For the past few days I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking about bonsai fertilizers. I’ve posted about my feeding schedule and a recipe for fertilizer cakes. All the ingredients that I use to fertilize my trees have some sort of an odor. The cottonseed meal and the fish emulsion are among the worst offenders. These two ingredients are enough to catch the attention of just about anyone and everyone. There are a few things to remember when dealing with these smelly items.
- Wear gloves. Whenever mixing fertilizer be sure to wear gloves. The organic materials that I use aren’t necessarily harmful to the skin, but the smell has a way of attaching itself to you.
- Outside only. Fertilizer should be mixed and applied outdoors. If you are growing tropicals indoors you may want to seek alternatives for your fertilizer. Fish emulsion and cottonseed meal are just not something you want to find their way into your home.
- Deodorized. Neptune’s Harvest and a few other suppliers offer “deodorized” versions of organic materials. Deodorized fish emulsion is the only way to go. Trust me, I speak from experience. There is a big difference between deodorized and not.
- Charcoal goes a long way. My bonsai soil mix contains a little horticultural grade charcoal. A dash of charcoal added to your soil mix goes a long way towards filtering out some of the odor that fish emulsion and other fertilizers will add to the soil.
If you have neighbors in close proximity to your bonsai collection you may want to try your best to stay on their good side. A note in their mailbox or a friendly wave and a chat about the new smell in your backyard could ease a potentially awkward conversation later.
