I agree, don't water by setting the pot in a pan full of water.Don't do that.
Some facts about bonsai soil
- Thread starter Smoke
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Stan Kengai
Omono
Like most things in bonsai, this obviously comes with a caveat. Don't water this way "all of the time". There is nothing wrong with immersing bonsai occasionally. In fact, I do this weekly to my shohin late spring through summer. I know this is done in Japan. If you ever think that a root ball has dry spots, this is the only remedy.
I'm not trying to be argumentative, just pointing out the caveat.
Stan,
For established plants with old rootballs, I would agree it might have some merit. A newly potted tree not so much. Especially if pumice is used in the soul mix!
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Word of caution - only James Brown has enough soul to grow bonsai in it. The rest of us have to use regular soil.
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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Adair, the "Soul Man!". In dim light, he could almost pass for Dan Aykroyd.
I'm glad I'm here to give you guys so much entertainment!
Dave, you should have seen the video of me shakin' the soul on FB! The King was in!
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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Oh, I did...Elwood
.
fredman
Masterpiece
Adair M you doing the Boon thing. You have to tell me why
Seriously though, I do it with the satsukis in the grow pots. Especially the clay pots. I found when I water it just runs through and don't wet the root ball fully. When I water the pot by hand i can feel by its weight it isn't saturated. I dunk them every second watering so the root ball don't get hydrophobic.
Speaking of hydrophobic... Has anybody noticed the hydrophobic layer around outer layer of a colander. When watering a colander, the water runs through without wetting that outer layer. That layer stays dry, and with a bark fraction in there, it becomes hydrophobic, effectively making the colander smaller. The other problem I see is the roots grows out the bottom of the colander because the bottom layer stays "wetter" than the sides. I consequently dunk the colanders every second watering to get that little bit more rooting in a colander. I'm trying to get maximum growth on everything, as I'm busy growing on trees.
Shima
Omono
Fred, I can see you're a confirmed soaker beyond help.
But seriously, I do a LOT of air/ground layers. The ground layers on large very old trees have sphagnum moss bound up in the roots for the first year or so in a pot that can't be removed until there are sufficient roots beyond the layer. I've found during repotting that the moss is dry and probably never get wet except when it rains for many days or weeks. This would be a good reason to dunk, and I have on occasion ( oh the shame!) but also I'm more mindful about removing as much of the compacted moss as possible when repotting. And by the way, when I dunk the pumice doesn't float away. I wonder how much a wetting agent would help. Or just watering for a longer time on each tree.
But seriously, I do a LOT of air/ground layers. The ground layers on large very old trees have sphagnum moss bound up in the roots for the first year or so in a pot that can't be removed until there are sufficient roots beyond the layer. I've found during repotting that the moss is dry and probably never get wet except when it rains for many days or weeks. This would be a good reason to dunk, and I have on occasion ( oh the shame!) but also I'm more mindful about removing as much of the compacted moss as possible when repotting. And by the way, when I dunk the pumice doesn't float away. I wonder how much a wetting agent would help. Or just watering for a longer time on each tree.
fredman
Masterpiece
Indeed Shima. I believe in it. I do it very carefully to You have a pumice that don't float, or you do it so it doesn't float away....
?
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
fredman
Masterpiece
Yeah I do to, but if you watch it closely...the water runs over instead of properly wetting that layer. That is because of that hydrophobic outside layer (pumice don't have that problem though). Dunking and keeping it submerged for a while is the only way to wet that layer... maybe adding a wetting agent.....?
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Squirt the water in from the sides.Yeah I do to, but if you watch it closely...the water runs over instead of properly wetting that layer. That is because of that hydrophobic outside layer (pumice don't have that problem though). Dunking and keeping it submerged for a while is the only way to wet that layer... maybe adding a wetting agent.....?
fredman
Masterpiece
LoL yeah I used to do that, but my fingers gets numb around the 10th one
Shima
Omono
It don't float, probably because there's some milled sphagnum in there.
Shima
Omono
Sure, that's it, another ##*&**%ing thing to do.
jeanluc83
Omono
I remember reading a while back that you were experimenting with adding pine bark to you mix. Was I just dreaming?
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Think he's been on both sides of the issue...kinda like Donald T.....er, never mind.
sdavis
Mame
excellent link!
