@Bonsai_Bentley yes I keep all my material that are in growth and development phase on the ground year round. Some of the trees that are more finished and in bonsai pots are on benches during growing season. During the winter I move them closer to the house on a deck or in a garden bed. There some are placed on benches and on the ground. The radiant heat frombthe house keeps them warmer.
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Hi folks.
Sailor - I hope you donāt mind me jumping on your thread but I have just read it and have what I think is a related question.
I have adopted the Boon mix for all of my trees - pines and deciduous - pumice / lava / Akadama. But Iām now concerned as I think I might be doing it wrong. Added to this, I have just been watching Ryanās video stream on the Chinese Elm whee he says we should be using 100% Akadama for deciduous!
@Mike_Hennigan and @Joe_Perry - Iād be interested to hear your thoughts on this.
Thanks,
Andy
Hi, Andy. Caviat; iāve only been doing this a couple years. That being said, I think it depends on what youāre trying to do. In so far as anything that will retain moisture is a growing medium for anything in the plant kingdom, the answer to your question is nuanced. I use 100% cat litter (much cheaper) for most of my trees and they do just fine. In my opinion, in every case it comes down to your watering practice. Some media retain water better than others. Some release water more slowly (e.g. āturfaceā), some faster. Classic āBoonā mix combines moisture retentive materials that hold/release water at different levels/rates and that benefit root ramification. I think Ryanās preference for acadama is due to its porosity which allows/promotes fine root growth which in turns breaks up the clay which promotes better soil retention. Scaling, I think he calls it. See; ānuancedā. And I bet youāre sorry you asked.
BTW. Anybody. Please feel free to correct me if Iām mistaken.
One of the main differences I think is that Ryan is primarily talking about trees once they hit refinement (I think) when recommending 100% akadama for deciduous trees.
Presumably if you are growing in a colander or in the ground (as per the original intent of this thread) you are looking for strong growth. In that case other mediums might be beneficial and cheaper depending on your area. I use bark and pumice in my grow bags and other development containers.
Other people Iāve talked with use a mix of akadama and lava or akadama and pumice for more manageable but strong growth in developmental containers.
Hi @AndyJ @sailor817. Itā s the age old problem, ask two gardeners the same question and (if they tell you at all) you will get two different answers. Both will swear that theirs is the best and only way. I have, over the 25yrs or so doing bonsai, tried pretty much everything for growing trees in, and hereās my take on things. For development ie in plant pots, training boxes and first training bonsai pot, I use a mix of 50/50 compost (peat moss in the US) and potting grit. When moving the trees into a refined stage for deciduous I use 70% - 80% akadama and the rest kyriu, for conifers I use the 1.1.1. mix Ryan uses ie akadama pumice and lava (kyriu). With appropriate size for shohin etc. The reason I donāt use 100% akadama for deciduous is I prefer to have a bit more drainage, hence the kyriu. Last year in the UK was an absolute drencher especially the two main months of June and October. But even though we had a heatwave there was enough akadama to retain moisture. The main thing is to remember to take note of your particular microclimate which will dictate your mix. Happy growingā¦
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Last night Ryan mentioned that if you have a tree in development then adding pumice and other organics like peat or bark to the akadama is fine. Youāll get bigger courser roots which means bigger thicker branches. He puts his deciduous trees that are in refinement in 100% akadama. This kinda threw me a bit because thatās the first time Iāve heard him say that.
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Ah, interesting! Iāve got one maple that Iād say is getting close to refinement stage - I might try it in 100% Akadama next year to see if I get a noticeable difference
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Yes he puts his deciduous in 100% akadama and conifers in a 1.1.1. mix. Akadama slows things down to a more manageable speed allowing for finer twiglets and tighter / smaller foliage. Which is, afterall, what we want from our trees. I donāt put my trees near akadama until refinement though often I will continue to use compost and grit (peat moss in the US) for the first couple of years in the bonsai pot after being taken from a large development plant pot. I think this helps to acclimatise it to a smaller growing area.
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I was in a rush and didnāt include all the info (SORRY!!). Ryan also uses 2.1.1. and 3.1.1. for different elongating species. There I feel better nowā¦
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