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Bonsai trees for sale, direct from the nursery
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Bonsai Supplies
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Bonsai Tree Care and House Plant Care
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Fertilizer information for your bonsai tree and other house plantsIf you own a bonsai tree, one way to care for it is to feed it the nutrients and vitamins it needs for its full potential. Bonsai fertilizer helps to provide these nutrients. You will find that ordering bonsai fertilizer online is really easy and it only takes a few minutes. Also, the prices are very comparable, so in the end you have saved yourself time and money. Many people think that adding fertilizer will feed their trees. This is not precisely true. Plants manufacture their own food by the process of photosynthesis. The fertilizers you provide your plants assist in this food production. Most gardeners use the terms fertilizing and feeding to mean the same thing. Plants growing in the ground outdoors can search for the nourishment they need. If their immediate area lacks needed nutrients, the roots will branch into outer areas. This is not want you want for your house plants or bonsai plants or trees. Because they are confined to a pot; once the nutrients in the potting mix are gone, the plant is stranded. This is why you replenish these nutrients by applying fertilizer. Vitamins and Fertilizer for Bonsai Trees and Plants
House plant fertilizers usually contain three main nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium or potash. Some fertilizers also include needed trace elements. The ratio of these three ingredients is usually indicated on the label by three numbers, such as 5-10-5 or 18-20-16. The first number refers to nitrogen, which stimulates leaf growth and helps leaves maintain a rich green color. Phosphourus promotes healthy root growth and aids in flower and fruit production which is listed as the second number. The third number refers to potassium, which aids plants in normal plant functions and development. If you choose a fertilizer that indicates it is formulated for house plants, you can feel confident it is properly balanced in the three main nutrients. Types of fertilizersCommercial fertilizers for house plants come in several forms: liquids, powders, tablets, and capsules. Most of these fertilizers are to be dissolved and diluted in water for application. Some types are scratched into the soil surface. Tablets and slow-release capsules are also placed on the soil surface or in the soil. Slow-release fertilizers allow nutrients to be slowly dissolved over a period of time. Whichever type of plant fertilizer you choose, read the label carefully and follow the directions exactly. Using fertilizers Many indoor gardeners find it very beneficial to apply fertilizers more frequently than normal (usually twice as often) but in a very diluted state (usually one-half the recommended dose or less). This provides the plant with nutrients in a more consistent manner. Never apply fertilizer to dry potting mix. Be sure your plant or tree has been thoroughly watered first. A newly purchased house plant or bonsai tree normally will have been well nourished at the nursery and will not need fertilizer for at least 3 months. A newly repotted plant will find sufficient nutrients in the new potting mix. Fertilizing through the leavesSome indoor gardeners have found that spraying fertilizer on plant leaves is helpful to their plants. Plants such as schefflera, philodendron, and Chinese evergreen respond very well. Many flowering bonsai trees like to be sprayed. Fertilize by spraying a fine mist of diluted fertilizer with a mister or atomizer until the leaves look as if a good dew has settled on them. Don't leave the foliage dripping wet. Most plants can benefit from feeding, but be careful not to over fertilize or feed too frequently. If your bonsai fertilizer has no instructions for foliar feeding, use it at about half the recommended root feeding strength the first time. Increase the dosage to the full recommended strength in successive months.
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