the plants will grow the best when each of these are at their optimum.

For instance, Bonsai that are grown in shade or less than optimal conditions will not have as much time needed for the roots to colonize in their new pot. That means that the Bonsai will suffer because the growth is slower and the soil will generally stay too wet, which then increases the organic decomposition rate.


Bonsai Gardening Secret

Gardening Secrets - Bonsai Soil

Just as you will select the type of tree to use for your Bonsai, you also need to choose the right type of soil if you want the plant to thrive. First, if you were a beginner, you can use a good quality potting soil until you become more experienced and familiarized with all theoptions. The key is making sure the potting soil can drain well and will not have a negative impact on the plant.

On the other hand, you can purchase specific soil mixes for Bonsai, which are generally freer draining and contain a less amount of fertilizer. You will find Bonsai soil at most nurseries or gardening centers that specialize in Bonsai growing. The other option is to make your own soil, which is an excellent option but it does require time and can cost a little more.

The best mix that would work well with all species would be to mix the following:

• One part Loam
• Two parts Sphagnum Peat Moss
• Two parts Granite Grit

KEEPING SOIL IN THE POT
You will notice that Bonsai pots have numerous, large holes in the bottom to help with drainage. While this ensures the Bonsai is not over watered, it also presents a problem of the soiling falling out of the holes.

To resolve this problem, you can take a piece of stiff plastic mesh and place it in the bottom of the pot. To help it stay in place, you would weave wire through the mesh and holes in the shape of a butterfly.

SOIL TYPES
To give you an idea of the type of soils best for Bonsai, we have listed the top choices below:

• Akadama – This Japanese word is broken down to “aka”, meaning red and “dama” being ball, or the full translation of “Red Ball”. This volcanic material is granular and a great soil option for Bonsai.

• Compost – These microorganisms have been broken down, which then releases nitrogen and other important things needed by your Bonsai. In the final state, compost is known as humus

• Mulch – Made from organic materials such as grass clippings, bark, leaves, hay, etc. that have been shredded, it is a nice medium for Bonsai. Typically, the favorite for Bonsai is the Pine mulch. Just be sure you run it through a screen prior to use to get consistent size.
  

• Peat Moss – Created from the remains of decomposed moss, thisis an important consideration for Bonsai in that it can hold up to 25 times its weight in water. Additionally, with a pH level of 3.0 to 4.0, it is ideal for many Bonsai plants to include Azaleas.
  

• Perlite – This type of soil is actually volcanic ash that has been heated. At this point, it expands, forming into Perlite. This soil isvery lightweight, provides excellent drainage, and does not compact. Being porous, the moisture is maintained, which is important for Bonsai.

• Pumice – This volcanic rock has bubbles, which are actually trapped gas that occurs while being formed. These bubblesmake a great choice for Bonsai soil in that it helps trap water and important minerals, and protects the soil from becoming compacted.
  

• Vermiculite – Somewhat like Perlite, this medium is created from mica thais exposed to heat and then expanded. Because it isgranular, porous, inert, and can hold both moisture and nutrientswell, it is great for Bonsai.
  

REPOTTING
Depending on the type of Bonsai you are growing, the soil will need to be repotted at certain times. Typically, experts will recommend that you report your Bonsai during the fall months. However, keep in mind that some plants and environmental factors do play into this decision.

Advantages
One of the greatest advantages to repotting during the fall is that any transpiration stress is reduced or eliminated. This time of the year offers temperatures that are cool while the soil remains warm.

Take the deciduous plants for example, most are finished with their leaves at this time of year, which means any transpiration losses are minimal and although Evergreens are still producing leaves, they too benefit from the cooler air temperatures. Additionally, with shorter days, there is less light intensity, another advantage.

By repotting in the fall, the roots can pruned and manipulated without having to deal with the tree going into shock. Roots are also very active during the fall with just the top portion of the tree becoming dormant. That means that any stored food, nutrients, and minerals are being directly to the roots. If the daytime temperatures remain at 50 degrees ore more, they will continue to grow. Since the roots need good soil for growth, fall repotting is exceptionally advantageous to the roots.

If you have a deciduous plant that is repotted a few weeks prior to the leave dropping, it will be established and settled into the soil before the cold winter months arrive. Typically, you would need about eight hours of warm temperatures during the day for this to work.

One thing to remember when repotting during the fall, your plant will need to be fed a 20/20/20 mixture. What happens is that while the nitrogen does not encourage bud break, the roots will take the food, which will help increase their activity while building a good reserve for the coming springtime.

Disadvantages
When you have roots that are not bothered during the spring and mid-summer months, they will build up a good hardiness toward cold for the fall and winter, but again, only if undisturbed. However, if you prune and repot the Bonsai in the fall, the roots will be stimulated for growth later in the season.

What then happens is the new roots are very soft and fragile, not being able to withstand the freezing temperatures very well. Several things contribute to this level of hardiness, as follows:

• Genetic Trait – To determine your plant’s genetic makeup, you will need to know what the species can tolerate. Unfortunately, very little research has been done on root hardiness.
• Freeze Damage – Two species definitely have low tolerance to freeze damage. The first is the Cotoneaster and the second is the Japanese Maple.
• Typically, woody species will tolerate freeze damage to any new roots with a soil temperature of 20 degrees or less. However, most plantsand trees used for Bonsai will have damage up to 28 degrees, although the level of damage is dependant on the specific species.
  

Just remember that fall repotting should really be done from zone 8 and higher. Additionally, this will generally work well in locations where temperatures do not dip below 28 degrees. Just remember that while it may not seem like a big deal, even a change in a few degrees can help your Bonsai survive or kill it.

"Bonsai Gardening Secret"