when do you water? morning or night? poll and discussion!

[Jamie]

hey everyone

thought i would throw this in for something as a learning experience for those that are new to bonsai and for discussion for those that are more experienced.

when do you water?

personally i water in the afternoon/evening. it works for me as i have so much to do in the mornings on weekdays as i have to start work really early so i am up really early, get a cuppa into me and get other things sorted out.
i find that watering in the afternoons allows my trees to have a good soaking and drink over night, i dont have to worry about foliage getting burnt through the water droplets magnified by the sun to much, it allows me to spend time with my trees, water properly and have a good look over them while doing so.
by the time i get home from work the next day they are ready for another water, even if it has been a scorcher of a day.
i think this has a lot to do with my soil mix to though, i need it to be a bit more retentive as that is what my climate asks for.

fertilizing can be part of this too my fert. program includes three mains.

miracle gro- once a week at a slightly less then recommended mix, depending on what part of the season is, sometimes it can be slightly to a lot stronger.

seasol- once a fortnight at recommended mix ratio

slow release pellets- every 3-6 months depending on how the stay on the soil. and they are only ever around the out side of the pot as this is generally where the feeding roots are.
i have found myself having small trenches around the rim of the pot these days as i was having troubles with the pellets getting washed off, so theres a little tip if any one else has that prob or you dont use the baskets

jamie

[stymie]

Burn by sun being magnified by water droplets.
I believe this is one of those things that someone once wrote in a book and everyone has picked up on. I think this is a load of twaddle because it doesn't happen. A summer shower followed immediately afterwards by sunshine doesn't have this effect and in my experience neither does spraying. Many such bonsai myths have been perpetuated in this way. For instance, the statement that bonsai should only be fed with half strength fertilizer.
Watering should not be done on a rota basis but done as needed to keep the planting medium just moist at all times. Very small pots need to be watered twice or even three times in one hot day to achieve this or, as mine are, be kept buried in a water retentive bed. I don't water at any particular part of the day. Its dependant on season and weather.

[Greth]

I'm a morning waterer, not because it is better, but because small children tend to be feral and the house busy in the evenings. Would water in the evening because of maximum soak time, if I had the choice.

[Tim]

I water as nessary however alot of plants take up the majority of their water at night when the temps are less harsh. The leaf pores close when temps reach around 36degs to prevent excessive transpiration so keeping them dry overnight isnt always best during the hotter months. Jamie new growth is more likly to suffer water burn overnight than during the day. Staying wet overnight will cause things like fungus to form, like what i have done with some benjaminas! I fertilise once every two weeks with N and seasol alternating at the normal amounts. Figs and natives dont like too much fert.

[Greth]

I use nettle tea on my shadehouse plants, including the bonsai. Stewing nettles in water makes a disgusting but really rich concoction which is great liquid feed for almost anything (and gets rid of nettle problems, lol.)

[paddles]

I water with the backwash from the fishpond filter, I'm told this is a high nitrigen feed. I mix osmocote in the mix when potting, and throw dynamic lifter on the top periodicaly. I use a liquid feed when I think of it. my trees are healthy (ALLRIGHT! Except when I forget to water them) but I must admit to haveing a poor flowering record (I'm gonna kill that wisteria)

I keep a tub of water near the bonsai, and when I think a tree needs it, I'll sit it in the tub to have a good soak.

[Greth]

I have a big metal tub I use when potting herbs, everything goes straight into there for a day or two's soak, also works as an emergency ward for anything else looking unhappy.I've just had to empty it because of mosquitos tho, otherwise it has water always.

[EdwardH]

I find that it really doesn't matter if I water am or pm so long as the soil has enough moisture in it to sustain the tree. During the hotter months I often water morning and evening. I find that leaf burn only occurs during the extremely hot days in summer (35C and over) and then normally only on the new growth. Last summer my F benjimina got leaf burn on 6-7 leaves when the temp. soared to over 40C. Mind you my trees get full sun so they thrive or turn to mulch

[NathanM]

I usually water in the evening/night. Saturdays is usually between lunch and arvo depending on how hot it is, and I do my feeding on Saturdays. Most flowering trees get Searles Flourish and non flowering trees get the Miracle Gro. Feed once a week at the moment.

[aaron_tas]

morning, and sometimes afternoon, if i can help it, never at nyt...

for my ferts, i use slow release on azalea and natives, but for every thing else i use power feed and orchid food. low N as autumn progresses...

i also alternate the use of seasol and superthrive on alternate weeks of the ferts.

[Bretts]

I water first thing in the morning to make sure they have enough water to get them through the day. I often know which ones will need checking through the day for a top up and if they need it they get it. The willow gets watered anytime I have the hose in my hand often 3-4 times a day as well as a reservoir that constantly feeds water into it.

I will generally not water after the sun starts to loose it's bite say 5 o'clock but try to remember to get up early to give that tree water before the sun heats up. If it is not a heavy water user(waterd more than once a day) I don't like the idea of it sitting in alot of water over night.

I try to fertilise every 10 days as Walter recommends. A 10:10:10 in Spring and also a calcium magnesium and boron supplement. These have fulvic acid in them and I also supplement with Humic acid. These are all applied with extra worm juice. Some times I alternate with a fish seaweed fert. I occasionally use seasol type products as well and also any of the above is done with foliar spray as well on occasions.
Once Summer really heats up I will reduce the balanced fert to a low Nitrogen fert such as Bloom Booster and fert less often keep the humic applications up and that should reduce any residual salt build up to get the water flow through the tree optimum.
I grow alot of cold climate trees so success for me shows in the autumn colours at the end of the year if my leaves get through the heat relatively unscathed.

I have also started using drought shield this year and believe it is working incredibly well. I thought it was snake oil but some thing changed my mind and decided to give it a go. A paperbark Maple that I have had lots of trouble stopping leaf burn on for several years is growing in full sun until about 2-3 o'clock and is looking the best it ever has. It even looks like it is thinking about a second flush of growth which it has never done before
Half a $10 bottle did about 5 Medium trees so I will be saving it for the better ones Apparently it is great for cuttings reducing the transpiration of the leaves.

I can't vote because you don't have an option for Morning Afternoon but not Evening

[sheba53]

Hi,I have learnt from this forum that I was likely killing my trees with kindness thinking they needed to be wet all the time. Now after changing my mixture, miracle gro once a f/nite, seasol every 3week, and watering by using my "Chopstick" to check. I have two that seem to just like getting all my attention for water mostly I use the method if it looks thirsty give it a small drink and watch how quick the water soaks up.. Hot days I can do them once or twice depends..they don't seem to like the warm winds we are having up here lately a light spray calms them down but not while the wind is blowing a gale cause the leaves seem to curl up and later drop off. I won't put in a vote as I am one of the real new ones. I will take your advice instead. sheba53

[kcpoole]

Water only in the morning unless one of those stinking hot days in summer.
Fert ever 2 weeks or so with Seasol and Charlie carp, Every 6 weeks sprinkle some Dynamic lifter on top of each pot

ken

[Pup]

I have read with interest this thread. Plants do what humans do at night they rest and repair. So when it come to taking moisture, very little is used from watering. Misting would be more beneficial.
Conifer,s would benefit from this as they are mountain trees and the mist comes in at night. Broad leaved trees are susceptible to fungus attack on WET leaves.
Northern hemisphere trees need to be treated differently than southern hemisphere trees.

Most of the scientific research done into this subject was conducted in the north. In Australia we have a vastly differing array of conditions. Like Jamie for instance hot and humid, but I bet he does not take his trees inside when it is going to rain neither would I.

I water in the morning because my trees need to go though a warm windy day so the soil needs to be moist. If it was windy during the night. This will wet the soils and let the plant take what it needs for the day. I am retired so I have the luxury, of being able to check though the day if they need a supplementary watering ( I am talking summer and extremely windy days ).

My minis will need more water more often. In our summer proper up to three very rarely four times per day. My fertilizing regime is as stated elsewhere on this site once per fortnight. MiracleGro for Azaleas for my natives and Phostrogen for all others.
Cheers Pup

[Pup]

Brettles my son there is an option for Evening
For evening morning afternoon and evening, or all of the above Pup