Chlorosis - over or under fertilising?

[Beano]

Hi,

Both my pink red bougy and my crepe cuttings are showing leaf changes. The bougy has speckled yellow leaves and fading of the green colour except around the leaf veins, while the crepe cuttings have pale leaf tips and have stopped pushing new growth, when previously they were powering.

I recently started giving power feed along with my seasol every Saturday, at "transplant" doses, whereas before that I was using Yates fish emulsion at quarter to half strength. It would seem as if the fertilization is the issue, though I read another thread on here that full dose fert on cuttings and recently transplanted trees is not a problem.

Should I just skip fertilising the affected plants for a week?

[Newbie.mia]

Hi beano,
My boug reacts the same way when I give it power feed. I was told the nitrogen in powerfeed is a bit high and of the wrong type for boug by a nurseryman who specialized in them he said calcium nitrate was the best way to feed bougs nitrogen. Somebody else with more experience might have a better answer for you though. Mia

[Bougy Fan]

I would not use Powerfeed every week at all - it's too much. You also need to ramp up the strength and frequency of fertiliser rather than just suddenly hitting plants with a strong dilution often. Seasol once a week is fine but I would drop back the Powerfeed to every fortnight with lower strengths and gradually build it up

[Beano]

Thanks bougy. I didn't mean to hit it all at once, as i said I was using Yates before that at quarter then half strength, which I have been working up for around 3 months now (well on the crepes anyway). The bougy unfortunately is a victim of me being too lazy and misreading instructions.

There's pictures now.

[bonzaidog]

Hi Beano,The Bougie leaf looks more like overwatering/poor soil drainage to me... nice open mix is the best for them. Also, try rose fert for your bougies as they like the iron and magnesium.
Not sure about the crepes though,there's bound to be a crepe expert amongst us! ....Dog

[Beano]

That bougy is in 50:50 coarse sand and searles potting mix. But I water them every morning. I only have a balcony and no sprinkler system and being in Brisbane it gets quite hot in the day time, so I'm too scared to not water in the morning then disappear off to work for god only knows how long. Its in a "basket" pot/colander type container so hopefully it isn't getting too water logged.

[Beano]

The bougies have been ok, but a few of my crepes are still yellowing. I only fertilise once a month with Yates fish emulsion, quarter strength dosing.

How important is slow release fertiliser? I just got some with trace elements, perhaps there aren't enough trace elements? I've also chucked on some coffee grounds to assist with pH, as last time I checked Brisbane water for the fish tank it was always around pH 8.0.

The plants seem to respond pretty well to the fish emulsion, but the older leaves go chlorosis and the newer leaves while they don't go as yellow never get that lovely lush green colour.

Any thoughts?

[Bougy Fan]

Chelated iron perhaps ? Sometimes yellowing leaves can be a sign of an iron or other mineral deficiency

[Pup]

Hi beano,
My boug reacts the same way when I give it power feed. I was told the nitrogen in powerfeed is a bit high and of the wrong type for boug by a nurseryman who specialized in them he said calcium nitrate was the best way to feed bougs nitrogen. Somebody else with more experience might have a better answer for you though. Mia

I just read the label on the power feed bottle, it said as it is very low in Nitrogen it will not burn seedlings

I would check my soil for correct drainage. I use all fertiliser (not tonics as in seasol and powerfeed) at full strength. As in manufactures instructions. Tonics I also use at their instructions. Have done all my Bonsai growing years with out problems.

Cheers Pup