How to fertilize a Chinese elm (Sageretia thea) bonsai? Keep these principles in mind

  Sageretia thea is one of the seven sages of bonsai and is very popular among bonsai enthusiasts. To grow a Sageretia thea bonsai well, you mainly need to pay attention to five aspects: water, fertilizing, potting soil, pruning and pest and disease control, among which fertilizing is a very key aspect. Fertilizing a Sageretia thea bonsai must be done with care: too much fertilizer causes excessive leggy growth of branches and leaves, while a lack of fertilizer makes the branches thin and weak, the leaves turn yellow, and the plant becomes susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore, fertilizing must follow principles:

  1. Newly planted, newly potted, just repotted, or root-damaged plants must not be fertilized for one month.

  2. In spring and summer, during the peak growing season of the potted tree, more fertilizer must be applied.

  3. After the beginning of autumn, when the potted tree grows slowly, apply less.

  4. In winter, when the potted tree enters dormancy, fertilizing can be stopped.

  5. Fertilizing is not advisable on rainy days or around noon in midsummer.

  6. It is best to apply liquid fertilizer on cloudy days or in the evening, and when the potting soil is slightly dry, loosen the soil to help the fertilizer solution soak into the soil. To speed up the decomposition of the fertilizer, be sure to water the next morning.

  Although the Sageretia thea bonsai is tolerant of poor soil, the nutrients in its soil cannot be ignored when cultivating it. During the growing period of Sageretia thea, apart from the plum rain season, thin cake fertilizer water or manure water should also be applied regularly, so that the branches and leaves stay emerald green and glossy and the plant grows vigorously.