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hugo7
@ewanmac
Soil is one of the most hotly debated topics in bonsai and one in which I think I am still a complete novice. I only just received my first bag of akadama which I had planned on putting in my soils this spring but it didn’t arrive in time.
Anyway, bonsai soil needs to have 4 properties, it needs to provide stability to the plant, it needs to provide water, it needs to provide nutrients, and it needs to allow the tree to breathe. Purely organic soils (regular compost etc) tend to hold too much water and can compact leading to the roots not being able to get enough oxygen. Most bonsai enthusiasts tend to opt for a largely inorganic soil with excellent drainage. This means that soil doesn’t become waterlogged but can mean that you have to water very often (maybe up to several times per day in hot weather). Akadama is a dried clay from Japan that is favoured for it’s balance of water retention and drainage however it is expensive, often difficult to come by and can break down if you live in an area prone to frost. Many people therefore look for alternatives.
I currently have several trees in a mix of composted pine bark (an organic component to add water and nutrient retention), perlite (for drainage), and cat litter (made from molar clay, an akadama replacement with reportedly similar-ish properties). I think my mix is 50% bark, 25% perlite and 25% cat litter. This mix is probably more organic than most would recommend (I’ve seen people using 1:1:1 of the same ingredients) but I’m lazy and like that I don’t have to worry too much about watering. Currently the trees all seem fine.
The tldr is that you don’t NEED akadama, and there are alternatives, but I’d be a bit cautious about regular garden clay - if it’s anything like what I imagine, it will turn into a dense stodgy mush and suffocate your tree. You want something that will retain its structure.
Molar clay is readily available from Amazon under the name sanicat pink or kitty friend https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sanicat-Pink-Cat-Litter-30ltr/dp/B00SJX82SW. Perlite and composted bark are both readily available at your local garden centre. I then sieved all to remove fine particles (<~4mm) and dust before mixing my soil.