Bonsai Soil by The Bonsai Supply – 4qts. Professional Bonsai Soil Mix | Ready to use| Great for All Bonsai Tree Varieties.

It arrived today and I checked it out. Based on my 35 years of bonsai enthusiast experience, I’d say it deserves 5 stars as a very good professional mix. I usually make my own soil for cost reasons, but I’m glad I bought this.If you are new to Bonsai, here is some advice regarding this soil.You already know that really can’t put bonsai trees into bonsai pots using 100% potting soil - (the typical retail store potting soil that you buy for houseplants). In general, 100% potting soil will eventually kill most bonsai trees in bonsai pots due to drainage issues. (Big pots, used for more rapid growth as training pots are a different subject, but generally speaking most types of potting soil for houseplants are nit suitable for bonsai trees in smaller pots - unless used in small amounts).This soil is vastly different than typical potting soil. It’s a combination of chunky materials, about a quarter inch or less in size, and if you use it as 100% of your soil, your trees, generally speaking, will be very happy — PROVIDED YOU ADOPT the highly attentive tree care attitude of a bonsai enthusiast. This is excellent soil for the tree - and it puts the burden on the user to properly care for the tree. That last sentence, in my opinion, is the right way to begin creating Bonsai as a hobby. Please read on... I have some tips below.If you tend to kill your houseplants through lack of knowledge and attention, this bonsai soil will not change that outcome for your bonsai. If however, you can develop a greater awareness of your trees’ needs, you can be successful and this soil will be a big help in growing trees you can be proud of. The words “greater awareness of your tree’s needs” means, on a daily basis wondering - 1) Is it too dry or too wet, and 2) on a weekly basis, does it have the nutrients it needs. — (other awareness issues like temperature, sunlight, rootbound, insects, are secondary issues to the matter at hand, as we’re talking only about the bonsai soil.)This soil drains very well and will dry out fast because (by design) it’s without much organic material to soak up water. It will strongly resist the development of a very serious common problem called root rot caused by drowning the roots in poorly draining soil.Separately, this soil, when compared to potting soil, is by design, lacking in the many nutrients bonsai need. Bonsai need added nutrients. So, to make up for what the soil does not provide, high quality slow release granules can be added periodically or high quality, heavily diluted liquid fertilizer can be used daily or weekly depending on the dilution level and instructions.If you are inexperienced, seriously consider mixing this soil with more organic material, especially if your tree is outside, out of your view, and it doesn’t rain every day. Adding more organics will help hold water and will reduce the frequency of watering and the amount of fertilizing. If you forget about watering on a sunny, hot day, it may save the tree. When adding organics, its best not to add a lot of finely powdered material like dusty peat moss. Too much water retention is unhealthy. Try to use materials that will tend to be chunky or gritty and drain, like slivers of pine bark/mulch, dried compost, dried earthworm castings, potting soil that’s not mostly peat dust or loam muck. Consider adding organics so that by volume, your additions make up to 10, 20, but not more than 30% of the final mixture. Stay away from adding 20% or 30% organics if what your adding is going to be wet muck once its in the pot.To sum it up. In my opinion, this will be a very good bonsai soil when used skillfully. If you’re new to bonsai, I think it is a well designed, robust soil to start with as your basic foundation. I suggest experimenting with this foundation by adding other materials, organic, depending upon the care requirements of the tree species, the pot, and the environment that your trees will live in.Please keep in mind that I’m not a professional, and I don’t own or work for a bonsai nursery. I’m just an enthusiast, who despite many bonsai training classes at an awesome bonsai nursery, has learned to create Bonsai the hard way.

Exactly as described. I’ve ordered this before and my bonsais thrive in this mix. About to order even more!

Great product and service

Bonsai Soil. Just repotted my plants with this soil, Great Drainage. It's to early to tell if they will like this mixture, right now they look a little sad [ my honest opinion] will give them some time to take, to see how the the repotting with this soil.

Good buy!

love it

This soil is just what I needed…and will need more very soon

I do Bonsai as a hobby and by no means am an expert, but I have quite a few healthy plants. I wanted to test this vs the traditional bonsai mix of akadama, pumice, lava rock 1:1:1 ratio. I used 2 Japanese Bloodgood maples i purchased that are the same stock and roughly the same size and age. I am at 11 months and the maple in the traditional mix already has all its leaves. The one in this mix has only started to bud. I repotted the one with this mix by simply by adding akadama to it and right away it started doing much better. On another note, the maker of this mix claims it to be cheaper than using akadama. This has not been my experience, even with some waste you get with most akadama the brands I used to make my own mix were actually a bit cheaper than this premix bag. I gave this 3 stars because well, it didn't kill my plant and the ingredients used in my opinion were of good quality.