I've recently began studying bonsai in Japan. I currently just have one tree, but my dad has taken an interest as well back in the states and has a few that he's trying to get going. Here in Japan, it seems like pretty much all the bonsai shops use fertilizer cakes. I've got some on my tree, but it's all in Japanese so I'm not 100% sure what it is.
My question is if anyone can suggest a good fertilizer cake that is at least fairly easy to obtain in the states that I can suggest to my dad. Thanks in advance for the help!
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Jazzman,
To date my two main fertilizers have been the typical water soluble fertilizers sold in any garden center and homemade organic cakes so I cannot recommend a specific product to you. In the short term your father would be better off using the chemical types rather than none at all, just make sure to follow the directions.
Some growers feel that these products are not ideal and prefer to keep strictly organic, I have not yet reached that stage, but I have used organic fertilizers in the past.
My notes indicate that I made a mixture that consisted of:
10 lbs Epsoma brand Plantone
3 lbs Bone meal
3 lbs Blood meal
1 qt Fish emulsion
Wood ashes
And a little flour as a binder.
Mix with water to a oatmeal like consistency and form into cakes or balls. This is a nasty, smelly process. I did notice that in using this it attracts pests, most notably Fungus Gnats and their larvae. It also smells and as it deteriorates it tends to filter into the soil and impede drainage. For these reasons I doubt that I will make another batch.
There are of course water borne organic products such as seaweed and fish emulsion. As far as Japanese products many growers sing the praises of a product called Bio-Gold but I have never used it and it may be discontinued.
Here are two links to retailers that I have done business with in the past and have found satisfactory. I hope this helps you.
[url]https://www.dallasbonsai.com/store/fertilizers.html[/url]
[url]https://www.trappist.net/estore/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BM&Category_Code=fertilizer[/url]
Norm
To date my two main fertilizers have been the typical water soluble fertilizers sold in any garden center and homemade organic cakes so I cannot recommend a specific product to you. In the short term your father would be better off using the chemical types rather than none at all, just make sure to follow the directions.
Some growers feel that these products are not ideal and prefer to keep strictly organic, I have not yet reached that stage, but I have used organic fertilizers in the past.
My notes indicate that I made a mixture that consisted of:
10 lbs Epsoma brand Plantone
3 lbs Bone meal
3 lbs Blood meal
1 qt Fish emulsion
Wood ashes
And a little flour as a binder.
Mix with water to a oatmeal like consistency and form into cakes or balls. This is a nasty, smelly process. I did notice that in using this it attracts pests, most notably Fungus Gnats and their larvae. It also smells and as it deteriorates it tends to filter into the soil and impede drainage. For these reasons I doubt that I will make another batch.
There are of course water borne organic products such as seaweed and fish emulsion. As far as Japanese products many growers sing the praises of a product called Bio-Gold but I have never used it and it may be discontinued.
Here are two links to retailers that I have done business with in the past and have found satisfactory. I hope this helps you.
[url]https://www.dallasbonsai.com/store/fertilizers.html[/url]
[url]https://www.trappist.net/estore/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BM&Category_Code=fertilizer[/url]
Norm