How to water shohin without disturbing soil?

Hbhaska

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I’m looking for answers to the question of how you water shohin bonsai without disturbing the substrate. I use a Dramm watering wand with a water breaker nozzle to get finer spray. But even with this configuration, I’m unable to water without moving some of the substrate from a shohin sized pot. It works great with a large bonsai though. I’m attaching some of the stock images of the nozzle and wand along with the actual set up. Any insight would help. Thanks.D32778FC-CC0B-491B-8926-7963DEA4927E.jpeg364DA7C1-259A-4536-B968-DD5B2583D77A.jpeg16D8CF61-6EDD-49C9-911C-9ED0B0BF626E.jpeg735762A0-BB1E-4BA7-9B9A-711075CA65FA.jpeg
 

Agriff

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I’m looking for answers to the question of how you water shohin bonsai without disturbing the substrate. I use a Dramm watering wand with a water breaker nozzle to get finer spray. But even with this configuration, I’m unable to water without moving some of the substrate from a shohin sized pot. It works great with a large bonsai though. I’m attaching some of the stock images of the nozzle and wand along with the actual set up. Any insight would help. Thanks.View attachment 380160View attachment 380161View attachment 380162View attachment 380163
I don't know the size pot you're working with but for my house plants I have a squeeze bottle with a kinked nozzle that waters very gently. Would obviously take much more time to water though
 

Adair M

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The Dramm sprinkler heads produce sprays that are too coarse.

Look into getting a Masakuni water nozzle. They are special purpose for bonsai. There’s nothing better!
 

Pitoon

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If you don't want the substrate to move you can top dress with moss or soak the pots by dunking them under water.
 

Firstflush

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You can fill up a trash can lid with a few inches of water and set them in it to bottom water.
 

amcoffeegirl

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I have not had that problem and I just use a regular adjustable spray nozzle on my hose.
Unless a pot tips over the soil tends to stay put when watering.
 

Hbhaska

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The Dramm sprinkler heads produce sprays that are too coarse.

Look into getting a Masakuni water nozzle. They are special purpose for bonsai. There’s nothing better!
Thank you, Adair. I swapped out the regular spray head of a Dramm to a water breaker Dramm nozzle and it has smaller/less holes but it still disturbs the soil. I will look into the Masakuni nozzle.
 

HardBall

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The Dramm sprinkler heads produce sprays that are too coarse.

Look into getting a Masakuni water nozzle. They are special purpose for bonsai. There’s nothing better!
How do you connect a hose to it? Do you need some sort of adapter?
 

Esolin

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It's extremely difficult to get moss to grow in bonsai pots in SoCal. I know because I have the same problem. It's just too dry and the water's too hard unless you've got a serious filtration system set up. So the lack of moss/top dressing here isn't necessarily by choice. I feel your pain @Hbhaska !
 

Hbhaska

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Moss layers on top can help. Also dunking your pots is a solid option.
I know some people put heavier rocks like lava or granite as a top layer to pack it down and inhibit shifting of the soil that
Preventing erosion of the substrate is one of the primary purposes of top dressing. I consider top dressing an essential part of the repotting process.

Many here do not use it, for reasons that I do not understand.
Thank you. I agree and I do add long fiber, sphagnum moss as top dressing after repotting. But for a shohin size container it still disturbs the soil, unless I pack the top with sphagnum - which is not ideal.
 

Paradox

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The Dramm sprinkler heads produce sprays that are too coarse.

Look into getting a Masakuni water nozzle. They are special purpose for bonsai. There’s nothing better!

$68 and currently on back order from California bonsai studio.

IMO you could use a regular water wand but put a valve between it and the hose to back off the pressure for watering small pots
I have done that in the past and it worked fine. Spent ~$10 instead of $70 on a watering wand 🤣
 

Adair M

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Preventing erosion of the substrate is one of the primary purposes of top dressing. I consider top dressing an essential part of the repotting process.

Many here do not use it, for reasons that I do not understand.
I don’t use any “top dressing”. For trees that need more water retention, a covering of chopped spaghnum moss might be appropriate. A layer of moss looks good for shows, but I don’t keep them covered with moss at home.
 

Tieball

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I have not had that problem and I just use a regular adjustable spray nozzle on my hose.
Unless a pot tips over the soil tends to stay put when watering.
Same for me. My hose nozzle works just fine. If necessary, seldom really, I simply turn the water on less at the house valve and then adjust the spray nozzle to less water force. Has always worked well.
 

vp999

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The Dramm sprinkler heads produce sprays that are too coarse.

Look into getting a Masakuni water nozzle. They are special purpose for bonsai. There’s nothing better!
I have a Masakuni that was given to me but I dont know how to attach it to a regular hose. Any tips Adair ?
 

Japonicus

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I have a Masakuni that was given to me but I dont know how to attach it to a regular hose. Any tips Adair ?
Good question. 3/4" MPT (male pipe thread) x 3/4" MHT or GHT (male hose/garden thread) adapter.
Probably like this one...

Description​

Genuine Masakuni Watering Wand.

Threads are 3/4 PT. Not hose threads
 

Japonicus

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