I've been using Al's (gritty) mix with pines, junipers, yews, and myriad other conifers for well over 20 years now, and though I do do a lot of experimenting with soils, have yet to find anything that works better. ;-) I'm not self-promoting, just saying that I experiment with soils a LOT, and have yet to improve on the basic gritty mic mix. It holds LOTS of air, virtually NO perched water, ample volumes of water, is structurally very sound & durable, and it's adjustable for water retention to suit plants individually. Those are all the most desirable qualities you can have in a soil. I wouldn't use wood chips other than conifer bark as a primary fraction of a container soil for several reasons. A pH spike during the composting process is inevitable. Wood chips break down much faster than conifer bark, so when using them, N immobilization should be expected. Also. because they break down so much faster, they generate a LOT of heat during the composting process, often raising sol temps an additional 10-15* higher than similar soils with bark as their primary fraction. Of course, N immobilization with the gritty mix is insignificant and heat build-up due to composting is never a problem because of how slowly the bark decomposes AND the excellent gas exchange of the highly aerated mix. A 50/50 mix of a peat-based soil (like ProMix) and wood chips will yield a soil with the same drainage characteristics and perched water table height as the ProMix. Only when the wood chips (which are not a good choice for container media) are a very large fraction of the soil (about 80%) can you expect drainage & aeration to improve significantly. To get a visual on this, ask yourself how much perlite you need to add to a quart of pudding to get it to drain & hold air. BTW - most commercial cactus mixes actually drain poorly & support way too much perched water to be healthy for cacti, succulents, or conifers. All of the pines, junipers, and most other conifers I've grown would instantly rebel at wet media and the presence of significant amounts of perched water as the mix of ProMix and wood chips would be/have. They prefer a soil that holds little or no perched water and remains damp after watering instead of wet. I have 320 lineal ft of bench space like you see in the picture below. Most of the space is much more crowded with potential bonsai than you see, and conifers make up at least half of the near 300 trees. All are in the gritty mix; and I have no trouble keeping them happy & healthy. Al

@Brian - I use a pinch of endomycorrizae (from Fedco) at seeding and transplant. Via side-by-side visual comparison, there is no doubt that it works well for plants. This winter I added it for the first time on fig cuttings, i.e., coming out of the baggie and going into the pot. @Akram - Premier Horticulture has Pro-Mix BX, HP, and BRK with "Mycorise Pro" (orange bag). JD PS. All that follows is direct from the Premier Horticulture website: PRO-MIX now offers the latest in biotechnology, MYCORISE PRO in PRO-MIX professional formulations. MYCORISE PRO is the most advanced mycorrhizal fungi product on the market with benefits that are revolutionary and renowned. PRO-MIX 'BX'/MYCORISE PRO is a "general purpose" peat-based growing medium with vermiculite and perlite, used for the cultivation of a wide variety of plant species. MYCORISE PRO ensures stronger, healthier plants due to more developed root systems and better fertilizer uptake. Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (80-85 % / vol.) Dolomitic & Calcitic Limestone (pH adjuster) Endomycorrhize (Mycorise Pro) Macronutrients Perlite horticultural grade Micronutrients Vermiculite Wetting Agent PRO-MIX 'HP'/MYCORISE PRO is a "High Porosity" peat/perlite-based growing medium. This mix ensures optimum growth, especially when high air-capacity and extra drainage are required. It is ideal for water-sensitive crops, rooting cuttings and/or low-light growing conditions. MYCORISE PRO ensures stronger, healthier plants due to more root systems and better fertilizer uptake. Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (70-75%/vol.) Dolomitic & Calcitic Limestone Endomycorrhize (Mycorise Pro) Macronutrients Extra Perlite horticultural coarse grade Micronutrients Dolomitic & Calcitic Limestone Wetting Agent PRO-MIX 'BRK', now enhanced with MYCORISE PRO a "General Purpose", peat/bark-based growing medium offering the renowned quality and consistency of PRO-MIX. Its processed Pine bark adds weight and reduces water retention of media while its quality Sphagnum peat moss ensures optimal balance between air and water. This mix resists long-term compaction and improves container stability. Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (40-50 % / vol.) Dolomitic & Calcitic Limestone (pH adjuster) Endomycorrhize (Mycorise Pro) Macronutrients Processed Pine Bark (35-45 % / vol.) Micronutrients Perlite horticultural grade Wetting Agent Here is a link that might be useful: Mycorise Pro

I have used Proactiv for about a year and really like it. I still do get an occasional blemish, but they are more the type near the surface of the skin that only stay for a day or two, as opposed to the type that can wreck your whole week. The only downside I found to Proactiv was that it turned my khaki Tommy Hilfiger pillowsheets orange from some ingredient contained in the face scrub. It does have a fine-print warning on the box that it may bleach some fabrics, but it was still a bummer. I purchase most of my Proactiv products on ebay. They are much cheaper there than buying them directly from Proactiv. Obviously, prices vary on ebay, but I usually pay about eight dollars, plus shipping, for an individual bottle and around 35-40 dollars for the three-piece kit, which includes the mask.

. sczcasa; Yes, and no. Sounds like a car salesman answer, huh ? . . . The spectrum that the sun puts out is FAR wider than just visible light / photons. This is the part of the spectrum that we see. And, these photons do bounce around; some will hit something AND get absorbed; some will not and will be reflected back out the window. A solar collector is optimized to capture a WIDE portion of the spectrum of the sun's energy . . . visible ( that's why they're usually black/matte finish ), infrared, UV; whatever. Therefore they are good black body absorbers . . and hence collect from a wide portion of the sun's spectrum. They simply re-radiate whatever they collect across the entire spectrum; as heat for the most part. That's why the window material and type can make a big difference in their operation . . . . a high efficiency glass may indeed block some of the spectrum that could be used to generate heat. Stick black and white ( otherwise identical ) buckets full of water out in the sun some day . . . . see which one gets hotter . . . they're both subject to the same type and amount of solar insolation; but ABSORB differing amounts. So, yes; you're right . . . the very same energy that could generate heat with one of these heaters is present in a room without one . . . . but much of it randomly is reflected and therefore ununsed . . . And no; you're wrong . . . by choosing the makeup of a collector instead of relying on random things in a room; allows you to optimize the capture of a wider range of the spectrum to re-radiate as heat. I'm not saying these things are great and work wonderfully . . . I haven't used one. But the principle of their operation is indeed sound; and not a hoax. Bob