Best Feed for Flowering Bonsai??

Bonsai Basics · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:42 am Post subject: Best Feed for Flowering Bonsai??

Hi All,

Hope you can help, I have a Satsuki Azalea & Japanese flowering quince and wonder if they should be fed something else than the standard bonsai as they are flowering species?

I have bio gold and a standard mix of 19-19-19 but have not used this on them as I am unsure if this will be productive.

I live in the south west of England and everything else in my collection is in full swing but am unsure what to do to on the feeding front on the above 2.

Many thanks,

Dick

Hi BB

Welcome to the forum.

To answer your question, first you should know the satsukis like a slightly acidit soil composition. Some people help that cause by the fertilizer they use. A brand that gets much attention is MIRACID. Simply mix it in half strength proportion to what is recommended on the label and apply it once every 10 days from April through September. The only once per month for Oct and Nov.

Other people will use standard fertilizer but make the bonsai soil acidic separately. And there are a variety of ways for that to happen. Some use tea or apply used tea as a topical soil additive. I have even heard of some people adding a few drops of vinegar while watering regularly. I like to ass oak leaf mulch to the soil before I pot the satsuki up.

The whole idea is to get the soil off pH neutral and into a pH acidic range. Whatever way you decide will probably work.

jimothy

In addition to what dick said, the answer to how the feed should differ is; that for flowering plants to produce the most/best blooms, the fertiliser you use before and during flowering should have a higher ratio of potasium to nitrogen. You can achieve this either by buying a high-potash feed (like the ones they use for tomatoes) or by adding extra potassium in the form of a single-nutrient fertiliser.

Perasonally, i use three easily available liquid fertilisers and mix them according to my requirements:

Balanced fertiliser - 6:6:6 (for the majority of plants)

"Ericaceous" balanced - 6:6:6 (but low pH for acid-loving plants)

"Chempak 0:10:10" - (which I mix with either of the others for flowering/fruiting plants or for use as a winter feed).

For instance, mixing equal parts of the 0:10:10 with either one of the balanced ferts gives something with the nutrient ratio 3:8:8;
or if mixed in a two-to-one ratio gives approx 2:9:9 (or 4:7:7 depending on which you add more of)

Like I said above, this low-nitrogen mix doubles up both as a feed to boost flowering/fruiting when the time comes AND as a winter feed (when you don't want plants producing lots of leafy growth)

Stymie · Last edited by Stymie on Wed Apr 27, 2005 9:20 pm; edited 1 time in total

BB
The Miracid to which Dick refers has been renamed, at least in the UK, it is now called Miracle grow ericaceous fertilizer. Phostrogen also make a similar product with added minerals.

Bonsai Basics

Thanks everyone for your input it is appreciated!

I will pop down my local garden centre now to see if they have Miracle grow ericaceous in stock. I have seen the normal Miracle grow there I assume it will be a different coloured packaging.

I think I am beginning to realise that feed for different bonsai throughout the seasons can have quite an impact on their growing habits. I am learning everyday!!!!

Again thank you all for your advice.

BB