Have you ever thought about the uses of bonsai soil? According to my researches, I found that bonsai soil is good for succulents under these things.
Can you use bonsai soil for succulents? Of course, you can use bonsai soil for succulents, Because the soil structure required by succulents is the same as bonsai. Drainage facilities in bonsai soil and the facility to supply good air to roots are the facilities required by succulents also.
So why don’t you use bonsai soil for succulents? You can use bonsai soil for your succulents in the following manner.
Is it possible to use bonsai soil for succulents?
According to many succulent gardeners, bonsai soil is best as a growing medium for them because bonsai soil can fill all succulents’ requirements.
Succulents have many requirements, and as you know, they are weak. But also these succulents have a great ability to survive in hard drought, as well as in deserts.
That drought Resilience is the weakness of these succulents. That’s why bonsai soil is best for succulents.
Succulents are with a weak root system, and they are adopted to drought conditions. If they feel more moisture, they begin to spoil. So these trees want a soil with good drainage facility and good air condition to the roots.
Bonsai soil can supply those facilities for the succulents. Bonsai gardeners develop the bonsai soil as ideal for the pots, with good drainage and good air holes. So bonsai soil is excellent for succulents.
What do bonsai soil supply to the succulents?
- Good drainage facility.
- Air holes to the roots.
- Soft soil for root growth.
- Nutrients.
# Good drainage #
If you know how to grow bonsai trees, you must know the basic conditions that must be considered when growing them.
Bonsai trees are grown in pots until they die, so these pots must be set up correctly. As well as, the growing medium should be ideal for the plant.
Bonsai trees need a good drainage facility because bonsai plants Trying to rot if they feel more moisture in the soil.
So the bonsai soil is developed to remove more moisture and retain the required amount of water in the soil.
Succulents also need that drainage structure in the soil because succulents even start to rot if they feel more soil moisture.
To get rid of spoiling roots, you can use bonsai soil. Bonsai soil can supply a good drainage facility to the succulents.
# Air holes to the roots #
Bonsai trees need proper ventilation in the soil Because many bonsai trees absorb air from their roots. So bonsai gardeners always give attention to the air holes in bonsai soil.
Mainly the composition of bonsai soil support to make those air holes, and the considerable thing is succulents also want good ventilation in soil.
Succulents are with tiny roots and mainly absorb air from the roots, as well as these roots start to rot if they feel more moisture. So bonsai soil is excellent for succulents because there is a good ventilation facility in bonsai soil.
# Soft soil for root growth and Nutrients #
Bonsai trees are usually re-potted after 6 months, so pruning the roots again will allow the trees to grow new roots again. Therefore, bonsai plants need soft soil to grow roots, and roots cannot grow if the soil is hard.
Therefore bonsai soil grows as soft soil. Succulents also need soft soils, and they need nutrients. Bonsai soils contain a lot of nutrients. Therefore bonsai soil is more suitable for succulents.
So use bonsai soil for succulents. Succulent nurseries also recommend bonsai soil for succulents.
How to make bonsai soil at home for succulents?
If you are a bonsai gardener, you must know how to make bonsai soil. You can make succulent soil in that way, and If you don’t, read this article.
You can develop bonsai soil to use for succulents, and it is not hard to do. As well as if you want, you can reuse bonsai soil for succulents.
When you buy soil for succulents, There is not enough fertile soil for the price, but it is worth it when you make your soil. So let’s learn how to make soil.
# What do need to prepare bonsai soil #
- Akadama, Pumice and lava rock
- Some Organic soil
- Some pine barks and peat moss( If available )
# How to mix soil #
First, you have to sift out the akadama soil because the akadama dust disturbs the drainage.
Akadama is a baked clay from Japan, so you have to sift the soil, and if you are unable to buy akadama, you can use some other dried clay particles around you.
Then add Pumic and Lava rock to the Akadama soil. Then mix all of them very well, as well as a percentage to add those soil when using to succulents. The following table contains those things.
You can add some pine bark or any other bark particles or foliage particle as organic materials for the soil. Those particles can give good nutrients to the bonsai soil, and it can also be used for succulents.
| Akadama soil | 40% |
| Pumice soil | 25% |
| Lava rock | 25% |
| Organic materials | 10% |
Develop a bonsai soil mixture for succulents.
The above mixture is the best mixture for plants that grow in pots because that soil mixture can supply good drainage facility to plants in pots.
So this mixture is excellent for succulents because they want a good drainage facility and can develop above the soil in various ways to match your succulent type.
You can add a mixture of organic materials and minerals, like some bark particles with gravel. It helps adequately keep the drainage and feed the succulent.
There is also a ratio to mix those minerals and organic substances. Barely organic particles get 1/3, and Minerals get 2/3 because of drainage requirement.
Some organic substances.
- Compost soil
- Peat moss
- Coconut coir
- Bark particles
- Potting soil
Some minerals
- Gravel
- Pumice
- Lava rock
- Perlite
- Coarse sand
So, develop your bonsai soil and use it for succulents, and also you can reuse bonsai soil for those succulents as in this article.
Recommend reading: Can you reuse bonsai soil?
How to use bonsai soil with succulents?
When you use bonsai soil with those succulent plants, you have to think about some factors. If you miss those things, sometimes your succulent will let you alone.
You can’t use any bonsai soil for these succulents because there are various bonsai trees with different soil requirements.
Some of them want muddy soil because they have a hard root system and thirsty moisture requirement, But if you use bonsai soil like that to your succulents, it will die.
So when you use bonsai soil, select the suitable soil, and as well as you have to think about the pot also.
When you plant your succulent tree with bonsai soil, always use a pot with drainage holes, Because bonsai soil has the ability to retain the required moisture amount in the soil
If you don’t, succulent roots will start to rot, and the plant will die. So with bonsai soil, use a pot with drainage holes for your succulents.
The nutrient factor of the soil
Normally bonsai trees do not need more amount of nutrients, Because they are training to rough conditions.
Also, large soil nutrients are not so important as these bonsai trees are potted from time to time. But succulents do not re-pot in the same way, so you should add some fertilizer to the bonsai soil before using it for succulents.
You can buy some succulent fertilizers from nurseries and use compost soil if you are in trouble to buy fertilizers. Compost soil is the best organic matter you can use for bonsai soil and succulent soil.
Make compost soil at home for succulents.
You can make compost soil at home without any cost. You have to collect wastes from your garden and make some compost soil at home.
Things you can add.
- Mowed grass
- Leaves removed from trees
- Died trees and plants
- Wood and ash from your oven
- Vegetable parts from your kitchen
Collect all those things in one place and let them decay with time. Add some water every day, and you will be able to have no cost compost soil at your home; for more, read the following article.
Recommend reading : How to make compost for bonsai soil.
Then mix that soil with other soil particles as you learned early. You can make succulent soil without buying the soils mentioned above.
No cost succulent soil at home
You can find some gravel from your surrounding, and you can make compost at home. Then, mix more gravel with compost soil because succulents need good drainage, and compost can’t give that facility.
Then use it with your succulents without fear. It will work for your succulent tree.
Is it affect the health and growth of succulents?
Why do these best soil harm your cute succulent tree? As you know now, Bonsai soil can full fill all the requirements of a succulent tree.
But bonsai soil can affect your bonsai tree in another way. When you use bonsai soil for succulents, it affects the growing speed of them.
First of all, you have to prepare succulent soil with bonsai soil by mixing nutrients into them. You know the reason to mix nutrients.
# How to affect the health #
Bonsai soil can affect the health of succulents in various ways. It can affect the health on the good side and on the bad side. So you have to know both sides.
When you use bonsai soil for succulents, you have to prepare it before use. If you are unable to do it, there will be some bad effects on health.
If bonsai soil contains a Strict fertilizer or something, it can harm your succulent roots, and it is not suitable for health.
# How to affect the growth #
Bonsai soil can affect your succulent growth in a good way, it can help your succulent to grow speedier than other succulents, and it can also control all the soil requirements.
Things to be aware
How to choose the best succulent soil?
If you want soil for succulents, you have few options. You can buy succulent soil from a shop, or you can make succulent soil with bonsai soil. There are other options. You can purchase and use bonsai soil directly, or you can reuse bonsai soil.
When you buy soil for succulents, first of all, check if the soil contains dust. If it contains dust, the soil is not suitable for succulents because dust particles disturb the soil’s drainage.
As well, dust turns into mud when the water falls on it and causes it to retain high soil humidity. Succulents do not like high humidity. So check the soil before buy.
If you cannot buy bonsai soil, buy Succulent soil mixture from the shop and prepare it before using it. Sift the soil to remove dust and use it.
Select the best pot if you use bonsai soil for succulents.
When you use bonsai soil for succulents, the main thing you have to consider is the pot’s drainage holes. If the pot’s holes are large, the bonsai mixture’s compost soil will dissolve and go out.
You have to be aware of the size of the pot. You can use any pot for succulents when you are using bonsai soil.
If you doubt the soil nutrients are going out with water, you can find it by checking the drainage holes. Put some water into the pot and look at the water coming out from drainage holes. If the water in sot takes on a mud color, your doubt is correct.
If it continues, you can use a net to the drainage holes, which will stop happening.
Conclusion
Now you know that bonsai soil is the best soil for succulents, and it is possible to use bonsai soil with any succulents.
