Ricky73 wrote:

I saw the discussion on the Oxalis…
I try to get rid of them but it's impossible

Well, I let them be if under control. I check every other day.
When they get crazy I just pluck them off, and they of course regrow.
But it has been not a problem with my plants, so I don't worry very much.

Ricky73 wrote:

Hi all,
let me apologize as I'm going off topic from the original post… but I saw the discussion on the Oxalis… I have it in the soil of my Olive tree… it has done no damage so far.
The Olive was repotted one year ago so I did not mean to do it this year. However I ask you if it may harm the growth of the plant, clogging the pot with its roots.
I try to get rid of them but it's impossible to do it properly, fully removing their roots, unless I repot my tree completely.

That's also my experience. The roots go pretty deep and best way to get rid of 'm is when repotting. I still have some of it growing in my pots. I regularly pluck the growth so it won't grow too big. I make sure no flowers develop to prevent it from further spreading.

If you remove a few grains of substrate around the plant, you can grab the main root. Pull this gently and the whole root slips out. If it has started to creep, find the newest part of the plant and lift it, together with the stems out of the ground untill you get to the oldest plant which will have a deep pen root again. Tread as before.

I had oxalis and other weeds last fall. Leaves had fallen, etc., so I just let them be, and spent hours last month separating the weeds from tree roots. Get them out now.

Thank you for all the replies! Very helpful.
I just went to get a 20-20-20 fertilizer and the closest I could get was something like 4-5-3.5
Is this what I am after? The guy said you can't get a 20-20-20.

To be honest.. I do not make a fuss about the fertilizer I use. I just get what I can. I mix dry organics (chicken pellet & Saidun Ultra) with liquid organic (This year first time fish emulsion) and other chemical "salt water" from the shelf at local discounters or offer-tables.

20-20-20...:
www.google.com/search?safe=off&q=20-20-20+fertilizer

The numbers stand for the elements N - P - K and their relative presence to eachother. The higher the number, the stronger. So far, I have not been able to find a conclusive relation between the absolute number, and the actual concentration. In other words, I assume 20-20-20 is stronger than 5-5-5 but I never have found a clear explanation of the link. I really should look into it one day.

Here it seems like it is percentages of the mixture. So 20-20-20 would be 20% each of N p and K
www.pennington.com/all-products/fertiliz...ng-fertilizer-labels

Thanks for your replies leather. Both places I went to weren't helpful. One scoffed when I said it was for a bonsia and said why does it even need phosphorus. I assumed 20-20-20 was 20% of each but I tried two places that don't have anything close to that.
I saw this one: www.bunnings.com.au/yates-500ml-thrive-a...-plant-food_p2961784
Would that work? Untill I can find a 20-20-20 somewhere online Maybe.

I think you will come to realize that most commercial traders have no clue about growing bonsai, and many will just assume that you want to limit growth. Whereas in most cases you want to maximize growth. Only when you get to the last stages of refinement is fertilizer management of relevance. Or at least, that is how I see it. As such, I really just use what is available. I mainly check whether trace elements are included. NPK is standard. But the plants need much more,but in much lower concentration.

in the end, the plant will be limited by only one or very few components of the fertilizer. Most of it will be present in excess. As you most often do not know exactly which one is limiting, you give it loads of fertilizer. Assuming you have a forigiving substrate, the excess will flush out..

Lower concentration & more frequent provision is what works well. (And of course, halfing the dilution of a 10-10-10 will give you the same effect as a 20-20-20 .. ).

I would err on giving lower concentration more frequently to reduce the risk of fertilizer burn to roottips in dry weather. Not something to ignore in Ozzie. (I used to live in Melbourne, and know how the weather is tricky some time of the year)

The guy I bought it off did say to not use the full strength on a label when I do fertilize it. I think he said half it and see how it goes.
Yeah Melbourne weather is weird hahaha.
So that one I linked should be ok for now? Basically if I get an all purpose with trace elements and don't go crazy with it I should be ok?
Sorry for all the questions I don't want to kill it haha

Ryan08 wrote:

The guy I bought it off did say to not use the full strength on a label when I do fertilize it. I think he said half it and see how it goes.
Yeah Melbourne weather is weird hahaha.
So that one I linked should be ok for now? Basically if I get an all purpose with trace elements and don't go crazy with it I should be ok?
Sorry for all the questions I don't want to kill it haha

Yup, should be fine.
As soon as you see yellowing of the foliage (Fall colours) stop fertilizer. The plant is then moving towards dormancy and fertilizing will not help; rather, you run a higher risk of salt buildup..

Especially in colder climates *think deep frost, and incidental early winter* prolonged fertilizer use can trick the plant in staying awake too long, and then be shocked that it is winter already. Or so the story goes. As you are not in a frost-prone region (correct?) this is not so much a problem. And on top of that, I am personaly convinced that nature is smarter than being trigged by fertilizer. I look at my trees and most species will reduce growth after mid-summer and start slowing down.