AusBonsai

Hi Squiz no soil science degree ... but the pine bark nuggets are 'decomposed' / 'composted' or as the bag says 'aged' and has no resemblance to tan bark (wood chips), it's more closer to black in colour and the texture of bark not wood.
So I dare say v similar to what you describe. Btw price was $28 = 50lt bag

Ryan

The Osmocote bonsai mix is very fine (no cause material what so ever for drainage) and clags together to much to be of any use in bonsai, and if it dries out it repels water. I use the Searls Bonsai and Cactus & Succulent Mix
equal parts, sieved through 1.5mm mesh and too large particals removed through 5mm mesh.

Osmocote bonsai mix would probably grow great moss.

this is what I have found the one time I used it.

chris

Hi Ryan,

It looks the goods thats for sure. I was more making reference to others on the site that buy the soft fall pine bark or the mini nuggets which are both un composted from ANL. My theory is only from my experience in nurseries when I was younger and for all I know it might be Bull#@$% as I have no way of proving the theory as I am not a soil scientist that has conducted my own experiments. I did however notice better growth in some of our mini roses when we changed the mix we were using to a more composted one.I am still experimenting with mine.

With the gravel component I sieved about six pots worth of brown deco granite the other day and it produced 1.5 pots worth of optimum grade 3 to 5mm sharp granite gravel. It was a lot of effort for very little mix and a lot of waste. I think the granite would also make the bonsai to heavy to carry around aswell. I have been using Kleensorb (diatomite) but I feel it has the opposite problem ( to light) and the trees may very well be easily knocked off the bench. The Diatomite is easily crushed between your fingers aswell ( like chalk) I think it needs to be somewhere in between. Maybe a mixture of Diatomite and something a bit heavier. The 5mm nepean river pebble I have been using is too rounded and compacts to easily in my opinion. I have also tried red scoria but the finest grade I can get is 10mm and I feel this would pose a problem come time to repot as the 10mm particals might damage roots as it is raked out. I might just have to let the moths out of the wallet and try some of this akadama but I still hold hope there is something more local and sustainable.

Good luck with the mix Ryan.

Squizz