Japanese Larch Mixture

Hi. Can anyone tell me what is the ideal mix of bonsai soil for my newly bought Japanese larch bonsai? The tree is roughly 20-25 years old that has been in the pot for 2 years and it's ready to repot this coming up Spring.

I couldn't tell you the exact proportions because you are in California and I am in upstate NY. I potted my American larch in a very coarse conifer mix and it has been very happy. Larches like plenty of water, so your mix should drain well.
Iris

Can u tell me the recipe of your mix.

Very promissing tree.

I use a mix of 70% pozzolane (3-5 mm) and 30% composted pine bark. As they like moisture as Iris said, any retaining water soil with or without organic addition will be fine I think. 100% akadama will be fine too with the right watering and feeding program.

Thank You. I homemade soil included 1 part pumice, 1 part decomposed granite, 1 part builder sand, and i part potting soil. do u think is a good nix?

As Iris said, your mix should drain well: IMO, it sounds OK if you sieve it so as to keep only the bigger particles (at least 3 mm).

Thanks, I do that everytime i mix my soil.

Hi, i would like to add to the topic about this larch i have. It's now mid-spring here in Cali. but my larch still not leaf out yet, the temperature right now is average 78 F. Can anyone help me with the answer, reallllllllllllly appreciate...

Hi, If there are green buds, and the tree has not leafed out yet, it could be your elevation. If you are in the valley forget that, but if you're up in the hills they're coming. Leaves come first on the trees in the valley and then the ones up higher leaf out. For a valley tree at this point I don't know, my Larch have been in leaf for quite a while now. Occasionally a frost will knock back the new buds and set back leafing out till they recover.

I checked, and found no green buds on the tree. And all the larchs that my friends had are already leafed out. Thats why im concerning... Did i killed it?

uh oh

give it a nick and see if theres green under the bark.

Bonsai4life wrote:I checked, and found no green buds on the tree. And all the larchs that my friends had are already leafed out. Thats why im concerning... Did i kill it?

You've had it since last fall & it was healthy then? Where did you keep it over the winter?
Iris

Sorry for the late reply. I scrapped a bit of bark off, no green but there still sap. And yes the tree was very healthy last fall and i keep it outside the whole winter because we never get below 30F here in Fresno.

How unfortunate. Either the tree was infected with something when you bought it, or it died of some sort of root rot over the winter. Take it back where you got it. If it was properly potted, it should have gone through the winter OK.
Iris

T.T