Autumn feeding

[craigw60]

I was in Japan in early autumn and was struck by the volume of fertilizer on the pots, even on the very old yamadori conifers. The growers told me that autumn is the heaviest feeding season as this is the time when the trees are making buds for next springs growth. This advice would not really apply to our natives but is very relevant to northern hemisphere trees.
Craig

[Jarrod]

I also find that my pines put on the most trunk thickening during autumn as well. I will be feeding harder and later then other years this year!

[Mojo Moyogi]

Hello Craig and Jarrod, this is an interesting and timely subject.
Typically, it is English bonsai authors and European growers that are supporters of the 0-10-10 (zero nitrogen) feed from late summer, ceasing all feeds in mid to late autumn. From what I have read over the years, Japanese growers have always maintained that western bonsai are underfed and that feeding should continue until winter, if not year round in the case of evergreens. Brent Walston from he USA is also of this belief and has fed almost year round for years, with measurable success.

The growers told me that autumn is the heaviest feeding season as this is the time when the trees are making buds for next springs growth. Craig

That trees need to store macro and micro nutrients for production of winter buds and for initiation of those buds in spring sounds like horticultural common sense to me. If you were trying to achieve rapid growth to add mass to a tree during the growing season, autumn feeding in preparation for the following spring sounds like a worthwhile excercise, but it may not be as beneficial for trees in refinement.

Thankfully I don't have too many of those

Cheers
Mojo Moyogi

[craigw60]

Hi Mojo,
The collection I saw this autumn feeding regime in which stood out in my mind was the Kenichi Oguchi collection which was 90% very old and highly refined conifers. The way it was explained to me is that this feeding was an exercise in improving branch ramification. That is gaining more twiggy growth during the spring budding period. These growers told me they do very little spring feeding as that would have the reverse effect.
Craig

[anttal63]

Craig are they heavy feeding with high or low nitrogen? is the million dollar question here.

[craigw60]

Hi Ant,
That I could not tell you they had cakes in those small baskets the pots were covered in them but what was in the cakes I have no idea sorry
Craig

[anttal63]

Hi Ant,
That I could not tell you they had cakes in those small baskets the pots were covered in them but what was in the cakes I have no idea sorry
Craig

How did i know you were gonna say that