What is the best soil for both the Chinese Elm and the miniDwarf Jade?

Carol

There are no such thing as a best soil.

The chinese elm loves wet and jade loves dry. So I would mix a lot more draining materials in the jade soil and more water retentive materials for the elm.

Your trees is brand new and should not be repotted until aclimatized to your environment and care for a full growing season and should be done at the right time of the year. If you are in the northern hemisphere, that means spring 2024 for the elm and summer 2024 for the jade. You have plenty of time to investigate locally awailable options. Join your local bonsai club and ask the members what they use. Asking 10 persons normally gives you 10 answers or more

So, I usually get my bonsai from a nursery and this time I did not. The elm's roots were changing out the sides and the jade was in no better shape so with nothing left in the post and the roots hanging out I had to repot. Watered good and thorough for the both of them. Letting them rest in the shade-no sun of any kind for a little bit and then I will put them on the south window. If there is no sun out I will turn on the grow light. When it gets summer and warmer weather-which takes a while hereI will put them all out on my patio. My husband and I Iive in an apartment. We work nights at the hospital here.

Are we talking about theese trees?:

www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/pruning-and-w...e-elm-and-dwarf-jade

I see no need for urgent repotting of any of them. They are in open soil and are not root bound.

Roots growing out of the pots are not doing anything and can be pruned off at any time.

Watering good and thorough is not the right way for Jades. They are desert plants and can easily rot if overwatered. I keep most of my jades in 5c during winter. They got the last watering in september and will get next one in March or April depending on the temperature. I have a few indoors in South and east facing windows. They get a small watering every 2-6 weeks in winter. Only when the plant shows signs that they are thirsty.

There was only a little soil it was all out in the box.

There are absolutelly no problem to put the soil from the box back into the pot. I guess that is what you did? The soil is still open and nice and the trees are not root bound.

Tropfrog wrote:

There are no such thing as a best soil.

Asking 10 persons normally gives you 10 answers or more

Ha. I can give you five all by myself.

Ivan Mann wrote:

Tropfrog wrote:

There are no such thing as a best soil.

Asking 10 persons normally gives you 10 answers or more

Ha. I can give you five all by myself.

Not more!!?? Scientifically, one could write a diagram with with species on one axis and watering scedule on the other. Every combination would have its own optimal soil (everything else the same) X×Y=Z where X is the amount of tree species in the world and Y is every possible watering technique. Z is the amount of optimal soils that exists. This is in controlled conditions. If one where to make it a non controlled test we must add the environment as well. That is an eternal number of optimal soils. Different soil for different locations but also different soil for different seasons or even wheaters.

The best thing is allways to adapt care to the soil and conditions at hand. That takes experience and understanding of the tree, something gained by time. Proboably the most common reason beginners kills more trees than more experienced artists.

The only one best answer to the question is. Go find a bonsai club near you and check what the most experienced person in your area is doing and copy that. Can’t get closer to an answer than that.