*Bonsai Soil Question*

[kvan64]

Hey Steve, as said, its a backyard bonsai shop located in the residential area of Oxley-Corinda border. If you are interested, I'll show you how to get there. If you want to buy it cheap, buy it in bulk from the stone merchants, 1 cubic metre equals ~ over 50 of 20 litre bags. That's less than $6 a bag.
Cheers

Edit: Stone Merchants
111 Archerfield Rd
Richland QLD 4077
Tel: 07 3375 3877
Email: stonemerchant@optusnet.com.au

[SteveT]

Nice one.

Thanks mate.

[heartofhush]

Hi
I am new to bonsai gardening,

I have bought some Japanese Maple Tree Seedlings.
I thought i would try with these first.
I dont know what size they are as yet as i am waiting for them to be delivered.

I wanted to make these up as a gift for my 2 sons.

Can anyone recommend a good Bonsai Mix please.
I will need to make one up with the items available to me.

I can only do shopping through coles or even woolworths supermarket and they dont have bonsai mix.
I have no one to go to a hardware or garden shop or to take me.

These are the items i have or can get.
Potting mix, actually the mix seems to be a lot better now, much finer.
Brick Peat.
Peat Moss
Spagnum Moss
Pine bark
Blood and Bone
Kitty Litter-Not Clumping, the little rock type.
Water crystals

I am using cats choice kitty litter to raise bamboo seeds.
That is kinda like perlite so i am told, i asume the coles clay cat litter is the same thing, trying it out at the moment.

If anyone has any ideas or you recommend a mix, would you please let me know.

Thank you so very much

[kvan64]

Ahhhhhhh, you high-jacked my thread just kidding.
If you have access to nothing else but what listed then I would go with a combination of cat litter, potting mix and pine bark. Hope that the experts here will give you the optimal ratio. I wish my Dad could buy me some bonsai for Chistmas
Cheers,
DK

[kcpoole]

H hearto
I would use Kitty litter 50%, Pine Bark 25%, Potting Mix 25%
You could go with 1/3 each as well if you like

I would stay away from the others for a bonsai mix if i could.
Ensure you water regularly. do not water until just before the soil it dries right out, but do not let them stay wet.

Ken

[aaron_tas]

kitty litter/peat moss, 60/40 for maples...

ask 10 different people, get 10 different mixes

you get the idea tho, it needs to drain freely. i think if the water doesn't drain from the surface within about 4 seconds, you need a more open mix.

[NathanM]

Hey DK,
Does the backyard bonsai shop happen to have a few giant bougs out the front yard?? If so, I didn't realise it was a shop. I should stop in one day!

[kvan64]

Nathan, I know the place you are talking about but it is not the shop. The actual shop is on Premier St and it has a small wooden sign "Bonsai Nurersy Open" when it's open.
Cheers

[Bretts]

Hey Kvan I just called the Stone Merchants and they told me they don't sell 5mm
He was adamant that they don't so I asked for the quarry contact so I could talk to them about getting some. Thier was no chance of that even though he said he will not get 5mm in. He became quite rude
Bugger the bastard I found a contact that has all sizes and they can deliver out this way.
http://www.essendonquarries.com.au/page%206.htm

[SteveT]

Howzit?

I bought some before I realised it was too big. Apparently his supplies come up from Victoria ... that's as much as I got.

[kvan64]

Hey Kvan I just called the Stone Merchants and they told me they don't sell 5mm
He was adamant that they don't so I asked for the quarry contact so I could talk to them about getting some. Thier was no chance of that even though he said he will not get 5mm in. He became quite rude
Bugger the bastard I found a contact that has all sizes and they can deliver out this way.
http://www.essendonquarries.com.au/page%206.htm

I thought I got something now back to square one. I went to talked to the guy and his son (stone merchants) late in the afternoon too and found out that he's planning to retire and doesn't care much about doing business. Appearantly the business is up for sale on some local paper. He currently only have 7mm to 10mm scoria and Bretts is right, he won't stock 5mm
I will continue to try to trace the source of 5mm scoria for bonsai guys down here.

[Jamie]

i know it seems a little inconvenient but if you are wanting to use 5mm or smaller scoria then you could always get the 7mm and crush it some more, it shouldnt be to hard, i know it would be time consuming, but maybe if you have an old blender or something like that you could do a bit at a time and smash it up, it would only take a few pulses a jug, if you spent an hour doing it i am sure you would get through a fair bit, but i do realise it is an inconvience and probably not worth it, just an idea.

and yes i beleive a blender would do the work, the scoria is a light weight rock that is porous so i think it would smash alright, other wise a large mortar and pestle will work..


jamie

[Bretts]

I've crushed up some before and it is no fun. I have been looking into making a rock crusher. I have looked at the commercial industrial size ones and I am not sure I can replicate that. I am thinking something like a cement mixer with big lumps of steel to crush as it turns. Finding a way to sift out the crushed rock at the same time is where I am stuck.
Maybe you have some ideas Jamie?

I am not so sure a blender would work though?

[Jamie]

hmmm, not a bad idea bout the rock crusher brett, i will ponder on it and get back to ya asap


jamie


ps, i think small batches at a time in a blender will do it, you can do dry ice in a blender so why not a porous, light wight rock??? just my thinking thats all

[Petra]

I remember reading somewhere, first thought here. But it was said that runing over with the car broke it down. I would think lay it out flat put a board on top and drive over it a few times. Might work.