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What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 10:41 am
by kvan64
Hi all,
I don't seem to be able to find enough information about this topic in any of the bonsai reading materials I've come across. Any one knows off some good resources?
Also please share your experience here.
Thanks heaps in advance.
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 11:12 am
by teejay
I suppose it depends what you're growing.
I'm a beginner at this but I'm currently settled on organic pellets coupled with seasol sprayed on the foliage and soil each fortnight for exotics I'm not feeding up for girth. Leaves have stayed small and the internodes are short so far, with no signs of hunger at all. If I'm trying to fatten them up and I'm not concerned with small bits I'm using much stronger liquid feed at shorter intervals.
On natives I'm tending to use different things on different trees, osmacote, charlie carp, phostrogen etc... It all depends on the species and how they react.
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 11:41 am
by Deemon
I use compact from bonsai south for all except natives fortnightly and nitrosol for natives.
full strength.
Osomcote in the potting mix at repot.
Simple.
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 12:32 pm
by Pup
I use and have done so for 20+ years at fornightly intervals. Phostrogen for my exotics.
Miraclegro for Azaleas and Camellias, for my Natives. The miraclegro has only been used for the last 10 years. I found no reason to change.
I do though every 6 months add some complete trace elements. As constant watering of Bonsai leaches them out.
Water soluble so that you can water each plant. Not the one that is scattered over the soil.
Hope this helps in some way.
If you read the break down of the Macro and Micro elements it should help you work out what you need for your plants. Phosphorus, which is dangerous for natives, is in amounts safe, in both of these fertilser's.

Pup
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 7:56 pm
by kvan64
Where do you buy phostrogen Pup? I stopped by Bunnings today and they got nothing low in Nitrogen. No phostrogen nor compact. No specific fert for bonsai.
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 8:04 pm
by Jamie
slow release pellets, miracle gro and seasol.
miarcle gro weekly at half strength(sometimes a bit stronger

) seasol every 2 weeks or so, and the pellets when they are needed
i havent had a problem with this regime

Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 8:49 pm
by kvan64
jamie111 wrote:slow release pellets, miracle gro and seasol.
miarcle gro weekly at half strength(sometimes a bit stronger

) seasol every 2 weeks or so, and the pellets when they are needed
i havent had a problem with this regime

I think you forgot to add ...vegemite

by the way, what type of slow release pellets do you use Jamie? The ones I saw from Bunnings have high N content.
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: October 7th, 2009, 8:53 pm
by Jamie
lol. cant forget the vegemite.
umm couldnt tell ya the brand, the one i use was the one that they put in front of the cashiers so you buy more stuff as your leaving lol.
will check the npk for ya tomorrow
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: February 27th, 2011, 9:48 pm
by magb
what is the best fertilizer to use on a wisteria
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: February 28th, 2011, 12:16 pm
by dragon

everyone
i use dianamic lifter soaked in water for a couple of days and strain it when water gone brown
as it is liquid form it dont burn the plants and the bloody dogs wont eat them

also i use slow relise
in winter and also seasol i am testing all different types to see which one gets better results
cheers dean

Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: February 28th, 2011, 12:59 pm
by Scott Roxburgh
I use a form of fertilizer cakes:
1 part Cottonseed or soy bean meal; and
1 part Meat meal (I used to use Blood and Bone but have since changed, but it can be hard to find);
I spoon this into disposable tea bags and put it out as required (as much as I can fit onto the soil surface mostly)
I mix up according to the instructions and use charlie carp and seasol every two weeks. When I think I haven't done it in a while I use Miracle Gro/Nitrosol (once a month-ish). I also put a fair bit of Osmocote on the soil surface (thanks Grant) and sometimes in my soil mix (pure inorganic).
I find that using a lot of fertiliser works really well for me, with my trees, in my area and in my mix.
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: February 28th, 2011, 1:14 pm
by craigw60
Thats it Scott, feed and prune
Craigw
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: February 28th, 2011, 1:21 pm
by Scott Roxburgh
craigw60 wrote:Thats it Scott, feed and prune
Craigw
...and wire!
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: March 8th, 2011, 7:52 pm
by samlauncher
Hey can any body tell me where the artificial fertilizer available…
Re: What fertilizer(s) do you use for your bonsai???
Posted: March 8th, 2011, 8:35 pm
by Petra
Define artificial,

All chemical fertilisers are artificial.

Found in supermarkets,discount stores and nurseries.
Organic fertilisers are chook poo,Sheep,cow,horse, blood& bone, etc, etc.
