Bonsai How-To - Fertilizers for Bonsai
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video I discuss fertilizing bonsai trees. I cover when to apply, the types of fertilizers, and the benefits of the nitrogen, phosphates, and potassium. Shoots, Roots, Flowers & Fruits. Miracle Grow, Peters, 20-20-20. Dyna-Gro, Scotts, osmocote
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Best damn video I've seen on fertilizer. You put everything in perspective for me. I was just looking for some fertilizer for my Chinese Elm. And the way you broke down the numbers was perfect. Explained everything I needed to know. Thanks.
can I just "pee" on my bonsai tree?
I just started bonsai, and I have to say your videos have been a tremendous help. I just wanted to say thanks.
I appreciate that very much. Best of luck with your trees
Shoots, roots, flowers and fruits! Nice one. Thanks for the vid!
without any doubt, the best video explaining the basics about fertilizers. very complete and very easy to understand. thanks a lot. greets from Portugal. you are the best ;)
@MARTINSWORKSHOP Thanks for the comment. You probably saw that I posted this same video a few weeks ago, but I made a mistake in it and I had to re-edit it. So this is the new version.
This video is really helpful, informative and very easy to understand. Thank you
Glad to hear you found it helpful
Very good lesson. Tank you for keeping it to the point and not being all elitist about the "secret" of effective bonsai fertilization.
another crazy vid.. beyond my level of understanding.. but i'll watch it again in a few months...and take more out of it.. its nice to know that its here for viewing.
I'm really glad to hear your comment! Thanks very much, I hope you get alot of information from them
This kind of videos is what us beginners need! I'm a huge fan of your videos, I wish they were an hour long though! lol
I love you man, you are good and honest.
Depending where you are the tree may be going dormant for winter. These trees drop their leaves in the winter and put out new ones in the spring. They don't need much water now, just keep it from drying out completely. If it is winter where you are you can repot once the tree has gone dormant.
Thanks for your comment!! I like your selection for fertilizer, but it is good to mix them up once in a while. You can rotate the organic with a liquid and your trees will be very happy. Sounds like you are on the right track with removing the berries too!
Its a great organic fertilizer and suitable for a wide variety of bonsai
For the record, i have no problem with the length of your videos. That is the benefit of youtube; I can play the vid on-demand. So when I have time, I watch. The more info the better, i would love a 45min video. PS: Superthrive: yey or nay? My local bonsai guru swears by it, online people tend to think the opposite.
Thanks for your question. Since you are starting from seed you won't need any fertilizer until the seed sprouts and grows at least a few sets of leaves. Most of the food the tree will need is conatined in the seed. So don't add anything quite yet. If you over do it early ou could burn the tender roots and kill it. Keep it in a well drained soil mix that holds moister or even a potting soil to get the tree started. After the first year or two then you can change out the mix
That is a great idea for a video, and I have a long list of videos to do and should start posting them soon. This will certainly be one I cover. Thanks
@LacobrigusRomanicus Sure there are plenty of new all man made fertilizers instead of the organics. Something like Miracle Grow is a great example. However the Blood Meal, Bone Meal, and Cottonseed meal all have goood benifits.
Great job explaining fertilizing. I always like to say....more is not always better. Learning to observe the tree/foliage will allow you to know what is needed. Switching around the fertilizers works well. Perhaps there as some different micro nutrients that will help the tree nicely. In San Diego, I always stored several gallons of water in a tub outside, and allowed the sun to bake away some of the chlorine in the water. Direct watering from the tap there seemed to hurt the trees over several years. Rainwater is perfect.
Great idea, Nice thing about rainwater is that it is the perfect PH and so good for the tree.
Exactly...unless you get acid rain..hahaha (we don't have it in the mountains of NC)
Thank you so much, your tips are Great. South América/ Brazil.
Repot in early spring, and the lava mix really works very well
Wicked advice great video
There are a lot of good fertilizers on line. One of my favorites is BioGold. It's really depends on what you're looking from your feeding. As for seeds I never start my trees from seeds
SInce it's winter the weather teands to be much drier so your tree may dry out faster. The humidity tray is a great idea. Keep the tree away from vents where hot air may heat it too much. Also watch for mold build up if the tree isn';t geting much air flow. Other than that you should do very well this winter with the grow light working
I've seen those before and considered using them but never did. I would think they would be fine to use. Try them out and see what kind of results you get. Good luck
It sounds like the cold really hurt the new tender growth. I would slow down the watering a little bit and give it good sun light. It should return to green in a while, but it is probably in shock from the cold snap.
Very Good Video. I just Need Help With 1 Thing.
I just bought my first bonsai (I'm pretty sure its a juniper) and since I am a beginner i have absolutely no idea how to take care of it. If you could tell me anything at all of how i can keep it alive and thriving, then i would greatly appreciate it. Please include watering, fertilizing, pruning, and whether i should take it in at winter time or leave it outside. Any information would be great! Thank you so much!
~Matt
@franksb4u That really is a good question. I personally do every other week during the growing season but sometimes more sometimes less. No real rule. Just be sure to apply after watering otherwise you'll rinse it right off the tree before it can absorb it.
Forgot to ask...Also I planted the chinese elms in the ground to get a little thickness on the trunks, but unfortunately let them go for a while so now they have grown a little tall and the branches I had wired on the bottom do not really have any foliage. All the foliage seems to be concentrated on the new growth on the very top, which I would want to cut off. :(
Any advice on what I should do?
OMG, you are so good. Why don't you make more videos? I'm back with my trees after 2 years of traveling and I need you.
I started my first bonsai in May american holly in OK. It put out 15 leaves but not much more. I water daily once or twice in the dry hot weather here. My soil is the lava stone, granite stone and pea gravel. Trying liquid fertilizer and miracle grow a time or two, I can't tell which it likes. A few leaves had black ends after the fert, but I may have applied too much. What is a good rate and how often to fertilize in July . I do have 20 20 20 but not used. Suggestions please.
coolairaz in holly produce a pretty hardy leaf and at tend to do a flush of leaves in spring and then slow down. Also since it is a new bonsai your root system might not be established enough to support a full canopy.for established trees I will fertilize every other week with miracle grow at half strength during the growing season. For your tree try fish emulsion every weekend for a moth. It’s good for root development and won’t burn your tree. Be patient with this species
Now mid August, the tree is loosing leaves. I am not fertilizing but do soak the tree under water for 5 to 10 minutes daily and then keep it in mostly shade. What causes the leaves to look burned on the tips and most new shoots show up with burned tips. Could soaking in just rain water help or hurt the holly. I now soak it daily in pond water. Thanks
I'm note sure how it would do for watering. The waste products from fish could be beneficial but they do contain ammonia until it is broken down by natrates and nitrites. You could try it on a couple of plants and water one with regular water to see if there is anything noticiable happening
@LacobrigusRomanicus You can find them at Home Improvement stores or most flower or garden center.
We have had a Bonsai for over ten years and it was looking great. Last week my wife over fertilized the tree with Miracle Grow and now all the leaves are falling off and it looks like it is dying. Can it be saved at this point? Hate to lose this beautiful tree. This is an indoor tree than is in a sun room. Thx..
Very sorry for the late reply I was preparing for a national show. I hope everything is okay but if not I would suggest getting the tree into some sunlight and out doors if the weather is still warm (above 60 during the day). The sun will pull the fertilizer up through the tree and get it to the leaves and develop new leaves as well. If you scratch the branches with your finger nail you should see green underneath. If you do then the branches are still alive and the tree should rebound. Cut back watering a bit so the roots will get good oxygen to the roots. I hope it all works out for you Best of luck
I was wondering,
How about plants that produce their own fertilizer?
Last week I bought a flowering wisteria in a nursery store to make a bonsai out of it.
But during rootpruning i bumped into a rootsystem with several nitrogen fixing nodules hanging on the roots.
Does this mean that my wisteria dont need to be fertilized? Or is it better to use the fertilizer from the store.
And what about those nodules? Should they be removed? Or is it better to let them hang there?
At the moment the nodules are still attached, but I am also giving him an organic fertilizer for wisterias.
But Im a little bit worried that i might do the wrong thing to my tree. Like maybe over-fertilizing it or something
Regards Michael.
Hay frist of thanks for all you videos they've helped alot I'm just Geting in to bonsai. IV got mostly junipers and we've had an unusually warm winter up here in Canada. I fertilized the. Last week after a month of them growing then the temperature stoles for a week I lost the new growth and now the branches are turning yellow what did I do? And can I fix it?
Your videos are favorite on TH-cam.
I recently got a new Bucida spinosa with a trunk about 7-8cm wideand a tree height about 38cm and is growing very strongly. I still have to decide if will be reshaped through hard pruning or slow and steady restyling through branch bending. Anyway, I removed all the berries so that the tree can put all effort in the foliage. To aid this I added a 8-8-8 organic fertilizer. This a good choice? Or would a liquid fertilizer like worm casting "tea" be better ?
It may not go comepletely dormant if you keep it inside. If it stays warm the tree probably won't drop it's leaves but will require more light because the days are shorter. Keep it in a sunny window if you keep it inside. Also you want the soil to be moist but not so that it is sitting wet. Just push your finger into the soil about an inch. If it is still moist don't water. Wait until it is almost dry
Actually I just give them a normal even fertilizer through out the growing season. The problem with the tridents is the heat in the summer. They never cool down at night so their leaves really fry.
@OrlandoBonsaiTV I am, actually (Winter Park). I'm planning on joining the club soon. I met Ron K. from bonsai-bci last Sat on a visit to Wigert's (great tip btw, thank you, picked up 3 bags of lava rock & 3 ficus) and he suggested I join the club :)
I have a question about fertilizer spikes. I found some for trees and shrubs. I figured I would use them on my azalea while its in its nursery pot, but to what effect will it have when I bonsai it? Is it overkill for bonsai trees?
I have an Ulmus Parvifolia and have read varying opinions as to whether I may bring it in during winter (Wisconsin) and treat it as tropical. Thoughts would be appreciated very much. Nice little tree and I would like it to survive. Info on light, temperature, water and fertilizer would be very appreciated and helpful.
From what I can see the tree has a grow zone of USDA hardiness zones: 5B through 10A which is down to -15 degrees. In Florida we treat them as cold hardy of course but they rarely drop their leaves because it doesn't get cold enough. If you have concerns I put the tree on the ground during the winter and cover the pot with mulch so that the roots don't freeze. Keep in mind snow can only get down to 32 degrees because that's where it freeze, so when its piled up it actually works as insulation from the colder air.
Ok. I'm asking because I saw in a Ryan Neil video on White, Red, and Black pines to fertilize them in the fall then hold off, and fertilize again in early spring. When do you fertilize your junipers? I also have a Hanoki Cypress which I just removed as an air layered branch. I use Miracle Gro tree fertilizer spikes for the larger plants I have. Now that would fit in the time release category right? They are about four inches long. It doesn't say how many times to fertilize on the package.
Thanks.
Pines are different and of course Ryan is correct because during the year the fertilizers are started and stopped at certain times to control the needle growth. For deciduous and trees that really slow down in winter you should not give them incentive to start growing because it will use up resources to pop out in the spring.
Ok, so I should hold off on fertilizing my junipers and faux cypress till early spring?
Edgar Santiago, I have a pine bonsai tree I replanted it in another pot and added fertilizer on April 10 because the leaves were turning brown and the tree look unhealthy. My question is when do I add fertilizer again.(every two weeks, or monthly).
Edgardo Santiago Add liquid fertilizer every other week, or organic fertilizer monthly up through mid June. If you decandle the tree at that point you'll not want to fertilize the rest of the year. If you don't remove the candles then keep the fertilizer going
Hi... I live in Perth WA. I have many different bonsai. Can you please tell me what would the best organic fertiliser to use. Finding it very confusing. Thanks Maureen
I'm glad to hear that and I will be longer slower speaking viode in the future. like you said you can watch them at your own pace. As for super thrive, I could take it or leave it, not an eccential additive for me
I have a small array of material for bonsai which I am preparing for winter into the spring, of which are a boxwood and a few Junipers. Should I fertilize the boxwood in the fall with the conifers, since it is an evergreen, or only in the spring with the deciduous? Same with the junipers?
Thanks Paul.
No do not fertilize any tree that's getting ready to go dormant. You need to let the tree slow down. If yiy fertilize now the tree will expend energy because it will begin to grow and that will make it weaker to go into winter
Would you recommend Blood & Bone as an ideal fertiliser for all types of bonsai trees like Flower Cherry, Conteaster, Kyoto Scessra, Shimpaku Juniper, Cypress Juniper, Trident Maples, Chinese Elm, Prostrata Juniper and apply it on top of the bonsai soil but should I remove the old layer of fertilser and then apply a new layer ? Whats the recommended time to fertilise for the species that I got?
Yes they are great organic fertilizers. Blood meal has high nitrogen which helps the plants foliage grow and green up. Bone meal will help with blooms and flowers and is a slow release as well
I have a Chinese Elm and its leaves are yellow which its winter so i believe it is going dormant. When it is starting to go fully dormant and is dormant, do i still water it?(it is an indoor Chinese Elm). Thanks for any advice!
Great information, thanks so much. I've been a bit stumped this season as I've read so many opinions. This breaks it down well. Any opinions on supplementing feeding with Superthrive?
@Francimadness That's awesome! Finally someone who can keep up with my fast speaking!!!
@engelwyre I've heard mixed reviews of superthrive. It's kind of like a person taking vitamins (as an example). The tree will live without it but it may help with the absorption and processing of nutrients providing faster and better results. Use in moderation and try it on a couple of trees to see if there is a noticeable difference
so would i take the fertilizer out before fall and replace it with soil?
I was wanting to see how you winter over bonsai! I had taken a beautiful eounymus from somoenes yard and it had unlimited potentiall and i was excited to work on it in the future. Over the witer it died on me and of course i was not very happy. it was doing fine and all the sudden the leaves shriveled and there was nothing i could do to save it. I live in zone 4/5 and my other trees are fine. What did i do wrong??
another very helpful video thanks alot!
i have 1 question, why not fertilize in midday? why is it only morning or evening?
i live in uk, with 2 trees, jap deshojo, and fuji cherry
The reason for not fertilizing mid day is because the tree uses a lot of water as respiration to cool itself through the leaves. If you fertilize early or late it gives the roots more time to slowly absorbe the nutrients
Hi, I got a bonsai tree about a week ago and was wondering how long should I wait to fertilize it
I recently have gotten an Hinoki Cypress, do you have any advice on how to take care of it? Because I haveno idea, and I don't want it to die. Please help? Thanks.
Stupid question, is it safe to fertilize “indoor” trees through the winter? I have a spare bedroom that has been converted into a makeshift green house.
All trees are under lighting, humidified, and heated.
I’m talking a bunch of varieties of ficus.
Pomegranate, serissa, Chinese elm, jaboticaba,
Brazilian rain trees, Fukien tea, podocarpus ,
And Baby jade.
I live in Ct. so the winters are harsh, I would go a little nutty if I didn’t have the indoor trees when I can’t work on my outdoor trees.
Yes you should continue to fertilize indoor bonsai. You want to promote growth otherwise the roots get weak and root rot can occur. Good question
How do you buy a bonsai because I went on to the web site and I can't find anything about buying
I recently got a starter kit for a Japanese juniper. I was wondering if you know of a guides. I'm new to all of this and just started a 20 20 20 fertilizer after watching this. Honestly any help would be greatly appreciated
Great video! Stil relevant!
Hi, I am trying to grow out two of my trees to attempt and give them a larger trunk. Per your suggestions, I am using a mix of half potting soil and half perlite. I picked up miracle grow soil, however. My question is, is it OK to use this mixture? If so, do I need to continue to fertilize the trees while they are in miracle grow? Thanks!
Hi I'm 15 and I really love bonsai's and I want to get one that is fully grown but I don't know were to get one from I think I should get one for a garden center ????
Here is a question for you. During the spring and summer I fertilize my trees with Miracle Grow House plant I think the numbers are 15-15-15 . I mix according to the directions..and than I take about a pint and mix that into more water diluting the solution...I soak my trees for about 10 min to ensure that the claw pots get fully soaked.
The Junipers, the Dwarf Alberta Spruce, the Mugo Pine and my new Kiyohime Maple all did fine over the last 5 years...whats your feeling on my method?
I should add that my oldest tree has is 5 years old and due for re potting that's a juniper, my 2nd juniper is 3 years old and is due for re-potting, the Alberta Spruce is 3 years old and due for re-potting and my Mugo and Kyohime maple are 1 year old and due for root reduction and potting up in bonsai pots...
Your meathod for fertilizing sounds good. However it depends on how developed your trees are. If there are looking finished then you might want to find a fertlizer that makes the tree grow too much. 15-15-15 would be for trees that you are growing out to get new branches or thicken your truck. Look for more lower levels for trees that you just want to keep healthy and maintain a shape
@MegaBdixon It's hard for me to do a collecting video because the only thing you can collect right now are tropical trees. Hopefully this winter I can do a good video
My Fertilizer has the number 6+1,3+5 but I have no clue what so ever on what those number mean, if you know or if you know were I could find out about it I would be most grateful. Thanks in advace.
I haven't come across that type of label yet. Even a search on the internet didn't turn up anything for me. What brand of fertilizer is it? Maybe the label itself could give you some clues
If your cypress is dormant right now, and its winter you should not fertilize at all. Wait until the leaves start to pop out in the spring. You'll want to report before then
@viralzues If you can't find a bonsai dealer in your local area you can maybe find them at local nurseries. I would avoid the ones at the home centers, they are done very well and their health is generally poor. Another option is on line on bonsai stores or Ebay
Hello,
i'm thinking of buying this fertilizer : substral osmocote 14-13-13 pellets , they say on the package that it feeds for 6months .. Does that mean that i don't have to add anything every week? Or do i get a liquid fertilizer that i add once every week? thx for the reply.
Received an azalea bonsai as a gift. I have followed care instructions provided. I have watered by immersion and kept indoors now for the past 2 weeks as we've had a recent heat wave in CA. I notice that the leaves are slowly falling. Normal? The bonsai had no flowers on arrival. Should I be concerned? Pls help. - Novice
Only water when the tree is near dry. No tree likes to be wet, so as long as the tree is still moist below the soil line don’t water it. Immersion is okay do for watering. Also make sure the azaleas is getting sunlight. As the season is changing perhaps not as much sunlight is not coming through the window. This tree may struggle over the winter so be sure not to overwater.
@blueparasaur Thanks! I can take or leave Super Thrive. I always apply it with a fertilizer so its hard for me to say what it does all by itself. I've heard great things though :/
Soil that will work okay, just be careful not to keep the tree to wet inthat mix. After about three months of thetree being planted in the mix you will need to start adding additional fertilizers
Hello!
First off I want to thank you for the video, it was very informative.
I have a quick question for you regarding liquid fertilizer.
I am about to start a Cherry Blossom bonsai from a seed, and I was wondering if you have a recommended balance of nutrients for that type of deciduous tree.
Also, if you have any recommendations on the type of soil mix, and care tips, I would be extremely grateful.
Your videos are incredible. I've watched a lot of them. I'm curious if you could address going from a baby bonsai (pre bonsai?) into the adult stage? I currently have a Fukien Tea and an Adenium. The Adenium is fairly far a long, decent trunk and flowers, but the Fukien Tea is probably only a year or two old. I guess I just don't know when to repot and how much I should really trim/wire at this point.
I'll keep watching your videos - you may have already answered it! Thank you!
Is pond water very good for bonsai such as straight rain water. It has various pond things in it such as algae and fish poo.
coolairaz treat pond water as an organic fertilizer. Rain water in the other hand can be applied all year long since it is the perfectly balance PH.
I have yet to see a good video on collecting yamadori. This upsets me because for me yamadori is essential to my collection. I started the bonsai research project as a way to collect trees and shrubs from people who didnt want them anymore! I want to take a large pin cherry but im afraid its the wrong time of the year! The bonsai research project (thebonsairesearchproject) one word, is on facebook if you would bekind enough to check it and maybe leave a comment. Thank you as always... a fan!
Hello I'm a beginner and I live in Honolulu hawaii. Just picked up 4 bonsai trees. Is it necessary for me to prune roots, repot, and fertilize or should I wait a full year to do it? Another question is I've been planning to mix my own soil so what would u prefer? I plan on growing to Home Depot, Walmart, and lowes. I don't want to order from Internet or drive far just to pick up supplies. I want to get going ASAP! Suggestions?
I was wondering how often you would recommend using a liquid fertilizer. I've heard people say once a week, others say once a month, and one person told me to use a very diluted fertilizer every day. I'd like to hear your opinion; thanks.
Excellent vid! Whats your feelings about "Super Thrive"?
Cheers for the help do you recommend any web-sites to buy from?
What are your thoughts on bonsai fertilizer sold online and have you ever done a video on what to do with seeds
Please let me know how to apply Hi Atonic to my bonsai. I got a bottle of Hi Atonic but all instructions are in Chinese.
I'm in process of doing a video and it will cover starting out with smaller trees. look for it in the near future
Hello, do you have a video that focus on literati style ?
hi there i have been enjoying your videos i'm new to bonsai and i find them most helpful.
when should i feed a juniper ?
what would be the best organic fertilizer for bonsai..?
Does it matter if you add miracle grow to a potted tree during hot weather? summer time? I heard it might burn the roots?
(For Chinese Elms)
Alex Z. I've not had any bad experiences with Miracle Grow and in fact use it pretty frequently in Florida sun. If you are a bit tentative you can dilute the fertilizer to half strength to see how the tree reacts. Try that every other week and see what kind of results you get. I believe you'll find that an aggressive tree like an Elm will do just fine with it
awesome man thank you for the tip!! :)
@engelwyre Yes I've been a member of the Central Florida Bonsai Club for over 12 years. Are you local to Orlando?
I have Time Release Fertilizer. How much Fertilizer should I use?
@OrlandoBonsaiTV Thank you. So far I've used it after (re)potting a tree but I noticed (maybe on the bottle?) that it was not to be used in lieu of fertilizing but as a supplement, much like you described. Do you happen to be a member of the Orlando bonsai club?
With time release I put it on pretty generously. I'd say a tablespoon for a 8" pot
Sorry I haven't worked on one before. GOod luck though Im sure you'll do fine
How frequent do you fertilise bonsai trees thank you
Depends on the type of tree and type of fertilizer. You can fertilize every couple of months with a time release or every few weeks with an organic
@@OrlandoBonsaiTV thanks for your reply, many dont apreciate that...my is a Ficus Retusa, not sure to use bio gold pellets slow release or liquid Chrysal fertilizer....what your advise on both ferts...thanks
@@thetruthchannel7073 you should do a nice time release and use it year round
@@OrlandoBonsaiTV thanks for reply...
Very Good, Thank You!
Hi Matt, I'll try to get a video up soon for you
is milorganite a good fertilizer for a juniper?
Hello, this video was incredibly helpful! I have a question for you- I recently purchased a bonsai but it's pot is really deep. I know that bonsai need to be in shallower pots; I believe it's a ficus tree and I've read that they shouldn't be re-potted until the beginning of spring, will the tree be okay in the deeper pot until then? Is it true that it shouldn't be re-potted until spring?
Polly Strott no expert at all but from the videos I have watched wait till the buds are starting to open so the stored energy has moved from the roots for its dorment stage up into the tree.
chris Leclerc thanks! do you have any videos you recommend relating to re-potting? I'm having some difficulty finding some good ones 😊
Ok, thank you so much I really appreciate it!
@OrlandoBonsaiTV Yea i was wondering if you already did this. I remembered it.....