The Truth About Bonsai Fertilisers

Covering the basics of bonsai fertilisers, and the different types of bonsai fertiliser products available. Since our bonsai trees live in a container, in a controlled and managed environment, it falls to us to ensure they have the resources they need. I also look at the meaning of NPK, and the importance of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium in plant health and bonsai tree growth.
Enjoy 🙏
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Bonsai fertilisers
03:27 What is NPK?
03:53 Nitrogen
04:07 Phosphorous
04:17 Potassium
05:18 Organic or Inorganic
05:53 Liquid or solid fertilisers
06:29 Liquid Seaweed
08:13 When to fertilise. When NOT to fertilise.
09:18 Fertiliser Baskets
10:20 The truth about bonsai fertilisers
11:05 My fertiliser regime
12:38 Further resources
13:52 Summary
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[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Please hit that Like button 👍 if you enjoyed this video and would like to see more.

[@Darkfire1300]

Great video, as usual. Wonderfully complete information presented with practical elegance. Thank you! I have the luxury of concocting my own cakes. 50% worm castings (from my worm bin) 35% rapeseed meal , the remaining 15% is a combination of coffee grounds and Bactifeed (lots of dormant plant feeding microbes). It is a low dose (N 5, P 3 K 3) balanced fertilizer loaded with micronutrients. I cut the little cakes from a "sausage" of damp stuff, dry it and store. This year's store was 850 cakes. I got the idea for using the baskets from you. Thanks! My bonsai are extremely happy with cakes (2 to 6 per plant depending on size) in May, July, and September. I'm going to add the seaweed liquid.

[@Stimm002]

The best analogy to explain what fertilizer is to a new hobbyist is that fertilizer is to plants what essential vitamins are to humans. They are small essential building blocks of live that our bodies or the structures of plants need in small amounts but can not make themselves.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Nice simple explanation 👍

[@davidparry2301]

Comprehensive summary Thanks for sharing this information 👍🏼

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks David

[@OjaiBonsai]

Fertilizing is something I haven’t even started to understand. I use miracle grow and my wife is against Monsanto. Thanks

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

That’s probably as good as anything else 👍

[@jaimemauricio5526]

Very informative. Thank you for the recommendations.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

You are welcome Jaime 👍

[@ceceliac10]

I really love your videos they are so informative for beginners like me thank you

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you 🙏

[@tacobonsai]

Thank you for posting this! what great information for anyone and everyone

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you 🙏 😊

[@Benvbart]

GREAT information. Thank You for sorting this. It's a huge help.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheWishDragon]

Just bought some fertiliser baskets to try some of the slow release pellets. I'm very forgetful, so it'll remind me to restock when they empty and keep them away for the birds and dogs. :) I've never really done much fertilising so this might be a good introduction.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Sounds great!

[@gaiabonsaicornwall]

Great video presentation Jason. Thank you for sharing :-)

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it. 😀

[@kite9039]

I've been using tomagrow for years with no problems

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

It’s as good as anything else. 👍

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Sorry I missed it just got home. Great video Jason 👍👍

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks Andy 🙏

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Am I foist again. I always intend to use correct fertilisers but in the end I either forget or just never get around to more than one set of solid pellets a year!

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

As you will see, it may not make a huge difference…

[@PatriciaOConnorBonsaiBalcony]

Very Nice,! Thank you, Jason.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you kindly Patricia 🙏

[@gloriablanco7856]

Thank you 😊

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

You are welcome

[@johnlindell5024]

Great on!👏🏼

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks 🙏

[@Steviejapanesegarden]

great information jason i will get some seaweed fertiliser now

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you 🙏

[@briankavanagh7191]

Jason, you must have well trained birds in you neck of the woods, in my garden the Blackbirds/Magpies would have had those fertiliser pots on the ground within seconds of putting them on my bonsai.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I have to replace them from time to time 😆🐦

[@a.dkutzbarber]

Just watched this thank you

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Hope it was helpful 🙏

[@a.dkutzbarber]

@@TheBonsaiGarden do you have any videos on macrocarpa goldcrest bonsai? I have some as material but no clue what to do with it

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

@a.dkutzbarber hi, it’s not a species I have worked with as I’m not a fan of it’s Christmas tree look. I believe it is very similar to working with picea though - and I have some videos on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4Cloo2mr6mAfqMsi=bA8ZL8seC_u7RQNw

[@a.dkutzbarber]

@@TheBonsaiGarden yeah I just bought it a bit ago randomly from a garden centre might try do Something with it or just leave it for decoration in the garden

[@JMacFlyFishing]

Nice video Jason, where can I get the little feed cages that you have on some of your trees please? TIA 🐟 😎 👍🏻

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you. Those fertiliser baskets should be readily available on EBay or Amazon and are relatively inexpensive. In my experience they tend to be sourced from China so may take a little while to arrive.

[@maryweber4176]

Hi Jason. I hope you can give me some advise. I have a Mini Twist white pine in a bonsai pot, and all of the needles are turning yellowish, but so far not falling off. I looked it up, and it says they like an acidic soil. This tree is the one that I thought about all winter long, and now it looks terrible. What should I do?

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Difficult to offer advice without seeing the tree and pines are a bit alien to me too as I am only just learning about them. I know that three year old needles do tend to yellow and fall out. I just brush them out of the canopy with my hand. They also prefer not to be disturbed and generally go longer between repotting than deciduous trees. If there are any bonsai groups in your area they may be able to offer location specific advice.

[@maryweber4176]

@@TheBonsaiGarden Great advice Jason. I do belong to the Minnesota Bonsai Society, and I will contact a couple of them.

[@bobmccarlie382]

Have tried Karen O'Hanlon's Danu product? If so, what is your assessment of it?

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

It is something I have heard of but not something I have used. I will have to investigate further.

[@Bonsaicrazy]

I do have a question though Jason Liquid seaweed can it be used on all trees or are there some you can’t?

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I tend to add it every couple of months to most or all of my trees. Seaweed is rich in trace elements (nutrients that plants only need small amounts of) including iron, manganese, zinc, copper and boron, which are often lacking in common fertilisers such as Growmore and fish, blood & bone, but which are nevertheless important for plant health.

[@Bonsaicrazy]

@@TheBonsaiGarden ok thanks Jason that’s great I’ll get some and put it on my regime thanks 👍👍

[@sadoldgit313]

Nice info Jason! I prefer to minimise use of inorganic fertilisers because they are largely based on chemical salts which can build up in the soil! I mainly use Seaweed extract for the very reason you give regarding trace elements. I cant use Inorganic solids such as BioGold in baskets because it’s like catnip to my dog and he will trash everything in his path to get at it! I give all my plants two doses of Miracle grow or Mira Acid, one in late Spring after leaf hardening and then a half dose in late Autumn. This seems to do the job!

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

@sadoldgit313 great info. Thanks for your comment 👍✨✨

[@colinmackness5709]

A friend of my makes a liquid feed from Biogold ,is this advisable?

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I do the same.

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌👌

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks Bruce 🙏

[@Anytyme06]

Biogold says to use 15 pellets for a 5 inch pot, that seems like a lot.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

That does seem like a lot.

[@MrDoggy2024]

I use epsom salt

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

A great tonic 🙏

[@RuggTomcat]

sexy bit of knee at the 8min mark.. :D

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

🤗😂😂

[@bobcatbonsai]

I feel like fertilization is the most tricky part to bonsai. This video definetly helps break it down more!

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I think a lot of people overthink it. Add some sort of fertiliser from time to time would be my advice. 😀

[@Gianelli9]

Plant cell structures will experience turgidity over time with chemical based fertilizers.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks. 🙏 What is your basis for this statement? That’s not a challenge or refuting what you say. I just want to understand the logic behind this. 👍

[@Gianelli9]

@@TheBonsaiGarden When the cells become turgid over time they struggle to move water and nutrients through the Xylem and Phloem.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks Tony. I was wondering why this might be the case for chemical feeds only, unless it is because they are received in a relatively intense dose as opposed to a slow release organic fertiliser?