Miracle Grow Potting Mix Okay For Now?

[Bunjeh]

I have Miracle Grow potting mix on hand and it has some organic stuff in it along with perlite. It seems to drain pretty well in another pot that I have.

I cannot convince my wife that I need better soil, so for now I am unable to get bonsai soil. I would rather order it then have to make my own. Getting the screening material and stuff is beyond what I can do here at the apartment. So pre-made stuff will have to do until we buy a house in a few years.

Go to Carquest and get a bag of floor dry (100% diatomacious earth). It's 8 bucks for a 25 pound bag and will fix your drainage problems. Mix it 50/50 for the time being. It'll do.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

First pass, wets the surface, second pass 10 minutes or so later , wets the middle, third pass ten minutes or so, wets the bottom and drips.

Plant controls the pot, root bound or lots of soil little root ?

Lots of observations --------- takes 3 to 5 years watering every day to learn how to water.

These factors will decide how you mix your soil.

Good Day
Anthony

I'm with Kennedy on this, sounds like BS. 3 to 5 years? And if you have to hit each pot three times to get it wet, something is seriously wrong with your mix or repotting schedule.

I have used the Miracle Gro with pumice for growing things out, and a Miracle Gro/ Napa mix should be perfect for a ficus. They are not as picky about soil as other trees.

 

[Bunjeh]

Did you use the NAPA Floor Dry it another brand? They're not all the same. I haven't experienced any of the floor dry turning to mush after using it a couple winters now.

Yeah. Make sure it says "100% diatomacious earth". It's basically limestone so if it is turning into mush it must be something else.

 

[Anthony]

Hey Folks,

I was just trying to help.

Apologies for the "B.S", but this is how we have watered for over 30 years. Save during the dry season we water one in the evening before 4.30 p.m, so the trees go into the evening dry.
Twice in the morning starting at 5.30 to 6.00 a.m. Placement is full sun, and it is breezy.

The organic part seldom crosses 1/3 by volume, and one of the inorganics is crushed porous red earthenware brick.

In the wet season it is by observation.

Please note well -
*****However, reading at these lists it is noted that you guys water in a hurry, and make a lot of comments about dryness in your pots with various mixes.******

It is safer to give the - conditions - rather than just advise on an ingredient in a soil mix, when dealing with newbies.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[timetravel_0]

I can tell you from being relatively new to this myself (I have about 11 months on you), that potting soil will kill your trees from over watering in most cases.

In my arid environment 3% humidity most of the year, potting soil will stay too wet. Commonly, the top part of the pot will appear dry, but the bottom is still water logged.

The Napa 8822, lava rock, etc seems to dry out more evenly and consistently. In the spring I will be switching all of my trees that aren't already in it to a mix of 50/50 DE and pine bark or 50/50 lava and pine bark. 100% DE as recommended in this thread has been working well for my indoor trees.

 

[Anthony]

But Timetravel, doesn't the pine bark decay to compost, and then begins to hold large quantities of water> Does it also hoard Nitrogen, and then dump it suddenly, maybe burning feeder roots ?

When you repot, are you still washing all of the soil off of the roots or you cutting x amount off of the sides and base, leaving the core alone?
So if the core is possibly over wet, what might happen ?

From January to sometime July/August we have no rain, so we can increase the organic part a bit in a repotting, but when the rains come the roots will have mastered the soil mix and the water won't hurt the tree.
However our cores are still mostly 70 to 90 % inorganic, with compost decaying to humus and then filtering out slowly as fine grit. Every repotting, renews the core where there are spaces from decayed humus and dead roots, with compost and new roots.

Ultimately say every 30 years, the core has to be refreshed as well. Checking for heavy roots that are for stability, but not feeding.
Thus far only the Gmelina has attempted to re-grow a large main root, and yes we have trees from 30 years ago.

Only more questions?????????????
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Si Nguyen]

Miracle Grow Potting Mix is NOT Okay. It has too much human sewage sludge and stays too wet. It is very easy to over-water indoor plants. If you already has Miracle Grow Potting Mix in your pot, then water very carefully, probably no more than once every 7-14 days. And don't fertilize your plants. It does not need any more fertilizers in 1-2 years.

If you could not mix a proper bonsai soil mix, and you have to use something straight from the bag, then use Cactus Mix. It has more pumice and less sewage than the regular Potting Mix.

If you only have a HomeDepot or a Lowe's in your town, then it should have everything that you would need to mix a decent bonsai mix. Try not to use the Potting Mix without mixing it. Good luck.

 

[Anthony]

Thanks Si,

I had wondered about Miracle Gro, Pro Mix is just supposed to be sustainable steamed peat moss and some perlite, with some sort of chemical to make it easily wettable and a mild fertiliser.

Human sewer sludge ?
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Naomanos]

Go to Carquest and get a bag of floor dry (100% diatomacious earth). It's 8 bucks for a 25 pound bag and will fix your drainage problems. Mix it 50/50 for the time being. It'll do.

Thank you. That is what I did. Went to Napa this morning and bought the DE. I will mix it tomorrow with the potting mix. I may do a little more of the DE than potting mix. Maybe 60/40 DE to potting mix.

 

[timetravel_0]

But Timetravel, doesn't the pine bark decay to compost, and then begins to hold large quantities of water> Does it also hoard Nitrogen, and then dump it suddenly, maybe burning feeder roots ?

When you repot, are you still washing all of the soil off of the roots or you cutting x amount off of the sides and base, leaving the core alone?
So if the core is possibly over wet, what might happen ?

From January to sometime July/August we have no rain, so we can increase the organic part a bit in a repotting, but when the rains come the roots will have mastered the soil mix and the water won't hurt the tree.
However our cores are still mostly 70 to 90 % inorganic, with compost decaying to humus and then filtering out slowly as fine grit. Every repotting, renews the core where there are spaces from decayed humus and dead roots, with compost and new roots.

Ultimately say every 30 years, the core has to be refreshed as well. Checking for heavy roots that are for stability, but not feeding.
Thus far only the Gmelina has attempted to re-grow a large main root, and yes we have trees from 30 years ago.

Only more questions?????????????
Good Day
Anthony

I'm using the pine bark to gain moisture. In my dry climate, wood does not break down that fast. Any pine bark mixed with DE or lava 11 months ago still looks like it came straight out of the bag. I haven't observed any breakdown to smaller particles, and I'm not having any issues with drainage. Heavy watering (when watering) should be able to flush excess nitrogen from the soil.

 

[Naomanos]

Now that I have the DE, how do I go about removing the soil from the shipper and using my own mix?

When I took the glued together stones off I pulled the tree out of the plastic pot it was in and was able to see what it looked like.

What I mean is, how do I remove the soil from the root ball so I can put the tree into my potting mix and DE mixture?

 

[KennedyMarx]

Pull it out of the pot, sit it over something to catch the dirt like a dish tub, then use a chopstick or skewer to tease the roots out. Gently rake the stick from the center of the rootball towards the edges once they're out you can rinse them off in the sink. I wouldn't cut any roots. Just put it in the new soil then work the soil into the entire rootball with your chopstick.

Look up Orlando Bonsai repotting on YouTube for a guide.

 

[Naomanos]

Pull it out of the pot, sit it over something to catch the dirt like a dish tub, then use a chopstick or skewer to tease the roots out. Gently rake the stick from the center of the rootball towards the edges once they're out you can rinse them off in the sink. I wouldn't cut any roots. Just put it in the new soil then work the soil into the entire rootball with your chopstick.

Look up Orlando Bonsai repotting on YouTube for a guide.

I really wish that there was a close by bonsai club for me to attend. Closest to me is Central Florida Bonsai Club which meets 42 miles from my home. I mentioned it to my wife, but she has said that I need to get a second car then as it's too far away.

Looks like that I am doing things somewhat solo as I don't seem to have anyone that can "mentor" me in person so to speak, or be around other people that can show me how to do this wonderful hobby.