Does it really dry out quicky!?

[deineath]

A question for those who use Bonsai Jack soil:
I repotted my bougain with their organic mix, which is pumice, calcined clay and pine bark a couple days ago.
What I noticed is that the soil dries out in matter of hours, like dry dry! The tree is currently inside, and the room temp is around 70 degrees.
It's my first time using this soil, so I've run some tests to make sure I'm not paranoid.
I've always used akadama/lava/mix, (and The Bonsai Supply mix a handful times) in the past few years, so this is pretty new medium for me.
I've read here and in other forums that people love this soil. So, I'm wondering how was your experience using this mix? Am I caring too much or I should be concerned?

 

[Gr8tfuldad]

I use the inorganic mix and supplement with pine bark on thirstier plants. I’m in zone 7 b. Outside in morning sun and afternoon shade I am watering once a day. To me this is perfect.

Have you tried the chop stick test to make sure that just the top is t just dry and bottom is still wet?

 

[Tums]

is the mix actually wetting? could it have gotten hydrophobic somehow?

 

[sorce]

What's the watering method and duration?

Sorce

 

[Scorpius]

I use their inorganic mix and I have to water once a day if its sunny, dry, and windy out. The more humid, hot, and cloudy out every other day.

 

[Paradox]

A question for those who use Bonsai Jack soil:
I repotted my bougain with their organic mix, which is pumice, calcined clay and pine bark a couple days ago.
What I noticed is that the soil dries out in matter of hours, like dry dry! The tree is currently inside, and the room temp is around 70 degrees.
It's my first time using this soil, so I've run some tests to make sure I'm not paranoid.
I've always used akadama/lava/mix, (and The Bonsai Supply mix a handful times) in the past few years, so this is pretty new medium for me.
I've read here and in other forums that people love this soil. So, I'm wondering how was your experience using this mix? Am I caring too much or I should be concerned?

The surface may look dry fairly quickly. Typically new soil does dry out faster than a pot that a tree has been in for a year.

Take a wooden chopstick and put it in the soil as deep as you can. After you water when it looks dry, pull out the chopstick and look at it. You'll be able to get an idea how dry it is deeper in the pot.

 

[deineath]

I use the inorganic mix and supplement with pine bark on thirstier plants. I’m in zone 7 b. Outside in morning sun and afternoon shade I am watering once a day. To me this is perfect.

Have you tried the chop stick test to make sure that just the top is t just dry and bottom is still wet?

Interesting.
Yes, I did try checking the soil with a chopstick after a few hours I watered it and the chopstick didn't get any moisture.

 

[deineath]

is the mix actually wetting? could it have gotten hydrophobic somehow?

it does, but i can't say how long it stays wet for. i have no idea about hydrophobic. i'm gonna monitor it closely.

 

[deineath]

The surface may look dry fairly quickly. Typically new soil does dry out faster than a pot that a tree has been in for a year.

Take a wooden chopstick and put it in the soil as deep as you can. After you water when it looks dry, pull out the chopstick and look at it. You'll be able to get an idea how dry it is deeper in the pot.

So luckily it had some of the old soil in the rootball when I repotted it, and the tree and leaves still look normal after these 3-4 days.
I did test the soil moisture with a chopstick several times, and it's dry only a few hours after watering.

 

[MSU JBoots]

I use their organic mix and I seem to water most of my trees between every day and every other day. Some of my conifer seedlings every few days. I use a chopstick method as this is my first year in earnest attempting bonsai.

 

[Carol 83]

I use their soil and have no problems with it. It's been really hot here, but once a day watering is enough.

 

[deineath]

I use their soil and have no problems with it. It's been really hot here, but once a day watering is enough.

Right, that sounds good to me for an outdoor tree. I do water my outdoor ones (in different soil mix) once or twice a day these days.
My concern is that this tree is inside, with cool weather and minimum air flow as the past few days, and it still dries out in couple of hours.

 

[Firstflush]

If new soil can possibly be hydrophobic to start with, maybe set/submerge in a watering tray to get moisture in every available pore space. May need an initial dunk…I mean if it’s really drying that quickly.

 

[Carol 83]

Right, that sounds good to me for an outdoor tree. I do water my outdoor ones (in different soil mix) once or twice a day these days.
My concern is that this tree is inside, with cool weather and minimum air flow as the past few days, and it still dries out in couple of hours.

You said your Bougain, so Bougainvillea? If so, why is it indoors? It would love being outdoors for the summer.

 

[deineath]

If new soil can possibly be hydrophobic to start with, maybe set/submerge in a watering tray to get moisture in every available pore space. May need an initial dunk…I mean if it’s really drying that quickly.

Cool thanks! I'm having a close eye on it. I'm just worried it'd rot the roots.
I've watered it 4 times in 2 days, and it's pretty cool and humid inside my house where they are.
The other trees next to it with different mix are still very moist on top from 2 days ago watering -- i'm not comparing the mixes, just from my little experience over the past couple years, I find this very strange.

 

[Firstflush]

I’m only talking like a 5 minute soak….then watch the soil as it drys.

 

[deineath]

You said your Bougain, so Bougainvillea? If so, why is it indoors? It would love being outdoors for the summer.

Yes, it's bougainvillea. Well, I got a couple of them and brought this one inside to repot the other day. A couple hours after I was done with repotting, watering and everything, I was gonna take it out to a shady area when I noticed it was dry. I watered it again, waited a couple hours, the same thing happened. So, I decided to keep it inside till I figure out what to do.

 

[deineath]

I’m only talking like a 5 minute soak….then watch the soil as it drys.

I will def try this method and see how it turns out. Thanks!

 

[namnhi]

Put the tree outside and water thoroughly the you should be ok. Bougie can stay a little drier... it will lose leave and give you tons of blooms....it can stay in the shade for a week or two but needs to be in full sun to encourage bloom.

 

[Paradox]

So luckily it had some of the old soil in the rootball when I repotted it, and the tree and leaves still look normal after these 3-4 days.
I did test the soil moisture with a chopstick several times, and it's dry only a few hours after watering.

You need to leave the chopstick in the soil and take it out to see. Just sticking it in and removing it at the same time wont give you a good indication with coarse bonsai soil.