Pacific Northwest Bonsai Practitioners

[mpersena]

Hello, I was looking for a forum on bonsainut that was dedicated to issues specific to the climate in the pacific northwest and I could not find one. So, I decided to start one. My goal is to collect advice from people who have been growing bonsai in the various climates in the PNW, share info about local resources, what kind of soil mix people are having success with for the various species that are being grown, rules, regulations and guidance about Yamodori collection in our area etc.

My first questions have to do with soil mixes that people have used successfully for development and then refinement of the following (in pots, outside of course)

Azalea
Juniper
Chinese elm
Pieris
Sequoia
pine (black pine)
Boxwood
Cypress (Hinoki, sawara)

I did not know what to use when I potted most of them. They are surviving but I can't say thriving in the miracle grow potting soil + a few handfuls of pumice that I used for most of these trees. I think the soil is probably retaining more water than is idea in the rainy months in Seattle.

If nobody has any good information to share about this then I will experiment and post my experience to this thread.

 

[NaoTK]

pumice guy. You cannot go wrong with pumice for everything here, because of how much rain we get and how cheap pumice is. 100% pumice works, but you can also add small amounts of other materials depending on the species. I would do 90% pumice + 10% your organic mix if you don't want to use akadama etc. People say pumice doesn't hold a lot of moisture in the summer, but I haven't found that to be the case.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome Aboard Bonsai Nut!

If your are in Seattle it would be great for your development as a hobbyist to join PS Bonsai Association and get into one of our study groups. Meetings are the fourth Monday and Center for Urban Horticulture at UW.

While not a fan of all pumice, it’s true, one could get away with all pumice with most of the above trees, except azaleas and Sequoias. Also would put in an 10-20% organic component besides. However expect somewhat coarse roots. So once getting midway through refinement get these trees in a decent media.

For grow out of nursery size azaleas one can get away with about 70 peat : 30 pumice then mix in 10% small bark

If one plans on moving an Azalea out of the nursery mix into a bonsai pot (think deeper pots) the roots need to be totally washed clean. A great media for here is 90 Kanuma : 10 pumice, then to help during the summer mix in 5-10% Biochar. Be sure to keep moss on the surface up if one plans to develop a decent nebari.

Sequoia is similar to the rest of the redwoods. These trees love lots of water and if not available will show it quickly… usually in late July early August. To avoid this. One can keep developing trees in a bark/potting soil mix with a thick drainage layer of pumice. Plan on up potting, root pruning and pruning the top hamper every year for at least 5-6 years. Change out the media at least every two years… but if as one is pulling the tree every year, might as well change the media. As a bonsai they need a water retentive media. Some folks put the pot in a pan of water during the summer until the rains come.

You did not post your trees. Please post these so we can see where they are in development.

During the spring and fall rains it’s customary to chock up one side of pots (or bench) to lower the water table and keep the trees drier.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Kievnstavick]

Welcome! Stay awhile and listen.

We have a few people on this forum located around the Pacific Northwest. The Puget Sound Bonsai Association is a great resource and a strong club for our region.

The Puget Sound Bonsai Mesuem is a great place to meet to some other hobbyists and you can study the well refined trees on display there.

If you ever make your way over to my neck of the woods, Elandan Gardens ran by Dan Robinson is another great resource to study another form of the art. You can often find Dan out in his garden and he is a very interesting fellow to talk with.

Do keep in mind that with our geography in this state, people who live near you can have very different climates and weather patterns. So take their advice, but also understand where that advice is coming from. Understanding the how's and why's more then what they are specifically doing.

One thing I often say to people: "There doesn't have to be a good reason, but there should always be a reason."