Flowering Bonsai Feeding Made Simple – Hanasaku & MicroTotal Bundle

Flowering Bonsai Feeding Made Simple

Flowering bonsai need more than fertilizer to bloom, but the right feeding program helps provide the nutrition needed for healthy growth, flower-bud development, and better bloom performance.

This bundle pairs bloom-focused Hanasaku with periodic MicroTotal applications. Four reusable fertilizer cups make the pellets easy to measure, position, and remove.

Hanasaku is the primary flowering fertilizer. MicroTotal provides occasional nitrogen and micronutrient support.

The simple plan: Count the Hanasaku pellets, divide them among the cups, and replace them every 3–4 weeks. Apply MicroTotal every 6–8 weeks on a separate day. Feed only while the tree is healthy and actively growing.

What’s Included

• 10 ounces of Hanasaku Japanese flowering fertilizer
• One 8-fluid-ounce bottle of MicroTotal 5-0-0
• Four reusable fertilizer cups
• Downloadable flowering-bonsai feeding guide (PDF)

Why These Two Fertilizers Work Together

• Hanasaku 1.5-9-4.5: A lower-nitrogen, bloom-focused fertilizer formulated for flowering bonsai and other blooming plants.
• MicroTotal 5-0-0: A liquid supplement that adds nitrogen, iron, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, copper, zinc, and boron.

Hanasaku provides the primary feeding program. MicroTotal fills a different role and should be applied less frequently.

Step 1: Apply Hanasaku

Use approximately one Hanasaku pellet for every inch of pot width. Count the total number of pellets first, then divide them among the fertilizer cups.

• 5–6 inch pot: Use 5–6 pellets divided between 2 cups
• 7–9 inch pot: Use 7–9 pellets divided among 3 cups
• 10–12 inch pot: Use 10–12 pellets divided among 4 cups

Place the cups evenly around the pot and water normally, making sure water reaches each cup.

Do not fill every cup completely. The amount of fertilizer is based on the width of the pot, not the capacity of the cups.

Replace the Hanasaku pellets every 3–4 weeks while the tree is healthy and actively growing.

Step 2: Apply MicroTotal

For a simple staggered schedule, make the first MicroTotal application approximately two weeks after placing the Hanasaku pellets.

• Indoor tropical flowering bonsai: Mix 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.
• Outdoor tropical flowering bonsai: Mix 2 tablespoons per gallon of water.
• Cold-hardy outdoor flowering bonsai: Mix 2 tablespoons per gallon of water.

Use enough mixed solution to water the soil normally and allow the excess to drain. You do not need to pour the entire gallon onto one bonsai.

Repeat MicroTotal every 6–8 weeks while the tree remains healthy and actively growing. Apply it on a different day from placing or replacing Hanasaku.

Beginner tip: If the soil is bone dry, moisten it with plain water before applying liquid fertilizer.

Which Bonsai Is This Bundle For?

This bundle is suitable for many tropical and cold-hardy flowering bonsai, including:

• Azalea
• Bougainvillea
• Wisteria
• Water Jasmine
• Serissa
• Flowering cherry
• Crabapple
• Other flowering bonsai and blooming container plants

When Should I Begin Feeding?

• Tropical flowering bonsai: Begin when the tree is producing healthy new growth. Continue while it remains warm, bright, and active.
• Cold-hardy flowering bonsai: Feed during the active growing season. Stop when the tree enters dormancy or the soil begins freezing.
• Spring-flowering trees: Remember that many trees form next year’s flower buds after the current bloom has finished. Post-bloom care and correct pruning time can be just as important as spring feeding.

When Should I Wait?

Wait to fertilize if the tree:

• Has just arrived and is still adjusting
• Was recently repotted or root-pruned
• Is unhealthy or severely stressed
• Has an unresolved watering or pest problem
• Has stopped producing healthy new growth
• Is dormant or sitting in frozen soil

Resume feeding when the tree has recovered and returned to healthy, active growth.

Will Fertilizer Make My Bonsai Flower?

Fertilizer supports flowering, but it cannot create flowers by itself. Blooming also depends on:

• Sufficient sunlight
• The age and maturity of the tree
• Correct seasonal temperatures
• Proper watering
• Species-appropriate pruning
• Winter dormancy or chilling when required

If a healthy flowering bonsai is producing leaves but no flowers, review its light and pruning schedule in addition to its fertilizer program.

Need More Help?

Download our How to Fertilize Flowering Bonsai guide (PDF). It has the full feeding schedule in one place. Print it and keep it with your supplies.

For plants only. Do not ingest. Keep fertilizer out of reach of children and pets.