by Justin Lee
There are many different skills needed to successfully grow Bonsai Trees in your home. Some of these are easy to identify, such as pruning or training the tree. Fortunately neither of these is usually fatal to the tree unless you become over physical with the tree when you are training it, and end up breaking off the branches or the trunk. There is one other skill that can be, and often is, fatal to the Bonsai tree and that is watering.
There is an old belief in Japan that it takes 3 years to learn to water your Bonsai correctly. It is also often said that it may take three years of tree loss before a new Bonsai enthusiast realizes that their watering regiment may be the cause of the losses.
There are two problems with watering, we either over or underwater the Bonsai tree. The effects of under watering are pretty easy to spot. While the effects of over watering can take much longer to become apparent. Over watering is also normally a lot harder to diagnose. Under watering and allowing the compost to dry out completely is the quickest way to kill a Bonsai tree.
Established plants that are growing in the ground have in an innate ability to adjust to their environment and water quantity. If the tree needs additional water, its roots will begin to spread out in search of water. Plants growing in more arid areas will tend to have much larger root structures. However, when a plant is forced to grow in a pot, like the Bonsai tree is, the tree lacks the ability for the root structures to spread out beyond the confines of pot, in its search for additional water. In other words, Bonsai Trees grown in a pot, depend on you to regulate the water of the plant.
Once a Bonsai tree, or for that matter any tree or plant, has started to show the effects of under watering, it is often too late to save the tree by adding additional water. In fact adding water at this point can actually cause more damage to the tree. Water can actually be pulled from the tree by a process known as reverse osmosis. A Bonsai tree that is suffering from under watering will show damage at the leaves, branch roots and the trunk. Leaves will dry out and fall from the branches, the branches them self will become brittle and are easily broken.
If the Bonsai tree has been over watered the roots and the compost that surrounds the roots will be permanently wet. A healthy tree needs to be able to draw oxygen into its roots. This oxygen normally comes from the compost around the roots. However, when the compost is permanently wet, it lacks the ability to absorb air. This results in the death of the roots, followed by the tree dying itself.
So the question is how you, as a Bonsai enthusiast, learn to water your Bonsai correctly. The simplest way may sound strange, but the simplest is “Never water your Bonsai on a routine”. Instead learn to water your Bonsai only when the tree needs it. On a extremely hot dry day, your Bonsai may need additional water, other times the tree may not need additional water for a couple of days. To determine when your tree actually needs water, check the compost. Compost will change color and appearance as it begins to dry out. When the color of the compost changes and the top ΒΌ” of the compost have dried out, it’s time to water your Bonsai tree.
The morning is the best time of the day to water your Bonsai. This allows the water to absorb into the compost and root structure before the effects of the sun and mid day heat effect the tree. Late afternoon or evening watering is not recommended, unless the Bonsai has dried out during the day.
The soil that you plant you Bonsai in can affect how much and how often you need to water. Most Bonsai trees that come from commercial nurseries will have the pot filled with compost. Compost will retain water longer than an inorganic soil, so it is imperative that you monitor the compost regularly to prevent over watering. If possible, it is recommended that you replace the compost with an inorganic soil since this soil reduces the possibility of over watering. However, keep in mind that most growers do not recommend repotting a Bonsai for the first year, as this may put additional stresses on the tree.
Some sources recommend that you water the Bonsai by “Immersion”. DO NOT water by immersion. Immersion watering is used to get water into a plant with compacted, very poor quality organic soil. If the Bonsai actually needs to be watered by immersion, it is really in trouble. The best way to correct this problem is to make small holes in the soil to allow water to penetrate into the soil, and at the earliest opportunity repot the plant.
Watering should only be done when the plant actually needs to be watered. Don’t over or under water the plant. And when you water the Bonsai tree, be sure to water from the top of the tree. Then relax and enjoy your Bonsai tree.
Do you want to learn more about how to correctly water your bonsai? Justin Lee’s bonsai website, Bonsai-Hut.com is a wonderful source of everything you will need to grow a healthy, happy bonsai tree including the correct type of soil for your bonsai. While you’re there, sign up for Justin’s 7 part mini course on caring for your bonsai. Find out what the leading cause of bonsai death is. Learn how to prune and shape your bonsai with wiring and defoliation techniques and much more. Justin has been a bonsai enthusiast every since he purchased his first bonsai over 20 years ago. Join him in this fascinating hobby and become a bonsai enthusiast yourself. You’ll be glad you did! Click Here to explore Justin’s site now!
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