How to Water a Bonsai Properly,
When growing and training a bonsai of any type, one of the most
important aspects to success is water. While you will find
watering techniques do vary, most trees used for bonsai have the
same watering requirements. Just remember that the majority of
bonsai that die are due to improper watering. Therefore, this is
crucial to understand when growing bonsai.
The general guideline is to water the soil when it becomes dry
below the surface. Now, the important thing to remember is that
sometimes, the soil can seem dry. Therefore, before you water your
bonsai, you should check the soil below the surface, which can be
done by pushing your finger about an inch or so into the soil.
That way, you can tell if there is still moisture. If the soil is
still damp, then no watering is needed.
Another important thing about watering bonsai trees is that the way
in which the soil responds at the gardening center, nursery, or in
the forest could be different from how the soil will respond where
you live. Therefore, you also want to consider temperature and
atmospheric changes. Even with change, bonsai trees for the most
part are resilient, meaning they will soon adjust to the new
climate in one to three weeks.
It is common during this initial transition period to see a few of
the tree's leaves turning yellow or falling off completely but
again, this is considered normal. When checking the soil, follow
the simple rule - if the soil is moist, then do not water but if
the soil is dry, water. When you do water a bonsai tree, you want
to water it so the water runs out through the drain holes in the
bottom of the container. What you want to avoid is allowing the
plant to sit in water, which will lead to root rot, thus killing
the tree.
Typically, the soil of your bonsai tree should only be checked
every two weeks. From that, you would be able to see a pattern of
how much water your particular tree needs, which will make accurate
watering possible. Then, most bonsai need more water or more
frequent watering during the hot summer months and less during the
colder winter months. Therefore, you would simply make the
appropriate adjustments, which may require you checking the soil
more often to determine a new pattern.
Then, if you keep your bonsai tree outdoors, you would only water
in the fall and winter months when temperatures are 45 degrees ore
more. Remember that just about every species of tree used for
bonsai growing needs moisture at the roots in order to survive.
For the plant to continue its life process, there needs to be
moisture. If you find the leaves turning brown and drying up, this
would be a sure sign that the tree is drying out. Finally, these
are guidelines to follow so when you buy a particular species, it
would be beneficial to do a little research or talk to a
professional about any special watering needs for that tree.
When growing and training a bonsai of any type, one of the most
important aspects to success is water. While you will find
watering techniques do vary, most trees used for bonsai have the
same watering requirements. Just remember that the majority of
bonsai that die are due to improper watering. Therefore, this is
crucial to understand when growing bonsai.
The general guideline is to water the soil when it becomes dry
below the surface. Now, the important thing to remember is that
sometimes, the soil can seem dry. Therefore, before you water your
bonsai, you should check the soil below the surface, which can be
done by pushing your finger about an inch or so into the soil.
That way, you can tell if there is still moisture. If the soil is
still damp, then no watering is needed.
Another important thing about watering bonsai trees is that the way
in which the soil responds at the gardening center, nursery, or in
the forest could be different from how the soil will respond where
you live. Therefore, you also want to consider temperature and
atmospheric changes. Even with change, bonsai trees for the most
part are resilient, meaning they will soon adjust to the new
climate in one to three weeks.
It is common during this initial transition period to see a few of
the tree's leaves turning yellow or falling off completely but
again, this is considered normal. When checking the soil, follow
the simple rule - if the soil is moist, then do not water but if
the soil is dry, water. When you do water a bonsai tree, you want
to water it so the water runs out through the drain holes in the
bottom of the container. What you want to avoid is allowing the
plant to sit in water, which will lead to root rot, thus killing
the tree.
Typically, the soil of your bonsai tree should only be checked
every two weeks. From that, you would be able to see a pattern of
how much water your particular tree needs, which will make accurate
watering possible. Then, most bonsai need more water or more
frequent watering during the hot summer months and less during the
colder winter months. Therefore, you would simply make the
appropriate adjustments, which may require you checking the soil
more often to determine a new pattern.
Then, if you keep your bonsai tree outdoors, you would only water
in the fall and winter months when temperatures are 45 degrees ore
more. Remember that just about every species of tree used for
bonsai growing needs moisture at the roots in order to survive.
For the plant to continue its life process, there needs to be
moisture. If you find the leaves turning brown and drying up, this
would be a sure sign that the tree is drying out. Finally, these
are guidelines to follow so when you buy a particular species, it
would be beneficial to do a little research or talk to a
professional about any special watering needs for that tree.
