Penjing Soil exploration

[ric]

After seeing Kanh Linh do his Penjing setting at BBTH last weekend where he used his muck mix soil (see posts re) I was lucky enough to visit Phillipe Tot's Lignan Penjing Academy where he had some very fine examples of his penjing on display in the classroom. As with Linh he uses clay based soil mix which becomes very hard and not at all porus like the mixes I use for my bonsai. He also relies on this mix to supply the nutrients for the duration of the cycle before the next repot - which can also be a lot longer -about five years and only using a little simple liquid fertiliser not of commercial origin as this may contain preservatives that he feels may harm the microorganisms of the soil. The miosture retention of this set-up appears also to work in a different way to the usual bonsai mix. The clay base absorbs a great deal of water and sits on a container without holes so it is thoroughly wet at the start and he says this takes quite a long time to become dry even on very hot days and does so in uneven stratas.

There is always a different path to explore
Ric

[Bretts]

Thats how my mate Pol grows his. I am amazed at how it works for him but I often get trees from him in his mix and they work fine in my yard as well.

[Glenn C]

Guys,
I took this shot last year in Pingyao and in every town through northern and central China I went they seemed to just pot in a very sticky clay soil and every tree looked as happy as this one......go figure.

[Chris H]

There is always a different path to explore
Ric

I love this attitude.