Feeding Regimes 1 - Trident Maple

[Webos]

Gday guys,
I've decided to start asking the Ausbonsai Gang what they feed and how often. If you are willing to contribute your knowledge, please post what you fertilise with, dosages and how often.

[shibui]

Osmocote 12-18 month in the mix.
Worm juice every few weeks while they've got leaves on
Organic Life pellets (similar to dynamic lifter but with seaweed and other goodies added) on the surface 2-3 times each year
Fish emulsion a couple of times each year.
Any other soluble fertiliser that's around when I think of it a couple of times each year.

All trees except banksias get the same treatment.
Developing trees get more and more often to force quicker growth.

Will be interesting to see what others use. My thoughts - it doesn't matter what you use just fertilise regularly!

[Webos]

Hey there Shibui,
My greatest problem is my forgetfulness and lack of knowledge when it comes to fertilisers. I'm sure I could get a lot more growth out of my trees with better feeding and this is the reason i've decided to start these Feeding Regime threads.

Thanks a lot for contributing your knowledge

[Josh7]

Shibui, what kind of Osmocote do you use?

[alpineart]

Hi Guys , i use Tomatoe starter food "Brunnings" monthly doses and Seasol Powerfeed {Green Bottle} fortnightly ,give or take a few days during the growing period .Seasol seaweed concentrate {White bottle}at a monthly dose when dormant or slowing down as in pines etc . Brunnings Slow release Nitophoska during repots and winter .This will change depends on availability of the products .

Osmacote Native blend on the few natives i have plus seasol concentrate, yet to repot the natives

Basically any thing on a regular basis will work ,but i like the results of this combo with my potting mixes so i will use it until it runs out .If i cant get these products i will chase down a similar N.P.K .equivalent and hope the results are the same .

What i would like to get my hands on is a N.P.K 10.10.10 or 20.10.10 .My search has only uncovered it by the Metric tonne in Aus .To much outlay for me .Cheers

[kcpoole]

This is what I use for most plants thru the summer months. winter time i will double the time between feeds

Neutrog “Sudden Impact” for Roses monthly ( for and 8" pot, about 1 handfull. Larger pot increase dosage) Azaleas I will reduce this by 1/2
“Miracle Grow” for Azaleas Fortnightly
“Charlie Carp” and “Seasol” alternating weekly

Ken

[bodhidharma]

I have Osmocote in my potting mix and then one month in( after repot) I start feeding with a better grow product complete organic fertilizer straight on the surface on a monthly regime. I would like to do it on a fortnightly basis but i have to many trees and dont have the time. I have large watering tanks(1000 litres) that i mix seasol in and water with it fortnightly. On my ground grown ones i load up with cow manure which works great but only because i have access to it On Azaleas, camellia's etc i use a complete Azalea food mixed 1/2 and1/2 with the complete organic fertilizer.

[Scott Roxburgh]

I use the same for all of my trees.

At the start of Spring (or whenever I can get it to dry) I mix up some of Arthur Robinson's Fertilizer Cake Mix. Arthur recomends it for Azaleas but I have used it for everything.
The pot size determines how many I use, I put them on at the start of the growing season and replace them as they break down.

I also use miracle grow every two weeks at full strength (should I remember). That is my key issue, remembering, so that is why I like the cakes.

I have also started using a 'Bonsai Diary' to help me keep track of fertilizer, we'll see if it works...

As an aside, I am going to trial Boon's Fertilizer Cake Mix this year, if I can find Cottonseed meal:

4 parts cottonseed meal;
1 part blood and bone;
1 part fish meal/emulsion;
Flour to hold it together; and
Water as needed.

[63pmp]

How much fertiliser do you actually use? Do you dilute per instructions? Or do you just guess-timate and throw on a handful?

There's not much point to this if you don't mention your concentrations or your brands.

At the moment this is my basic mix I use for all my maples,

for every 28L of water I add

3/4 teaspoon of Thrive with trace elements
3/4 teaspoon magnesium nitrate
1/4 teaspoon diammonium phosphate
3/4 teaspoon magnesium sulphate

dispense with a watering can once or twice a week depending on growth rate. Dose varies, usually a good even splash over the surface after plants have been watered

Paul

[63pmp]

What i would like to get my hands on is a N.P.K 10.10.10 or 20.10.10

You will have trouble finding these fertilizers as these NPK ratios are in American. The Australian equivalent is 10:4.4:8.3 and 20:4.4:8.3, I'm not sure you will find these exact ratios in Australia either.

How would you use these anyway? Just curious as I'm wondering how people decide on what fertiliser regime they use.

Regards

Paul

[Jamie]

hi alpine

i bought "nitrophoska" the other week and found it to turn gluggy upon watering. i dont think i will be buying it again, have you had this problem?

or anyone else for that matter?

[Rhiannon]

I do what I'm told.

Just wanted to say cheers for starting this topic, it's mega helpful.

[Jow]

4 parts cottonseed meal;
1 part blood and bone;
1 part fish meal/emulsion;
Flour to hold it together; and
Water as needed.

This might be a stupid question, but where to you get fishmeal?

[Scott Roxburgh]

Not a stupid question...

It is a stock feed along with cottonseed meal so I am trying rural supply stores, i'll let you know where i find it.

[Krusty]

My wife changes the water in her fish tank every 2 weeks. She has about two buckets of waste water out of it. I'm wondering if this water would be useful for my bonsai?