Ordering bonsai soil online

[SFDrake]

Ordering soil and trying not to pay too much shipping. Anybody use this bonsai jack mix before?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Bonsai Jack media has a decent following amongst Bnut folks.

We mix our own media, it’s cheaper and one can dial in exactly what they want. However the initial outlay can be a bit steep unless one is buying from a club.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[SFDrake]

Bonsai Jack media has a decent following amongst Bnut folks.

We mix our own media, it’s cheaper and one can dial in exactly what they want. However the initial outlay can be a bit steep unless one is buying from a club.

Cheers
DSD sends

Thanks, still new so I haven't joined a club yet. Not sure what different components I need for my plants/climate so I was shooting for a generic one

 

[Apex37]

I like their bonsai block and monto clay. I order bags of each and create my own mix depending on the tree. I recommend ordering through their website, rather than Amazon, as the prices are generally cheaper.

Clubs can generally be a great option to get in with a local who sources this stuff. Shipping big bags of soil mixes are generally going to be a lot more costly due to shipping costs.

 

[rockm]

Skip mixing your own —not worth the trouble if all you have is one or two smaller trees. I have many large bonsai. I stopped mixing my own soil a long time ago. I buy pre mixed in bulk 50-75 lb bags. Finding reliable soil components can become a needless obsession. Suppliers come and go and dry up quickly.

At this point dont worry about making your own soil. Bonsai jack is adequate. Get to know how to water and care for your tree for a while then start thinking about mixing your own

 

[just.wing.it]

I like bonsai Jack's lava, pumice and dougy fir bark.

 

[Carol 83]

I do use Bonsai Jack soil and have had good results. Plus they always send you a stainless steel chopstick.

 

[SFDrake]

Skip mixing your own —not worth the trouble if all you have is one or two smaller trees. I have many large bonsai. I stopped mixing my own soil a long time ago. I buy pre mixed in bulk 50-75 lb bags. Finding reliable soil components can become a needless obsession. Suppliers come and go and dry up quickly.

At this point dont worry about making your own soil. Bonsai jack is adequate. Get to know how to water and care for your tree for a while then start thinking about mixing your own

I trust your advice, was going to get the bigger bags from Wigerts which is in my state but the shipping is crazy expensive. At last count I have over 26 projects with less than a year invested, so I'm starting to use a bunch of soil that is pretty expensive from my local bonsai nursery. I'm still not trying to go broke doing this...

 

[Wulfskaar]

I have used bonsaijack soil quite a bit and just yesterday got 2 bags just like the one pictured.

Please note: If you are a veteran, you can email Bonsai Jack and ask for a 10% discount. You must provide your DD214 as proof and then they will give you a code to use on their website.

 

[SFDrake]

I have used bonsaijack soil quite a bit and just yesterday got 2 bags just like the one pictured.

Please note: If you are a veteran, you can email Bonsai Jack and ask for a 10% discount. You must provide your DD214 as proof and then they will give you a code to use on their website.

Thanks! I'm not a veteran but thank you for your service!

 

[esean]

At last count I have over 26 projects with less than a year invested.

If these trees are in the early development stage, do you even need to be using a bonsai mix? Are they already in shallow bonsai pots?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

I trust your advice, was going to get the bigger bags from Wigerts which is in my state but the shipping is crazy expensive. At last count I have over 26 projects with less than a year invested, so I'm starting to use a bunch of soil that is pretty expensive from my local bonsai nursery. I'm still not trying to go broke doing this...

Gosh gotta love Soil Wars!

Each to his own. We know what works here and pre mix 5-15 gals of each type media at a shot… then recycle it once a year. So our outlay has shrunken to a rare media buy or two.

In retrospect, perhaps one of the biggest mistakes we made as rookies (beside not learning to keep our scissors in our pockets!) was putting younger pre bonsai in inorganic bonsai media. The growth rate was lower, concern and care (watering, ferts etc) was higher. The result was time wasted that could have been put to good use studying each tree and carefully mapping out potential….

(But if a purchase is made a Bonsai Jack’s I’m gonna get the veteran’s discount! )

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[SFDrake]

If these trees are in the early development stage, do you even need to be using a bonsai mix? Are they already in shallow bonsai pots?

Gosh gotta love Soil Wars!

Each to his own. We know what works here and pre mix 5-15 gals of each type media at a shot… then recycle it once a year. So our outlay has shrunken to a rare media buy or two.

In retrospect, perhaps one of the biggest mistakes we made as rookies (beside not learning to keep our scissors in our pockets!) was putting younger pre bonsai in inorganic bonsai media. The growth rate was lower, concern and care (watering, ferts etc) was higher. The result was time wasted that could have been put to good use studying each tree and carefully mapping out potential….

(But if a purchase is made a Bonsai Jack’s I’m gonna get the veteran’s discount! )

Cheers
DSD sends

I assumed getting my trees in inorganic soil was beneficial to prevent overwatering. I thought pot size slowed development

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

As always, best general media type/size depends on tree type and stage of development.

Cheers
DSD

 

[SFDrake]

As always, best general media type/size depends on tree type and stage of development.

Cheers
DSD

This is the tree/pots. I think its been in this pot for quite a bit. I thought inorganic soil would be better for the overall health of the tree, but would slip-potting in a slightly larger pot with potting soil be better for development? The training pot i have is bigger than the pot it is in now...