Organic Liquid Fertilizer

[777thSunRay]

Hi All.. I would really appreciate any recommendations for a general purpose organic liquid fertilizer suitable for all Bonsai. Of course I know that many maintain you should individualize formulas based on species, but at the moment I could really use a catchall till I get to that point. I would be especially interested in any formulas that promote fast growth, presuming they are safer for being organic. Thanks in advance!

 

[SeanS]

Fish emulsion.

I don’t think anyone recommends different formulas per species, most use and recommend fish emulsion for everything

 

[Shibui]

Al plants use nutrients, All fertilizers have nutrients so it doesn't matter too much which liquid you choose except for a very few species like proteacea that can be affected by high P.
I just get the fert that offers best $ value for nutrient content.
Higher N is generally recommended for increased growth. Lawn fertilizers are often high N to promote rapid green growth and will do the same for your bonsai.
Just find something that is available and you are comfortable with using.

Note that rapid growth is not always the best thing for bonsai. Rapid growth promotes long internodes which may limit the options for back budding and branching in future,

 

[777thSunRay]

Fish emulsion.

I don’t think anyone recommends different formulas per species, most use and recommend fish emulsion for everything

That’s interesting… do you use a solution which features fish emulsion, or simply 100%?

Al plants use nutrients, All fertilizers have nutrients so it doesn't matter too much which liquid you choose except for a very few species like proteacea that can be affected by high P.
I just get the fert that offers best $ value for nutrient content.
Higher N is generally recommended for increased growth. Lawn fertilizers are often high N to promote rapid green growth and will do the same for your bonsai.
Just find something that is available and you are comfortable with using.

Note that rapid growth is not always the best thing for bonsai. Rapid growth promotes long internodes which may limit the options for back budding and branching in future,

thank you, that is great to know. And the final statement about fast growth is a great perspective, I appreciate. I think I was getting caught up in the idea of maxing growth speed…

 

[Shibui]

I think I was getting caught up in the idea of maxing growth speed

ASs do many others. Fast growth is good but quality is also important. What value you put on either will dictate how you develop trees for bonsai.

 

[Bnana]

In later stage bonsai you want to limit growth. One of the ways to do that is limit N-availability. But it makes no difference whether that is from fish extract or Wall-mart all purpose fertiliser.
Do pay attention that you fertiliser does contain micronutrients, not just NPK.

 

[777thSunRay]

In later stage bonsai you want to limit growth. One of the ways to do that is limit N-availability. But it makes no difference whether that is from fish extract or Wall-mart all purpose fertiliser.
Do pay attention that you fertiliser does contain micronutrients, not just NPK.

ASs do many others. Fast growth is good but quality is also important. What value you put on either will dictate how you develop trees for bonsai

Thanks! So I’m looking at a liquid called Neptunium’s Harvest. I know you stated it doesn’t have to be any particular brand. But I see that it’s just zeros and ones, maybe two or three, in the NPK content. Does this help provide quality growth vs just fast growth? Or is there another reason for such low NPK levels? Oh and I thought perhaps, this is not a matter of levels, only ratios???

 

[Bnana]

Levels in the bottle are not the levels in the watering can, that depends on how much water you add and how much you give to each plant also is important of course.
But 0 in the NPK is not good. That means it lacks that nutrient while your trees do need it.
If your trees are not in their later stage, developed, ramificating, bonsai, I wouldn't worry about quality growth, you just want growing healthy trees.
If you want to have slower, more refined growth, just use less fertiliser.

 

[777thSunRay]

Levels in the bottle are not the levels in the watering can, that depends on how much water you add and how much you give to each plant also is important of course.
But 0 in the NPK is not good. That means it lacks that nutrient while your trees do need it.
If your trees are not in their later stage, developed, ramificating, bonsai, I wouldn't worry about quality growth, you just want growing healthy trees.
If you want to have slower, more refined growth, just use less fertiliser.

Okay, thank you for this. Though it makes me wonder, what is the purpose of liquids without any NPK? Could they be supplements for specific purposes, like blooming, etc?

 

[Shibui]

Okay, thank you for this. Though it makes me wonder, what is the purpose of liquids without any NPK? Could they be supplements for specific purposes, like blooming, etc?

Sometimes it is marketing. A company will produce anything they think consumers will buy. The proliferation of 'balanced' fertilizers 3-3-3 and 10-10-10 testify to the gullibility of consumers.

Otherwise fertilizers with 0 means it is definitely a supplement. Probably an echo from the old days when 'complete' fertilizers were not available and gardeners used combinations of products to provide a balanced diet for plants.

 

[Bnana]

When growing plants in the ground t you sometimes need to add specific things. Than this is potentially useful. However, to do that properly you would need to measure what the soil contains.

Marketing is a big thing. You have to make people pay more for your product than for the bottom shelf stuff. The basic nutrients are the same, so you have to come up with something else.