Selecting the right soil mixture for your Bonsai is very important. In this video I’ll explain what the best soil mixtures are for Bonsai. And how you might adept these to your local circumstances. Some of the most important characteristics that we look for in bonsai soil include: the retention of water and nutrients, drainage of excess water and providing aeration. Organic soils often don’t drain water very well, which for most tree species will lead to problems. Therefore, I advise to use a mostly inorganic soil mixture, with akadama, lava rock and pumice. Akadama is hard-baked Japanese clay, specifically produced for Bonsai purposes and available at all (online) Bonsai shops. Pumice is a soft volcanic product, which can absorb water and nutrients quite well. When used in a Bonsai soil mix, it helps to retain water and it aids the roots to ramify very well. Lava rock retains water and adds good structure to a Bonsai substrate. Roots can’t grow into Lava rock. So what is the best soil you could use for your Bonsai? This largely depends on your tree species, so make sure to look up the care guide on the bonsaiempire website for more information. There are two Bonsai soil mixtures that I usually recommend For most deciduous and broadleaf evergreen tree species, we recommend a mixture of 50% Akadama, 25% Pumice and 25% Lava rock, For conifers and pines we recommend a mixture of one third Akadama, one third Pumice and one third Lava rock. These premixed soils are available at most online bonsai stores, though you can also choose to mix these yourself. You can adept our recommended mixes to your local circumstances. For example, in a dry climate you want to have a soil mixture that retains more water, by adding more akadama. You could even consider adding a small amount of organic matter (like potting compost) if you need a soil mixture that retains more water. When living in a wet climate, you can choose to reduce the amount of akadama in your mix. I hope this introduction to Bonsai soil was helpful. If you have any questions feel free to post those on our forum. Learn how to create your own Bonsai trees, by enrolling in one of our online Bonsai courses. We explain techniques like pruning wiring and repotting, and you can ask questions to the teachers. For the curriculums and free lessons, go to: bonsaiempire.com/courses
