AusBonsai

I have visited several bonsai nurseries where they have trays of water under their bonsai benches to maintain humidity.

I live in Sydney and the weather is really starting to warm up, so I was wondering if I should try adding some trays of water.

Has anyone had any experience of this....good or bad?

Is it really worthwhile?

I was thinking about either putting gravel in the trays or covering them with fly screen as I don't want to create mosquito heaven.

To be clear the trays would be on the ground 2 feet below by trees. I am not talking about humidity trays where the pot stands directly on the tray.

i have not seen these lower trays so not sure how they would work but I do have trays of gravel that my smaller trees sit directly on through the heat of summer and the trees seem to love that.

I have had a similar idea, except mine came from more concern with excess run off and water leaking through my table and benches. I've recently moved to Toowoomba and am thinking of water use and reuse for plants.

The humidity idea could be worth while but I would have thought it would need to be closer than 2 foot away to have benefit. I have been thinking of modifying a try and having it hang underneath my wooden table to catch excess water run off. I would like to install a small tap on one side to allow water to be reused in watering can for other plants.

Hi Aquaman I use gravel beds . I started using gravel beds because I didn’t have much water and I wanted to make the most of the water I had . I let starter stock roots ‘ escape ‘ into the beds which hyper drives growth when the roots take advantage of the extra water . Trees that are in pots I sit on tiles or bits of slate on the the gravel beds . I don’t know if it really helps with the trees on the slate , tiles but I can direct the excess water into containers which I use to water other stuff like vegetables

Thanks for the replies.

Boosting humidity was my primary consideration, but being able to collect run-off is definitely a bonus.

I watched a Heron Bonsai video the other day where he was explaining that he puts his trees in trays whenever he feeds them. This allows him to collect and reuse the excess feed solution. I am definitely going to give this a try.

I will give some more thought to more permanent run off and humidity solution.

Just got my water trays for Christmas. Looking to set up this weekend am I better to use sand or gravel like in the bottom of fish tanks to sit my pots in. I do not want to be breeding any more mozzies than I’ve already got.
Appreciate your thoughts experiences.
Cheers
Kirky

I've got 'plumbers grit' which is around 6mm-10mm stone in my trays. I think fine sand doesn't leave enough room for water. Larger gravel would probably still be OK as I think the mossies need more open water to live. Small pots may not sit very well on larger gravel though.

Thanks Neil
Cheers
Kirky

Hey Kirky,

I’m no expert on water trays having only recently set up a few myself after purchasing a range of large round plastic trays from Bunnings.

That said, for the past few months I have had one other tray ...these mame and shohin-sized azaleas sitting on scoria in a water tray. They seem to be loving it and no sign of mozzies - perhaps pointing to what Neil was indicating.

As an aside, I can’t believe how much river gums, swamp paper barks and moohah trees drink. (Perhaps the words river and swamp are the give away!!)

I now see why it was hard to keep the water up to them in the first place! For these group plantings, I just sitting the clay pot in the plastic tray in an inch of water - which disappears daily in hot and/windy conditions.

Cheers,

Mark


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I now see why it was hard to keep the water up to them in the first place! For these group plantings, I just sitting the clay pot in the plastic tray in an inch of water - which disappears daily in hot and/windy conditions.

Interesting to hear that. At the moment I have a banksia serrata sitting in a 1cm deep dish because it dries out so fast. The tray is empty every morning and every evening. I thought maybe the tray leaked but it only dries out when the pot is in the tray.
Banksia is one genus I would not have thought would like to have wet roots or drink so much but it seems OK so far.

River Red Gum have adapted to take up what water is available very quickly, and use it to get them through the very dry months. They will keep eeking out an existence in the dry, but give them access to water and nutrients and they absolutely take off.

Would it be silly to put a dollop of seasol or liquid fertiliser in that water very now and then?


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Would it be silly to put a dollop of seasol or liquid fertiliser in that water very now and then?

I just mix it and water on the trees as usual. Whatever goes into the tray will be available to any roots that have reached the water.
Putting fert straight into the ware tray will feed algae, etc - algal bloom. Water turns green and sometimes putrid. Sometimes just fertilising the trees is enough to trigger a bloom.