Bonsai Soil 101: What Type of Soil Should You Use for Your Bonsai Trees?

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Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing miniature trees in containers. The term bonsai is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese term penzai, for the concept of this art was actually derived from China. As centuries went by, bonsai gardening became popular all over the world and a lot of people are becoming interested in growing bonsai trees.

Taking care of bonsai trees is difficult in all aspects. You will have to invest a considerable amount of money, time, and effort if you want to succeed as a bonsai owner. When providing light for your plants, different things should be considered to make sure that you're giving them the sufficient amount that they need. The same thing goes with watering them. Did you know that watering bonsai trees is a skill that takes years to be learned? In fact, every way of providing the basic needs of a bonsai is considered a skill. In order to do the right way of trimming your plants, you would need to educate yourself first and seek the advice of a bonsai expert. When feeding the soil, you should be knowledgeable enough and be careful not to under-do or overdo the feeding. So, yes, bonsai care is generally comprised of various talents, skills, and knowledge.

This article aims to educate you on choosing the right type of soil for you bonsai. Indeed, such activity is a very essential part of taking care of a bonsai. If you don't use the right soil, don't expect your plants to grow healthily and beautifully.

Choosing the Soil for Your Bonsai

Generally speaking, it is advisable to use a combination of fine and coarse soil for your bonsai. But how about the specific details? Can you just use any type of fine and coarse soil?

To dig into details, here are the main purposes of bonsai soil:

· For weight

Soil is very important to keep your plant upright. Heavier elements are needed to hold your tree in place.

· To hold and retain water or moisture

This is essential for plant growth. Moreover, a soil that has the ability to hold moisture helps a lot in supplying the various needs of a plant.

· For fertilization and root growth

The soil must be porous in order to allow root growth. It is not advisable to use types of soil (like typical potting soil) that packs too firmly, because they can hinder a good circulation of air and can retain too much water. This will in turn lead to plant suffocation. Furthermore, you should not use types of soil that have the tendency to totally dry up.

Such purposes should always be kept in mind when choosing the right type of soil mixture for your bonsai. It is best to keep yourself educated about the nature of different types of soil, so you can make the right choice.

The Right Type of Soil for Bonsai Trees

To be honest, there is no fixed form or combination of soil that suits all types of bonsai. The successful growth of a bonsai highly depends on other factors that involve the tree type, weather conditions, and location. Hence for best results, it is advisable to talk to a reputable bonsai dealer.

Meanwhile, here are some general facts about the main components of a good quality bonsai soil. This information can help you in choosing the right soil for your trees:

· Organic Elements

Organic materials have the ability to hold moisture and provide fertilization for plants. Furthermore, they can enable environmental activities that are essential in maintaining the good health of plants. Examples of organic elements are pine bark, peat moss, leaf mold, and coffee grounds.

· Inorganic Elements

One disadvantage of using pure organic components is that they tend to hold too much moisture, thus causing plant suffocation. For this, it would be better to mix in some inorganic elements to allow free circulation of air. Such elements are comprised of semi-porous components and non-porous components which play different important roles in the proper growth of bonsai trees.

Semi-Porous: Aside from enabling free circulation of the air, semi-porous components have the ability to generate water vapor, which is very helpful for trees that cannot absorb water in liquid form. Examples of inorganic elements are lava rock, hydrocks, and haydite.

Non-Porous: As previously mentioned, one of the main purposes of soil is to keep plants upright. Such purpose is served by using non-porous components. Examples of these components are sharp gravel and river sand.

As a whole, it is safer to say that a good bonsai soil should be a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. Such combination is important to obtain a better plant growth. Each component has a specific role that is very essential in maintaining the health of bonsai trees.

Most Common Kinds of Bonsai Soil

While you can make your own mixture of bonsai soil, different kinds of soil for specific types of trees have become available in the market.

· Akadama: This is the most common type of soil and is suitable for deciduous trees.

· Kureyu: This type of soil is perfect for conifers.

· Kanuma: It is suitable for azaleas and acid-loving bonsai trees.

For more information about the available kinds of bonsai soil, it is best to ask for the help of an experienced bonsai enthusiast.

Choosing the right type of soil is very important in taking care of plants, especially bonsai trees. Bonsai plants are delicate, and taking care of them requires a lot of patience, discipline, and determination. Maintaining a bonsai garden is not a mere hobby, nor a short course that may just come to an end. Growing bonsai trees is a labor of love. It is an art that takes a lot of time to be done perfectly. Do you dream of becoming a successful bonsai artist and garden owner? If yes, then you should take all the above pieces of information seriously. Keep in mind that it is important for you to possess all the intellectual and emotional attributes mentioned previously, in order to succeed in taking care of a bonsai garden.

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