Fertilizing bonsai has its own rules: keep the eight no-fertilizing principles firmly in mind

People who love flowers, trees and bonsai are people of refined taste!

1. Do not fertilize newly planted specimens:

Newly planted specimens have many wounds, and if they are stimulated by the outside world, they cannot heal and root rot will result.

2. Do not fertilize during the flowering period:

Fertilizing during the flowering period will cause bud drop, flower drop and fruit drop.

3. Do not fertilize during the dormant period:

During the dormant period, flowers stop or slow their growth, their metabolism is slow and photosynthesis is poor. If fertilizer is applied, dormancy is quickly broken and the plant is prompted to continue growing, which consumes more nutrients and affects the following year's flowering.

4. Do not fertilize directly under the root crown:

As flowers and plants grow continuously, their root systems gradually spread out accordingly. If fertilizer is applied directly under the root crown, it is instead unfavorable for full absorption and use. Therefore, depending on the plant's growth, fertilizer should be applied in holes at a suitable distance from the roots or at the edge of the pot, so as to facilitate root absorption.

5. Do not apply concentrated fertilizer:

When fertilizing potted flowers, the concentration must not be too high or the amount too large, otherwise the plants will wither and die. Generally, the principle of "apply thin fertilizer frequently" should be followed, with three parts fertilizer to seven parts water being the most appropriate.

6. Do not apply raw fertilizer:

If fertilizer that has not been thoroughly decomposed is applied, it will not only easily breed insects and maggots and often give off a foul odor that pollutes the environment, but will also ferment when it encounters water and damage the plant's root system.

7. Do not apply nitrogen fertilizer alone:

When fertilizing flowers, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be used in combination, preferably with farmyard fertilizers such as cake fertilizer, stable manure, compost, chicken, duck and pigeon manure, bone meal, leaves and plant ash as the main source. If nitrogen fertilizer alone is applied, it easily causes branches and leaves to extend their growth period, delays flowering or prevents flowering altogether, or results in small, pale flowers.

8. Do not fertilize diseased or weak plants:

The branches of diseased and weak plants are thin and weak, their photosynthesis is poor and their metabolism is slow; they "cannot benefit from tonics when weak." If fertilizer is applied indiscriminately, fertilizer damage easily results.

For more information on bonsai, flowers and plants, and orchids, please follow the WeChat official accounts: Huamu Penjing, Yanghua Renjia, Zhilan.