Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Bobozam')— schedule & NPK
Also called Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae, Globe Arborvitae.
More about mr bowling ball arborvitae
About Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'Bobozam' · also called Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae, Globe Arborvitae · flowering
A dwarf, naturally ball-shaped evergreen with fine, feathery, sage-green to blue-green threadlike foliage that gives a soft texture unlike typical arborvitae. It keeps a neat sphere without shearing and stays small, suiting borders, foundations, and containers. It thrives in full sun to part shade with moist, well-drained soil and is exceptionally low-maintenance and cold-hardy.
Growth habit: Compact, naturally rounded dwarf shrub with fine, threadlike, soft-textured foliage. Holds a globe shape with no pruning required.
What fertiliser mr bowling ball arborvitae actually wants — and why
Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for mr bowling ball arborvitae: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed mr bowling ball arborvitae, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For mr bowling ball arborvitae:
Light feeder. One application of balanced slow-release or evergreen fertiliser in early spring is enough. Excess nitrogen loosens the tidy globe and forces soft growth; skip late-season feeding. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when mr bowling ball arborvitae is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for mr bowling ball arborvitae
Half strength is the safe default for mr bowling ball arborvitae — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water mr bowling ball arborvitae first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the mr bowling ball arborvitae watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding mr bowling ball arborvitae
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for mr bowling ball arborvitae:
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding mr bowling ball arborvitae
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full mr bowling ball arborvitae care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of mr bowling ball arborvitae with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for mr bowling ball arborvitae
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising mr bowling ball arborvitae — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does mr bowling ball arborvitae need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed mr bowling ball arborvitae?
Light feeder. One application of balanced slow-release or evergreen fertiliser in early spring is enough. Excess nitrogen loosens the tidy globe and forces soft growth; skip late-season feeding. Light feeder. One application of balanced slow-release or evergreen fertiliser in early spring is enough. Excess nitrogen loosens the tidy globe and forces soft growth; skip late-season feeding. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for mr bowling ball arborvitae?
Half strength is the safe default for mr bowling ball arborvitae — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding mr bowling ball arborvitae look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding mr bowling ball arborvitae year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of mr bowling ball arborvitae?
Flush the pot of mr bowling ball arborvitae with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water mr bowling ball arborvitae — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise peace lily
- How to fertilise bird of paradise
- How to fertilise hoya
- All 3899 fertilising guides in the Growli library