Want to use timed-release fert but clueless on how to apply
Posted: May 28th, 2018, 1:59 am
So I'm kind of stuck here, I've always use miracle-gro's 24-8-16 instant-release fertilizer at a rate of ~8% nitro (1/3 of a serving) every third day, and maybe every 9th day I'll do a 16% nitro day, I do this to try to keep my substrate's fertilization as homogeneous as possible but was still unhappy with it, still thinking that at day 2 of no fertilizer that the substrate was likely very low (If it's not raining I often water 3x/day during the summer)
I figured an extended-release fertilizer would be a better solution and finally chose one, 'Osmocote Plus', a 15-9-12 with a "6 month release" (have to imagine that this release isn't consistent, that those coated-pellets release far more in their first two months than in months 5 and 6....)
So I've got this stuff now and want to start using it but I don't know how to dose/apply it, the label's smallest usage-prescription is for 2 gallon containers.....not bonsai! They advise a capful (3TBSP) for a 2-gal container, so I can go by that rate for my bigger specimen but I've got tons of containers that are <1/2gal of substrate and guess I'm worried that, if I simply do my best to guesstimate their volume and then apply based on the 3tbsp/2-gallon-substrate rule, that it could be over-doing it (ie, the small containers may not 'buffer' against it very well)
If anybody uses this product or something like it I would love to hear how you apply, like what doses you put down on what size containers (also curious how often you apply, as I'd look at a '6 month release' product and think 3-4mo would be the max I'd rely on it for...) Also, if you're able to tell me what you use, I'd love to know if you consider it low/normal/high as I'm really trying to push a lot of growth (most of my trees are stock/pre-bonsai so just going for branch-girth on a lot of my collection!), my ideal here would be to find the highest appropriate rate of the osmocote and use ~80% of that, and then use the instant-release 24-8-16 as a supplemental based on what's going on ie giving a big dose to a tree that's in the middle of a strong&fast growth-flush!
Thanks for any advice on this one, it's so darn confusing trying to switch-over here because the #'s on the products are based on such incredibly different "availability rates" that I don't know how to compare to the two- for instance, if both were the same NPK%'s, something tells me that using the instant-release at the proscribed rate (every 1-2wks) for 6 months would give WAYYY more fertilization than 1 application of these granules every 6 months - or maybe not, maybe the rapid-drainage of bonsai substrates means I'm throwing-out 95% of my instant-release when I water, and that these timed-release pellets will be more potent because they don't wash-out at remotely the same rate my instant-release dose...ugh so confused here!
[also I should mention that I'll be applying this stuff as a top-dressing for now, with the intent of mixing-into future substrates, but for now I'll just be top-dressing the stuff....with them advising 3TBSP for 2gal of soil, I guess I'd be aiming around 1tbsp for most of my smaller stuff - if anyone's got any 'info-graphics' that show visual fertilizer-overdosing signs I'd love to see it so I can be on top of this, I figure the worst case would be that I use enough osmocote that I don't need / can't use any miracle gro, but am thinking it's smartest to aim for ~75% of the fertilization coming from the timed-release and the rest from instant, roots want a consistent supply of nutrients and w/ how fast bonsai-substrates drain-out I just don't think an instant-release-only regimen is very wise..]
I figured an extended-release fertilizer would be a better solution and finally chose one, 'Osmocote Plus', a 15-9-12 with a "6 month release" (have to imagine that this release isn't consistent, that those coated-pellets release far more in their first two months than in months 5 and 6....)
So I've got this stuff now and want to start using it but I don't know how to dose/apply it, the label's smallest usage-prescription is for 2 gallon containers.....not bonsai! They advise a capful (3TBSP) for a 2-gal container, so I can go by that rate for my bigger specimen but I've got tons of containers that are <1/2gal of substrate and guess I'm worried that, if I simply do my best to guesstimate their volume and then apply based on the 3tbsp/2-gallon-substrate rule, that it could be over-doing it (ie, the small containers may not 'buffer' against it very well)
If anybody uses this product or something like it I would love to hear how you apply, like what doses you put down on what size containers (also curious how often you apply, as I'd look at a '6 month release' product and think 3-4mo would be the max I'd rely on it for...) Also, if you're able to tell me what you use, I'd love to know if you consider it low/normal/high as I'm really trying to push a lot of growth (most of my trees are stock/pre-bonsai so just going for branch-girth on a lot of my collection!), my ideal here would be to find the highest appropriate rate of the osmocote and use ~80% of that, and then use the instant-release 24-8-16 as a supplemental based on what's going on ie giving a big dose to a tree that's in the middle of a strong&fast growth-flush!
Thanks for any advice on this one, it's so darn confusing trying to switch-over here because the #'s on the products are based on such incredibly different "availability rates" that I don't know how to compare to the two- for instance, if both were the same NPK%'s, something tells me that using the instant-release at the proscribed rate (every 1-2wks) for 6 months would give WAYYY more fertilization than 1 application of these granules every 6 months - or maybe not, maybe the rapid-drainage of bonsai substrates means I'm throwing-out 95% of my instant-release when I water, and that these timed-release pellets will be more potent because they don't wash-out at remotely the same rate my instant-release dose...ugh so confused here!
[also I should mention that I'll be applying this stuff as a top-dressing for now, with the intent of mixing-into future substrates, but for now I'll just be top-dressing the stuff....with them advising 3TBSP for 2gal of soil, I guess I'd be aiming around 1tbsp for most of my smaller stuff - if anyone's got any 'info-graphics' that show visual fertilizer-overdosing signs I'd love to see it so I can be on top of this, I figure the worst case would be that I use enough osmocote that I don't need / can't use any miracle gro, but am thinking it's smartest to aim for ~75% of the fertilization coming from the timed-release and the rest from instant, roots want a consistent supply of nutrients and w/ how fast bonsai-substrates drain-out I just don't think an instant-release-only regimen is very wise..]