Watering Ponderosa through the winter

[Littlejoe919]

I got my Ponderosa in June of this year. In all the research I've done, I've pretty much watered it every day when it hasn't rained. Now that it is going dormant, Should I continue this practice? It's in very well draining inorganic soil.
Thank you for your time.

 

[cmeg1]

What type of storage for winter will govern watering practice during winter.If covered with top dressing like orchid spahgnum in still,non moving air in a shed or something I would say if top dressing is moist ,so is soil.
But if outdoors in moving air I would water when needed , like when you not sensing a cooling moist shade for the roots in the soil bonsai soil,just before that time..
So really depends on air movement if you can gauge by the looks of your top dressing.
If unsure,bamboo skewers work really good at measuring the moist shade of the rootzone.Leave it in the soil after watering and see if the bamboo still has cool damp color to it when you think its time to water again.....not neccessrily wet.
I still use them in certain situations.
Open bonsai soil is good!

 

[Littlejoe919]

What type of storage for winter will govern watering practice during winter.If covered with top dressing like orchid spahgnum in still,non moving air in a shed or something I would say if top dressing is moist ,so is soil.
But if outdoors in moving air I would water when needed , like when you not sensing a cooling moist shade for the roots in the soil bonsai soil,just before that time..
So really depends on air movement if you can gauge by the looks of your top dressing.
If unsure,bamboo skewers work really good at measuring the moist shade of the rootzone.Leave it in the soil after watering and see if the bamboo still has cool damp color to it when you think its time to water again.....not neccessrily wet.
I still use them in certain situations.

Thank you for your quick reply. I plan on keeping it on it's bench unless it drops into the teens. Happens, but not frequently and never stays there long here in Central North Carolina.

 

[Potawatomi13]

From onset of fall/winter rains and weather personal Ponderosas are never watered. We get about 35"-40" per year. These live on their benches fully exposed 365 days/year. Once wet even couple weeks of 0 rain means nothing as long as cool temps/short days prevail. General first H2O "may" come in April if rains mostly abated. However first fertilizer begins with first growth regardless of rain. If using free draining substrate like pumice "can" be watered harmlessly but why bother if not dry? Sometimes too much care can be as bad as too little. Or worse.