Pre bonsai maple fertilizer advice

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

It is getting a bit unreleated from the topic but anyway.. think I will manage in English tnx.

So I was wondering if it is better to mix it through the soil than to place it on top.
Meaning with that problematic sentence that balls which might be crushed for any reason (like chopsticking the soil) reveal the strong fertilizer from those balls which might cause damage to the roots when it comes in direct contact with the roots.

 

[snox7]

It is getting a bit unreleated from the topic but anyway.. think I will manage in English tnx.

So I was wondering if it is better to mix it through the soil than to place it on top.
Meaning with that problematic sentence that balls which might be crushed for any reason (like chopsticking the soil) reveal the strong fertilizer from those balls which might cause damage to the roots when it comes in direct contact with the roots.

Interesting thought there . I was thinking to put most of the substrate in then sprinkle a few balls over and then put the final layer of substrate on to finish it off .

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

It is just a hypothesis of course btw.

 

[pandacular]

Plants don't use NPK in equal amounts so much of that P and K will just be wasted.

I have read you mention this before, but I'm curious if you can share more details. Is there a ratio NPK is believed to be taken up at? I see a good number of fertilizers that are approximately 3-1-2 ratios, and I've wondered if that is related to that principle. Would love to read more on this topic!

 

[Shibui]

Meaning with that problematic sentence that balls which might be crushed for any reason (like chopsticking the soil) reveal the strong fertilizer from those balls which might cause damage to the roots when it comes in direct contact with the roots.

Have you actually tried crushing those little balls? Shape, size and material means they are actually quite difficult to crush when new and full. They do start to crumble when they get older but by that time there's almost nothing left inside anyway.
I suspect that if you did manage to crush a few the small amount of fertiliser concentrate inside each prill would not be enough to harm more than a few root tips in the immediate vicinity. Your plants probably lose more root tips each day from pests, diseases, etc every day but are constantly replacing lost roots so there's no real consequence.

Is there a ratio NPK is believed to be taken up at? I see a good number of fertilizers that are approximately 3-1-2 ratios, and I've wondered if that is related to that principle. Would love to read more on this topic!

3-1-2 seems to be around the correct ratio. Remember it's ratio not numbers so 6-2-4 and 12-4-8 are all the same ratios, just increasingly concentrated. The instructions will give you different dilution rates for each of those to bring the actual application strength down to something the plants can handle.
I don't know of any source I can refer you to but several members have also posted this in the past in discussions on fertiliser threads.

 

[Glaucus]

The crushed pellets may be a problem when you have a large bag, and the bottom has dust and crushed balls. And you put that on top of a plant. No idea if that is going to be harmful, though. It might be. You'd have to ask ICL if they recommend you throw that part away.

 

[NeedlesAndLeaves]

Have you actually tried crushing those little balls?

Yes I have actually and it requires very little effort to do so. Which made me say the part about crushing.
Anyway not saying this should happen.
The point was mix it through or put it top of the soil. Again hypothetically wondering if that could be a disadvantage to do the one or the other. But I think you are right the chance of damage because of crushed Osmocote balls will be minimal.
I will keep using it my way which works for me.
For now it is becoming unrelated to the OP