i have 4 maples in decent size pots which have been potted on over 4 yrs .new compost has always been added but as the last time this was done was a yr ago iwonder if a feed may be needed and if so what are tried and tested feeds to use
From recent discussions I have had with others, it is getting too late in the season to fertilze this year. The primary risk being the response time from the addition of fertilizer/nitrogen to new growth response tends to be about 2 weeks, and the effects will persist. Many maples, if not already, will begin their summer growth soon (mine are going strong here in oregon and have been for a few weeks) and the addition of nitrogen now can prevent the the hardening-off of new growth before winter or prolong growth too late into the fall-- All increasing the risk of winter kill or dieback depending on your region. I would wait until spring to fertilize or add organic compost to pottings. I have been repotting some of my trees, as we have cooled off 15 or so degrees back into the 80's, but the mix has a very low organic/available nitrogen component. In general and out of context of any season, I prefer using limited or no compost with potted trees and having the ability to add it exogenously at given times of the year (early spring, and on some trees early summer, with some slow release granules used). My less then expert opinion. Michael
Hi Clive, One of the things I'm learning and continuing to learn is nothing is written in stone with regard to caring for plants. When to feed, when not to feed, when and how much to water, when to propagate, etc. is all relative....very relative to where you live and what the local weather is like in any given time of the year and what kind of plant you're talking about. There is really no pat answer for every thing or every one. For instance, I live in Los Angeles and the summers here can stretch into October which makes for a very long growing season compared to more northern climes. Also, the winters here aren't as cold and never gets to the point of freezing and there is no threat of early spring frost damage. Of course that's not written in stone either given the fact we had hail fall in downtown LA last year and I was witness to it! Since starting my modest maple collection I've been using Growmore kelp extract (no vested interest in this company). It's made by a local company (Gardena, CA) and I like supporting local companies if I can. Kelp extract is considered more of a *food* than a *fertilizer*. The NPK of this particular product is very low at .10-.10-1.5, but it contains a lot of trace elements not found in regular chemical or manure fertilizers. I mix only 1 teaspoon per gallon of water and apply every other watering. This seems to be helping not only my maples, but my cacti and succulents as well. It doesn't have a strong smell like some other organic and chemical fertilizers can have. After doing quite a bit of research on fish emulsions I'm gravitating toward one product called Tillies (again, no vested interest). It's made from organically farm raised Tilapia and is, they claim, totally odorless. The NPK is 0-10-10. Choose a fertilizer with little or no nitrogen. Personally I try to avoid chemical fertilizers. Hope this helps, Layne
