Composts
A lot of nonsense has been written about composts. There are books around that state a compost for bonsai should be made from clays and sands from specific areas in Japan.
Compost surface
The tree should be planted proud above the surface of the compost, which should slowly fall away in height to the edges of the pot.
The Urban Composting Project, supported by the New York City Department of Sanitation, offers composting assistance and resources to community gardens and institutions and information on composting in residential backyards to individuals.
Bonsai composts should always be free draining. Compacted, poor-draining composts can cause many of the problems associated with under- and over-watering.
Peat based compost - Loam - Horticultural grit - Perlite and a small amount of horticultural charcoal
Loxhore Mazurka. 6 years old
There are basically two ways of achieving this: ...
I built two composting bins. Each bin is five feet wide, five feet deep, and four feet high. I built the bins by sinking 4" by 4" posts in the ground for the corners, and then nailed 2 by 4's and 1 by 4's, alternating on the sides.
Leaf mold or composted bark is sometimes a suitable substitute for peat moss.
Proportions will vary depending on species.
Good compost or old manure should be worked into the top surface of the soil of your potted trees regularly.
Soils consisting of very coarse grains will drain rapidly and retain very little water.
A mix of actual compost and rich sandy soil straight from the ground
Jim Ellenbecker from zone 5, Menasha Wi., US, says :
41-50 years old, practicing bonsai for over 5 years.
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With an ordinary pot-plant the solution is to pot the plant into a larger container which allows room for new, fresh compost around the rootball.
sieves - different grades for sifting out large lumps from composts or eliminating fine dust from Japanese Akadama clay
toothbrush - good for cleaning algae from trunks and branches. Can also be used to expose surface roots ...
The smallest screen allows me to screen and dispose (in the compost) all the fines in any soil components, the largest takes out all the debris too big for soil, and the remaining screen sorts my soil into a larger grade for the bottom of a big pot, ...
I prefer the former because it is composting wood, but the particle size never gets above medium. The bark aspect, as much as people love it, can be detrimental to a mix. Bark is cheerfully impregnated with waxes and resins to prevent decomposition.
There isn't It is not a genetic strain of plant life, you cannot buy seeds of bonsai trees', add water and compost, and then sit back and watch a seedling emerge, and shape itself into a mirror image of a tree, such as seen in the film 'Karate Kid'.
Mix akadama, fine gravel and potting compost together in a ratio of ½ to ¼ to ¼. Akadama can be bought at (online) Bonsai shops, while you can find fine gravel and potting compost at local garden centers.
On top of this, put a layer of potting compost, gravel and clay soil, about an inch thick, with a ratio of 1:1:2.
4. Plant your seeds about 1.5 inches apart, and just place them on top of the soil.
5.
If you are using an organic amendment such as bark, you will experience accelerated soil composting. This means that you will lose your effective soil particle size more quickly than if you used a smaller pot which is wicked dry daily.
Organic fertilisers, like humus, leaf compost, manure, bark release these chemicals slowly to the plant as the organic matter decomposes. Inorganic fertilisers release these nutrients "faster" to the plant.
Compost or leaf-mould should not be replaced by peat as peat is a sterile medium and contains no microorganisms infact it is not even supportive to microorganisms.
Bonsai soil is primarily a loose, fast-draining mix of components, usually a mixture of coarse sand or gravel, fired clay pellets, and an organic component such as peat or compost.
Clean the seeds and plant them in fine compost, well spaced out. Over-layer with compost but don't apply any pressure as this will prevent the seeds from breathing. Hard seeds should be cracked to help them germinate.
Organic comes from living things such as bark, sawdust, leaf mould, animal manure or compost. Inorganic comes from things that have never been alive such as stone chips, sand, vermiculite, scoria etc.
Many people will also make compost or manure teas, and use this for their foliar feed.
The liquid seaweeds are known to be very rich in trace elements, and are supposed to even be good for both heat and cold protection to some extent.
- Where possible, add Mycorrhiza to the loam-based compost mix. You will find this bacteria on the base of trees or on rotting pine needle matter. This will aid the strength and growth of your Pine ...
It's a good idea to use a good quality potting compost with a mix of two parts sand or maybe grit to help with drainage. You could also do a lot worse using the soil that your sapling or Bonsai seed grew in.
A heavy soil is best such as a compact mushroom compost. If the tree is not kept in water, a heavy soil is a must since it needs to retain as much moisture as possible. You cannot rot cypress roots! ...
Early spring is a great time to do this and the gardener will need some good quality potting compost with a mix of sand or grit that will help the drainage.
NOTE: Do not place any plant material from diseased plants into your compost pile. any unaffected leaves can be sprayed with copper-based chemicals that kill fungi, such as fungicides. DO NOT water or mist the plants in direct sunbeams.
The Lemon-Yellow Lepiota has the habit of growing on the ground in leaf litter and compost and is known well in green houses and also in houseplants.
Course river sand for drainage
Peat moss to hold air and moisture
Small pebbles
Composted fine bark ...
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If you want to keep your bonsai tree looking good for years to come, place you bonsai tree in a larger pot every two to three years. Also, make sure you you use a mixture of gritty soil and compost, ...
The word for beginning the growth of a new plant is propagation. Propagation of the jade tree bonsai is fairly simple: cuttings. You can cut either a branch or a leaf and place them in compost, ...
After moisture between soil particles dries up, fresh air comes in and helps activate hairy roots smoothly. So, growers need to select proper potting composts that drain water smoothly and also should carefully study the placement, ...
The balance of the mix is some personal blend of potting soil, cactus mix, redwood bark, compost, peat moss, etc. which may be screened/sieved to remove dust-size particles.
It contains no natural nutrients, so a suitable fertilizer must be used regularly. Earthworm castings either purchased or the result of indoor composting, add body and nutrients to soil less mixes and are highly recommended.
 See also: Bonsai, Plant, Tree, Garden, Pot
  
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