I was not as thrilled with it as you guys... It seemed to have a "residue" once it got wet, the particle size is very small and the bag I bought was not a very large bag either... I felt turface was as good of a deal/better deal from a cost stand point, much cleaner to use, similar particle size and worked about the same from all the water retention/ air exchange points you made... Just my personal preference, but turface is probably a little harder to get for many people.

The oil dry is basically Diatomacious Earth... Probably nothing wrong with using it, but I do not see it as the one size fits all end to the soil debate.



I will say this- I was a skeptic the first time I mixed a batch of "Boone's mix", I thought it was TOO large of a particle size, too "open", but the trees I planted in it seem to be doing great- especially the Juniper. I have had good results as well with turface based mixes, and I would never use any sort of inorganic bonsai mix for trees I am growing out in 5 gallon buckets or whatever, but there is a real comfort in knowing the medium your trees are planted in is not some "experiment" you made up to "see how well it works"... It isn't some random potting soil you bought at the dollar tree or something you bought that is intended to absorb oil off a gas station floor... It is specifically mined, sterilized and packaged TO BE BONSAI SOIL, and professionals all over the world swear by it. I was once on the side of "doing what is the cheapest", but I got a few nicer trees over the past few years and kind of decided I want to make sure I keep them pretty happy... The Akadama/ pumic/ lava mix is a proven, "one size fits all", professional bonsai mix. Doesn't mean you HAVE TO USE IT, but it does mean you can expect solid results when you do. Oil dry? Not a guaranteed success rate comparable to that, NOT sized, packaged and designed for Bonsai... It is NOT BONSAI SOIL. Doesn't meant will immediately kill your trees, but it might not keep them in as good of a health long term as other options.