Fertilizers what kind do you use?

[mboatman]

What i have done that seems to work is alternating between two different fertilizers. One being the" miracle grow tomato" fertilizer and the second is fish emulsion. I alternate every week with 1.5 tablespoon of tomato feed one week and the following week i feed with 3 tablespoons of fish emulsion. I tried this out first time this year and the growth is much better for me than i have been able to produce since i started in 2003. Also for a few years now, i feed miracid 2 times a season just to change it up and give the trees the light doses of acid in their soils. Does not seem to hurt anything.

[mboatman]

Sorry! The 1.5 tbs tomato fertilizer and 3tbs on fish emulsion is for a 2 gallon watering can

[centaura]

I use mainly chemical feeds. A small amount of pellets on the surface of things that I want more growth on, and then liquid feeding on everything with a mix depending on the time of year, plant and what I want it to do & what it likes (i.e. I use miracid occasionally on my acid loving species, etc). I'll sometimes add kelp or iron, but am wary of other organics that have a history of attracting animals since I already have severe issues with beasts in my bonsai. I will use some fish emulsion on my tropicals when they're indoors, and I don't have to worry about pot invaders.

-Cat

[mfantus]

I use Dyna Gro "Grow" about a half teaspoon to the gallon and water during the growing season twice a day. What surprises me is how it seems to be one size fits all and has even made my sapling sequoia sempervirens grow almost two feet since I got it.

I also use it on my orchids and I would say they are blooming way out of cycle (more frequently and more vigorously).

[ED TROUT]

I use Miracle-Grow every week, 52 weeks a year, and have for as long as I can remember.....even back when Miracle-Grow was owned by Stearns Co. When the night temps get back to at least 70 consistantly ( late April here ), I mix in fish emulsion with the Miracle-Grow. I also use fertilizer cakes ( home made or Bio Gold ) on my black pines from April thru September, and occasionally Miracid on my junipers.

Ed Trout Pembroke Pines, Florida zone 10C

[gwharton]

For developing trees where I want strong growth I start a weekly aplication of water soluable fertilizer full strength starting in the spring as the trees break dormancy. When the summer temps stay at about 90 and above especially with elevated night time temps I stop fertilizing. Then I start again as the temperatures cool and the seasen progresses to fall. I stop as the trees go dormant (leaf drop) in late fall early winter. I alternate between organic and inorganic NPK sources. I tend to use whatever product or brand is on sale. I also add a few cakes (poo poo balls) as I see fit especially if I am not able to fertilize with the water soluable because of my schedule.

I should note that for the vast magority of my trees I use a totally inorganic free draining soil with a top dressing of spagnum moss. The soil is comprised mostly of pumice , lava and akadama in various combinations. I also have water that is moderatly hard and on the alkaline side of the PH scale. Ocasionally I will check the PH of the soil and adjust with an application of water soluable fertilizer intended for acid loving plants on an as needed basis. A Bi yearly repotting with fresh soil also corrects PH imbalance and disolved mineral and salt accumulation from the hard water.

For the few more developed trees in my collection where I want controlled growth I instead use fertilizer cakes. I make the cakes from mostly inorganic ingredients ie fish, bone meal, kelp meal cotton meal alfalfa meal, blood meal etc. Again I use what is on sale to form a cake or ball that is formulated from multiple ingredients to achieve somewhat balanced percentages of N, P & K. (A simple way to create the cakes is to purchase a formulated fertilizer comprised of inorganic source (Whitney Farms ) add fish for added stink and flour for binder.) I usualy dry the the fertilizer cakes for storage purposes. However, I find no harm in placing the cakes on the surface of the bonsai soil moist or even wet.

The number of cakes and the timing of the application depends on the tree species and the its stage of development.

Gary Wharton