Kanuma
Bonsai soil Akadama Kiryu Bonsai substrates Pumice gravel
The Kanuma bonsai soil is particularly suitable for repotting azalea bonsai that require a very acidic soil. All other acid-loving bonsai such as rhododendron, gardenia and camellia can be potted with Kanuma.
What are the benefits of Kanuma bonsai soil for azalea bonsai ?
- Kanuma is very acidic pH (5-6) and so ideal for azalea bonsai and other acid-loving bonsai species
- Excellent drainage properties. Very good against root rot after repotting a bonsai
- Kanuma has also good drainage properties for air - so much oxygen gets to the root of bonsai trees
- As a bonsai soil Kanuma has a low tendency to soil compaction
We import the Kanuma bonsai soil directly from Japan and can offer you low prices. If you buy Kanuma soil orders until 14 o'clock will be shipped the same working day.
Usage
Since rhododendrons love a very acidic soil Kanuma should be used pure for azalea bonsai. Mixing with other substrates (e.g. peat) is not necessary and has rather disadvantages (pH is increased, permeability decreased). Depending on the size and vitality of the bonsai tree, the substrate must be changed after several years (usually 3-5 years).
Well proven has been the use of organic bonsai fertilizers (e.g. Biogold, liquid fertilizers or Hanagokoro). Due to the slow release process of the nutrients, the bonsai are supplied adequately and, above all, evenly over a long period of time. Over-fertilization as well as salinisation of the bonsai soil hardly occurs.
Properties
Striking on Kanuma soil is the hard shell, which encloses the softer core of a granule grain. This shell is still so soft that it can be crushed with your fingers. Due to the soft, porous core of the Kanuma grains this bonsai soil is much lighter than e.g. Akadama. Due to its porous structure Kanuma can hold water well. This is especially important for water-loving bonsai trees with high fiber root share such as Satsuki azalea bonsai.
Origin
Kanuma bonsai soil is mined in the Kanuma region (important cultivation area for many azalea bonsai varieties, prefecture Tochigi, approx. 150 km north of Tokyo) and imported from there to all over the world. Kanuma is of volcanic origin, is mined, dried and then sieved and packed in different grain sizes. The dust content is usually low.