Help me learn about fertilisers

[bonborn]

I have summarised by understanding of fertilisers below and i was hoping users here could guide me further to other alternatives.

I have been advised to feed with seasol weekly. Apply handfuls of dynamic lifter and allow it to stay in the pot for a few months. Also been told to apply aquasol during winter months. Ocassionally blood and bone and thrive along with seasol.

Yates 25kg Dynamic lifter - $25 at Bunnings (NPK) 3.5: 2.4: 1.6

Cock A Doodle Doo Pelletised Organic Fertiliser 20kg - $16 at Master (NPK) unknown

Katex Super growth organic fertilizer pellets 35kg - $32.95 local supplier NPK 3.5: 1.85: 4
(included blood and bone) http://www.katekfertilizers.com.au/Orga ... wth-2.html

Neutrog rooster booster 20kg - $16 at Bunnings NPK 3: 2 : 2

Above are my options for products similar to DL. Any comments? Any reviews on the above products.

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[trident76]

Howdy,
One thing to take into account is potting medium. Some members may be using potting mix, while some use inorganic material such as diatomite. Potting mixes frequently contain a slow release fertiliser, and as such additional fertiliser doses could be reduced accordingly.
I personally use a premium commercially available potting mix, however do also use seasol fornightly, alternating with powerfeed fortnightly.
Remember of course that seasol is not a fertiliser, so you are not 'feeding' with it as such.
I stick to the recommended doses of powerfeed etc as suggested by the manafacturers ie not using half strength etc.
Cheers,
Luke

[bonborn]

Howdy,
One thing to take into account is potting medium.

My problem is that i have no idea what the previous owner have used or when was this plant ever potted in it's current pot. It has just been harshly pruned back so i was advised not to do the repotting yet. Given the tree looks really old to let it settle down first. Therefore feeding it with all that was suggested.

[kcpoole]

I think it was Pup that said, Does not matter what you use, just use it regularly.

people get too caught up in ferts and make life far to complicated.
I use Miracle grow and Charlie carp alternating every 2 weeks or so ( when I remember) and sprinkle some Neutrog Sudden impact on the surface.

All my trees get the same treatment except newly repotted ones, which get seasol 2 times a week for about 4- 6 weeks. remember that Seasol is not a fertilizer.

Ken

[alpineart]

Hi bonborn , mate fertilizers are fertilizers and plants cant read as stated many times at our club meetings . As long as there are nutrients available the plant will utilize them if not the plant will happily grow without them .

I have many plants here , most are regularly fertilized others are hit and miss and i cant tell the difference in growth from the regular feed plants to the hit and miss jobs .Mother nature doesn't regularly feed her plants like we do and the grow naturally without it .

I only use Rustica Plus 3 month slow release only available in 40 kg bags and i use 1 1/2 bags a year costs arouns $50 per bag . The N.P.K is 13-5-14 plus trace elements , no good for banksia so i'm told . I gave up on seasol powerfeed as it takes 75 plus watering cans to treat all my stock .

Tried and tested too many of them searching for miricle growth and there is still too much emphasis is placed on certain ferts for sure .

Cheers Alpineart

[Isitangus]

. I gave up on seasol powerfeed as it takes 75 plus watering cans to treat all my stock .
Cheers Alpineart

Wow by the time you finished it'd almost be time to start again

[Brian]

I remember many years ago everyone in Bonsai circles were using handfuls of Dynamic lifter on their bonsai.

It did cause yellowing of pines due to the high nitrogen level, so go easy with it.

[Josh]

I think it was Pup that said, Does not matter what you use, just use it regularly.

people get too caught up in ferts and make life far to complicated.I use Miracle grow and Charlie carp alternating every 2 weeks or so ( when I remember) and sprinkle some Neutrog Sudden impact on the surface.

All my trees get the same treatment except newly repotted ones, which get seasol 2 times a week for about 4- 6 weeks. remember that Seasol is not a fertilizer.

Ken

Hi bonborn , mate fertilizers are fertilizers and plants cant read as stated many times at our club meetings . As long as there are nutrients available the plant will utilize them if not the plant will happily grow without them .

I have many plants here , most are regularly fertilized others are hit and miss and i cant tell the difference in growth from the regular feed plants to the hit and miss jobs .Mother nature doesn't regularly feed her plants like we do and the grow naturally without it .

I only use Rustica Plus 3 month slow release only available in 40 kg bags and i use 1 1/2 bags a year costs arouns $50 per bag . The N.P.K is 13-5-14 plus trace elements , no good for banksia so i'm told . I gave up on seasol powerfeed as it takes 75 plus watering cans to treat all my stock .

Tried and tested too many of them searching for miricle growth and there is still too much emphasis is placed on certain ferts for sure . Cheers Alpineart

Totally agree guys, I would say way more trees are killed from over care than under care. The big thing to remember is what works for me may not work for you. I fertilize when I remember. Some osmacote mixed in the potting mix and a liquid feed when I remember or get around to it. My trees are green and healthy so it's working (for me). I hand water most days so watch each tree and know if I need to change something.
Remember everything printed on a bag is simply to make you buy their product, not because it is the best product or what you need. I have worked in sales most my life and every company I have worked for claims to be the best and have the best products, all our competitors claimed the same thing.
When I started in bonsai I looked into the ferts people used and what was best. Again everyone fertilized at different rates using different ferts and yet all had healthy trees. Again it's more about what works for you than for everyone else.
If a tree looks hungry then obviously what your doing isn't working. If your trees look healthy then it's working. I would say the biggest thing is don't change your feeding regime to suddenly, if you haven't been feeding at all then don't just pour on a ton of fert to make up for it, build up slowly. If your feeding heavily-don't just stop altogether.
This reminds me, I must go out and feed my trees sometime

Josh

[Stu_my]

[bonborn]

Thanks everyone. Your opinions matter a lot to me. I have at this stage decided to do some experimenting and like everyone try and work out what works out for me.

[kcpoole]

Thanks everyone. Your opinions matter a lot to me. I have at this stage decided to do some experimenting and like everyone try and work out what works out for me.

Ken

[Jason]

I gave up on seasol powerfeed as it takes 75 plus watering cans to treat all my stock .

Cheers Alpineart

And here I was complaining about my 4 or 5 trips with the watering can!

I'm also trying to get into the right routine, I used to use slow release and seasol, but will be trying something different this year

[Photog670]

I think it was Pup that said, Does not matter what you use, just use it regularly.

people get too caught up in ferts and make life far to complicated.I use Miracle grow and Charlie carp alternating every 2 weeks or so ( when I remember) and sprinkle some Neutrog Sudden impact on the surface.

All my trees get the same treatment except newly repotted ones, which get seasol 2 times a week for about 4- 6 weeks. remember that Seasol is not a fertilizer.

Ken

Hi bonborn , mate fertilizers are fertilizers and plants cant read as stated many times at our club meetings . As long as there are nutrients available the plant will utilize them if not the plant will happily grow without them .

I have many plants here , most are regularly fertilized others are hit and miss and i cant tell the difference in growth from the regular feed plants to the hit and miss jobs .Mother nature doesn't regularly feed her plants like we do and the grow naturally without it .

I only use Rustica Plus 3 month slow release only available in 40 kg bags and i use 1 1/2 bags a year costs arouns $50 per bag . The N.P.K is 13-5-14 plus trace elements , no good for banksia so i'm told . I gave up on seasol powerfeed as it takes 75 plus watering cans to treat all my stock .

Tried and tested too many of them searching for miricle growth and there is still too much emphasis is placed on certain ferts for sure . Cheers Alpineart

Great thread for 'newbies'.
This is the simplest explanation RE: Fertilisers...

As this is my 1st year with bonsai', I must admit I have been stressing about all the various ferts, when to feed, when not to feed...etc

There is sooooo much information out there, from so many people that it all becomes a little.....Seasol, nitrosol, cow poo, chook poo, high nitrogen, low nitrogen,.....blah N.P.K. blah blah ....blurrrr and confusion.

I feel (for me any way) that as a newbie, I want to make and keep nice 'sticks in pots' and the thought of doing something wrong and setting yourself backward is the most frustrating part. So learning to feeding the the trees at the right time with the right fertiliser in the correct amounts is/can be confusing and frustrating.

I have juiper conferta, Black Knight fig and a couple of bougies...and 6 different fertilisers in different forms (slow realise, soluble and liquid) and strengths.

Now I think I will set a routine and work on the premise of ...alittle bit of this, alittle bit of that and see how the 'stick' responds...

thanks guys...appreciate the knowledge here.

Cheers

[Mojo Moyogi]

I gave up on seasol powerfeed as it takes 75 plus watering cans to treat all my stock .

Yep, so did I Alpine, then I saved my back, my time and sanity and cured the logistics nightmare (AKA the dance of 100 watering cans) with a 200 litre blue barrel and a submersible pump hooked up to a hose. Mass feeding made easy

bonborn: either Rooster Booster or Dynamic lifter every 4-6 weeks and fortnightly doses of Seasol will keep most trees happy and healthy, given good roots, proper watering and decent potting media.

Cheers,
Mojo