Interesting...I've been applying micro doses of Miracle-Gro via Dosatron for years, even though all I ever heard was that it "was bad for bonsai," because it made them "grow too fast." I think a lot of enthusiasts just don't understand plant physiology. I got a Dosatron so I could fertilize more often at lower concentrations, primarily because that's much closer to what plants actually experience in their natural habitats. Thanks for the professional validation.
Thanks for the video, and reminding I need to get better at more regularly fertilizing. Fun story: if you ask Dan Robinson what kind of fertilizer he uses, he will usually say "the blue kind!"
I use a very similar program for my trees but without the Dosatron. Great product, though. I use fish/kelp as the main go to at a low dose weekly to bi-monthly and the supplement the nitrogen with Miracid or a Monterey product of guano/fish. Lower dose more often really is a no-brainer since it is more like a plant growing in the ground where nutrient does not vary like it does with infrequent, higher dose applications. Great video!!
Very helpful Video Andrew. Does the watering with a reduced feed of Miracle Gro only suit deciduous trees or could it work for other species too? Really like this idea.
Hey Andrew, Would you be able to do another video on your pest/fungal control methods and soil make up too please? I think these three go hand in hand and probably why some people have decided to try something else - as you mentioned, you like to keep your bonsai soil sterile, so would make sense to fertilise as you do.
Good to know !! Do you vary your fertilizer composition at different stages of the growing season? Like more N after spring growth? Thanks for the info.
I started out with biogold pellets because if wanted "the real stuff". One season later i changed to the cheap stuff, a liquid 5-1-2, i've never had better growth since i switched.
This was my first year with(slow release granules) 20-7-14 fertiliser. Happy with the results, just applied the third dose this year(couple weeks early because of upcoming vacation).
I used to use liquid fertiliser and then the daily micro dosing is my preferred method! Now watering with the hose, the solid is more easy. It does not desolve like the organic. Great advice in keeping it simple
Thanks for this valuable expation..and keeping it simple and knowing that u are getting such good results...i think next year i will ditch biogold that is costing me the price of Gold 😅😅😅
I know that it is a good form of nutrition..but t.b.h...i was getting sick of all the marketing in the UK for the latest bonsai feed...I was in the process of feeding my bonsai this year with liquid feeds and this content has made me comfortable to switch..perfect timing...keep up the good info...👍👍👍
Thank you…appreciate your direct and uncomplicated fertilizing approach for your trees- you didn’t mention evergreen trees…your thoughts on your process concerning their health and vigor? Appreciate the content of this vid.
I've been using peter's professional 202020 for years (seems like this $40 bag will never run out). I'm using 2 grams a gallon about once a week. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the best ph specifically for fruiting trees. the peter's always brings my water to 6.0. cannabis also does well at 6.0 😁
Two questions: 1. Do you apply this fertilizing method to all tree sizes, mame and up? 2. When watering 2+ times a day do the second waterings include fertilizer?
Yes, every single plant in my garden! And yes, every single time we water. We might back off a bit during a heat wave but we do this for 99% of the growing season.
Our rainy seasons here are during the dormant season rather the growing season, and a flush with rain is always a good thing if you get it during the growing seasons
@@rakuyobonsai yes makes sense. We had a very wet spring this year. But I guess you could just adjust the fertilizing program for those weeks and transition to daily dose after. Thanks
One of the most important factors, keep those numbers under 10-10-10, and usually we want the first number (nitrogen) to be the highest since its the most important and most ephemeral
An ortho sprayer is best used for liquid products, so the grow big would be a much better product for that tool. To use MG you would need to mix up some solutions and test some readings with an EC meter to compare to a baseline mixture according to the package instructions
@@rakuyobonsai ok I figured out a way to get around it! 8 tb of MG in a 32oz jar and mix it with water, shake enough to dissolve the MG. Once that’s set, add it to the ortho sprayer and fill with water to the top. Settings for the ortho sprayer is 4oz-full strength, 3oz-3/4 strength, 2oz-1/2 strength and 1oz-1/4 strength! 😎
lol I've argued with so many people about miracle grow, things get quite usually when I show them blue kishus and green(not yellow green) itoigawas ... so you dosatron the mg every time you water, are you flipping to fish emulsion in the dosatron at some point during the season or are you coming in weekly as a supplement? Great video, thanks for taking time to put together.
Do fertilise even during peak summer? In India cowdung manure is considered best, it’s quite cheap too, for sensitive plants, vermicompost works well, we don’t use sterile potting mixes, I fear I’ll have to play god with it 😅.
![[Hinoki] Let's make a mini bonsai by pruning Renzan [Bonsai Q]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OTOCriOoi04/mqdefault.jpg)
Andrew - bonsai needed your channel!! Glad you didn’t go into the “nuances” of soil microbial activity and kept it simple! 😂
Bonsai doesn't have to be complicated!
Andrew, love how often you’re posting and the content is fantastic. 💪🏼
I appreciate that! Glad you enjoy!
I also use this same micro dose, every time I water method. I works really well, nice steady healthy growth!!!!
I think it’s the future of fertilizing!
thank you..
you're welcome
Interesting...I've been applying micro doses of Miracle-Gro via Dosatron for years, even though all I ever heard was that it "was bad for bonsai," because it made them "grow too fast." I think a lot of enthusiasts just don't understand plant physiology. I got a Dosatron so I could fertilize more often at lower concentrations, primarily because that's much closer to what plants actually experience in their natural habitats. Thanks for the professional validation.
Great to know, everyone who has told me miracle gro is bad for bonsai has a lot less healthy trees than I do ;)
Thanks Andrew! I think the Alaska fertilizer has also helped my trees here in MN!
It's a great product!
Dope. Thanks for this video!
Glad you liked it!
This is so very helpful, thank you! What is the dosatron that you use?
You can find it here: www.rakuyobonsai.com/products
Thanks for the video, and reminding I need to get better at more regularly fertilizing.
Fun story: if you ask Dan Robinson what kind of fertilizer he uses, he will usually say "the blue kind!"
The blue kind works for millions of people across many horticultural fields!
I use a very similar program for my trees but without the Dosatron. Great product, though. I use fish/kelp as the main go to at a low dose weekly to bi-monthly and the supplement the nitrogen with Miracid or a Monterey product of guano/fish. Lower dose more often really is a no-brainer since it is more like a plant growing in the ground where nutrient does not vary like it does with infrequent, higher dose applications. Great video!!
Thanks for the info and for tuning in!
Very helpful Video Andrew.
Does the watering with a reduced feed of Miracle Gro only suit deciduous trees or could it work for other species too?
Really like this idea.
My conifers love it too!
Thanks Andrew.
Hey Andrew,
Would you be able to do another video on your pest/fungal control methods and soil make up too please? I think these three go hand in hand and probably why some people have decided to try something else - as you mentioned, you like to keep your bonsai soil sterile, so would make sense to fertilise as you do.
Great idea, I'll get those on the lineup
How do you measure 1/20 & 1/30? I think I’m going to give your method a try for the remainder of the year. Great video!!
I use an EC meter, amzn.to/4dz67oi
@@rakuyobonsai I went ahead and purchased the meter. How do you actually use it with the miracle grow? You can give me the short explanation. Lol.
Maybe i didnt catch it, but ypu fertilize throught the year or onöy growing season everyday?
Throughout the entire growing season, stopping in the winter
Nice, I'm going to try it too, and how much Fish emulsion do you add?
Somewhere between half and full strength on the package instructions
@@rakuyobonsai Thank you
Good to know !! Do you vary your fertilizer composition at different stages of the growing season? Like more N after spring growth? Thanks for the info.
I don't, I do steady nitrogen all season long!
@@rakuyobonsai thanks!
What about when to apply and how much to apply to reduce internode length, leaf size and slightly different topic promote fruiting oe flowering?
I apply every time I water throughout the entire growing season
What are your thoughts on slow-release pellets fertilizer?
I find liquids to be far more effective
@@rakuyobonsai Thank you for answering
I started out with biogold pellets because if wanted "the real stuff". One season later i changed to the cheap stuff, a liquid 5-1-2, i've never had better growth since i switched.
This was my first year with(slow release granules) 20-7-14 fertiliser. Happy with the results, just applied the third dose this year(couple weeks early because of upcoming vacation).
Thanks for sharing, glad it’s working!
I used to use liquid fertiliser and then the daily micro dosing is my preferred method! Now watering with the hose, the solid is more easy. It does not desolve like the organic. Great advice in keeping it simple
Thanks for this valuable expation..and keeping it simple and knowing that u are getting such good results...i think next year i will ditch biogold that is costing me the price of Gold 😅😅😅
Biogold is a great product and the top solid I recommend, however I get better results with these liquids
I know that it is a good form of nutrition..but t.b.h...i was getting sick of all the marketing in the UK for the latest bonsai feed...I was in the process of feeding my bonsai this year with liquid feeds and this content has made me comfortable to switch..perfect timing...keep up the good info...👍👍👍
Is there a time of year that you use fish emulsions?
All throughout the growing season
I too fertilize daily a small dose while watering
Great, I think it's the future of bonsai fertilization
Thank you…appreciate your direct and uncomplicated fertilizing approach for your trees- you didn’t mention evergreen trees…your thoughts on your process concerning their health and vigor? Appreciate the content of this vid.
The few conifers I have here at RAKUYO, as well as many of the high quality ones I maintain around the country, all do great with this system
@@rakuyobonsai Thank you for that info…very helpful👍
do you have a different fertilizing regime for flowering trees? Or you just use the same products/application for all the trees you have?
They get the same baseline as everything else out of the hose, but then extra fertilizer added in each week
I've been using peter's professional 202020 for years (seems like this $40 bag will never run out). I'm using 2 grams a gallon about once a week. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the best ph specifically for fruiting trees. the peter's always brings my water to 6.0. cannabis also does well at 6.0 😁
I don't alter my pH, it's about 7-7.5 coming out of the hose and my TDS is 30
Two questions: 1. Do you apply this fertilizing method to all tree sizes, mame and up? 2. When watering 2+ times a day do the second waterings include fertilizer?
Yes, every single plant in my garden! And yes, every single time we water. We might back off a bit during a heat wave but we do this for 99% of the growing season.
How do you adjust for really wet raining seasons, where you don't have to water daily?
Our rainy seasons here are during the dormant season rather the growing season, and a flush with rain is always a good thing if you get it during the growing seasons
@@rakuyobonsai yes makes sense. We had a very wet spring this year. But I guess you could just adjust the fertilizing program for those weeks and transition to daily dose after. Thanks
Hey, how important is the concentration of the bonsai fertilizer (NPK). Thanks for keeping these video simple!
One of the most important factors, keep those numbers under 10-10-10, and usually we want the first number (nitrogen) to be the highest since its the most important and most ephemeral
@@rakuyobonsai ❤ Thank you
I always want to play some Tom Waits After the video.
More on topic. I use rose fertilizer (granidol) but always struggle how much to add.
The nice thing about liquids is that it allows us to be much more precise than solids
How many tablespoons or teaspoons of miracle grow would you use for the ortho sprayer?
An ortho sprayer is best used for liquid products, so the grow big would be a much better product for that tool. To use MG you would need to mix up some solutions and test some readings with an EC meter to compare to a baseline mixture according to the package instructions
@@rakuyobonsai ok I figured out a way to get around it! 8 tb of MG in a 32oz jar and mix it with water, shake enough to dissolve the MG. Once that’s set, add it to the ortho sprayer and fill with water to the top. Settings for the ortho sprayer is 4oz-full strength, 3oz-3/4 strength, 2oz-1/2 strength and 1oz-1/4 strength! 😎
lol I've argued with so many people about miracle grow, things get quite usually when I show them blue kishus and green(not yellow green) itoigawas ... so you dosatron the mg every time you water, are you flipping to fish emulsion in the dosatron at some point during the season or are you coming in weekly as a supplement? Great video, thanks for taking time to put together.
Glad you enjoyed, I’ll add in fish every now and then, usually when my concentrate bucket gets low about once a week.
Good lord, Andrew, that Dosatron is over $500. Is there an alternative?
No, not if you want something reliable that lasts a long time without breaking. I resisted for years, but it's a very worthy investment
Do fertilise even during peak summer? In India cowdung manure is considered best, it’s quite cheap too, for sensitive plants, vermicompost works well, we don’t use sterile potting mixes, I fear I’ll have to play god with it 😅.
I do in my climate, since the bonsai here keep growing all summer long
Do you worry about the accumulation of salt?
Not at all with volcanic bonsai soil and drainage holes