chemical fertilizer: hazardous or not?

Hi all!

I don't know if this is the right section for my concern. Many people keep on telling me to watch out for my health coz I'm using chemical fertilizer and it's very hazardous. My mother, mother-in-law and my wife always keeps on reminding me to wear mask when spraying fertilizer as I might inhale the mist and also I have my little girl running around. I have done some searching in the internet for any risk/hazards/dangers that the chemical fertilizer might do to our body/health. But haven't found any very alarming danger or any precautions other than taking in the fertilizer. I only found that the nitrate/nitrites will leach to the underground water or the river that might cause some problems like having a "blue baby". Other than that I have no idea what the dangers will be. I am now thinking of using osmocote/nutricote as it not require any misting or spraying. If ever I will use these slow release fertilizer, would I still get the same benefit as using the water soluble ones? What are your suggestions?

Thanks.

Warren

Hey Warren,
My Name is Larry and I'm new to this site. Just wanted to chime in and give my opinion. I think all chemicals are harmful and I wouln't worry about breathing something in once or twice, but on a regular basis yah. I use chemical fertilizer. I have spent the last 3 years trying different types. I have settled on osmocote or any thing similar for my slow release, but you need a water soluable one too. I put top dress or mix with soil when repotting and use a water soluable once every two weeks. Ive done the organic stuff and don't like it. the only complaint i have with it was the bugs/insects it attracts so i stopped using it.
Go to Brent Walstons web site @ www.evergreengardenworks.com and go to article from the main page. Scroll down to two different articles on fert. very interesting. Brent knows his stuff.
As for spraying fertilizer or misting with it, i'm sure there are some benifits but not worth my time.
Thanks for listening
Larry

I have to ask. What are you doing "spraying" fertilizer on your bonsai?

Nitrates are only harmful to infants under six months, and only then if there is a high concentratrion in their drinking water (which is rare unless you have a well). This site is very informative. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/topics/sacnitrate.html#Health

Not all chemicals are bad. For example, aspirin is technically a chemical.

The reference to Evergreen Garden Works is right on. Brent does know his stuff. So does Jim. Don't spray your water soluble fertilizer. Water your plants with it.

Not all chemicals are bad. For example, aspirin is technically a chemical.

Essentially everything is a 'chemical' and can be good, bad or indifferent...depending on where it is and in what quantities. Good drugs ('chemicals') in excessive quantities are harmful as well.
Evergreen Gardenworks has reliable info on a number of topics!

Thanks Larry for your insights and there are lots of interesting topic in the site but with regards to fertilizers its more focused on bonsai than on humans or health but its worth reading for.

Carolee, that's what I usually get when searching the net for anything on the dangers of fertilizers on our health. But your right there are bad and good chemicals but I don't how of these I am using is already bad for the health.

Jim, that is the instruction on the package "...spray the solution on the leaves and under the leaves" but I'm not just spraying it on the leaves I also spray on the trunk and on the base of the tree.

waway wrote:

Jim, that is the instruction on the package "...spray the solution on the leaves and under the leaves" but I'm not just spraying it on the leaves I also spray on the trunk and on the base of the tree.

Normally fertilizers added to the soil and roots through when watering. Leaf normally isn’t necessary, and it has no affect at all spraying on the trunk. Only leaves will take up a very small amount, and this will not be the solution for normal maintenance. You must use a liquid fertilizer to proper fertilize your trees. It is not harmful unless you choose to drink it.

Regards
Morten

I'll not go through it again, just search here for "foliar feeding" and you will see our LONG arguments on this topic.

The fact remains, however, that ROOTS are the tools Ma Nature gave trees to suck up nutrients to feed the leaves and give the tree the energy to photosynthesize. Your best benefit for feeding your tree is to apply the fertilizer to the soil.

Back to spraying: Unless the spray you are applying is an aerosol (microscopically fine droplets), you are unlikely to inhale any of the spray you apply -- and even if it were, unless you are totally dousing your tree with fertilizer, the amounts you would inhale would be almost as small.

There is enough to worry about in this world without imagining more.

Jim, yes I have read that post regarding foliar or root feeding. And it was very interesting for me as both were backed with some studies/articles to prove their claims. As for me both have some benefits and they have their own point. So to have every bit of benefit I did both foliar and root feeding for an extra effort.

I'm just kinda sick of all these nagging making me wear a mask while feeding, as they have friends that were sick due to chemical fertilizer (that's what the doctor told them). That's why I'm planning on using osmocote to stop all these nagging.

Thanks Jim I just hope I can let my wife read this to make her believe that its not that dangerous.

Warren.

waway wrote:Jim, yes I have read that post regarding foliar or root feeding. And it was very interesting for me as both were backed with some studies/articles to prove their claims. As for me both have some benefits and they have their own point. So to have every bit of benefit I did both foliar and root feeding for an extra effort.

I'm just kinda sick of all these nagging making me wear a mask while feeding, as they have friends that were sick due to chemical fertilizer (that's what the doctor told them). That's why I'm planning on using osmocote to stop all these nagging.

Thanks Jim I just hope I can let my wife read this to make her believe that its not that dangerous.

Warren.

As much as I hate playing devil's advocate you have to consider that there is a dust hazard in the use of osmocote as well. The bottom line is that there are no guarantees in life except death and that for the most part life is not fair. If you spend your life worrying about everything every body tells you which you should worry about, you will add another element into the guarantees of life: Life is not fun either. Go; hide away somewhere, don't talk to anyone, don't touch anyone or anything, and live the remainder of your life afraid, miserable and paranoid.

Besides, the dust hazard from fertilizers is from application to crops on large fields -- not application to a table full of bonsai.

People simply need to get a life and to weigh relative risks; you probably get more chemical residue off the vegetables you eat (organic or not) than off bonsai fertilizer.

And, IMO, Osmocoat is not the ideal way to fertilize bonsai, either.

I work for the state overseeing the cleanup of leaking fuel tanks, I can't get people to understand that you get exposed to more vaporized carcinogens standing next to your car while filling your tank on a regular basis than you will be once or twice in your life passing by an open pit with a leaking tank.

Here in the midwestern farm states, there is an almost constant presence of agricultural chemicals in the air.
What do you do, stop breathing.

Listen to these folks about the best possibilities for feeding you trees and follow the instructions.

"The stress you put yourself in worrying about what might kill you...is gonna kill you!" Me

Jay

Its not me that is worried about the hazards of these chemicals, its my wife, my mother and my mother-in-law who keeps on nagging about it. I can't even let them believe that its not that harmful even with all the articles I have found on the internet with this regards. I hope I can also make them a believer as I am with using these stuff with no immediate danger.

To everyone thanks for your insights.

And I will be watering in the fertilizers from now on.

Warren

As usual, consensus here has hopefully led you to a sound and reasoned conclusion.

I would just add to Jims note on Osmocote, it can and has killed trees of mine in the past. It is fine for annuals and perhaps some house plants. In a tree pot it feeds them through temperature controlled pores in the first season then the "cote" closes its pores due to cold through the winter. The resin ball breaks down somewhat over the winter months and then as the warmer temperatures arrive in spring, all the remaining contents are released in one go. I lost several of my azaleas in this manner.

Kev Bailey wrote:As usual, consensus here has hopefully led you to a sound and reasoned conclusion.

I would just add to Jims note on Osmocote, it can and has killed trees of mine in the past. It is fine for annuals and perhaps some house plants. In a tree pot it feeds them through temperature controlled pores in the first season then the "cote" closes its pores due to cold through the winter. The resin ball breaks down somewhat over the winter months and then as the warmer temperatures arrive in spring, all the remaining contents are released in one go. I lost several of my azaleas in this manner.

We don't get any winter here in the Philippines we only have summer and rainy season. Do you think it would be more effective here? I will still be doing my usual feeding regimen but less often. I know Jim already said that its not ideal for bonsai but just an added knowledge or an option for me.

Warren

The problem with time-release fertilizer is that YOU have no control over either the time or the amount released. Statistically, a handfull should release its contents in regular bursts, but statistics be damned . . . all too often, we seem to have put in a batch times to all release on Tuesday, October whatever at 3 p.m. and it overdoses the trees.

On the other hand, if you feed every two weeks with a good, more or less balanced houseplant fertilizer with trace elements, you KNOW when each tree was fed and what it was fed.

Call me anal retentive if you like, but I like to know what my trees eat.

JimLewis wrote:The problem with time-release fertilizer is that YOU have no control over either the time or the amount released. Statistically, a handfull should release its contents in regular bursts, but statistics be damned . . . all too often, we seem to have put in a batch times to all release on Tuesday, October whatever at 3 p.m. and it overdoses the trees.

On the other hand, if you feed every two weeks with a good, more or less balanced houseplant fertilizer with trace elements, you KNOW when each tree was fed and what it was fed.

Call me anal retentive if you like, but I like to know what my trees eat.

Your right Jim I believe you have a very good point there. And that makes me think not to consider osmocote as an option. I do consider my bonsai my children and like you I want to know what and when they are eating for good health. I think I have to stick to that (continue with the old feeding regimen).

Wow this is another learning experience for me. Thank you very much.

Warren

It is true that the chems get high yields. High yeilds a low price bushel / equals. Farmers no real increase in funding to look it over / next season's crop plant costs. Does the price of the supples of farmers' funds for their final product sales price manipulation does not take.
That formula also kills off their income as organic farmers actually goes down even if their product remains the same. The rest of the land question is a year when finances are starting to give out. By doing that you then need chems roots because the soil more than a holder gets nothing.
These days, organic farming can still be supplying the same amount and at the same price. Rising costs a community 'should be a shared resource in a city, not every fake farm tools needed. 1 very expensive 36 square miles / past several years through maintenance schedule and good weather could have tie-up. 36 with 36 square miles of nothing but being responsible for foreign machinery, the people can be implemented. (Ie one that no longer simply spray weed sprayer do the same thing but friendly organic (type spray roundup means can be replaced by hot water steam using could be modified, computer hardware and IR remain used as the original spot. and a distinctly different identity when seen plants and a valve is open.)
Fields that do not have money for all kinds of pieces even when used on a very large area savings just get higher and higher.

hello, chemical fertilizers are really harmful for pants and our health. They have many side effects. So i suggest u to use natural or organic fertilizers as they are safe and more much beneficial.

I have never had a "chemical" fertilizer hurt my "pants."

Could it be that you sell so-called "natural" fertilizers?

Hi All

The terms "Organic" and "natural" do not equal safe!

Tobacco is organic and natural
opium is organic and natural
Crude oil is organic and natural
I could go on.............

It is how the product is used and not the "labeling" that makes is safe or effective.

Don

And besides all of that, the amounts of any foods used for growing your bonsai are unlikely to have any effect on the environment. Microscopic quantites used for a few trees are nothing compared to the dosing of fields by agribusiness. Your garden or vegetable patch, on the other hand, is a different matter. I prefer organic for most things but am not averse to upping the feed for my trees several times a season with 20:20:20 or Miracid or Tomorite etc.

JimLewis wrote:
Could it be that you sell so-called "natural" fertilizers?

He does. We have had his spam here before. See growlikecrazy.com. He is selling a combination of fish emulsion and seaweed extract at outrageous prices.
As the excellent article in Evergreen Gardenworks points out, the plant can only use fertilizer in the form of simple chemicals. The complex organic fertilizers have to break down into simple chemicals before the plants can take them up. This can be an erratic, unpredictable process. Some organic fertilizers, like fish emulsion, have proven value, but just because a product is organic does not in itself make it better.
Iris

JimLewis wrote:The problem with time-release fertilizer is that YOU have no control over either the time or the amount released. Statistically, a handfull should release its contents in regular bursts, but statistics be damned . . . all too often, we seem to have put in a batch times to all release on Tuesday, October whatever at 3 p.m. and it overdoses the trees.

That is simply not true. I use only osmocote or osmocote like fertilizer and I have monitored the EC of my pots for days. It is very very stable. The statistics for these kind of fertilizer should be done at the atomic scale (ions going through the apertures) and there are more than enough to get statistical stability.

Possibly some confusion here Alain. You have measured for days, but how about over an entire year or through an unusually cold winter and a warm spring etc. I have experienced tree deaths due to precisely what Jim is alluding to. A sudden warm spell after a cold winter can release a disastrous flood of all the remaining chemicals, presumably because the coat has broken down or split in the frosts.