First recommendation is don't look to the soil to provide nutrients.

Mix your own soil using durable, gritty, and porous ingredients, such as Turface,
Pumice, Perlite, quartz, granite, and pine or fir bark. An easy recipe to follow is:
1 part turface, 1 part bark, and 1 part granite. These ingredients should be screened
to remove the fine particles. For the Turface, keep any particles larger than 1/16 of an inch.
For the bark and granite (or quartz, gravel, et cetera), keep the particles between 1/8 and 1/4 inches.

You'll need to provide all the nutrients for your tree, so choose a complete fertilizer
containing the micro-nutrients. I prefer Foliage Pro 9-3-6.

Josh

Thank you for your instructions! My bonsai thanks you...

Since you seem like you know about bonsai, I have another question about the potting process, how much of the root can I cut off to get the plant into my bonsai pot, also do you recommend rocks or something like that to aid with proper drainage?
Thanks
Katie B.

Hey there, Katie! I'm only an amateur at best ;-)
But I have been studying container soils for a few years now, thanks in main part to one of the posters
here, a guy named Al (Tapla). I've been growing all of my plants, houseplants, bonsai, and garden crops
in the same types of free-draining and durable soils, and the results have been outstanding.

I do not recommend rocks for drainage because a layer of rocks in the bottom of the container will not
promote drainage. It will actually impede and delay drainage. I can explain further if you wish.
But the short answer is definitely no rocks ;-)

The amount of roots that can be removed during re-potting will depend on a couple of things:
first, the type of plant (how much genetic vigor does it have). After that, you need to perform
the root-pruning at the right time of year, which is also directly tied to the vitality of the plant.
In other words, if you time the re-potting with the best growing period of the season, then your
plant will recuperate much better. Healthy, well-grown plants will tolerate most stresses better.

My advice is to post a pic for everyone to see :-) There are many folks here who would love
to offer suggestions, and who might be able to help you locate ingredients for a mix.

Josh

Thank you for all this information it is really helpful, (this is my first bonsai), so no rocks for draining... I was reading on another bonsai how-to site that I should put metal mesh on top of the drain holes... I guess for drainage but I'm not sure what that would except for keeping the soil in the pot. Sorry to bombarde you with questions, I have another one... I'll be moving to a dorm later this year and I know bonsai plants are supposed to be kept out doors, but do you know if there is someway to keep it indoors without it dying?

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My bonsai might be over-pruned... kind of went to town on it once I got started!

Hello!

Looks to be a Juniper, so it'll really need to be kept outdoors.
I like what you've done with the plant so far, and I think you'll have many fun years
of pruning ahead of you :-)

When Al sees this post, I'm sure he'll add a few pointers on root-pruning/timing.

Josh

Yes, indeed it is, it took awhile to find the perfect Juniper! Yet again I have another question... the climate I live in is rather hot and doesn't exactly have seasons, for example it is winter right now and tomorrow it is going to be 90 degrees, I know I need to keep the plant in filtered light, but do I also need to keep it in cool place
Katie

Good advice, Josh!

Where DO you live, Katie? I ask because the timing of repots is usually affected by geography. Do you have a lot of examples of this particular plant in the landscape where you live? I wouldn't expect J procumbens to be too happy in zones much above 8.

Al

First off there is a reason that most resources concerning soil mixtures while having a good resource on soil components dont give actual mixture's. This reason is that with the wide range of different climates a soil's composure will need to be tailored to where you live to be sure it dose not stay wet too long. In other words a mixture that works great in Texas will most likely have a very bad result when used in Washington or New york. Your best bet would be to find your local Bonsai club where the members will be more than willing to tell you any tricks of the trade that specify to care in your exact geological location. That being said their is on mixture that will work great for just about any tree in any local and that is Boon manakitivipart's mixture which is comprised of equal parts Red lava rock, Akamada and Pumic.

As for kitty litter being used as a soil component.... as far as I'm concerned its unheard of in the states. I know a few people in other countries using it but I think the brand used is not offered in the U.S. Your typical kitty litter if used will turn to mush and then upon drying will turn your soil and the trees roots along with it into a cement brick. A good test of taking a small handful and placing it in a glass of water will show you that within a day if not hours the litter will bloat up absorbing the water and become goo.

When it comes to repotting and root pruning (assuming your tree is healthy and growing vigorously) you should remove up to 1/3 of the root mass at the most. When concerning deciduous trees in climates where there is a winter, repotting and any general heavy pruning is best done in late spring or early winter right before the tree has started to break its dormancy. This will ensure the least amount of stress is being incurred on the tree.

The metal mesh on drainage holes are only meant to keep the soil from being washed out the bottom of the pot when watering. While some metal is adequate for use as drainage netting I would recommend using the plastic type sold for bonsai use as some metal ones will rust and can also release toxins into the soil killing the tree.

I think that covers just about all of your questions??

-Mike

Hi Al, I live in San Diego, CA, it's super dry and hot most of the time, for example it is supposed to winter right now, BUT, today it was 90 degrees... gross... therefore making my zone number a 10-11. Mike can you recommend how often i should prune the roots? I am assuming two to three times a year would be efficient, but I'm not sure. Thank you Mike, Al and Josh for all for your insight it is EXTREMELY helpful!!! Since I'm a bonsai newbie.
Katie

The roots should be only pruned once a year (assuming its a younger tree like yours) root pruning is only meant to help manage the root system and keep it small and in the beginning stages of a young tree's life in training to form a proper beginning for the nebari and shallow root system. For young trees i would recommend no more than once a year. After the tree begins getting older (around 10-20yrs old) once every 2-3 years is best. I would only root prune if the entire pot has been filed with roots and they are beginning to encircle the pot on the inside right before the tree begins to become root bound.

I have no experience with growing trees, especially a juniper in your climate and cant say whether it can be done nor how it should be. Your best course of action would be to seek out your local bonsai (which California is a mecca for)club for members advice and take a trip to your local library and read up on as many Bonsai books as possible.

Katie - root pruning once per year is a good guideline for younger trees. Older junipers are often maintained for several years between repots and root-pruning, with growth rate and soil condition being the factors that hold the most sway over what is/isn't best or appropriate. By soil condition, I'm referring to how quickly and to what degree any organic matter included in the soil has broken down.

I would do my juniper repotting (in your zone) in March. When soils are warm enough, junipers tend to start to wake up and take off when nights are shorter than days, so just after the vernal equinox would be a good time.

The soil recipe Josh suggested would be a very good choice for you. Commercially prepared bonsai soils usually contain too many fine particles to offer the highest potential for best plant vitality; this, because of the perched water that remains in the pot .... which can be directly attributable to the fine particles. The reason I can say it should be a very good choice is, if you have all the ingredients, it's easily adjustable for water retention. By varying the volume of Turface in the soil in relation to crushed granite, you can go from a soil hat holds moderate amounts of water to a soil that holds a significant amount of water - all without having to suffer the consequences associated with water held as perched water.

If you're confused about any terms or about how to approach the soil issue, just ask. One thing a budding bonsai artist needs to understand is the subject of soils; another is how plants work (physiology). Many people come to bonsai, and nearly as many exit the ranks due to the frustration of not being able to keep their trees alive. A basic understanding of soil science is probably as important as anything you could learn about bonsai, but it's a simple concept that can be absorbed in an hour or two. The physiology part is a bit more arduous than learning about soils, but you can catch a break by getting the soil science down first, because it will buy you the time you need to work on the physiology.

Best luck to you!

Al