What if anything is wrong with this?

[Lionheart]

Is it bad to switch between organic and inorganic fertilizers?

Thanks in advance.

 

[rockm]

not really. Depends on what you're trying to get done with your trees and a bit on your soil...

 

[MrWunderful]

I suppose it depends on the needs of the tree and what it is potted in.

I use slow release organic (granular) and every once in a while throw some miracle grow at them. But I use 99% inorganic soil so I am not to worried about over fertilizing.

 

[coh]

Is it bad to switch between organic and inorganic fertilizers?

Thanks in advance.

Why would it be?

I use both. Only need to keep in mind that chemical ferts (like miracle gro) are available to the plant immediately whereas organics need
to be broken down by microbes, so the effect is delayed/slower/longer lasting.

 

[0soyoung]

Organic ferts are a good source of minor elements that are often missing in chem ferts
Organic ferts muck up your substrate.
Organic ferts tend to be stinky.

 

[Colorado]

Just the fact that you’re using inorganic (chemical) ferts at all.

 

[Lionheart]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Last year I put granular organic into little tea bags, a bit of a hassle, but do-able. However, I would come out to find the bags strewn about. Apparently night creatures (probably fox or raccoon) would mess with the fert bags, tear them open sometimes and usually move them off the soil surface they were on.

I have used loose granular on the surface before, but as Osoyoung said, "Organic ferts muck up your substrate.". I use both standard bonsai mix and conifer mix from Bonsai Jack. All of my trees are in the development stage. I know my trees should be up higher, un-reachable for such critters, but I'm in deep into this art, with lots of trees now and haven't built a bench yet. (That should change soon.) It seems like Miracle Grow would be easier and wouldn't attract varmints.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

it sounds like you need one of these bonsai tools:

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Last year I put granular organic into little tea bags, a bit of a hassle, but do-able. However, I would come out to find the bags strewn about. Apparently night creatures (probably fox or raccoon) would mess with the fert bags, tear them open sometimes and usually move them off the soil surface they were on.

I have used loose granular on the surface before, but as Osoyoung said, "Organic ferts muck up your substrate.". I use both standard bonsai mix and conifer mix from Bonsai Jack. All of my trees are in the development stage. I know my trees should be up higher, un-reachable for such critters, but I'm in deep into this art, with lots of trees now and haven't built a bench yet. (That should change soon.) It seems like Miracle Grow would be easier and wouldn't attract varmints.

Yea, I went through the organic phase too and along with the problems you mentioned I also found that with a inorganic soil (with the exception of some tree bark mixed in) it was easier to follow @Walter Pall s advice and just apply inorganic fert liberally and let the trees decide how much they want to take up. If I was using a soil rich in akadama then yes I accept that you couldn’t flush out enough of the inorganic fertilizer to avert the salt buildup problem but that is another reason I don’t use akadama. I have a bucketful of organic chicken shit based fert that I can’t use near the house because of the smell and with my drip irrigation system the fert in teabags or little baskets just wouldn’t stay wet enough for the bacteria and fungi to break it down and move it into the soil. So far I haven’t killed anything following that plan—thanks Walter.

 

[moke]

it sounds like you need one of these bonsai tools:

View attachment 231675

That tool tool is the culprit for my bags being strewn about.

 

[coh]

If I was using a soil rich in akadama then yes I accept that you couldn’t flush out enough of the inorganic fertilizer to avert the salt buildup problem but that is another reason I don’t use akadama.

Not sure if that's really a problem? The cec levels I've seen for akadama aren't all that high, lower by quite a bit than bark or peat or charcoal but about double of lava or pumice. Would be interesting to
test and see if use of inorganic chemical ferts with an akadama-heavy soil would lead to more problems than in a soil with less akadama.

I moved to akadama-based soils about 4-5 years ago and still use liquid inorganic ferts (miracle gro type) and haven't noticed the development of any salt-related issues in that time.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Is it bad to switch between organic and inorganic fertilizers?

No.

That said, there are pros and cons of each, and it is probably wrong to use a blanket statement of "organic VERSUS chemical". I know some people who use both (for example organic fertilizer in tea bags on the soil, while watering with dilute chemical fertilizer in the water). I myself use chemical fertilizer extensively, because the type I use the most is also a soil acidifier that helps counteract our bad, alkaline water.

 

[BonsaiMatt]

How I taught my Rottweiler not to eat my tea bags:

I don't think he ever got hit, but the noise and the sudden jump scares the s out of him. Now I can set out unarmed traps and he avoids them 100%

 

[Lionheart]

How I taught my Rottweiler not to eat my tea bags:
View attachment 231688
I don't think he ever got hit, but the noise and the sudden jump scares the s out of him. Now I can set out unarmed traps and he avoids them 100%

Now you're talkin'

 

[M. Frary]

Just the fact that you’re using inorganic (chemical) ferts at all.

It's all I use.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

it sounds like you need one of these bonsai tools:

View attachment 231675

That's the one that gets into my organic ferts the very most!

 

[Cable]

I use inorganic soil and organic fertilizer because it pleases Thanos.

 

[AZbonsai]

I use organic in the heat of summer inorganic the other 3 months

 

[Japonicus]

I use organic in the heat of summer inorganic the other 3 months

That sounds reliable.

I've always rotated organics with inorganics keeping a rotation

@Leo in N E Illinois should have good intel on blending

Not hearing anyone mention organic liquids I don't think. Many of us use fish emulsion.
I know yellow jackets like it, haven't seen any this year, and it smells like you're at a lake or river
for a day where there's fishing going on...in a good sort of way. Like being at the ocean without the salt.
I feed once weekly rotating my organic and inorganics between about 7 different foods altogether.
Similar to @AZbonsai, I do base the strength
of my inorganic based on near and future forecasts. Rain or high heat = organic, but
my Summers are bit shorter than his and only skip a solid 2+ months feeding in Jan and Feb
(depending on species and planned maintenance to come that Spring if any).

Right now we're missing 2 days here in what would've been be a 3 week long heat wave soon.
This Sunday I used in combination (at same time), liquid Bonsai Pro 7-9-5 (diluted 25% from instructions)
ProTekt 0-0-3, Fish Emulsion 5-1-1 diluted 25% as well and Superthrive. With the heat wave I'm watering 2x/day
and will use ProTekt with silicone again to help with any body that may get dried out before the 2nd watering.
Expecting the heat wave to break by early next week (based on cloud formations) I expect I will be using MirAcid Sunday
full strength.

 

[just.wing.it]

20-20-20 chemical fert and 5-5-5 fish emulsion in rotation weekly.