How to Fertilize Bonsai in Different Seasons and the Correct Way to Use Cake Fertilizer

Increasing soil nutrients: organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers. Inorganic fertilizers are mostly easily soluble; after application, apart from the portion absorbed and retained by the soil, crops can take them up immediately. Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, apart from a small amount of nutrients that crops can absorb directly, mostly need to be decomposed by microorganisms before crops can use them. How should bonsai be fertilized in different seasons? Below, Huacaole shares with you how to fertilize bonsai in different seasons, what precautions to take when fertilizing, and how to use cake fertilizer correctly.

How should bonsai be fertilized in different seasons? How should cake fertilizer be used?

I. How should bonsai be fertilized in different seasons?

In spring, trees begin to sprout new buds, and their demand for fertilizer gradually increases. At this time, more fertilizer should be applied appropriately; with sufficient nutrients, the plants grow robustly and can also better resist pests and diseases. In summer, temperatures are high and plants grow vigorously, so their demand for fertilizer only increases rather than decreases; added to this, rainwater washes nutrients away, and fertilizer is easily lost, so fertilizer must be applied frequently. In autumn, the metabolism of most trees gradually slows down, so fertilization should be appropriately reduced. For some tree species, if too much fertilizer and water are given in late autumn, they will continue to sprout and grow tender branches, and tender branches are extremely vulnerable to frost damage when winter comes, which will instead affect the plant's growth. In winter, trees enter dormancy and their metabolism becomes even slower, so basically no fertilizer needs to be applied.

How to fertilize flowers and what fertilizer to apply. Foliage plants are better given more nitrogen fertilizer, while flowering and fruiting plants are better given more phosphorus fertilizer. Fertilization can be done during the growing seasons of spring, summer and autumn, and stopped during the winter dormant period; for trees that have just been potted, new roots have not yet grown, so they must not be fertilized. Liquid fertilizer must not be too concentrated; it must be diluted before use, otherwise fertilizer burn will occur. Organic fertilizers and cake fertilizers must be fully decomposed before they can be used, otherwise they will ferment in the potting soil and generate high temperatures that burn and kill the root system. When using liquid fertilizer as a top dressing, do not sprinkle it on the leaves...... [View details]

II. When fertilizing bonsai, note the following points:

1. Fertilizer must be fully decomposed, otherwise it easily ferments in the potting soil and damages the roots.

2. Grasp the principle of "apply thin fertilizer frequently," ensuring both the plant's growth needs and preventing excessive vegetative growth from too many nutrients. In particular, prevent concentrated fertilizer from damaging the roots.

3. Newly potted bonsai should not be fertilized for the time being. Bonsai whose roots have been pruned after repotting and soil replacement should also not be fertilized while the wounds have not healed.

4. Choose a sunny day when the potting soil is relatively dry to fertilize. Water once the next morning after fertilizing to help the roots absorb nutrients. Do not fertilize on cloudy days or when the soil is moist, to avoid causing root rot.

5. Before fertilizing, loosen the soil first, and do not let the fertilizer solution contaminate the leaf surface, so as not to harm the plant.

6. Potassium fertilizer should not be mixed with nitrogen fertilizer, nor with ammonium phosphate.

III. How should cake fertilizer be used?

Cake fertilizer is soybean cake, rapeseed cake and the like. Because of its high fertilizer efficiency and the relative convenience of use and storage, it is one of the fertilizers most commonly used in the homes of most bonsai enthusiasts today. To use cake fertilizer, first crush the cake pieces (break them apart by hand or smash them with a hammer), soak them in a water vat (one third cake pieces, two thirds clear water), and seal it with a lid. After several months of fermentation, the cake fertilizer water can be drawn off and diluted with clear water for use. Depending on the concentration of the fertilizer water, generally dilute with 3-5 times clear water. Then add more clear water to the vat, continue soaking, and successively draw off the fertilizer water to dilute with water for use. Cake fertilizer water has a foul odor, but it disappears the next day after application. If the soaking time is extended, the odor will also gradually become fainter.