Winter fertilizer question.

[IrishCrow]

Hey folks,
Well winter is upon us especially here in the Northeast. Last night it was 22°. So it's a bit chilly. Also, being new to bonsai this is my first winter. So I've been doing some reading g off the internet and as usual, lots of contradictions. So can anyone give me some insight on how to fertilize my trees in the winter months for both my indoor and outdoor trees. My outdoor trees consist of a couple red maples, couple of junipers, and a spruce. My indoor plants are ficus, dwarf cherry, a azelea. But mostly ficus. So, how often do I feed and what mixture? More phosphorus less phosphorus? more nitro? And so on.
So..... What do ya think?

 

[LanceMac10]

Anything outdoors won't need any fert and if something indoors appears to be growing, give it some mild fert. You won't need to feed often indoors.....at least in your location.

 

[AlainK]

Anything outdoors won't need any fert and if something indoors appears to be growing, give it some mild fert.

Best answer so far!

When trees are dormant, sap is circulating at its lowest rate, they're leafless so the chemistry between light + nutriments can't work, so fertilizers can't be assimilated, or to a very, very limited extent.

Better fertilize before leaf fall or just before budbreak. Fertilizing now is useless.

 

[twisted trees]

I keep my indoor trees outdoors for the summer. After I bring them inside I do as little as possible. Leaves fall off generally so I just remove them, put them in a west window and water them when they get dry. I really do not care about winter growth. It gets spindly with large leaves, so I do not fertilize until I put them out again in the late spring.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I agree, don't fertilize winter dormant trees in winter. In my case I water trees in cold storage with same water I use for orchids, sometime it has fertilizer. If dilute a little fertilizer won't hurt, but in winter on dormant trees you are wasting fertilizer.

Tropicals, I have a very bright light garden, some of my tropicals, like Eugenia do grow in winter, others like ficus pretty much stay dormant. All winter I feed my tropicals at same dilute rate I feed my orchids. It is only 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, which for the tech minded works out to about 42 ppm as Nitrogen. This is dilute, but they get it most waterings all winter. Even dormant Ficus get it.

 

[GrimLore]

I agree, don't fertilize winter dormant trees in winter. In my case I water trees in cold storage with same water I use for orchids, sometime it has fertilizer. If dilute a little fertilizer won't hurt, but in winter on dormant trees you are wasting fertilizer.

Tropicals, I have a very bright light garden, some of my tropicals, like Eugenia do grow in winter, others like ficus pretty much stay dormant. All winter I feed my tropicals at same dilute rate I feed my orchids. It is only 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, which for the tech minded works out to about 42 ppm as Nitrogen. This is dilute, but they get it most waterings all winter. Even dormant Ficus get it.

Well stated. My individual plants get different indoors though as some like the Serissa, Bougainvillea, Desert rose, and Peppers I let suffer a few nights at 30F so they go dormant upon taking them indoors. When they start to toss new shoots and leaf again I water and fertilize the same as during the Summer. The rest like Ficus, Cacti, Succulents, and strange plants my Wife likes get a low dose weekly no matter where they are at dormancy wise. The Banana tree, well that just grows until it fruits and then dies leaving fresh "pups" for the following year and it gets treated exactly the same daily and if it does ever go dormant I never have noticed.
Bottom line indoors, mileage varies with plant types and conditions.
Outdoors here stay outdoors and are not allowed to dry is all with no fertilizer after a final shot after leaf drop.

Grimmy

 

[JudyB]

My BRT and EU olive grow all winter long, the BRT is as vigorous inside as outside. I defoliate just as I bring it in so I can get new leaves for winter. 1/4 tsp per gal. of Dyna-gro, with each daily watering.

 

[Paradox]

My BRT and EU olive grow all winter long, the BRT is as vigorous inside as outside. I defoliate just as I bring it in so I can get new leaves for winter. 1/4 tsp per gal. of Dyna-gro, with each daily watering.

You completely defoliate the BRT? This is the first time I've seen that someone does that to BRT. Any reason why you've found that to be better than not defoliating?

 

[LanceMac10]

I do it 2-3 times a year. Depends on the trees reaction once I bring it indoors.

 

[Paradox]

To anewer the OP's question.

No fertilizer on temperate, dormant trees.
Fetilizer on tropicals indoors for the winter.

 

[JudyB]

I do this every fall (defoliate) when it comes inside. It is going to shed it's old leaves sometime during the winter, so I do it before it comes in so I don't have to deal with the mess of that natural shedding. It grows rampantly as it puts on new leaves too. The seedling heat mats that I started using last year really make a huge difference with winter vigor.

 

[Paradox]

I do this every fall (defoliate) when it comes inside. It is going to shed it's old leaves sometime during the winter, so I do it before it comes in so I don't have to deal with the mess of that natural shedding. It grows rampantly as it puts on new leaves too. The seedling heat mats that I started using last year really make a huge difference with winter vigor.

What temperature are your trees at without the mats?

Mine are under 6 4 foot flourecent daylight bulbs. I've measured 80 degrees on the at the pot level where the are when the lights are on

I brought them in a month ago and they already need to be trimmed.

 

[JudyB]

@Paradox Not sure, they are in a south facing window, with regular shop single fixture 2 bulb florescent above. The heat mats are just the cheapo seedling ones, that don't use a external thermostat. It just warms to a few degrees above ambient. I imagine the nighttime warming when the window gets cooler is where the effectiveness lies.

 

[GrimLore]

My indoor plants are ficus, dwarf cherry, a azelea.

Do I understand you are bringing an Azalea inside or have already? Never have done that is why I ask with normal Azalea
I have grown Greenhouse types indoors for a few years but they required specific conditions.
What type of Azalea is it you have?

Grimmy

 

[Waltron]

read somewhere that deer and rabbit turds work good for winter, lol i bring a lil baggie with me to collect them in when im out huntin

 

[IrishCrow]

Anything outdoors won't need any fert and if something indoors appears to be growing, give it some mild fert. You won't need to feed often indoors.....at least in your location.

Ok great. Thanks Lance

 

[IrishCrow]

Best answer so far!

When trees are dormant, sap is circulating at its lowest rate, they're leafless so the chemistry between light + nutriments can't work, so fertilizers can't be assimilated, or to a very, very limited extent.

Better fertilize before leaf fall or just before budbreak. Fertilizing now is useless.

Ok cool. Ya, I did my last fert just about when the foliage began to drop. Thanks for the info!

 

[IrishCrow]

I agree, don't fertilize winter dormant trees in winter. In my case I water trees in cold storage with same water I use for orchids, sometime it has fertilizer. If dilute a little fertilizer won't hurt, but in winter on dormant trees you are wasting fertilizer.

Tropicals, I have a very bright light garden, some of my tropicals, like Eugenia do grow in winter, others like ficus pretty much stay dormant. All winter I feed my tropicals at same dilute rate I feed my orchids. It is only 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, which for the tech minded works out to about 42 ppm as Nitrogen. This is dilute, but they get it most waterings all winter. Even dormant Ficus get it.

Thanks Leo

 

[IrishCrow]

To anewer the OP's question.

No fertilizer on temperate, dormant trees.
Fetilizer on tropicals indoors for the winter.

Ok cool. Thanks paradox