the use of tea bags

dick benbow

Omono
Messages
1,316
Reaction score
138
Location
seattle,Wa
to hold organic ferilizer. I ran across this last fall so I have been picking up fertilizer and
tea bags for my use this spring/summer.

The empty tea bags are sold to place bulk tea into for brewing but work just fine for accepting a couple of teasoons of fertilizer.

I'm sure I'm not the first to make this discovery, and am curious as to who else may be using this method and may share some experiences? :)
 

bonsaibp

Omono
Messages
1,560
Reaction score
1,309
Location
Northridge CA
USDA Zone
10a
I have a friend who uses them all the time. I tried it for a little while but got tired of explaining to people that it was fertilizer and not tea. Besides they're kind of unattractive.
 

coppice

Shohin
Messages
312
Reaction score
57
Location
SE-OH USA
USDA Zone
6-A
I stopped using organic fertilizer cakes some years ago. Stopping them profoundly reduced mice-mole-vole damage to my winter stored trees.

Even removing fert cakes at storage-time didn't end it. Switching over to Osmocoat did.

I don't think I'll ever go back to fertilizer cakes.
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
I stopped using organic fertilizer cakes some years ago. Stopping them profoundly reduced mice-mole-vole damage to my winter stored trees.

Even removing fert cakes at storage-time didn't end it. Switching over to Osmocoat did.

I don't think I'll ever go back to fertilizer cakes.

I found that by putting a canning jar half filled with moth balls and a bunch of tiny holes in the lid near the wintered plants the voles and mice avoid the area. Problem with that is you must use caution and never expose them to soil and such.
 

dick benbow

Omono
Messages
1,316
Reaction score
138
Location
seattle,Wa
appreciate your comments. I could see how they would need some explaining in a commercial operation.:)

I've tried seasons back and forth with organics and while my eye doesn't show me any different,
my brain tells me that a constant small flow of what's needed makes more sense then using say a fish fertilzer every two weeks.

Hopeful someone who is using this method and is happy with it will stumble onto this thread and share.
 

buddhamonk

Chumono
Messages
748
Reaction score
13
Location
Ptown oregon
that's what I use. Stopped using organic "poo balls" because they stink. I get the tea bags on ebay which is $5 for 100 bags, then I buy miracle grow shake and feed which is $17 for 8 pounds. I can fill 100 bags with about a pound of fertilizer so it goes a long way. 2-8 tea bags per tree every 3 months makes it really easy.
 

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
8,968
Reaction score
119
Location
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
USDA Zone
8b
Check with Marcus at IBC, I believe he uses tea bags.
 

ghues

Omono
Messages
1,554
Reaction score
3,140
Location
Campbell River BC Canada
USDA Zone
7b
Hi Dick,
Bonsai for me is a hobby (like most I’m sure) however my profession is forestry, more specifically the silviculture end of the business and I’ve been involved with the use of tea bag fertilizer at the time of planting (on our conifer seedlings) for close to twenty years. As you can imagine it’s gone through a lot of technological changes over that time and the product we use today releases over two growing season (up here) – its temperature and moisture dependent.
I was so impressed with the field results (specifically designed trials – control vs. product) that I started using it on my bonsai – crows and maybe starlings tossed the bags out of the pot so I started to incorporate it into my bonsai soil mix at repotting time. The mountain Hemi’s and contorta’s foliage turns a nice dark green. You can get a good spurt of growth just like with any fertilizer so I’ve only used it on my developing ones which are all of them.
Here is a link to their web site www.reforest.com.
 

Kirk

Mame
Messages
181
Reaction score
17
Location
Atlanta
USDA Zone
8a
Quite a few of us in the Atlanta club are teabagging.
 

davetree

Omono
Messages
1,556
Reaction score
848
Location
St. Paul Minnesota
USDA Zone
4
Why don't you just use liquid organic fertilizer and mix it every time you water ? Wouldn't that be easier than making tea bags ? That's what I do because there are a lot of critters that like poo balls and tea bags where I grow.
 

Kirk

Mame
Messages
181
Reaction score
17
Location
Atlanta
USDA Zone
8a
Why don't you just use liquid organic fertilizer and mix it every time you water ? Wouldn't that be easier than making tea bags ? That's what I do because there are a lot of critters that like poo balls and tea bags where I grow.

Given the amount of plant material that I have to water (especially during a GA summer), mixing a liquid fert. that often would not be practical. I buy the Japanese teabags from the farmer's market, fill them with 2 T. of Plant-tone, Tree-tone or whatever is on sale and also a pinch of a systemic insecticide. It works well. The trees receive a nice slow feed without cakes breaking down and mucking up the soil. Roots will even grow up into the bags. Squirrels haven't bothered mine. The only issue is that the dog would get them if they were in reach.

Kirk
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
I think he means there are only so many hours in a day :)
 

buddhamonk

Chumono
Messages
748
Reaction score
13
Location
Ptown oregon
When you have 60+ trees like me. Mixing fert with each watering means id have to fill the darn thing over 10 times. Dont have time to do that so i use tea bags.
 

davetree

Omono
Messages
1,556
Reaction score
848
Location
St. Paul Minnesota
USDA Zone
4
I have 50 trees and just mix fertilizer as I go. It really doesn't take very much time. To each his own.....
 

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
8,968
Reaction score
119
Location
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
USDA Zone
8b
When you have 60+ trees like me. Mixing fert with each watering means id have to fill the darn thing over 10 times. Dont have time to do that so i use tea bags.

I have more than a 100 pre-bonsai trees and only mix once now (maybe twice if I feel like). I use a siphon that mixes the concentrate as I water via hose. It is very easy.

Just another option but I know it can be accomplished various ways and respect all of them. :)
 
Top Bottom