Bonsai Care - How to Water

Do you water a bonsai like any other plant? Of course not. Lots of factors affect bonsai including climate and environment and there are very specific ways on how they should be treated.

Bonsai use water at different rates, which means that because there are many different types of bonsai they will all use water at different times and amounts during their growing cycle. All bonsai are not the same. Different species of bonsai do not have set cycles and should be tended to when necessary.

Watering - never let the compost dry out. That is the quickest way to kill a bonsai. The trees and plants in the ground adapt to their environment, your bonsai cannot do that as they are in such a small scale, that the things you do, or don’t do have a big impact on it. In Japan it is said that it takes 3 years to master the proper watering of a bonsai.

Under-watering will do more harm to your bonsai than over-watering. Take a careful note of the compost and be careful not to let it dry out.

The roots of a bonsai need oxygen to breathe - water comes into contact with the roots and provides oxygen, it flushes out all the by products and in exchange gives fresh air and oxygen which nourishes the plant. If you give too much water the plant will literally suffocate - the fine root hairs cannot breathe and it dies through too much oxygen.

Is there a way you can tell if you have over-watered? Yes if you are re-potting, over-watering will be shown by the fine roots hairs which will have turned black and gone rotten.

Signs that you are watering incorrectly are - loss of vigor, no longer vibrant and healthy, but looking tired - foliage turns yellow and drop - the smaller branches wither and die away these are all good indications that you are not watering correctly.

Is there a way to remedy this? Yes cutting away the old dead black roots will help. Roots that are rotten promote the growth of bacteria, this can kill plants and so cutting away the old rotten roots will help your plant recover more quickly. It is essential that you do not damage any new growth during this process as this will slow down the recovery process. Most important of all you will need to alter your watering habits!

How often do you water? Never on a set routine. Temperature changes and changing environment mean that you need to adapt to what your bonsai needs. Bonsai only have a small root system and can dry out very quickly, you must keep a careful eye on the needs of each individual plant. Your plant may have damp compost on top, but below be drying out. Each species bonsai plant will use water at different rates according to their living conditions, and must be checked daily.

A tip to help you find out what is going on beneath the surface is to put a wooden toothpick into the soil and leave it there. When you check next the toothpick will help you to see if the compost below the surface has dried out, by looking at the lack of dampness and this will help you assess how much water you need to use.

The needs of you plant will come before your routine, and you should adapt accordingly as correct watering is critical.