Fertiliser cups or baskets

[Jester]

For those of you who are relatively new to Bonsai, if you have a situation where the soil mound on your Bonsai is anything other than flat and your slow release fertiliser rolls off like Jaffas, consider some fertiliser cups / baskets. They have spikes on the bottom, so all you need to do is fill them with your preferred fertiliser and press them down into the soil. I find them particularly useful when it rains. I can put the Bonsai out without worrying about the fertiliser falling off. Admitedly they are, for some reason , hard to find. I got the last 2 packets of 10 from Bonsai and Beyond of all places but if you're going to a nursery just for that, best to ring and make sure they have them in stock first. They cost about $2.00 to $3.00 for a pack of ten. (Little Chinese man reading book not included)

[Stimson]

For all you DIY ers out there, I went to the local film processing shop and picked up a bag full of those plastic film canisters, heated up a nail and melted holes all over. Fill with your pellet fertilizer and just use a piece of wire and spike it onto the soil surface. works a treat and they are free.....

[Bretts]

It's sure kept the moss happy

[MelaQuin]

If you are buying the pre-made ones, be sure they have the spike. I bought two lots only to discover they can only sit on the soil and they are too easy to dislodge.

[Andrew Ward]

I just love the fertiliser baskets. They not only keep the fertiliser mix on top of the soil and allow the nutrient to leach through over a period of time, but also stop my dogs from eating the fertiliser (which previously I would scatter on top of the soil).

One issue I have had is with rats ... they take them off the pots and I have even known them to chew through them to get to the fertiliser inside. The only way I have found to overcome this is to make 'staples' from heavy duty left over pieces of copper wire and fix mesh over the top of the soil. This also has the bonus of preventing the blackbirds from digging up my bonsai.