Soil Mix for HOT Arizona desert, please

[Craftygramz]

I know that everyone has their favorites from the search that I have done here but I did not find anything specific. I am trying to gather everything I need to try my own bonsai. (I returned that little Juniper bonsai to Lowes) and traded it for a small bouganvia and am considering a Pomegranate (sorry about the spelling).

I am so confused about the soil. Some I've seen online seem to be all inorganic rocks of some sort and the other looks like regular organic potting soil. I am confused as to which is best here. I will have to order it online as no one locally has anything marked for bonsai plants.

Thanks for all the great info received on my first post.

Craftygramz

 

[Eddy]

Doesn't get as hot as arizona where I live but most of the summer were in the 90's. I use akadama/pine bark. 50/50 and it does well.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Ask yourself first... what does a soil mix need to do for a plant?

(1) Provide water
(2) Provide oxygen
(3) Provide nutrients
(4) Provide protection and structure

So your answer is going to be the same whether you are in Arizona or Southern California. However the other question you need to answer is - what is the best environment for my bonsai? 120 degree Vegas dry weather is going to stress just about any plant on the planet. Far better to consider putting up a small CostCo shade cloth in your backyard to provide some relief from the sun, at which point you can keep all of your trees out there in nice bonsai soil with an automatic sprinkler setup from Home Depot. Water twice a day automatically and you're set!

 

[PiñonJ]

Search "Boon mix." I would guess you can get the lava and pumice locally. Akadama is imported from Japan, and will be the most expensive component, if you want to go that route. Diatomaceous earth is another option. For your climate, increase the proportion of akadama, especially for water-loving species, say, 3:1:1, or more. Also, sieve with a finer screen, 1/16 inch. I think pomegranates might like pure akadama, but you should ask @bonhe.

 

[Craftygramz]

Thanks for the replies, I will check out those soil mixes. Is there a premix that would make it easier?

I have a spot on the east side of the house that has two nice big shade trees. Dappled sun there becomes full shade by about 10 or 11. I'm thinking that during the 3-4 months of really hot weather that should be ok. the rest of the year most anywhere in the yard should work.

Sprinkle twice a day? That wouldn't be too much? I know the soil has to have good drainage but should stay moist.

I am going to start really small as far as number of plants. If I can keep them going through the summer then maybe I will try more.

So much to learn, so little time to learn it.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

LOL oops sorry after all that explanation I didn't offer a soil mix.

I use different mixes depending on whether the tree is a conifer or deciduous. The main component of my mix is graded pumice. It is really important to sieve your inorganic soil particles - whether they are pumice, lava, or acadama - to get rid of the smaller particles.

My recommended mix is 1/3 pumice, 1/3 lava, 1/3 acadama for conifers.

In the case of deciduous, I add fine pine bark to this mix (perhaps 10 - 20% total). In the case of azaleas, camellias, gardenias I will add chopped peat moss instead of pine bark.

 

[sorce]

@milehigh_7 has a thing about retentive soils in the Hot.

Boils roots....

Evaporative cooling, I believe, is the key to success...
Loose and multiple daily watering.

You may not need do exactly the same, but I Wouldn't proceed without understanding the oddness of the concept.

Drier Soil? In the Desert?

I Guess So!

Sorce

 

[bonhe]

Craftygramz, post: Is there a premix that would make it easier?
I think your weather is almost as same as mine.
If you can not mix the soil yourself, you may try Cactus mix. It should be ok for bonsai.

I have a spot on the east side of the house that has two nice big shade trees. Dappled sun there becomes full shade by about 10 or 11. I'm thinking that during the 3-4 months of really hot weather that should be ok.
Same as mine. East side is the best for all season. But depending on what kind of tree, other sides may be better. For me, I have to move some trees based on the season we are in.


Sprinkle twice a day? That wouldn't be too much?
Sprinkler is not a good way to water the bonsai. However, if you have no time to water the tree manually, then you have no choice. I only use overhead water system for those small bonsai or prebonsai when I am on vacation. At the summer, I let the system run 4 times a day: 6am - 8 minutes, noon - 2 minutes, 2 pm - 2 minutes, 5 pm - 5 minutes. If you really have no time, then drip system will be the best for the bonsai.



PiñonJ, post: For your climate, increase the proportion of akadama, especially for water-loving species, say, 3:1:1, or more. Also, sieve with a finer screen, 1/16 inch. I think pomegranates might like pure akadama, but you should ask @bonhe
Thanks for mentioning my name
I have been using a lot pine bark/ fir ground/ lava cinder/ pumice. The content ratio is depended on the type of tree.
- Conifers: 2/1/3/3
- Broad leaf: 2/2/1/1
I also sprinkle the soil with humic granule.
I don't use akadama for pomegranate. Only use akadama for small bonsai.
Bonhe