My Proven Soil Mix for Bonsai | Bonsai Heirloom
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- Hello, I’m bonsai master Dr. Milton Chang! One of the questions I get asked the most is: What soil mix do you use? Today, I will share my proven soil mix recipe with you, along with adjustments for pine and maple trees.
Standard Soil Mix:
- 1 part sandy loam
- 1 part peat moss
- 1 part perlite
For Pine trees:
- 1 part sandy loam
- 1 part peat moss
- 2 parts perlite
For moisture loving trees, like Maple:
- 1 part sandy loam
- 1 part peat moss
- 1 part perlite
- 1/2 part vermiculite
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Hello Mr. Chang, I really enjoyed your video. As a fellow bonsai enthusiast, I am happy that you are advocating an alternative soil mix that's cheap and easy to make. Mainstream bonsai community would just repeat the same akadama, pumice, volcanic rocks, etc. mix. Those work great but can be very hefty in terms of cost (12-15 L akadama can cost up to 80 dollars). Your soil is very economical and most importantly, beginner-friendly and I really appreciate that.
A friendly note to anyone who wants to begin doing bonsai and wants to look into how to do soil mix. Soil mix is very dependent on your climate and make sure your soil doesn't dry out too fast. But most importantly, make sure it doesn't stay wet for too long (this can cause root rot and kill your tree). So you should always test your soil mix in a bonsai pot first.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this! I want to create a bonsai community for you all to share your passion for bonsai, so I encourage discussions like these in the comment section!
Yes, you can go for a pot with drainage holes to ensure that your roots are soaked through, but will not rot in the water.
Good point!
I'm down in Anaheim, California and only see my trees four days per week (when I'm in town). So I'm forced to use around 70% organic compost, so they don't dry out while I'm away.
I do compost all my food waste with worms... But I've also started experimenting with just filling a large trashcan with leaves, keep them moist, and they break down pretty quickly (I'm not sure how worms got in there as well lol). But those broken down leaves can stretch your soil even farther, for free.
I really needed to hear your last comments. As a beginner bonsai enthusiast, I struggle to form my trees as I feel like I'm expected to. I have a couple of trees that aren't standard shapes but I just like them the way they are. I love that you say they are my art. Thank you. And I have enormous stress at this stage in life so your comment about that was taken to heart. Thank you again.
Your bonsai is your creation, so you can make it into anything you envision. Bonsai is living art, and that is what makes it such a wonderful hobby. Bonsai provided me a lot of stress relief during the stressful days in my career, and I hope it does the same for you. Best wishes.
Funny how everyone uses his own recipe for bonsai soil and still manage to have great result. That show why there's no such thing as perfect bonsai soil and why it is important to know the properties of the mix we're using to have the most optimal aeration, drainage and water retention possible.
I agree with this. I just started my bonsai journey about 7 months ago (January 2024) and I started with regular Target bought potting mix and my Sophora Japonica looks absolutely gorgeous already, like miniature trees and they're not even remotely mature :)
Each to their own, but it's not something I would use again in Bonsai. Perlite and vermiculite hold far too much water. I tried this mix before, and my trees hated it. I lost most of the elms to root rot, and I remember emergency repotting the rest one year long ago. Since then, I just use the stuff for cuttings and seedlings!
Location is also key for using this type of mix. I'm in the UK, and it's just a big red flag for me!
A great thing I found was cat litter from Tesco, the cream and pink bag. It's basically akadama! I add some hortigrit and some pine bark for the pines, and my trees honestly haven't looked as healthy as they are in this mix. Haha, we all find our own mixes eventually!
5:25 this is the best advise ever. I do mostly clip and grow technique, and this is perfect.
Thank you for a recipe that works and is accessible/affordable to majority of the community. As you probably heard, majority of the bonsai youtubers will always recommend akadama. But it's expensive and not accessible to everyone. It's now portrayed that if you want to look like a cool experienced bonsai master, you must use akadama. I was misled by these youtubers when I first started bonsai. I now use recipe like yours with great success, at least for here in the USA.
Thanks for your kind words! One of my goals is to show you all that bonsai is accessible and can be a great hobby for everyone. You don't always have to follow the traditional method. Try different things and learn what words for you and your trees. I've killed a lot of trees when I first started doing bonsai and learned all these techniques through trial and error. Best of luck to you and your bonsai!
Well said young man 👍👍👍👍👍🌳
Thank you Mr Chang from someone who’s journey has only just begun…
This is great advice for bonsai enthusiasts who find that buying imported acadama and lava rock environmentally unsustainable. I guess here in the UK we could use John innes number two as a substitute for your sandy loam and maybe add some sharp sand to the mix.
When I watch videos of people collecting yamadori I am amazed how these decade old trees can grow in such poor soils and conditions. It just goes to show how resilient they can be. I have subscribed to your great site.
Thank you for your support and for subscribing!
Perfect video everyone makes soil mix so complicated
Thank you! It took me a lot of trial and error to perfect my soil recipe, but this is it! Very simple and straightforward.
Hello Mr.Chang I just wanted to say thank you for all of your fantastic advice. I just found your channel a couple weeks ago but have watched many video's so far. As a novice bonsai grower it's a tremendous help. I Look forward to more content and watching past video's.
Cheer's enjoy your evening. Best regards all the way from Ontario Canada
Welcome aboard! I am glad you are enjoying bonsai! :)
Just found your RUclips channel a few weeks ago. Lots of excellent and sensible aspects and approaches to Bonsai. Instead of the pricy soil ingredients, especially with todays prices, your soil mix ingredients won’t break our meager funds we have available. Getting/finding the sandy loam will be a mission for the next week or two. Thank you.
Hi Jeff! Exactly! Bonsai doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. It's a wonderful and relaxing hobby and I recommend that everyone tries it. You can grow bonsai from cuttings, trees in your yard, or affordable nursery trees. With my proven soil mix, your trees will become thick and healthy in no time!
Hi Milton, thanks for this video (and all the others you put out). I live in the Bay Area (East Bay Area) and will be using your soil recipes when I start to repot my trees. I’m new to bonsai and this answers a lot of questions I’ve had with trying to figure out what soil mix to use. Your soil recipes are proven for this area and seems to be the best combo for moisture retention and drainage for the Bay Area. Videos like this really help shorten the learning curve for new folks getting into the hobby. Appreciate it!
I'm glad you are enjoying bonsai! Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
I love this. You're so different, knowing you're successful with this makes me feel better about potting/nursery soil.
Thank you! It took me 50 years and a lot of killed trees for me to refine all my techniques and strategies into what they are today. My goal is to share my knowledge with you so you can successfully grow your very own bonsai heirloom!
@@bonsaiheirloom I'm seven years in and hope my pile of dead trees slows down..🤷🏻.. I'll never be able to stop trying things for myself so this really gives me confidence to try something I've only heard "nope's" about.
Thanks Milton! I really appreciate your Channel! It’s a big help!
From North Carolina I learned a lot watching your videos
Thank you! I'm glad you find them helpful!
Great sharing information about bonsai. Thank you for your time and effort put into it, just to shared it with us your idea and knowledge regarding this. Hope you have a wonderful day ahead. ❤🙏
Thank you, I'm glad it was helpful! Have fun!
Thank you very much
Hi from the UK 🇬🇧 thank you for sharing your knowledge...😊
Hi there! Thanks for watching!
oh , wonderful . Thank you so much for sharing . I can relate , as i to am thankful for my bonsai during stressful times .
I'm glad we have that in common! Bonsai has provided me much peace and relaxation during stressful times in my career. I'm glad you can also understand the joy of bonsai.
I was going to ask on the last video for something like this. Excited to see what knowledge you have to share.
If you have any questions or video topics you'd like me to cover, please comment and let me know! I'm happy to discuss!
Excellent educational tips to follow. Thank you so much for the video 🙏🙏🙏♥️
Thank you for watching!
Good, direct and simple information. Thank you for sharing.
Of course! My goal is to provide you with simple and direct information so you can successfully grow your very own bonsai heirloom :)
I love everything about this information..thank you 🙏
Glad I could help!
Thanks it makes a lot of sense
I'm happy to hear that. Thanks!
Hare Krishna. Wow so beautiful planting. Good share
🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉
Thank You
A typical topic explained very easily
Thanks again
Respect from India
Glad you liked it!
Thank you my friend.
Wanted to say thank you for sharing your wisdom. I get plenty of elm seeds in the spring, so I think I’ll use that type for my beginning. Take care
Sounds like a plan!
Hah! I was wincing, because I "knew" I would not have one of these ingredients, and would have to be buying something (always gotta buy something), but... I have them all! Thanks!
I love your channel! I just discovered it! We have two Ginseng Ficuses and one Fukien! My one Ginseng is just in lava rocks and has THRIVED! My Fukien is in a premixed bonsai soil and doesnt care for it. The last Ginseng is in regular old potting soil as I bought from a store but I want to switch that one to lava rocks as well!
Thank you so much very well explained
Great explanation! I've had trouble with soils only because of price and have used general potting mix most of the time and add river sand (free).
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for a very educational video again. I will be using your advice once the new year for repotting begins. Thank you 🙏
Great, Michael! I'm glad you found this video helpful!
Will definitely try your mix suggestion!
thanks so much for your soil information, very good.
Thanks for watching. Try it out and let me know how it goes!
The more I learn about substrates, the more convinced I am that everything grows well under the same conditions, other than maybe some succulents who's leaves burst if their roots get too much water. So long as the roots are in contact with something that is holding water, but never submerged in standing water, there'll be no root rot. So long as there are mineral and biological elements in the substrate, it will come with some with and be able to sequester and hold on to both mineral and biological fertilisers. Long as the materials break down slowly and are rarely disturbed, the same substrate can last for years or decades.
The mix in this video is nearly identical to what you would see in a very standard tropical houseplant mix. In just another video on the same topic, as what to use for bonsais other than conventional akadama soil, I saw other very classic houseplant materials, essentially just pumice and coco coir, which are almost completely interchangeable with perlite and peat moss. Vermiculite should be interchangeable with things like sphagnum moss, bark chips, coco chips, and other sponge-like moisture retainers. The sand in your sandy loam is a very common component in terrarium mixes. I guess what I'm trying to say is that (aside from real extremophiles like cacti), a really good substrate is going to be good for any plant, with at most slight variations.
I love bonsai
Best advice out there.
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for sharing
Salam bonsai indonesia
Thank you for watching!
Nice❤
thank you for time.
Thanks for watching!
Thankyou 🙏
Very informative
Glad it was helpful!
Can I use this type of fertilizer,(Chicken Manure Compost,Coop Poop Organic 2-4-3 Plant Fertilizer )I bought it at ACE, it has given me good results in roses, tomatoes, I want to know if it would be good in bonsai and maybe orchids Thank You
Hi Carlos! I have used chicken manure pellets in the past, and have since switched to the fish/kelp I recommended.. They are clean and easy to spread, sparingly. Most of the chicken manure compost comes in bags that are actually mostly composed of woodchip.
I have no experience in the coop poop stuff. Why take a chance saving a few bucks and wind up unintentionally harming the tree. Penny wise!
This is such an inspiring video. Thank you. I’m new to bonsai and this makes me feel far less overwhelmed. The coco peat I get is compressed so have to wet it and let it expand. Do I have to wait for it to dry before measuring or while it’s wet is that volume still ok to measure?
Measure it wet!
Halo good job
Thank you Dr. Chang for sharing your bonsai soil mix recipe. I would like your advise on the followings:
1. Where can I get Sandy Loam soil ?
2. How often I need to water the plant ?
3. How long before I need to change the soil?
I am in Huntington Beach, CA
Thank you
Hi there!
1. Landscaping supply house or simply get the best top soil from your vegetable garden.
2. Never let the tree dry out…you cannot over water a bonsai with it a big drainage hole. I suggest watering once a day, or more. Press on the soil to see if is hard and dry or supple and moist.
3. I used to run to Huntington beach from Newport beach. You rarely need to repot in five or more years, especially if you use my root pruning method. Of course, that depends somewhat on how aggressive is the tree. Rarely every 5 years anyway.
Thank you sir
Hi Dr. Chang, can perlite be replaced with pumice in your soil mix? Thank you
soil mixture will directly effect how frequent you must water, or how not frequent you can get away with watering. So it depends on your persona life schedule - and also (obviously) depends on your climate. If you're in a hot dry area then you probably need components that hold more water than someone in a rain forest.
Does that mean add more peat to retain more moisture? It was 106 here yesterday!
Hi Mr. Chang and thanks for sharing your knowledge! I am new to bonsai technique and i believe i will learn a lot from you! Just a question. Instead of sandy loom what else can i use as alternative? I live in Greece and it is not very easy to find this type of soil. I find loom only typed in some small balls.
Hello! You can ask your local nurseryman. They would know your local conditions. I have for a long time used top soil from my garden. After years of planting, there is usually enough organic material. The next best thing is to mix building sand (making sure that does not contain salt and mix with garden compost). Experiment by planting samplings or even vegetables to see if it is good. Hope this helps!
💚
I found a local supplier for screened loam and concrete sand and I'm wondering A. is concrete sand ok to use and B. how much sand should I add to the loam to produce desirable results?
Im from NJ, where can I buy sandy loam?
Great question! I've received this question quite a few times so I will address this in my upcoming Q&A videos. Please stay tuned!
Would substituting regular potting soil mix instead of the sandy loam be fine you think?
Potting soil for houseplants usually have too much organic material in it. You can also add top soil from your garden to the potting soil you buy.
@@bonsaiheirloom I just bought a 40lb bag of basic “top soil/ fill dirt”, apparently that is just essentially sandy loam
Also it was like $3!
SAMATABONSAI my chabel.
Mr. Chang, do you intend on selling your sandy loam on your website? I would be very interested in aquireing some to test out.
Hi Karter, thanks for your interest! As a team, our vision has always been to have the website be a place where one can not only get quality material, but also spread the art of Bonsai by giving them as meaningful gifts. We haven't discussed selling soil, but if the community wants them, then it's definitely something we will try to make available.
Would you use you bonsai mix in the at the development stage of a bonsai?
Yes! To germinate seeds and grow cutting, a mix comprised of equal parts of perlite and vermiculite seem to work well.
Master
You're too kind! Thank you, your support means a lot!
@@bonsaiheirloom you are my master now, I shall give my life eternity
Is fertilizer not needed if i already have these 4 components?
Soil, fertilizer, and water go together! Please check out my video on fertilizer here: ruclips.net/video/YmEffeI5hmE/видео.html
@@bonsaiheirloom Magnitude of Gratitude!
I don't know what climate you live in but it seems to me you have a very high water retention soil mix. I would have concerns about drainage in a mix like that
I live not far from Stanford University, so it's Mediterranean climate. Dry in the summer and wet in the winter. It can rain a couple weeks at a time.
I never had any “over watering” problems even in wet rainy weather with such a porous mix and a big drainage hole. Try it…and you will most likely like it. Feel free to modify it to suit your growing habits. This is just the “basic starting point.” You can experiment by adding sand or adding more perlite, lava rock, etc.
@@bonsaiheirloom Nice, i live in the north bay (sonoma) pretty dry and windy up here so i add some perlite or coco coir to my mix but mainly lava/pumica/akadama if its available from jonas.
Would this mix be enough for a starter? I've bought an Australian dwarf weeping willow. It hasn't arrived yet.
The mix is a good starting point for all trees. But you must also take watering into consideration.
Willow loves water. So water it frequently and/or put the pot in a basin and let it soak up excess water to keep the soil really moist and it it dries out from time to time. Not sure how one can drawn a tree when there are drainage holes. Tree do die from lack of oxygen when sitting in dirty water.
Thank you Mr. Chang for the making of this video. Your information is truly blessed and received. I'm Hispanic by race BUT a Japanese Maple / Garden lover by heart.
Thank you for watching my video!
Thank you very much for the incredible information and videos. I have a question about the use of biochar in the soil. Have you ever experimented with it?
I tend to follow what has been proven to work. I have not experimented with biochar. According to the internet, biochar has been widely viewed as an environmentally positive material for soil. However, it is crucial to take into account the potential adverse effects of biochar, such as disturbing soil pH levels, or introducing harmful chemical characteristics that cause problems at the micro dimension. Therefore, caution should be exercised when considering the applications of biochar as research continues to explore the positive and negative effects of biochar.
Thank you!
Thank you !!!
Very helpful and encouraging
Thank you very much. The information about soil mix is very useful for me. I will try it.
I'm glad you found it helpful! Please give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Fantastic video....!
Enjoyed very much the direct transfer of knowledge, very clear, and practical.
I particularly loved the way you make it simple...., throwing the tree on the ground to remove the soil....
The potting mix and root advice is very very important and helpful.
Thank you sir.
Thank you for the information. This is the second year of my bonsai journey and still working on a good soil mix. Appreciate the help.
That's great! Wishing you the best of luck on your bonsai journey!
Could you advise some soil mixes for azaleas? as Kunama is pretty expensive in Russia)
Thanks Milton, I look forward to using this on my trees in the future :)
I'm excited for you to try my soil mix! Have fun!
@4:45 "If they dry out, their done." An idea I had even though incredibly simple is to use clean wet towels and paper towels to keep roots covered when messing with the roots to avoid any unnecessary transplant shock. I don't think roots like to be exposed to direct sunlight or wind at all.
I have been looking for a video like this for a long time, thank you so much.
Thank you for your support and kind words! It means a lot to me!
Wonderful post! I love my trees and want to make sure they receive as much gratitude and pleasure as I receive from their caretaking; I know it shows when its done right. (per your examples).
Thank you so much information. Helps me then I'm learning alot new things. I Enjoyed your videos. Please help more people and me understand about Shimpaku Of Juniper of Jin and Pruning, repotting. Thanks again.🙏
Thanks for asking! I will address this question in my upcoming Q&A. Please stay tuned!
I like this guy I wish him long life keep blossoming
Thank you!
Tuyệt vời 🎉🎉🎉
Thanks a lot Dr chang iI u work in the trees is awesome n I agree whit u about the dissainer
For my maples I’ve put in some big pots I’ve done did roughly:
1part vermiculite
1 part perlite
2-3parts eracious top soil
(No space for more than one 20L bag of something to be lying around my yard so chose soil over peat moss as I’ll use it for other stuff)
Hopefully it goes well. Looks pleasing as a mix anyway
Hope it goes well too! Keep us updated on your progress! :)
I'd love an update on this
I have just subscribed to your channel and I am looking forward to learning a lot more from you!!
Welcome!
I have always been drawn to Bonsai. I came across your channel by pure chance. So relaxing to watch. Maybe sometime down the road I will attempt my own. ❤
You definitely should! Bonsai is a great hobby.
Thank you, Mr. Chang. Your videos are very informative. Great to hear the advice from someone like yourself who has been creating bonsai for so many years.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching :)
You have inspired me!
Thank you Sir
thanks!
Amazing ❤
Very cool
Thanks for adding item I never heard about.
Wow i love this ❤❤❤❤ sabscribe you ❤❤❤
Thank you so much! Stay tuned for new videos!
I’m very new, but you’re right about the supportive community
Thank you for being a part of it!
so good!
Thank you!
Mr Chang thanks for your valued advice on breakup of bonsai soil
Thank you for your kind words!
Thank you I NC love bonsai I learn a lot thank you
Thanks for watching, Anthony!
You are a great person and great I learned a lot you are very good 👍
Thanks for the kind words! Please subscribe and be a part of my bonsai community!