Springtails feeding/breaking down organic fertilizer. Is it safe to have them?

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Living in a tropical rainforest weather, after using(trying for the 1st time) full akadama on some of my tree, I notice there is this white pest (springtails) crawling after sometime where I place my organic fertilizer.
In order to counter the hot daylight sun vs full akadama soil(maybe a mistake? oh well.... ), I place sphagnum moss on top of the akadama to prevent fast dry out. Which what makes the perfect condition for springtails,moist.(Mr. google told me)
The big Question is, should I just leave them decaying and breakdown my fertilizer or should I remove them?
How far is springtails will bring to my plants , good vs bad to my trees?

Cheers.
 

Wilson

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I have read a bit about them, I too was curious as to their effects on the trees. From what I read they can help create a healthy environment in the soil, even aiding in myco develpoment. It seems like if they are a contained population, it should be fine. If they take over, then possibly it will effect the roots. Hopefully some other folks will share their experiences too!
 

Anthony

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@Bonsai toto ,

where in the tropics are you.

How high is your humidity ?

We have a six month dry season, no rain, but our island soil is mostly clay
and has a large water reserve.
Our humidity can go as low as 45 / 50 % during the day, back up to around
70 % by night, and we are breezy. Also cloudy.

We use a simple mix of 5 mm gravel, with equal to or less than 30 % by volume
[ think spadefuls ] of aged compost.
The compost is kept in a barrel with a cover, just moist , to encourage weed seeds
to germinate. We call it aged compost.

Compost will hold 20 times it's weight in water.
So you can calculate how much you need for water retention.
Additionally it is made with a tree's leaves rated at 2N ... almost the same as
a rabbit's manure.
Plus weeds are added to give micro nutrients.

This way allows the use of 1/3 strength lawn fertilizer [ Miracle Gro ] weekly into
moist soil. Around 12 N ........

We ground grow for trunk, root and the first 6 branches and do so in a colander.

We than use an over sized plastic bonsai pot for refinement.
The soil usually has little pill bugs digging and eating stuff, they do no harm.

If we have a thirsty tree ----- say a Tamarind ------ we substitute, 5 mm crushed red
earthenware building block, which holds water in itself, for some of the gravel.
The soil cannot compact by the way.

Normally I would explain it like this ------------ 5 mm inorganic [ non porous ]
5 mm inorganic [ porous ] and aged compost [ which is sifted ]
Good Day
Anthony
 
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@Bonsai toto ,

where in the tropics are you.

How high is your humidity ?

We have a six month dry season, no rain, but our island soil is mostly clay
and has a large water reserve.
Our humidity can go as low as 45 / 50 % during the day, back up to around
70 % by night, and we are breezy. Also cloudy.

We use a simple mix of 5 mm gravel, with equal to or less than 30 % by volume
[ think spadefuls ] of aged compost.
The compost is kept in a barrel with a cover, just moist , to encourage weed seeds
to germinate. We call it aged compost.

Compost will hold 20 times it's weight in water.
So you can calculate how much you need for water retention.
Additionally it is made with a tree's leaves rated at 2N ... almost the same as
a rabbit's manure.
Plus weeds are added to give micro nutrients.

This way allows the use of 1/3 strength lawn fertilizer [ Miracle Gro ] weekly into
moist soil. Around 12 N ........

We ground grow for trunk, root and the first 6 branches and do so in a colander.

We than use an over sized plastic bonsai pot for refinement.
The soil usually has little pill bugs digging and eating stuff, they do no harm.

If we have a thirsty tree ----- say a Tamarind ------ we substitute, 5 mm crushed red
earthenware building block, which holds water in itself, for some of the gravel.
The soil cannot compact by the way.

Normally I would explain it like this ------------ 5 mm inorganic [ non porous ]
5 mm inorganic [ porous ] and aged compost [ which is sifted ]
Good Day
Anthony

Location : Borneo
Thanka for the info Sir Anthony
 

Anthony

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@Wilson , [ start laughing ] I don't even know if I have seen a springtail.]
We have pillbugs and compost.

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Oniscidea/

Springtail -
Google had this -
"although many species are herbivorous, others are carnivorous feeding on otherspringtails, nematodes and other small arthropods. Those springtails living in leaf litter and soil usually feed on fungi, plant material, feces and algae."

Perhaps a warning -

"Springtail Habitat. Springtails are attracted to excessive moisture and organic material. They live in soil or under decaying wood or bark, thriving in areas with leaf litter, compost and organic mulches. Springtails feed on molds, fungi, algae and decaying plant material."
_______________________________________________________

I draw your attention to ------------------------ attracted to excessive moisture

Not so hot for Bonsai trees.

So the problem may be ------ moisture retentive mix .

Good Day
Anthony
 

Wilson

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@Wilson , [ start laughing ] I don't even know if I have seen a springtail.]
We have pillbugs and compost.

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Oniscidea/

Springtail -
Google had this -
"although many species are herbivorous, others are carnivorous feeding on otherspringtails, nematodes and other small arthropods. Those springtails living in leaf litter and soil usually feed on fungi, plant material, feces and algae."

Perhaps a warning -

"Springtail Habitat. Springtails are attracted to excessive moisture and organic material. They live in soil or under decaying wood or bark, thriving in areas with leaf litter, compost and organic mulches. Springtails feed on molds, fungi, algae and decaying plant material."
_______________________________________________________

I draw your attention to ------------------------ attracted to excessive moisture

Not so hot for Bonsai trees.

So the problem may be ------ moisture retentive mix .

Good Day
Anthony
I know I have seen them in my yard, wood benches, wooden grow boxes, and a humid summer climate. I have also seen them in trees growing with peat/perlite mix.
 

M. Frary

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If you use inorganic substrates and fertilizers you reduce the bug problems in your trees. If you add diatomaceous earth to your mix you eliminate them altogether.
No,bark,no poop,no dirt or clay based components equals no bugs.
 

Anthony

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No microbes and the trees suffer.
Trees developed with leaf mold, microbes and ......................
 

TN_Jim

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Likely completely harmlessness since they're into chomping on dead or decaying plant tissue fungi and the sort...not so much living plant tissue from my understanding ...you may not want them in your house, but they probably don’t want to be either

that said I’m not an entomologist, but if a friend had them in a potted house plant...i would think your houseplant depending on species, is suffering from decay from too much water retention...and the harmless springtail that is vital to ecosystems across the world is just a symptom of poor soil, or healthy soil if a plant spp. that loves water

if there’s a house fly on a dog turd on the kitchen floor...I’m not calling an exterminator...I’m like, damn why did I leave that leftover food on the coffee table before I left this morning
 

wireme

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Likely completely harmlessness since they're into chomping on dead or decaying plant tissue fungi and the sort...not so much living plant tissue from my understanding ...you may not want them in your house, but they probably don’t want to be either

that said I’m not an entomologist, but if a friend had them in a potted house plant...i would think your houseplant depending on species, is suffering from decay from too much water retention...and the harmless springtail that is vital to ecosystems across the world is just a symptom of poor soil, or healthy soil if a plant spp. that loves water

if there’s a house fly on a dog turd on the kitchen floor...I’m not calling an exterminator...I’m like, damn why did I leave that leftover food on the coffee table before I left this morning

I was wondering more about the turd on the floor myself. Then I realized the chain of events, sounds like speaking from experience there. ?
 

Wilson

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I find it funny that many people have never heard of springtails. I don't know if it's because they are very small, and go unnoticed.
 

penumbra

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It is possible for springtails to act as a vector in spreading disease.
 

Frojo

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I find it funny that many people have never heard of springtails. I don't know if it's because they are very small, and go unnoticed.
Yeah, it must be.
They can be found everywhere on earth where there is a suitably moist habitat with decaying organic matter and at numbers of around 100000 individuals per square meter. You basically cannot pick up a moist hand of soil without also getting some mites, nematodes and springtails in the mix.
 
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