Sign Of Vigor?

[roberthu]

So I had a JBP growing in the backyard in the ground for 5 years from a seedling. This March I dug it up and put it in a relatively big bonsai pot. Since then the tree started to extend the candles and I noticed more buds emerging from all over the tree including the lower branches even close to the trunk. Those weren't there when I dug the tree out. Is this a sign that the tree is very strong and healthy? Should I apply fertilizer heavily or hold back for a little longer?

 

[Paradox]

Its a sign that the tree is recovering.

I would start to feed it yes.
However I wouldnt be too "heavy", just apply according to the directions every couple of weeks.

I would not to anything else to this tree this year except feed and water.
We usually dont decandle a JBP the same year it has been repotted except perhaps the very strong candles.

 

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

I'm unsure of your dilemma.
Assuming this is a 5 year old japanese black pine that you are wanting to keep in a pot, - have you pruned the top of the tree or any of the branches recently? This could explain why dormant buds are activating closer to the trunk. Which is not a bad thing.
For fertilizer: If you are using gritty "bonsai soil media" I recommend that you use foliage pro 936 and fertilize at 1tsp a gallon every week. This will give your tree all the nutrients it needs to grow normally without the issue of mineral build up. You could also use a CRF in conjunction with gypsum and Epsom salts, however foliage pro 936 would make this more simple.
Withholding fertilizer to manipulate the size of the trees foliage is generally only done to mature trees in refinement.
At this stage your tree is in, you are trying to get it to grow as fast as it can, therefore depriving your tree of the nutrients needed to grow would have no benefits.

 

[roberthu]

Its a sign that the tree is recovering.

I would start to feed it yes.
However I wouldnt be too "heavy", just apply according to the directions every couple of weeks.

I would not to anything else to this tree this year except feed and water.
We usually dont decandle a JBP the same year it has been repotted except perhaps the very strong candles.

Thank you. I am only thinking organic fertilizer cake and not liquid Chemical fertilizer.
I am not going to do anything else with this tree this year for sure. If the growth is crazily well then I may do some structural wiring this winter. No pruning this year for sure.

 

[roberthu]

I'm unsure of your dilemma.
Assuming this is a 5 year old japanese black pine that you are wanting to keep in a pot, - have you pruned the top of the tree or any of the branches recently? This could explain why dormant buds are activating closer to the trunk. Which is not a bad thing.
For fertilizer: If you are using gritty "bonsai soil media" I recommend that you use foliage pro 936 and fertilize at 1tsp a gallon every week. This will give your tree all the nutrients it needs to grow normally without the issue of mineral build up. You could also use a CRF in conjunction with gypsum and Epsom salts, however foliage pro 936 would make this more simple.
Withholding fertilizer to manipulate the size of the trees foliage is generally only done to mature trees in refinement.
At this stage your tree is in, you are trying to get it to grow as fast as it can, therefore depriving your tree of the nutrients needed to grow would have no benefits.

I am with you. I didn’t do any pruning this year and I don’t plan to. I am going to let it grow freely and see what I get in the fall. I am only considering organic fertilizer to be on the safe side. I didn’t cut the roots very much when I dug it out. My goal is to get as much foliage as possible this year to store up energy before the winter hits. I am in Atlanta by the way.

 

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

I am with you. I didn’t do any pruning this year and I don’t plan to. I am going to let it grow freely and see what I get in the fall. I am only considering organic fertilizer to be on the safe side. I didn’t cut the roots very much when I dug it out. My goal is to get as much foliage as possible this year to store up energy before the winter hits. I am in Atlanta by the way.

Chemical fertilizers pose no threat if they are correctly supplied in frequent diluted amounts. Liquid chemical concentrates are available for immediate uptake while organic fertilizers must be acted on by passing through the gut of micro-organisms to break them down into usable elemental form, the amount of time this takes varies, it could take a month - to several months. Since microorganism populations are affected by cultural conditions like moisture/air levels in the soil, soil pH, fertility levels, temperature, etc., they tend to follow a boom/bust cycle that has an impact on the reliability and timing of delivery of nutrients supplied in organic form, in container culture. Nutrients locked in hydrocarbon chains cannot be relied upon to be available when the plant needs them. In other words you have no reliable way of knowing when and if your plants are getting these nutrients until there are signs of deficiencies. Too, organic fertilizers supplied via soil amendments will clog valuable macro pores in the same way peat moss and other fine particles do in containers. From this perspective, a good argument could be made that, in container culture, organic fertilizers are less safe than their chemical counterparts.

 

[roberthu]

Chemical fertilizers pose no threat if they are correctly supplied in frequent diluted amounts. Liquid chemical concentrates are available for immediate uptake while organic fertilizers must be acted on by passing through the gut of micro-organisms to break them down into usable elemental form, the amount of time this takes varies, it could take a month - to several months. Since microorganism populations are affected by cultural conditions like moisture/air levels in the soil, soil pH, fertility levels, temperature, etc., they tend to follow a boom/bust cycle that has an impact on the reliability and timing of delivery of nutrients supplied in organic form, in container culture. Nutrients locked in hydrocarbon chains cannot be relied upon to be available when the plant needs them. In other words you have no reliable way of knowing when and if your plants are getting these nutrients until there are signs of deficiencies. Too, organic fertilizers supplied via soil amendments will clog valuable macro pores in the same way peat moss and other fine particles do in containers. From this perspective, a good argument could be made that, in container culture, organic fertilizers are less safe than their chemical counterparts.

This makes sense. I need to rethink this after reading your post. Thank you!

 

[Paradox]

This makes sense. I need to rethink this after reading your post. Thank you!

Many bonsai professionals use organic fertilizers. Many here do as well, Brian Van Fleet being one and his trees are some of the nicest posted here. I think Adair also uses organic fertilizers as well. Ive used them on mine for a few years. Yes some are slow release and need to break down, such as fertilizer cakes, but that is the point of them. Fish emulsion can be used by the plant quickly. Nothing wrong with organic fertilzer if thats what you want to use. Many of us also add micro nutrients to the mix so the plants can get those if they need them.

 

[roberthu]

Many bonsai professionals use organic fertilizers. Many here do as well, Brian Van Fleet being one and his trees are some of the nicest posted here. I think Adair also uses organic fertilizers as well. Ive used them on mine for a few years. Yes some are slow release and need to break down, such as fertilizer cakes, but that is the point of them. Fish emulsion can be used by the plant quickly. Nothing wrong with organic fertilzer if thats what you want to use. Many of us also add micro nutrients to the mix so the plants can get those if they need them.

Yes I think I am still going to use organic fertilizer mostly but supplementing with low concentration of liquid chemical fertilizer is probably a good idea. I have been watching some videos that promotes organic fertilizer because it promotes a more healthy root system with more micro organism in the soil. That's what got me into organic fertilization.

 

[Cascading-Echinocactus]

The benefit of organic fertilizer (or soil amendments) in the ground is two fold. It provides a slow release of nutrients as the organic matter decomposes and it provides a good environment for microbes which build better soil structure.
Are these important benefits for growing trees in containers using a gritty bonsai soil?
Organic fertilizers will continue to decompose in the container over time, so they would certainly add nutrients to the soil, at some point, but in the process they are clogging valuable macro pores. Liquid Chemical fertilizer provides nutrients as well, and if given in diluted frequent doses, you are giving your tree the precise amount of nutrients it needs and it is able to use it instantly. There is no difference between organic nutrients and nutrients from chemical fertilizer.
What about building better soil? Is that important? Not really. Unlike the ground, bonsai mixes such as APL and other gritty type mixes are used because they already have a good soil structure for the roots of your trees to grow in. In gritty bonsai mixes you do not need microbes to build soil structure.
Fertilizers that are mostly water based such as fish emulsion, and manure tea may provide a few nutrients immediately, but they provide almost nothing for the long term. They are not a good source for slow release nutrients and they don’t build soil structure because they don’t contain any significant organic matter to feed microbes. For this reason I would not even consider them ‘organic’, although most people do. Think of them as weak synthetic fertilizers.
This is not meant to come off as an attack to anyone who chooses to use organic fertilizers, it is simply my own opinion that their chemical alternatives are superior in every way. If anyone objects, and has any solid reason to their benefits, please inform me.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

What about building better soil? Is that important? Not really. Unlike the ground, bonsai mixes such as APL and other gritty type mixes are used because they already have a good soil structure for the roots of your trees to grow in. In gritty bonsai mixes you do not need microbes to build soil structure.

For structure, no. I like my microbes because they produce antibiotics, they fight the bad guys for me and some of them (mainly the fungi) can produce valuable plant hormones.
A healthy colony is worth its weight in gold, quite literally. Because it can save a lot on insecticides, fungicides and bactericides, they also tend to regulate a lot in the soil and provide a nice buffer.

Some people argue that fungi can't grow in bare rocks, but they were the first multicellular organisms to colonize land. If they wouldn't be able to live off of rocks and break them down, plants wouldn't have escaped water, let alone creep up mountains.

I agree chemical alternatives are superb when it comes to feeding a plant. They are however, not that superb at feeding a living system.
I believe everyone should make their own choice, there are benefits and drawbacks to every type of nutrients. I think a complete argumentation will help people decide for themselves. The importance of a diverse system of microbes should not be underestimated though.

It's a wild correlation, but ever since I gave my backyard an upgrade with a couple wheelbarrows of bark and introduced some more fungal cultures, I'm no longer dealing with mildew or needlecast. Also, apple cedar rust that plagued two of my junipers, hasn't shown itself in three years. It might be a coincidence, it might be correlated, it might be causal. Whatever it is, I'm happy with it.