Feeding types

[Hutch11]

Hi all,

I am about to feed my japanese maple and junipers, and am wondering which type of feeod is better,

1. Osmocote all purpose with a wetter agent, or

2. Osmocote for pots and planters

or can anyone recommend something else that works for them!

The packs say to feed every 6 months during the growing season, obviously this is Spring - when else do you feed?

Also is a wetter agent recommended when watering bonsai??

Any help/suggestions would be great,

[Chris H]

Hi there, go with any of the general osmocotes there are a couple of pot types. Maybe try and avoid the wetter agent, I used it without thought once and there were bits of jelly left behind which I think came from the wetter agent.

Also watering should be well ahead of the trees getting dried out, which is the only reason for the wetter agent. If you do get too dry to take on water, better to use imersion.

Why not get two test trees and try each and let us know at end of March if there was any difference!

[Bretts]

Hutch I would not recomend using osmacote on the soil surface. It would be better to use a liqued feed or something like dynamic lifter. Osmacote works better in the soil away from the sun.

[Hutch11]

Thanks for your replies Brett and hartos,

I have gone with the osmocote for pots and have placed it under the soil surface,

it says to feed once during each growing season every six months, when is this??

Can anyone give me a bit more of a comprehensive feeding regime i.e a step by step process as I am very new to bonsai, however I am really really keen to learn as much as I can,

Kind regards

[Bretts]

Here is an article on feeding Bonsai
http://www.bonsaisolutions.com.au/bonsa ... onsai.html
The growing season would be spring to autumn.

[shibui]

Are you talking about coated osmacote or one of the water soluble ones?. I use 12-14 month slow release in my potting mix when I repot. If it is more than a coupke of years between repotting you can poke holes in the mix and add some more into the holes. I don't think it works well on the surface. The osmacote saves me from remembering to feed with liquid every few weeks. I try to water on a liquid feed a few times during the growing season too. I prefer something organic - seasol or fish based. Occasionally I put a few pellets of dynamic lifter on the surface of the pots. These are relatively slow release too. Only feed bonsai when they are active - when leaves are on but start now, just before leaves open.

[Hutch11]

I used the coated osmocote and put it under the soil.

Question! If you can simply use a 12-14 month slow release fertilizer why do people choose to use a liquid fertilizer that needs reapplying every two weeks - seems like more work!

I know the answer to this question will only further my little understanding on the subject whic will be great as I feel it is obviously very important to know the correct way to feed or atleast the most efficient and healthy way for the tree,

[kcpoole]

I used the coated osmocote and put it under the soil.

Question! If you can simply use a 12-14 month slow release fertilizer why do people choose to use a liquid fertilizer that needs reapplying every two weeks - seems like more work!

I know the answer to this question will only further my little understanding on the subject whic will be great as I feel it is obviously very important to know the correct way to feed or atleast the most efficient and healthy way for the tree,

The correct way to feed is how you are comfortable with and what works for you. I used to use slow release(Osmocote, Nutricote), but now use the following method.

In summer, I feed with liquid fertiliser Weekly
Week 1 - Charlie Carp
Week 2 - Seasol
Every 6 Weeks, I sprinkle so Dynamic Lifter on to the top of the soil on all my trees. this gets watered in when I water in the morning and will usually last for about 5 weeks then reapply. If I am going to display a tree, I will not do the Dynaimc lifter that month as it looks Crap on the survace
Currently I am using the Dynamic Lifter "for Roses" it is NPK of 12,8,10 ( I think from memory).

In winter I usethe same regimen, bu only fertilise 1/2 as often, Ie fortnightly
Works for me

Ken

[Mojo Moyogi]

Hi Hutch11, welcome AusBonsai.

I live in the mountains above the Yarra Valley and am a member of YVBS like yourself. Can I ask what stage of development the Junipers and Japanese Maples are in, for instance are they young trees requiring mass (trunk building) or are they in a bonsai pot and are in the process of branch refinement? The reason I ask is that what you feed your trees and duration between feeds will vary quite a bit, depending on what response from the trees you are looking for.

What you have done with osmocote is fine for the time being. I look at osmocote as a survival feed, and combine other feeds with osmocote throughout the year to obtain the growth response that I am after.

Don't be concerned about your relative inexperience with bonsai. An astoundingly high percentage of experienced Australian bonsai growers don't understand how to feed their trees either!

Cheers,
MM

[Hutch11]

Gday MM,

I will be attending my first meet at Japara House next month so it would be great to chat more on the feeding subject to get a better understanding, will u be there??

[Mojo Moyogi]

Hutch, I'm not sure when I can make the meetings, at this stage I'm a very occasional participant. I'm still rebuilding things and getting stuff re-organised after the Feb bushfires, and when you add a repotting load of several hundred trees at this time of year......things are a bit busy you might say .

You will enjoy the club, they are a nice bunch of blokes and ladies!

In the meantime, feel free to post pics of your trees here and we can work out where to go with them in regards to nutrition, styling and more.

Cheers
MM

[Hutch11]

Gday MM,

I am on a weeks leave next week and am always very keen to learn as much as I can about bonsai so if u need any free help re potting with a hope I might learn something, let me know as I will be more than happy to work as a volunteer for the week!

I live at the foot hills of the Dandenongs - The Basin.