Going on vacation

[Mike254]

I'm going on vacation for 12 days. I've moved all of my bonsai into a shaded corner and have two different sprinklers on a timer watering them every day for redundancy..

With the amount of water I'm putting on them they'll probably be very wet the entire time I'm away, which is intentional because I'd rather them too wet than too dry.

My question is, is it even possible to OVERwater bonsai in 12 days? I'd hate to kill them with too much water. There's also a few plants in potting soil.

Thanks!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I haven't ever been able to overwater a bonsai tree that is in good soil. I HAVE been able to overwater a tree that is root-bound in crappy soil. However the latter scenario takes at least a couple of months. 12 days and you shouldn't have a problem. A couple of years ago I went to Europe for 10 days and had broadcast sprinklers blasting all over my garden and didn't lose a tree... but the weeds were out of control!

 

[Mike254]

I haven't ever been able to overwater a bonsai tree that is in good soil. I HAVE been able to overwater a tree that is root-bound in crappy soil. However the latter scenario takes at least a couple of months. 12 days and you shouldn't have a problem. A couple of years ago I went to Europe for 10 days and had broadcast sprinklers blasting all over my garden and didn't lose a tree... but the weeds were out of control!

That is kind of what I thought, was hoping to get reassurance on it. Thanks a lot!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

That is kind of what I thought, was hoping to get reassurance on it. Thanks a lot

Don’t depend entirely on a timer,mtheu can fail. Have a neighbor or relative check in every couple of days just to make sure.

 

[99 Mile Creek]

Great advice.

I also have the good fortune of having neighbors I can rely on just in case my system fails but hate to put anyone out unless I absolutely have to.

I have a B-Hyve Orbit system (with Wi-Fi hub) watering two bonsai benches and a garden bed, paired with a 360 Ring camera between the benches on my patio. I can schedule or initiate a watering session from my phone. I'm also able to check in live with the Ring cam to make sure it's watering--and it doubles as a backdoor security cam and bonsai security/theft deterrent.

I've had this set up going on two years and leave out of state often. I even keep the timer set for a scheduled watering once a day just in case I'm pulled away, children's sports, feeling unwell--you name it. I water by can 90% of the time, but it's nice to have modern watering capabilities should life happen.

12 days is perfectly fine.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Best of fortune.