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Originally Posted by andytrace
Yay it didn't smell like rotten eggs!does that mean he should be ok!!
Your all awfully helpfull in here, iv been trying another forum but the replys are normally short and all things iv read about before!
I just waterd my trees and your right the water flows strate through to the bottom and flooded my window sill!il go place them outside somewhere out of the wind soon (this wont be too much of a shock for a just bought mallsai which came from a warm indoor climate will it?)
Im downloading an ebook by Peter chan but its been taking a few days!
I have "bonsai nutriants" at a 4/6/6 NPK mix!will this do, should it be full or half the reccommended strength?
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Hi again Andy,
That's good to hear about the soil. If memory serves me correct, an earthy smelling soil is a result of natural bacteria breaking down organic matter. A tree grown in "normal" soil, IE the stuff in your back yard, would utilise the nutrients therein. As you are using 100% inorganic, the soil is essentially sterile and largely void of nutrients.
The temperature change shouldn't be a problem this time of year for the Chinese elm and so should not be a shock to it at all. If you decided to do this in mid winter, then yes it could shock the tree.
If your fertilizer is specifically for bonsai, I would suggest using it at the full dosage and schedule recommended by the manufacturer. These tend to be weaker than regular plant fertilizers and is why I recommended watering those ones down to half strength. Over fertilizing a tree is one of the fastest ways to kill it, as new roots can be "burned" by concentrated doses and the tree become overwhelmed.
A word of caution might be prudent here. If you repot a bonsai and do any significant root pruning, avoid fertilizing for about 4-6 weeks, for the reasons mentioned above.
Peter Chan's books are very good, and help get your head around the basics and some of the more advanced concepts. You can pick his books up very cheaply on ebay. Some going for £3-£5. "Bonsai Masterclass" is an excellent read and explains in a good amount of detail, how bonsai are created, the bonsai calendar (what you can be expecting to be doing at any given time of year), suitable tree species etc, etc.
All the best,
Aaron