An observation on Fertilising or not.

Hey Folks,

I stopped fertilising about 2 months ago. Our rainfall is not what it should be, heavy but rare, supposed to be almost everyday.

However, the trees still continue to grow and very evenly, annnnnnddd the parasol ants [ leaf cutters / bachac ] are ignoring them. [ I read somewhere that artificial fertiliser actually encourages insects to attack the plants - maybe - there is some truth in the statement ?]

Anyhow, is this the power of compost ?

All of my trees are rootbound, to the point of one being able to lift the pot up, by holding and lifting the trunk [ slowly and gently ].
Later.
Khaimraj

I think we (bonsaiests) tend to fertilize too much. For the last several years, I've fertilized my trees in May and July. Period.

(That is except for the tiny ones; they get fed 3 times a summer.)

Thats funny Jim-almost every Japanese artist that I've talked to has said we in the US generally do not fertilize enough.

Bob Pressler wrote:Thats funny Jim-almost every Japanese artist that I've talked to has said we in the US generally do not fertilize enough.

Yeah...I've been hearing this more and more lately...

Oh well. . . . They all seem happy and have been for many, many years.

Jim,

as I learnt it, you make your compost from a variety of tree parts, shrubs part and lots of weeds. This is supposed to provide a large variety of micro and macro nutrients.Also since bonsai are not grown for produce, or lumber, and just meant to enjoyed visually, the demands on the soilare probably very low.
So perhaps, the fertilising is more for trees in the same soil, until the repotting in 3 to 5 years down the road.

As someone who has trees capable of rootbinding in a year, the compost may be enough.

The last word I had on Akadama, is it is pumice with a % of clay. Al Keppler showed my brother-in-law, that after some smashing of the material, he could get it to behave like a clay [ most probably like a clay with grog ].

At the same time, after so many years of use and the akadama has broken down enough to need to be changed, the many additions of Composted bean meal, ends up as a loam might read, sand,rock dust and clay with organic/silt components.

I never liked that breakdown part, as the images from Japan show them having to at times interfere with the core of the tree. I prefer the inorganic component to resist destruction or degradation, The spaces being replaced by compost filtering in and down through the core [ root mass nearest the tree's trunk.]

I will test next year, no fertiliser to yes fertiliser, too see if it is needed for first yearly repotting, and then second year and so on.
Later.
Khaimraj

Chris, Bob,

as I understand it, the compliment to akadama is composted bean meal, correct ?

At the same time all the Japanese information I have seen, shows ground growing for the trees meant to be taller [ say 18" [ 46 cm ] and over or for large trunks, height in this case matters not. Plus the say - 6 branches.

Pot growing is for refinement, branchlets / twigs and small leaves.

So as long as there is no large mass removal [ big branch / big scars ] healing is minimal and not requiring lots of nutrient.

As long as one follows this simple approach, there should be no problems.

I think what might be happening, is as one gains much experience in growing one type of tree, the image of what you want as a finished design becomes very clear. In my case the tree is drawn and then grown to more or less look like what I imagined.
This type of imagination may take years, mostly due to how much time one can spend on trees and how you think.
Later.
Khaimraj