How do you water bonsai in a grow tent?

[electraus]

I’m thinking of setting up a grow tent in my garage for my tropicals because my balcony is getting rather crowded with temperate trees. My only question for those of you who have a grow tent setup— how do you water without water pooling at the bottom. I know that this is probably not a very major problem for the vast majority of people who use grow tents because their plants are usually in an organic medium, so they can place a saucer under the pot and by the time they have to water again, the water that collected in the saucer has evaporated, but how do you resolve this issue with plants in largely (or entirely) inorganic particle substrates that need watering every day if not more?

 

[Ugo]

Hi,

I only have one tropical inside a grow tent and its my "big" ficus.
The little guy weight about 50 pounds.
The humidity in the tent is keep around 65% so the evaporation is not so bad.

When its time to water I use a plastic worshop tub and I place my home made holder over the edge of the tub so the tree can be watered with my watering wand inside the tub safely.
I have a garden hose for that use in my basement.

Im thinking about placing a drain pan in the tent and run the pipe in my basement floor drain.. but Im still thinking about a proper setup, during this time my old plastic tub and my backpains do the works perfectly.

 

[penumbra]

I generally use trays with egg crating under the plants. Anything you use in the way of a saucer or tray is the same in a tent as if its is outside the tent. Pretty simple really, I see no reason to over complicate things.

 

[electraus]

I generally use trays with egg crating under the plants. Anything you use in the way of a saucer or tray is the same in a tent as if its is outside the tent. Pretty simple really, I see no reason to over complicate things.

I don’t imagine the water evaporates quickly enough for daily or twice daily watering though, does it? Tangentially, do you use organic ferts on your tropicals? It sounds like the makings of a perfect storm of fungus gnats and pathogenic fungi/bacteria in such an enclosed environment. Even with “cleaner” organic ferts like biogold.

 

[BrianBay9]

I don’t imagine the water evaporates quickly enough for daily or twice daily watering though, does it? Tangentially, do you use organic ferts on your tropicals? It sounds like the makings of a perfect storm of fungus gnats and pathogenic fungi/bacteria in such an enclosed environment. Even with “cleaner” organic ferts like biogold.

You'll need a vent and fan for your grow tent or fungus will get out of control. You want a humid environment but with air movement. I always used chemical fertilizers, but others may disagree. Bugs will eventually be a problem no matter what you do. I usually had to wash plants down in the shower at least once a winter. I also put out some of the insect adhesive strips to keep the fliers managable.

 

[electraus]

You'll need a vent and fan for your grow tent or fungus will get out of control. You want a humid environment but with air movement. I always used chemical fertilizers, but others may disagree. Bugs will eventually be a problem no matter what you do. I usually had to wash plants down in the shower at least once a winter. I also put out some of the insect adhesive strips to keep the fliers managable.

Yeah, I just bought the tent and got a ventilation system with it as well. Should I also get clip on fans? Which pests do you see most often and are they more common in the winter? Would a dehumidifier be helpful in controlling the excess humidity or would that be overkill? My apologies for the interrogation there. I’m just hoping to not end up having all of my tropicals die because I moved them indoors. Thanks!

 

[BrianBay9]

When I used a grow tent it was typically 80% RH and 75 - 85 F. think the tropicals will take all the humidity you can give them. Lights on for 14 hrs. Bugs were mostly aphids, scale and little flies.

 

[ShadyStump]

Should I also get clip on fans? Which pests do you see most often and are they more common in the winter? Would a dehumidifier be helpful in controlling the excess humidity or would that be overkill?

What trees do you have? Most tropicals do alright with humidity so long as they're getting fresh air. Ventilation with outside air can control your humidity if it becomes an issue.
I don't usually go for a grow tent, though I'm considering it this winter. Last year aphids and occasional fungus gnats were the only things I had issues with indoors. A heavy treatment with a general pesticide when they first come in helps. I go old-school with a tobacco tea, water through the soil and everything.

To answer your original question, depends on the size, but I go homemade with a pop bottle or the like with holes in the cap. If you have allot of plants it will take a while, but you can control the flow rate so easily that your certain to get good soil saturation with minimal drippage.

 

[electraus]

What trees do you have? Most tropicals do alright with humidity so long as they're getting fresh air. Ventilation with outside air can control your humidity if it becomes an issue.
I don't usually go for a grow tent, though I'm considering it this winter. Last year aphids and occasional fungus gnats were the only things I had issues with indoors. A heavy treatment with a general pesticide when they first come in helps. I go old-school with a tobacco tea, water through the soil and everything.

To answer your original question, depends on the size, but I go homemade with a pop bottle or the like with holes in the cap. If you have allot of plants it will take a while, but you can control the flow rate so easily that your certain to get good soil saturation with minimal drippage.

I have a BRT, 2 P. Afras, a bougie (in the process of hunting down another), and a buttonwood.

Never thought about using a plastic bottle to water trees. I can definitely see how that would work though. Might have to give it a try.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I dunk my indoor plants in a footbath-size tub. On top of it I have a rack so they can drip freely for a couple minutes afterwards. After that they go back in the terrarium.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I'm just curious... I wouldn't think you would have to take all of those trees indoors in San Jose(?) Can't you just leave them outside? Bougies live in landscape up in the Bay, and I'm pretty sure P. afra and buttonwood would do ok as well...

The most sensitive tree on the list is going to be your Brazillian Rain Tree, but caring for one tree (which you might be able to place in front of a sunny window) is easier than setting up a tent in the garage. It all depends on your setting, I guess.

FWIW, the last two winters I have kept my tropicals indoors on a low bench in front of a window that got strong morning sun. Since we don't really have any days where it doesn't get above freezing, I would simply wait for a nice sunny day, move the trees outside, water heavily with a hose (spraying down all the foliage), wait for them to drip dry, and then move them back indoors. I usually needed to do this once per week because I kept the room cool and closed all heat vents.

 

[penumbra]

I'm just curious... I wouldn't think you would have to take all of those trees indoors in San Jose(?) Can't you just leave them outside? Bougies live in landscape up in the Bay, and I'm pretty sure P. afra and buttonwood would do ok as well...

I wondered about this as well.

But let me add, that there are a few reasons for keeping tropicals inside.
The first is simple, to keep them alive until weather permits them going back outside. This is the concern of most people with tropicals.
The second primary reason is that many of us propagate, grow and develop plants all winter. This means more attention to temperature and lighting.
A third reason is similar to the second. Some of us have tropical bonsai which are developed solely as an indoor project and have plants that never see the outdoors.
I have plants in all three categories but primarily in the last two.

I am not familiar with keeping buttonwood, but with the exception of the BRT, none of the other plants you mention would really benefit from a tent environment. P. afra may actually resent the high humidity.

 

[Clicio]

I wondered about this as well.

But let me add, that there are a few reasons for keeping tropicals inside.
The first is simple, to keep them alive until weather permits them going back outside. This is the concern of most people with tropicals.
The second primary reason is that many of us propagate, grow and develop plants all winter. This means more attention to temperature and lighting.
A third reason is similar to the second. Some of us have tropical bonsai which are developed solely as an indoor project and have plants that never see the outdoors.
I have plants in all three categories but primarily in the last two.

I am not familiar with keeping buttonwood, but with the exception of the BRT, none of the other plants you mention would really benefit from a tent environment. P. afra may actually resent the high humidity.

I have been keeping all my BRTs outdoors, except when temperatures here drop down to 5C or less; then they go inside the tent.
Humidity is high, and temperatures inside the tent are 5C to 7C degrees higher than out.
I close the zip of my tent only at night, and leave it open during the day. It is outside, so no problems with the watering at all.

 

[electraus]

I'm just curious... I wouldn't think you would have to take all of those trees indoors in San Jose(?) Can't you just leave them outside? Bougies live in landscape up in the Bay, and I'm pretty sure P. afra and buttonwood would do ok as well...

The most sensitive tree on the list is going to be your Brazillian Rain Tree, but caring for one tree (which you might be able to place in front of a sunny window) is easier than setting up a tent in the garage. It all depends on your setting, I guess.

FWIW, the last two winters I have kept my tropicals indoors on a low bench in front of a window that got strong morning sun. Since we don't really have any days where it doesn't get above freezing, I would simply wait for a nice sunny day, move the trees outside, water heavily with a hose (spraying down all the foliage), wait for them to drip dry, and then move them back indoors. I usually needed to do this once per week because I kept the room cool and closed all heat vents.

I don’t have a lot of space outside. Just a medium-large(ish) south facing balcony and it’s starting to fill up so I’d like to move the tropicals indoors if possible to make room for temperate species.

I also bought a ventilation system to keep humidity as under control as possible because I do recognize that these plants all have varying humidity needs.

I think I’ve seen it done on here but I don’t know to reply to two people at once, so I’ll just tag @penumbra because it also answers your question.

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

My tegu lives in an 8x4x4, but no plants. I would just get a large tub and water them over it I guess...as mentioned, seems like a lot of work for SoCal?

 

[electraus]

My tegu lives in an 8x4x4, but no plants. I would just get a large tub and water them over it I guess...as mentioned, seems like a lot of work for SoCal?

San Jose is in NorCal, so a bit cooler. We actually dip into and, once every now and then, below the 40s in December and January. That’s not the reason for the tent though. I live in a townhouse so I don’t have a yard. Just a 10ish x 6ish south facing balcony and I want more trees

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

San Jose is in NorCal, so a bit cooler. We actually dip into and, once every now and then, below the 40s in December and January. That’s not the reason for the tent though. I live in a townhouse so I don’t have a yard. Just a 10ish x 6ish south facing balcony and I want more trees

Aah yes I may have been thinking more towards LA. Best of luck!

 

[Peter.Constantine325]

I have a grow tent as well. And a fan a little above the tree and below the grow light. It’s aimed at my tree and oscillates, running constantly. The top of the soil seems to dry out easily. I can put my finger into the soil almost an inch before feeling moisture. I’m afraid of overwatering, because I’m assuming the wind from the fan dries out the topsoil quickly, but the more you go down it’s plenty moist? Is that true? I was told to get a disposable chopstick to test it. But I don’t have any right now. If I water when it’s dry an inch down, will I cause root rot by overwatering because the soil might still have plenty of water further down?

 

[JackHammer]

I have a grow tent as well. And a fan a little above the tree and below the grow light. It’s aimed at my tree and oscillates, running constantly. The top of the soil seems to dry out easily. I can put my finger into the soil almost an inch before feeling moisture. I’m afraid of overwatering, because I’m assuming the wind from the fan dries out the topsoil quickly, but the more you go down it’s plenty moist? Is that true? I was told to get a disposable chopstick to test it. But I don’t have any right now. If I water when it’s dry an inch down, will I cause root rot by overwatering because the soil might still have plenty of water further down?

You could use a tooth pick or a popsicle stick. It just depends on the type of tree and soil.

 

[Peter.Constantine325]

You could use a tooth pick or a popsicle stick. It just depends on the type of tree and soil.

Thanks for the reply. I’m afraid I won’t water it in time. How often should I check with an environment like the one I have? I think I can get some toothpicks.