The origin of the plant is a clue to its water needs. Obviously plants from a rain forest have different water needs than plants from a desert. Also, plants water needs change with the temperature. The warmer the air, the more water a plants needs. When air is cool, plants requires less water. In cool, damp weather, do not over-water, especially during dark, rainy spells. Plants also have different water needs at different growth stages.
Dormant plants should be watered less, but even dormant plants need enough water to keep the root ball from drying out. During active growth plants use more food and water and need to be watched more closely. Plants setting flower buds need more water, less when the flowers open. Finally, plants change with age, older trees grow more slowly.
Junipers and pines require dryness between watering wherever they are – in the ground, in a nursery, or in a bonsai container. The important difference is that a juniper in a container does not have extra soil to act as a buffer if the tree does not receive water on time. You must water it at the first sign of dryness.
Moss used as ground cover is another factor affecting watering. When moss covers the soil, the soil is not exposed to the air and does not dry out as quickly. Moss often feels dry when the soil is not. Pick up a corner of the moss to feel the soil before watering. Water if the soil is dry, but not if only the moss is dry.
A newly potted bonsai, one with new soil around the root ball, will dry out more slowly than when it was root bound. With bonsai in need of re-potting, the roots fill the pot. There is no extra soil around the roots, and the tree requires more and more water. When you notice a plant needing more water, you should root prune and re-pot the plant.
Over-watering, this causes roots to rot, can be a long, slow process. The decline of the tree is gradual and often not visible for a long time. One sign of too much watering is large weak growth. And large weak growth is also caused by too little light.
Another sign of over watering is dry foliage that appears over a long period. Because the foliage feels dry, you may think it is due to lack of water. However, the key is that the dryness has occurred over an extend period, usually because of the slow rotting of roots.
Trees are harmed less by a little dryness than from too much water, but be careful that your plants do not dry up. At times total drying out occurs, and the tree is lost. Other times the drying out is partial, only the foliage is lost, and you may be able to save the tree. Foliage approaching the danger stage of being too dry appears dull and has lost its shine. This is most obvious with serissas and azaleas. Bonsai in this condition should be misted, watered a little, and then given a complete watering several hours later.
If foliage is limp, check the condition of the soil. If the soil is wet, the problem is over-watering. If the soil is dry, water and mist the plant the same way you would dull foliage.
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| Watering Bonsai |
Factors That Affect Watering Bonsai
Dormant plants should be watered less, but even dormant plants need enough water to keep the root ball from drying out. During active growth plants use more food and water and need to be watched more closely. Plants setting flower buds need more water, less when the flowers open. Finally, plants change with age, older trees grow more slowly.
Junipers and pines require dryness between watering wherever they are – in the ground, in a nursery, or in a bonsai container. The important difference is that a juniper in a container does not have extra soil to act as a buffer if the tree does not receive water on time. You must water it at the first sign of dryness.
Moss used as ground cover is another factor affecting watering. When moss covers the soil, the soil is not exposed to the air and does not dry out as quickly. Moss often feels dry when the soil is not. Pick up a corner of the moss to feel the soil before watering. Water if the soil is dry, but not if only the moss is dry.
A newly potted bonsai, one with new soil around the root ball, will dry out more slowly than when it was root bound. With bonsai in need of re-potting, the roots fill the pot. There is no extra soil around the roots, and the tree requires more and more water. When you notice a plant needing more water, you should root prune and re-pot the plant.
Signs Between Dryness and Over Watering
Over-watering, this causes roots to rot, can be a long, slow process. The decline of the tree is gradual and often not visible for a long time. One sign of too much watering is large weak growth. And large weak growth is also caused by too little light.
Another sign of over watering is dry foliage that appears over a long period. Because the foliage feels dry, you may think it is due to lack of water. However, the key is that the dryness has occurred over an extend period, usually because of the slow rotting of roots.
Trees are harmed less by a little dryness than from too much water, but be careful that your plants do not dry up. At times total drying out occurs, and the tree is lost. Other times the drying out is partial, only the foliage is lost, and you may be able to save the tree. Foliage approaching the danger stage of being too dry appears dull and has lost its shine. This is most obvious with serissas and azaleas. Bonsai in this condition should be misted, watered a little, and then given a complete watering several hours later.
If foliage is limp, check the condition of the soil. If the soil is wet, the problem is over-watering. If the soil is dry, water and mist the plant the same way you would dull foliage.
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