what organic fertilizer do you use?

tachigi

Graydon - Nope, at least not here in the states. You would have to import it from Europe. However give me a shout after christmas and lets see what we can do from my vendor. I'll post some before and after pictures later today of a bogey that we are documenting for the Green Dream. I know this will sound bias but the growth and color is radical. However the pictures sould be a good testament of the change in the last 7 weeks.

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Tom

Shady Side Bonsai
Bonsai Vault
4MAAT

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tachigi

These are pictures of some bogeys I collected. Before and after pictures
reflect an intial application of green dream. The before and after pictures cover approximately a 6 week time frame. The first frame is obviously the before picture.

Attached Images

	jsw_100_0265.jpg (64.8 KB, 35 views)
	jsw_bogey3.jpg (59.8 KB, 34 views)
	jsw_bogey1.jpg (67.5 KB, 50 views)
	jsw_bogey4.jpg (58.2 KB, 27 views)

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Tom

Shady Side Bonsai
Bonsai Vault
4MAAT

dragonprincess

Hi Graydon,

Another really good organic fertilizer is Meangreen Fertilizer. It produces excellent results. It was originally developed by Marc Torppa from the growing Grounds. He has been using it for about 8 years, and I have been using it for 3 years now. I do sell it on my website. If you are interested in a large quantity I can wholesale it to you.

Karen

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Website: www.reflectionsinwater.com

Email: reflectionsinwater@rochester.rr.com

Graydon

Thanks everyone for more good information and input. Keep it coming!

Update : I got some rapeseed cakes in just before I left town for Thanksgiving. I scattered them around on some of the trees, checked the automatic watering system to make sure all was well and left. When I got home yesterday evening I did a walk around. To my surprise I have a new odor from the rapeseed cakes. It's... different, and not in a good way. At first I thought it was the neighbor's dog pooping by the fence. It's not quite "poo ball" bad and a little better than "green dream" bad but still more noticeable than Bio Gold. It got up to about 80 degrees today and of course the smell kicked up to like 110%.

Still looking.

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bonsaial1

Pick up some cottonseed meal. You will love its fertilizing capabilities, but ohhh the stink. Neighbors will think you killed your wife/partner and buried her under the bonsai benches.
ak

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I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

dragonprincess

Graydon,


After I mix up a batch of meangreen it will smell while it is fermenting (24 hours), but once I scoop it and place it around the trees it no longer has a strong 'poo' odor. The cakes also hold up really well during watering and rain. I usually have to remove what is left when I replace new ones.

Karen

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Website: www.reflectionsinwater.com

Email: reflectionsinwater@rochester.rr.com

tachigi

Graydon my friend....you asked for organics...they stink at first, and then mellow like a fine wine. I personally believe it will be next to impossible to find a true organic fertilizer that doesn't smell of odea toliette. Biogold, as it was told to me by a semi reputable source, sprayed there cakes with a clear gelling agent for two reasons. The first being that it masked the smell of the "organic". The second being that it held the cake in its pretty little shape. Both are excellent marketing strategies. It worked. they dominated the market for packaged bonsai fertilizers. Biogold arguably was a top rate fertilizer. However, one would have to conclude that if it didn't breakdown fairly rapidly it did not reach its maximum potential, at least not till the end of its useful life. The idea, at least as I see it, is an even feed over the entire time of application. So...whether you buy Green Dream, Rape seed cakes, cotton seed meal or Karen's Mean Green. The bottom line is some thing that will disolve quickly leaching nutrients into the soil and give you a postive response. Besides how bad could throwing up in your mouth be

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Tom

Shady Side Bonsai
Bonsai Vault
4MAAT

Graydon

Interesting bit of info there and it does explain why everything else quickly turns to a pile like puddle of stinky mush.

I agree on your points of a quick feed but here in sunny Florida those summer (and fall and winter and spring) rains can make even bio gold quickly breakdown. That and me watering 2 to 3 times a day = fast breakdown.

I know I am looking for the holy grail of organics. I don't want to come across being too picky or complaining about the smell (it really does not bother me nearly as much as the neighbor bothers me) but bio gold has set the benchmark that others will be judged by in performance (in a non scientific way). The more input I get the more I am considering rotating usage of everything available.

Thanks again!

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