Do you water foliage? Or does it slow down the growth rate??

[rockm]

So it doesn’t rain where you live?

Of course, but not every day Rain does whatever Ryan says spraying with a hose does. I don't have to make a special effort to wet everything down daily. Kind of like bringing coal to Newcastle ain't it?

 

[Forsoothe!]

I think his reasoning is that the leaves can’t transpire as well if they “always” have no humidity differential from inside to outside the leaves. So the need to have water evaporate through their foliage in order to draw water through their vascular system and move nutrients - growth, etc. I’m my area I could water foliage every day and be fine. So I think it’s environment dependent.

This makes sense, theoretically, but is the net difference worth the spider mites you attract to a dry canopy? If you live in an environment without more rain than you need like eastern Oregon and Washington, Netherlands, the Gulf coast, et al, the the amount of growth, -if you could even calculate it much less observe it, almost certainly would be traded off by the reduction in light filtered out by the dust that accumulates sticking to the morning dew. Calculate that! Ever notice the dust that accumulates on the inner needles of a Pine/Spruce/Fir when you walk through a forest? You can choke to death on it. What's the value of the cursory inspection you make while watering, routinely? How about the just plain pleasure of tending your trees? Even this discussion is taking the fun out of bonsai...

 

[A. Gorilla]

It's pretty clear that Ryan's approach involves "bonsai at the highest level", which means hes looking to do and think more than the next guy at nearly any cost.

.001% more of something compounded over 1,000 trees x 10 years probably adds up to something.

But not for a dumbass like me.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Good question. I've been wondering since reading that junipers "feed from foliage" (?) if that means they also .....irrigate....from foliage.

???

 

[MrWunderful]

Im just here for the comments from Mirai haters, thats it.

And to OP-if you have a question for Ryan Neil about one of his videos or techniques, he is available for questions if you go the right route.

For what its worth i water most of the foliage on most of my trees everyday and get a ton of healthy growth.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I don't like foliar feeding because it does leave a mineral film on the leaves that makes it less 'green'. I suppose it works, but I prefer just feeding through the roots and not having a whitish (granted pretty thin and you have to look for it) film on my perfect leaves. You other peasants may have other standards...

 

[BrianBay9]

I'm in the California coast fog belt. My foliage gets watered almost every day whether I like it or not. So I don't worry about it when I'm watering myself - just spray everything. I do have to pay more attention to fungal issues on some trees. If I were 50 miles inland from here I'd be spraying my foliage every chance I got in the summer just to cool things off now and then. This advice is very location specific.

Foliar feeding? Never been convinced it's useful. Leaves on most trees are not designed to take up nutrients. Roots are.

 

[Tieball]

I agree. I don't think Ryan said it just to get noobs like myself to focus more on watering the soil and not just the foliage.

Here in Japan, there is a big rainy season and it does get pretty humid in the summer. But, my bonsai are on the balcony and it's covered from the rain.

In my case, perhaps in yours in Japan also, I have a light wind breeze most days. Light...but still there....just enough. I have believed that air circulation also helps tree health when I’m misting or light watering the foliage...which is right after I fully water the substrate.

I've wondered. Is balcony watering any difficulty with water run-off? I keep visualizing an upper balcony with water dripping down to a resident right below. It’s raining again.

 

[matcha_bonsai]

I've wondered. Is balcony watering any difficulty with water run-off? I keep visualizing an upper balcony with water dripping down to a resident right below. It’s raining again.

The balcony has a very nice draining solution. All water falls into a lower-side groove that drains away quickly...

 

[chicago1980]

I do not water my foliage.

The reason is I tried this treatment and my bonsai developed fungus on them from foliar feeding with water and super thrive.

I immediately stopped and the issue resolved itself with fungicide treatment.

I focus more on watering my soil and fertilizer on the soil.

With this being stated, my collection is 100% conifers, 11 junipers and 1 douglas fir.

 

[Zach Smith]

I have found there's no problem watering the entire tree provided there's sufficient air movement to prevent fungal growth. For me this means I can water everything all over until about May, when the breeze stops blowing and the humidity rises to a thousand percent or so. It's important to bear in mind that when we water a two foot tall tree that's sitting a few feet off the ground, there's a big challenge in getting enough air movement to penetrate the foliar mass of the tree. Specimens that are 20 or 30 or 80 feet tall don't have this same problem, even in the depths of summer with no air movement. The interiors of these trees remain open enough to allow for excess moisture from the rains to dissipate. Not so much with our small trees. I try to adjust my watering practice as the season progresses to prevent fungal growth, and that means watering only the soil to the greatest extent possible (not always possible when I have to use my automatic overhead watering system).

 

[Forsoothe!]

The more I hear, the more I see local conditions are all over the map requiring local solutions. I have mostly sun and good air circulation and heavy watering any day it doesn't rain. Prevailing winds ~9 mph average, westerly, and ~40 to ~60% RH in a state that food & Ag is the 3rd largest economic sector and Christmas trees is 5th. A good place to grow stuff. That's probably why my trees are better than everybody else's in the world.

 

[baron]

Might be somewhat related?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=841570606338234

 

[Aeast]

Watering the foliage itself isn't going to slow growth by any measurable amount alone, the effect of constantly wet foliage at the right time of spring will cause different types of fungal growth to occur, ie; powdery mildew, scab, blight. This in turn will decrease photosynthetic ability and will slow growth. So I guess what he said can be true under certain circumstances.

 

[Mikecheck123]

That's probably why my trees are better than everybody else's in the world.

I thought it was your devastatingly good looks.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I thought it was your devastatingly good looks.

My looks are devastating, or devastated by the years... Ryan is in Oregon, but not in that northeastern desert. He would have problems with too much moisture on the western slope.

 

[MichaelS]

''Ryan says watering the foliage actually slows down the growing. Is that true? ''

Oh yes. I mean just look how slowly plants grow during the rainy season in the Amazon!

 

[MichaelS]

Good question. I've been wondering since reading that junipers "feed from foliage" (?) if that means they also .....irrigate....from foliage.

???

Where did you read that Mike?

 

[clem]

Might be somewhat related?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=841570606338234

Not sure to understand what he said : did he say to not water the lower foliage to not weaken the lowest branches ? Or did he say that the cool water on the lower branches make them stronger ?
Thks. i water my palmatum this way ( watering only the lower branches) so it is interesting for me to know what he meant..

 

[baron]

Not sure to understand what he said : did he say to not water the lower foliage to not weaken the lowest branches ? Or did he say that the cool water on the lower branches make them stronger ?
Thks. i water my palmatum this way ( watering only the lower branches) so it is interesting for me to know what he meant..

He means by watering only the lower branches they will get weaker over time (specially on maples) so try to avoid water them. Or make sure you water the entire foliage.
It's the first time I hear about it, but I listen to my teacher 99% of the time so guess I'll pay more attention myself