Newbie, confused about bonsai fertilization especially during winter times

[dvsrk563]

Hi
I’m new to the bonsai growing and recently I was gifted with couple of bonsai trees.
Searching online I have found one of them is deciduous, one of them is coniferous and other two are tropical indoor. One of my friends suggested to use fertilizer to keep them healthy state.

With little online help I have ordered a fertilizer with NPK of 7-9-5, but I have couple of questions using it,

1. Whether I could use it during winter on all of these type of plants?
2. Could I use it on tropical evergreen types in all seasons?
3. Some of them are recommending 0-10-10 NPK for deciduous and coniferous during winter and some of them suggests not to use any fertilizer during winter times on these types, any suggestions on this?
4. Could I use the same 7-9-5 fertilizer instead of 0-10-10 with half the dosage during winter on all these types?

& I live in zone 9.

thank you

 

[63pmp]

Fertilizing is one the most contentious issues on Bnut. Don't be surprised or put off by the myriad of suggestions of how when and type. Personally, you will learn from experience what suites your trees. Initially, I would suggest a little bit often. I don't fertilize my pines or deciduous during the winter months. I have no tropicals, so cannot offer any advice there.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think we all agree to fertilize for health and growth. Brands and contents might differ, but we all do it.

I don't fertilize in winter because plants hardly take up water and hardly transfer that water; they're not storing a whole lot at that time. So fertilizing in a dormant season doesn't make much sense to me.
The dormancy is an important factor. Your tropicals dont go dormant. They can be fertilized whenever.

With organic fertilizers, it takes time for them to break down and become plant-accessible, about 3-8 weeks. That's why it sometimes looks like it doesn't make sense, but feeding in late winter = feeding in early spring, feeding in early spring = feeding in late spring. Feeding in summer = feeding in summer and fall (breakdown is faster at higher temps), feeding in late summer = early fall and so on..

 

[Bnana]

Plants need fertilizer when they grow. So no leaves or leaves but no growth (conifers in winter) means no fertilizer needed.
If your tropicals are indoors and growing in winter they need fertilizer but probably less than in summer when they are outside in full sun.