A bonsai newsletter I just read has this piece of advice in it: 'Natives are very Potassium sensitive!'
That's a new one. Perhaps its a big typo for the too common advice about phosphorus fertiliser and natives?
It prompted me to do a quick Google search for any mention of this. I found the usual array of pages talking about phosphorus sensitivity, and more correctly the lack of phosphorus sensitivity in most Australian plants. I found nothing about potassium sensitivity.
The newsletter also repeated the old husbands' tale about phosphorus sensitivity. About Bloom Buster fertiliser it said "DON’T use this product on Aussie N a t i v e s ( I n s t a n t Death)." Although this is a extreme example, other newsletters and Gardening Australia have also provided the same misleading or inaccurate advice.
I believe people providing advice to others, especially from a position of supposed knowledge, have a responsibility to provide reasonably accurate advice. This newsletter failed on that score.
End of whinge.
Responsible advice
- Joel
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
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Re: Responsible advice
I'd contact the publisher of the letter. It's certainly a midtake. Anybody in a position where they have an audience worthy of releasing a newsletter would know the difference between P and K and sheepishly change it once they've been notified.