So glad to find this forum. Here's my first question: I've just received a beautiful Garnet Laceleaf Maple that needs repotting into a container. I'm wondering what kind of soil would be best for it. Garden variety potting soil? Should I use peat moss? Thanks, Dij
I have potted several maples using bagged "Potting Soil" from my local hardware store. Both Miracle Grow and the generic brands have worked well... I also put about 3-4 inches of mulch on top of the soil.
Hello, Dij - Roots need air, so the soil needs to drain really well. There are ways to put together a mix that helps, and is usually more adequate than a lot of commercially available soils: for instance, using a good percentage pine bark pieces plus perlite mixed in with the right commercial soil could be better than the commercial soil alone. (No garden soil, of course.) Peat is problematic, as it compacts and stays wet or dries out too much. You can use the search engine for this forum, and look up the various discussions on pine bark, on peat, and on soil mixes, and then come back and ask for more detailed info, and clarifications. (Also helpful for container growing can be familiarity with bonsai principles regarding water and air mouvement in the soil, root pruning, as well as the characteristics of the different components that are commercially available.)
Add a lot of small aquarium gravel to the mix and don't use peat (or Miracle Gro) at all. Maples like sandy, gritty soil (similar to pines) and soil needs to drain fast to keep them happy. They prefer pH neutral to acid soil, however, so be careful about that too.
