How to Choose Soil for Bonsai

The soil for bonsai should easily allow moisture to pass through. You can read a detailed description of the substrate for certain species inin the plant description section, which are used for growing bonsai.

Here are the general characteristics of soil mixtures for the main groups of plants.

• Conifers prefer drier soil with a high sand content; good drainage should also be considered.
• Flowering trees love organic soil.
• Indoor plants prefer a more organic substrate.

Repot your bonsai in dry soil rather than wet soil.

Bonsai Soil Components

Sand for bonsaishould be fine and grainy. Suitable sand can be easily found in any corner of our planet, for example on the seashore. Before use, wash the sand and sift it through a sieve.

Do not use building sand as it contains a lot of lime and is too fine.

Asorganic supplements for bonsaiuse humus, leaf, coniferous soil and peat. When adding organic matter to the soil, there is a high probability that you will infect your plant with fungi or bring in harmful insects. To avoid this, you should keep the additives in microwave oven about 5 minutes, having previously placed them in a suitable container. Do not use soil of which you are not sure, it is unknown how it will affect the formation of roots. A good option is organic matter based on loam. But it is worth remembering that when the loam dries out, it is very difficult to moisten it, this causes serious difficulties, so you should be especially attentive to the watering regime.

Akadama For bonsai, it is Japanese fired clay. Akadama comes in different fractional compositions.

Pumice — porous volcanic rock. Using pumice for growing bonsai at home promotes root growth and better penetration of air and water into the soil.

How to choose soil for bonsai in the store

Nowadays, there are a large number of substrates for growing bonsai on sale. First of all, pay attention to the composition of the soil. If the basis of the soil for bonsai is peat, it is better not to buy such soil, as this will negatively affect the health of the dwarf tree. The following soils have gained the greatest popularity:

• COMPO SANA
• HOW TO WORK
• ABS Greenworld
• "Gardens of Aurica"

If you still couldn’t buy suitable soil, prepare it yourself from sand and organic matter.

DIY Bonsai Soil

Below is a table with the composition of soil for home bonsai