Are fertilizer cups necessary?

[ceriano]

What is their function and are they necessary?

 

[sorce]

I believe they exist to make photos, especially sales photos, look like absolute crap. I believe the only necessity concerning them, is the necessity to remove them before you take a gd photo! Lol!

Some folks got worse critter problems then others.

Sorce

 

[JudyB]

I use them with a fert I use on some trees, that is pelleted and also sort of granular, it keeps the fert from getting washed in between the soil particles and clogging it up.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I have a bunch gathering dust. Remember that in order for them to work you have to be hand watering or using an overhead spray system to dissolve or wet the fertilizer in them. I use an irrigation system so they stay dry except when it rains or I decide to use the hose on the trees. I also don’t believe they would work all that well with organic fert since they are generally elevated above the soil surface and the bacteria and fungi that are necessary to break down the fert are in the soil and there may not be an efficient connection. If I were to use dry fertilizer I would go with tea bags.

 

[HENDO]

I have a bunch gathering dust. Remember that in order for them to work you have to be hand watering or using an overhead spray system to dissolve or wet the fertilizer in them. I use an irrigation system so they stay dry except when it rains or I decide to use the hose on the trees. I also don’t believe they would work all that well with organic fert since they are generally elevated above the soil surface and the bacteria and fungi that are necessary to break down the fert are in the soil and there may not be an efficient connection. If I were to use dry fertilizer I would go with tea bags.

+1 on teabags!

I use some cups that I got for free but only on trees like Bald Cypress that are being watered much more frequently. Most of the solids make their way through the cups with heavy watering but it helps slow the breakdown process of my more expensive solid organics, a wee bit.

 

[Shibui]

Fert cups or baskets are not strictly necessary. Fertilizer can be placed direct onto the soil surface and still dissolves into the soil.
Fert baskets do keep the solid fert off the soil. That stops some of the residue percolating into the soil and impeding drainage as mentioned by @JudyB .
Solid fert placed direct onto the surface may also kill moss in close contact. Fert baskets allow some fert to reach the roots while maintaining moss in show condition. Few of my trees are due for shows so I just dump the fert on the surface. moss will always grow back when the nutrients have dissipated.
Fert baskets may stop some small nutrient thieves from taking your fertilizer but won't stop the larger ones like dogs and some rats.

 

[leatherback]

I have been wondering whether fertilizer baskets reduce the number of maggots in the substrate, and as such, keep the digging birds at bay?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I have been wondering whether fertilizer baskets reduce the number of maggots in the substrate, and as such, keep the digging birds at bay?

But maggots do percolation of the soil, so you might want to keep them.

The birds digging in my pots do their digging to be a pain in the ass. Not because there's food in there. I've never had any maggots in my soil but it still happens that birds empty entire pots.
I've seen jackdaws swallow soil particles, I think because they help aid digestion. They're usually pretty respectful to my trees. Blackbirds however.. I hate them.

 

[leatherback]

Blackbirds however.. I hate them.

I nkow someone who is on a mission to make them go extinct. And is well on his way..

 

[sorce]

Blackbird dead in the sing of niiiiiiight....

Sorce

 

[Gabler]

I have been wondering whether fertilizer baskets reduce the number of maggots in the substrate, and as such, keep the digging birds at bay?

Are European birds more damaging than North American birds? I have trees under a bird feeder, and I've never had any problems with digging. Crows, grackels, sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, robins, red-bellied and pileated woodpeckers, sparrows, finches, junkos, eagles, hawks, owls, herons, egrets, turkeys, wood ducks, and many more species all have easy access to any of my trees, and I've never had that problem. I even keep earthworms in my larger pots.

 

[leatherback]

Well.. Here I can collect a bucket of substrate a year below my benches. For a few weeks in spring and fall I keep a bucket of substrate handi to refill pots..

 

[Shibui]

I still have a mission to eradicate European blackbird from my patch but They do so well down here I feel I'm fighting a losing battle. They just love to turn over moss even if there's nothing there to eat. I guess hope springs eternal in the blackbird mind.

Are European birds more damaging than North American birds? I have trees under a bird feeder, and I've never had any problems with digging. Crows, grackels, sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, robins, red-bellied and pileated woodpeckers, sparrows, finches, junkos, eagles, hawks, owls, herons, egrets, turkeys, wood ducks, and many more species all have easy access to any of my trees, and I've never had that problem. I even keep earthworms in my larger pots.

It all depends on what the birds live on. Many of the ones you listed are seed eaters. No point digging to find fresh seed. The remainder live mainly on larger creatures which also don't live in moss. The ones that do cause problems for us are the birds that specialize in worms and small insects in the litter and moss layers. They spend all day turning over any mulch or moss they can find hunting for food. Blackbirds are the worst of the worst and probably earned their species name - Turdus merula.

Watch out for the turkeys. A turkey perched in a bonsai can break good branches. I now keep my turkeys well away from the bonsai.

Seed eating birds use grit to help grind their food. They may eat small stones which then stays in the crop so that could be the reason some of you have seen them eating soil. I get around half a cup of evenly sized grit from each turkey I dress - just the right size for bonsai soil. i have considered washing and using it but have not got round to it yet.

 

[leatherback]

turkey perched in a bonsai can break good branches.

True, but the thought.. mental image. Mame trident with a Tyurkey balancing on it!

 

[Potawatomi13]

No. Fine non stinking fertilizer comes from garden supply store, does not clutter pots.

 

[Shibui]

True, but the thought.. mental image. Mame trident with a Tyurkey balancing on it!

Trust me, the balancing does not last long. Either the branch gives way or the whole tree gives way but turkeys being turkeys it will then try another bonsai until they are all broken or on the ground. Turkey farming and bonsai. Not a good mix.

 

[Gabler]

Do you find fertilizer cups help deter roosting turkeys? Lol. The turkeys in my area prefer roosting in taller trees to avoid coyotes. That said, they fly faster than most other birds can, so the adults have an easy enough time avoiding predation, and they spend most of their time on the ground eating bugs.