BONSAI SOIL vs POTTING MIX: Does it make a difference?

The results of my 18 month experiment to determine what difference, if any, a good quality bonsai mix makes in comparison to a commercial potting mix. For trees I'm just growing on, I usually use a commercial cactus potting soil, mixed with about one third perlite, while for my more developed bonsai I use my own bonsai soil recipe. I wanted to find out if it made any difference, so I planted two cloned trident maple cuttings in two pots with each of the mixes. I also give my recipe for bonsai soil, which contains akadama, pumice, lava rock and composted pine bark. If you have a different recipe that works for you, congratulations! Despite my experimenting, I continue to believe that a lot of soil types will work for bonsai, and the most important elements are particle size and how much water it retains in your particular environment. Don't @ me.

Music: On Shore - Sergey Cheremisinov