Bonsai Soil Test 2: Freeze-Thaw Cycles!!

This video is the second in a series of tests to examine various components often used in bonsai soil mixes. These videos are meant to inform you of what's available so that you may make your own choices. Soil mixes are determined by tree species, climate, region of the world, and personal preference. No two persons' mixes are alike. I hope this information is helpful to you. Enjoy!

6-Cycle Freeze-Thaw Note:
Dry Ice Surface Temperature: -78.5°C
Average Thaw Temperature: 25.5°C

Organic Rankings:
1. Coconut Coir
2. Pine Bark
3. Commercial Peat Moss
4. Compost

Inorganic Rankings:
1. Granite Chips
2. Sand
3. Perlite
4. Expanded Shale
5. Lava Rock (Scoria)
6. Vermiculite
7. LECA (Turface)
8. Diatomaceous Earth
9. Kanuma Pumice
10. Akadama

Big shout out to @john_cloud for pointing out the type of pumice used (Kanuma). And again, HUGE Thanks to everyone who caught mistakes in the Water Retention Video

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[rickl.orchids]

someone to take the time to perform these tests, then video it, and post so others can use the information sir, ....much Mtn boys have good for taking the time.

[stevetippin]

These videos are just as great today as when I first saw them years ago. Hope that all is well.

[matthewyakabuski]

Thanks for taking the time to perform this experiment . As a Canadian bonsai enthusiast that is mainly interested in native trees . . I was extremely interested in the outcome . As most of my trees freeze in winter . Thank you i I use a granite absorbent pine mix but may try some coconut fibre in the future

[frankwilsonii]

This is awesome. I watch several bonsai channels and none of them even did the first test, let alone the freeze/ thaw test. Thanks for the work you put in on this

[mrscotchguy]

Not sure why I never say the part 2 video! This is super helpful, thank you!

[BonsaiTalk]

Such smart tests! Very good information for us struggling with cold winters and temperate bonsai cultivation.

[TheCyberX]

Oh man this was a fantatsic test! It´s a perfect example of what the soils goes trough here i Sweden. This is very usefull! Thank you a lot!

[joeyhernandez]

Man this little series has done more for than you know . I can honestly say that I no longer have a wish to find akadama or pumice and the soil that I'm currently using will be fine for my trees. Thank you for your information and keep up the good work

[andreis.]

The guy who press dislike probably made more important video about bonsai soils. Well done, Ben!

[DoAqua]

Love the structure of this video. It is very informative and it will help me a lot with my new hobby! Especially since I live and Canada and plan to collect some junipers that will experience freezing cycles.

[DaOzMan]

I'm really looking forward to future soil tests. Thank you for all the knowledge.

[jayceegudoy]

Although I can not fully relate to the weather/climate/seasons being discussed because I live in a tropical country, I still learned a lot in this video. Thanks for sharing!

[dabblingwithbonsai]

Very informative! Thank you very much. For a starting bonsai-enthusiast living in finland you helped me solving a matter that's been bothering me now the autumn has come. Lucky I found your channel ^^, Cheerio

[casimirpellegrini]

This is an awesome series! Thank you for your dedication and thoughtfulness. Cheers!

[gtorresb]

Ben, congratulations on this informative and edifying new video. Keep up the good work and looking forwards to your next videos.

[marvideo]

Wow ! This test is great !
Thank you for your time and effort that you put into this presentation !

[danimal]

These videos are awesome, I never really thought about how each soil type will react to the elements. Thanks for the informative video(s)

[Bullylandmyk]

GREAT VIDEO! Very interesting. If you are in an area that has snow there's a lot to consider ☝

[jacqeyr]

Thank you for all your videos, im a brand new bonsai fan with seedlings on the way. after seeing your videos im doing collected materials to hone my skills... keep it going... a interested fan... ohh and this is my wifes account...just so you know... and bonsai miria fan i want to thank you both ive learned so much

[johncloud]

Ben, I've been a subscriber to you channel for some time, and look forward to you new videos. You have a great style of presentation. Thank you for all the time and effort you are putting in to this series of videos on soil. Thank you even more for sharing them with us. I noticed in you first video, and should have pointed it out then, that the pumice you are using in this test is actually KANUMA pumice. When dry it;s a pastel colored yellow/white, but when wet it is a dark yellow/orange. It is very porous, extremely light weight, and absorbs a lot of water. its also fairly acidic, and is used a lot for azaleas. All that being said, I don't think it is the same type of pumice being typically used for substrate mixes, like the most often recommended Akadama/Lava/Pumice mix.