Hello, I started using horticultural charcoal in my potting mix for bonsai and container grown Japanese maples this season. So far it seems to be working very nicely in aiding in drainage and preventing soil compaction. It also adds a light and airy component to the mix, helping the roots breathe. It’s a nice size and mixes nicely with the other components of my mix. Aside from all the claims of absorbing impurities from the soil (little proof supports this claim), slow to break down, ect. Has anyone used it before in their mix? One tree that I decided to re-pot seemed to have healthy roots and the charcoal seemed to make the soil fall away from the roots easier when repotting, which made my life much easier. So I wanted to share my experiences with horticultural charcoal to see if anyone has had any positive or negative experiences with it. Thanks for your feedback!
Interesting... I'll have to read up on this, anything to help out the roots - and make repotting easier - is a winner in my books. Where did you get it, and how much does it run? Do you have a picture of the bag and/or product? Just curious what it looks like. This summer, I started using coco coir in my soil mix for (nearly all) my potted maples and other plants/bonsai, and so far I like it a lot, and my plants seem to as well. I buy the compressed block and rip it up (a little goes a long way) into smaller and larger chunks; the coir remains moist for some time, slowly leaching back into the soil mix, and the coarseness helps with aeration, and doesn't break down very fast. Here in Kansas, the struggle is to keep the soil moist and free-draining during the intense summer heat, but not have to water 2/3/4 times a day. I use about equal parts of pine bark mulch, Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil and the coco coir, and add in 1/4-1/3 of the total amount in turface and/or perlite. When we create our large raised bed in the backyard later this fall/next spring, I plan to add a bunch of the coir to it as well.
I've used a small amount of activated carbon (aquarium carbon) in my bonsai mix for a few years. Putting a piece of chazrcoal at the bottom of a vase for cut flowers, or at the bottom of a pot has been used for a long time to prevent root rot. You might find this article interesting too: Terra preta
AlainK, thanks for the link to good information. Since its been used for thousands of years, then it’s clear that many others had a positive experience with charcoal. Andrea, I have been buying smaller bags this season as I need them, but I am looking at available options to buy in larger quantities for next season. Here are some pictures.
JT1 will be interested in your observations during the Autumn colours - enhanced or reduced or ......... ?
