Air Con to Blame?

[legoman_iac]

Hey AusBonsai-onians,

Short version: should I be concerned of the exhaust fans from my indoor AirCon system?

Long version: for a few years I've been struggling with my bonsai ... and I think I've just discovered a scapegoat. I've been keeping my bonsai and catus on a stand I built a while ago, out on the deck. I've believed the position to be great as it gets full sun from around 10am - 4pm, on average, year round, and is well sheltered from wind.

However, I have lost a Pine Tree in that position. A caterpillar was in part to blame for my Picea loss, which ate all the buds then when it failed to produce new growth I was unable to maitain good watering. I thought this loss was due to my bad watering schedule and inexperience (still factors, just possibly not the main one).

Now more recently, I have been struggling with my Oak (quite young, three year old tree) and Fig (rescued from work where it was on the brink). These have been doing OK but not great. Have assumed again, I was solely to blame.

Standing out on the deck the other day, and after an education on my aircon system from a recent service call, I noticed it was particularly hot and breezey where my plants are. Turns out, the exhaust fans from the indoor air con system vent out under the deck and end pretty much under the stand. I can't help but feel this is causing suboptimal conditions for my bonsai, making it colder in winter and hotter in summer. Also feel it is drying them out much quicker.

Should I relocate the bonsai? Cactus seem OK, though they seem more resiliant.

Keen to get some feedback/thoughts?

Thanks,
Daniel

[tgward]

artificial heating in summer and cooling in winter could easily add another level of stress--up north, cooling in winter could help deciduous and flowering trees--down south heating in summer could help tropical, sub-tropical plants---horses for courses

[melbrackstone]

If you can use some sort of barrier to deflect the air away from your plants, without blocking the airflow from the air con, I'm sure it'll help your plants in the long run. It can't be good for them to be in constant hot breezes in Summer, I'd have thought.

[kcpoole]

the exhaust air from the condenser on my Ducted system blows straight over one of my gardens with about 10 trees in it.
they are all in larger pots and I have not noticed any adverse affects on them.
they will have a warm breeze all day in summer which will dry them out faster, but the seem not to mind
(Chinese elm, Oak, Wisteria, Ficus)

Ken

[legoman_iac]

Mmm ... so mixed replies, no one letting me off the hook? Haha. Thanks for the various inputs, something to ponder.