In a message dated 7/30/2005 8:41:12 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

Exception: Timed release fertilizers. A real no-no in pots
if you like to control what your plants get and when they
get it.

*****************
For many years I have heard that timed release fertilizer is a bad
choice for bonsai, but my experience suggests otherwise. I use time
release fertilizer all the time, with excellent results (images of some
of my trees can be seen at www.jimgremel.com/bonsaigallery.html).

The primary advantage, for me, is that my trees get fertilized every
time they are watered. I use drip irrigation because the minerals in my
well water coat & discolor the foliage, bark & pots when I use overhead
water. It is surprising (to me, anyway) how well the time release
fertilizer works, considering that it doesn't get as wet as it would
from either overhead or hand watering.

I fertilize most of my trees all the time. I withhold the fertilizer
from some deciduous trees in Spring until the foliage has hardened off
to promote short internodes. For pines, the release from the Spring
application of fertilizer has tapered off by the it is time to
decandle, so I can scrape off most of the remaining pellets & wait a
couple of months before adding more (or leave them & allow the tree a
trickle of food).

I recommend reading & listening as much as possible, but then just
trying things that you think might work. What you know, or what I know,
to be the facts may be just firmly held opinions - probably correct,
but there may be better ways. For example, I purchased two brands of
time release fertilizer. They had the same NPK percentages, but one
also had micronutrients, so it had to be better, right? Wrong, the one
without micronutrients (I just checked the bag, it has NPK + calcium &
sulfer) performed way better. I still have about 400# of the
underperforming brand & am trying to figure out how to augment it to
boost its performance.

The best of the two brands? Apex 19-5-12 Bloom, a 3 month timed
release. I buy it in 50# bags from a nursery supply company in Half
Moon Bay, California.

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++