On my quest on learning more about fertilizers. So far I've learned that it's useless to fertilize a allready watered soil as the good stuff just runs out of the bottom. Regarding liquid or solid fertilizers, logically the liquid fertilizer will be washed out eventually but the solid pellets keep on giving nutrients until it stops raining or the pellets run out. That's why they're slow releasing.
I usually will postbone the feeding until the soil is slightly dry.

Aivar1988 wrote:

On my quest on learning more about fertilizers. So far I've learned that it's useless to fertilize a allready watered soil as the good stuff just runs out of the bottom. Regarding liquid or solid fertilizers, logically the liquid fertilizer will be washed out eventually but the solid pellets keep on giving nutrients until it stops raining or the pellets run out. That's why they're slow releasing.
I usually will postbone the feeding until the soil is slightly dry.

I do the opposite. I fertilize with solids when I know rain will come in the next few days as th etrees will stay fertilized throughout.

For liquid, I water my pots first and then re-water wth fertilizer.

Oh for solids for sure
I have been trying to search for some info on solid fertilizers, but all I come up is either super expensive biogold (which is total overkill for my nursery stock trees), or playing around with teabags. I start to think that my plan on making my life easyer, by skiping the mixing of liquid fertilizer in the watering can, will fail. Also I start to think that liquid nutrients are more effective or give more results for trees in development?! I mean liquid fertilizer works faster and is maybe somewhat stronger?!
Right now I'm using chicken poop pellets + every fortnight liquid fertilizer. I'm also experimenting on dissolving the pellets first in a bottle, to avoid the pellets cloging the soil but again, it's inconvenient and takes atleast 3-4 days.

You can grind the pellets between to bricks; I have concrete paverd of 5*10cm which I use to grind fertilizer. (Bought a whole load of organic fertilizer which turned out to be salt pellets after all; mixed them with chicken pellets).

I do not worry about the clogging for most of my trees. I repot most of them every 2-3 trees; Not enough time to saturate the soil.

I have saidung as staple fertilizer. And use other stuff I get on sale mixed around to ensure a broad micronutrient environment. Yesterday I used Compo Liquid fertilizer, which I got in a 5litre tub 2 years ago. Supposed to by Guano based.

Leatherback, do you approve? It's even on sale, just like you like them
It's a powder type fert with a good balanced NPK + trace elements. Got magnesium, iron, copper the whole shebang. A little high on the urea-N tho, but I like the fact that I could use it with every watering (if I wouldn't be so lazy). The liquid fert is an addition to the chicken poop pellets anyways.

I searched the forum for Schultz products but didn't find anything about their fertilizers. My last bottle of Compo bonsai liquid fert just ended and I'm looking for a replacement. Compo doesn't make it anymore. They went for a universal cactus/bonsai fert but the NPK is way off. Although they do make good blooming flower ferts, which look bretty good. One is a 4-6-6 (using it now with my chicken poop) and the other one is a 8+6+6 for spring

IF it helps, my schedule nowadays (almost Spring here) is:

- Basacote 9 months prills.
- Biogold inside teabags
- Fish Emulsion every 15 days - Liquid
- Will try compost tea tomorrow, just to go agains some rules.

Clicio, I asked you in your fert topic but maybe you didn't notice... Isn't there a deodorized versions of fish emulsion? Pros/cons?

Aivar1988 wrote:

Isn't there a deodorized versions of fish emulsion? Pros/cons?

I am not sure whether you are serious but.. The smell is .. because it literally is fermented fish organics. That stuff smells. What you smell is pure goodness! Take away the smell, you take away the goodness.

I use the fish when rain is expected so we won't be outside and keep the doors closed.

Aivar1988 wrote:

Leatherback, do you approve? It's even on sale, just like you like them
It's a powder type fert with a good balanced NPK + trace elements. Got magnesium, iron, copper the whole shebang. A little high on the urea-N tho, but I like the fact that I could use it with every watering (if I wouldn't be so lazy). The liquid fert is an addition to the chicken poop pellets anyways.

I searched the forum for Schultz products but didn't find anything about their fertilizers. My last bottle of Compo bonsai liquid fert just ended and I'm looking for a replacement. Compo doesn't make it anymore. They went for a universal cactus/bonsai fert but the NPK is way off. Although they do make good blooming flower ferts, which look bretty good. One is a 4-6-6 (using it now with my chicken poop) and the other one is a 8+6+6 for spring

Looks like highly concentrated stuff. I would be wary of using this every watering, except for much lower concentration.
As said.. I do not worry too much about what I use. I have a few different types and brands standing around and I mix it up.I rather have my trees go without fertilizer for a bit than that I risk overfertilizing. But I manage to do that too every once in a while and I get burnt leaf tips.

leatherback wrote:

Aivar1988 wrote:

Isn't there a deodorized versions of fish emulsion? Pros/cons?

I am not sure whether you are serious but.. The smell is .. because it literally is fermented fish organics. That stuff smells. What you smell is pure goodness! Take away the smell, you take away the goodness.

I use the fish when rain is expected so we won't be outside and keep the doors closed.

I didn't know. Closest thing I can get locally is fish meal. I've read it smells really bad but someone mentioned about a deodorized version.
I have opened a can of swedish fermented surstromming... believe me I know how bad fermented fish can smell