The Ideal

Proper and timely watering is one of the most important fuctions a bonsai artist does. Without water, a plant is unable to transport, create, or utilize energy. Water is also necessary to discard wastes.

Common Mistakes

There are two major mistakes: too much water, and too little water.

Too much water leads to soggy soil. The excess water, over time, will literally drown the roots. A well-draining soil mix will help avoid this.

Too little water is obviously bad, also. If the water level in the soil drops too low for too long, the fine root hairs that dump wastes and draw up nutrients will die. Again, a good bonsai soil mix can help by retaining moisture.

A bonsai soil that is well-draining, as well as moisture-retaining, will help take much of the guesswork out of watering. It will also help protect a bonsai from mistakes in watering.

Each Tree is Different

Each tree should be examined individually, in order to see if it needs water. There are a myriad of elements that affect how fast the soil in a particular tree dries out. Here are a few:

• species and size of tree
• size and shape of pot
• kind of soil used
• weather and wind conditions

A maple may use water faster than a pine, for example. And bonsai in smaller pots will almost certainly dry out faster. Bonsai planted in large, shallow containers will dry quickly, as will trees that are exposed to full sun for the greater part of the day.

When to water

Most sources say that watering in the morning is best. Water a bonsai when the top half-inch of soil is dry. For smaller bonsai, water when the top quarter-inch of soil is dry. Do not depend on rain to water your trees. Bonsai grown in a well-draining soil mix (like ours) can be watered daily in spring, summer, and fall. Periodic watering is also necessary in winter to keep the soil from drying out. Never allow the soil to completely dry out.

How to water

Watering should be done with a watering can that creates a soft, rain-like stream of droplets. There are also hose attachements that accomplish the same thing. The idea is to mimic a soft rainshower that will not wash away the soil in the containers. A hard spray from a common hose attachment will almost certainly blast away the soil from your bonsai. Also be sure to thoroughly soak the soil. This means watering until water runs out the drain holes in the bottom of the container.