Thanks again Nina.

Never thought of that heat release/time bomb issue.
Good reason for not using time released fertilizer.
Guess I'd better stick with Muracid.

Again ... I'm not terribly concerned about fertilizing the trees, just
providing them with nice acidic conditions rather than my hard well water.

Mark
Harrisburg, PA
Zone 6a (feels like Zone 1)
Had to scrape the windshield this morning!!


-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On Behalf Of
Nina Shishkoff
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 2:13 PM
To:
Subject: [IBC] PS- time release fertilizer


Vigoro is a time released product with the following:
Total Nitrogen = 15% (7.31% Ammoniacal Nitrogen and 7.69% Urea
Nitrogen

One thing we in this hemisphere should be thinking about is the end of
summer. Now is NOT the time to be putting time-release fertilizer on our
plants, because the release is temperature-mediated. That stuff will sit
there all winter long, creating a timebomb for next spring, when it will
solubilize too quickly, causing a salty soil and a release of ammonia (note
those nitrogen sources above; urea breaks down to ammonia). Ammonia vapor
is very toxic to plants, and in a cold frame or hoop house could cause
severe phytotoxicity before you know it.

So if you need to fertilize, use some liquid form.


Brrrrrrr- I had frost last night!!!!!

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