How to Pick the Right Type of Soil for a Bonsai Trees

Bonsai trees are living trees that are kept in miniature form through careful and constant pruning. Keeping a healthy environment is essential for growing a bonsai tree and the correct soil is vital for your bonsai garden.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bonsai tree
• Bonsai tree soil
• Pot
• Water

1. Make sure the soil you get is special bonsai tree soil.

2. Check the soil to see if it is airy and grainy, this allows the moisture to leave the soil, maintaining the proper humidity.

3. Be sure that even if some soil falls out during moving or watering, you do not replace it with regular potting soil, but with specialized bonsai soil.

4. Buy soil that contains 30 percent grit and 70 humus for deciduous trees or 70 percent grit and 30 percent humus for evergreen needled plants. Even though the plant needs vary, this ratio is a good rough estimate of what your bonsai tree needs to survive.

5. Test the soil to make sure it does not capture and retain too much moisture, which can kill the bonsai tree roots.

6. Check out websites such as Bonsai Tree Care for more information on making your own bonsai tree soil. They also recommend various bonsai tree soil products available at Bonsai Boy. (See links in Resources.)

Resources

• Bonsai tree care information
• Buy bonsai trees and soils here