How to fertilize potted flowers? A complete analysis of the correct method

Fertilizing bonsai and flowers is extremely particular: apply too much, and the branches and leaves grow excessively; lack fertilizer, and the branches become thin and weak, the leaves turn yellow, and the plant becomes susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore, the following key points should be noted when fertilizing: First, for newly planted bonsai trees and potted flowers, those just potted, or those just repotted with fresh soil, the root system has been damaged, so it is temporarily advisable not to fertilize. In spring and summer, during the peak growing season for potted flowers and bonsai trees, more fertilizer must be applied. After autumn begins, potted flowers and bonsai trees grow slowly, so less fertilizer should be applied. In winter, when the flowers and trees enter dormancy, stop fertilizing. Fertilizing is not advisable on rainy days or around noon during the high temperatures of midsummer (fertilizing on rainy days easily causes the nutrients to be lost, and fertilizing in high-temperature weather easily damages the root system). It is best to fertilize on cloudy days, in the evening, or when the potting soil is slightly dry; first remove weeds and loosen the soil, which helps the fertilizer water penetrate into the soil and accelerates the decomposition of the fertilizer. However, on the morning of the next day, be sure to water thoroughly, commonly known as "return water," which both helps the absorption of the fertilizer water and avoids fertilizer damage. Second, apply thin fertilizer frequently; each application should be small in amount and diluted. Generally speaking, from the Beginning of Spring to the Beginning of Autumn, apply a topdressing of thin fertilizer water every 15 days (seven parts water to three parts fertilizer); 30 days after the Beginning of Autumn, apply once; after the Beginning of Winter, stop topdressing. Third, note that the nutrients potted flowers and bonsai trees need are mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen fertilizer promotes the growth of branches and leaves, such as peanut meal, soybean cake, and ammonium sulfate; phosphorus fertilizer promotes bright flower colors and plump fruits, such as superphosphate and crushed bone meal; potassium fertilizer promotes root development and makes the plant firm and upright, such as potassium sulfate and plant ash. Therefore, apply them separately according to the plant's growth conditions, and also according to the variety's characteristics and growth conditions. Fourth, for bonsai and flowers it is best to use organic fertilizers, also called farmyard manure, such as human excrement and urine, poultry manure, bone meal, peanut meal, soybean cake, and various green manures, plant ash, and so on; these fertilizers contain different components of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium elements. Avoid chemical fertilizers as much as possible, because chemical fertilizers leave acidic or saline residues, and the potting soil will become acidic or alkaline, hindering plant growth. In addition, fertilizer should be applied at the edge of the pot.