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Bonsai Tree Care


 

The Mining of Akadama and Kanuma

By Fred Meyer

This month’s article is showing some photos we have of just how our Japanese soils are harvested. We thought these images would help you understand a little more about these great potting medias for your Bonsai.

If you think of Japan as being nothing other than a volcanic island and view these soils as the flows of lava at different times you can appreciate Mother Natures’s help in finding us just the “right” soil for your Bonsai.

Looking at the first picture you are able to see how these flows show up as Kanuma at the bottom, then there are ash flows and then Akadama, another ash flow, more Akadama and then the Black Loam which you and I understand as the soil that supports life.



The next picture shows just how much of this stuff is mined to keep our Bonsais happy. There is a human figure on the right side to give perspective.



The next picture shows the drying area which is like an open greenhouse, but has two sides open for ventilating out the moisture from either the Akadama or Kanuma.



The next two images show the mechanization process of sorting out the sizes of the material and the final picture shows the bagging process.





Next month’s article will continue with this discussion along with even more basic ideas that you and I often gloss over, but are extremely important to understand because it helps us to help our Bonsai live and flourish in its own little world. To be continued with the detailing of the different types of Akadama, which then we will open up to a discussion of soil – this ubiquitous stuff that covers our earth.

 

 



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