Watering by "Dunking"?

ForSure

I mostly water my trees every 3rd to 4th day by "dunking" the pot up to the brim in a water tray, allowing the water to seep up from the drainage holes until it appears on the surface. I do the feeding/fertilising in the same fashion.

Is this healthy practise?

The foilage and moss gets a light mist spray once to twice a day, depending on the weather.

I am new to bonsai - started Oct 2005 at the age of 54 (a bit late in life but nevertheless . . .). I live in Parys, South Africa. No local clubs for sound advice and mostly rely on reading up about bonsai. A large selection of my trees are indigenous to South Africa. My Bonsaiyen is under roof on the back veranda and gets morning sun up to 10:00 - 11:00.

Advertisement

Joanie

No, it isn't a good practice. It is a useful way to re-wet the soil when it is so dry that the water is repelled by it, but it isn't a good way to water routinely.

First, we need to know what your soil is like. We usually recommend a free-draining soil, something that water runs through fairly easily. In this way, the roots will never rot. The soil needs to hold enough moisture so that the roots don't dry out, but not be soggy.

If your soil stays soggy, the trees may get root rot or other root problems. Too much organic material (peat moss, etc) will keep the soil too wet. Try this.... take a wooden chopstick and stick it into the soil, all the way down to the bottom of the pot. Leave it there between waterings. When you pull it out, you should check it to see that the soil in the lower part of the pot is just moist... not too wet. If the soil is wet, and soil sticks to the chopstick, don't water yet.

If you find that your soil does dry out all right, then you need to start watering from the top. A gentle "rain" of water, enough so that the soil is nicely moistened, followed by another "rain" in a few minutes, enough so that water is running out of the holes in the pot. As the water runs through the soil, it pulls oxygen behind it, and refreshs the atmosphere inside of the pot. It flushes salts and carbon (dioxide? Monoxide? I forget which) and cleanses the soil.

Always fertilize the same way... and make sure that the soil is moist before giving fertilizer.

If you don't do this, you may risk accumulating salts in your pots. Salts will slowly kill your trees. They won't be able to absorb nutrients.

You may have to help us understand your climate, since we don't have a lot of members living in your area.

Joanie

__________________

ForSure

Hi Joanie, many thanx for your valued comment! As requested:

Our Climate:
Moderate rainfall early and late summer. Otherwise rather dry to very dry during winter months. Summer Temperatures range between 18 to 33 degrees C and winter between -3 to 24 degrees C. Dry hot winds prevail during early spring (August). Our seasons may be the reverse of yours. It is now the omset of Autumn in South Africa.

My bonsai soil mix:
A reasonably well drained mix. Generally 1 part loam soil, 2 parts granite sand, 2 parts general potting soil, and a 1/2 part compost.

Feeding programme:
Every 2nd week. Aternating with a liquid fertiliser (SeaGro) and then a soulble general potplant fertiliser (Pokon) at the next feeding session. When available, I soak a few dried out cow-dung turds in a 20 litre drum and water my trees with the "dung-tea" as a special treat.

I have been "dunking" my trees for nearly 3 months and they all appear to be healthy and I haven't yet noticed any salt build-up yet.

You mention that oxygen is "drawn" in by means of top watering - wouldn't the same principle apply as the water drains away by dunking? Please help, I'm dumbfounded!

ForSure!

ken_moses

ForSure: Well, I'd guess that Joanie, as a "moderator" with at least 2,897 posts to her credit, should know what she's talking about. Even if you are now confused I'd say go with her advice.

I have a Chinese Elm that I've been watering by immersion dunking in a plastic tub for about 5 years now but I'm thinking I should amend that to the more time consuming method of gentle rain as suggested by Joanie. Here in the dry climate of western Colorado I check soil moisture with a meter and need to water every 3 to 7 days depending on the time of year.

I know drainage is a critical factor and like you I just assumed that letting the plant set in the sink until water quit trickling out was sufficient to drain out the salts and draw in oxygen.

Joanie

Sorry. Didn't mean to drop this thread, I got really busy.

I don't understand the mechanics behind it (but others here no doubt do) but when I was immersing my elm to water it, I got some serious salt accumulations on the moss and soil surface. White chunky hard areas. That's a hint that the water is not flushing the soil, taking away the salts and carbon dioxide and bringing in freshness.

The draining off of the water from immersion doesn't happen the same way as it would if you watered from the top. Maybe watering from the top helps draw the water through because the soil on the bottom is drier, so it draws the water by capillary action? And if it immersed, the water drains but doesn't "draw"?

If it works for you, you can go ahead and keep doing it. However, sometimes there is a way that works better. You'll never know until you try. You can keep a tree alive and reasonably healthy in a wide range of situations, but there are some that are more effective than others. Just one of those things.

And thank you for considering how many posts I have, but truthfully, I am only an intermediate bonsai artist, if that. I am a prolific reader and writer, however. My job as moderator is to help people get answers from the people who know, and to try and keep things moving in a positive way. The advice about watering is given here by people much more experienced, I am simply repeating it. And because it is backed up by my own experiences, it seems worth repeating.

Good luck!

Joanie

__________________

Repotter

Personally I prefer top watering and that is only after being in bonsai for almost twenty years. However, I am a firm believer that until you learn the fine art of top watering a bonsai, soaking may be the safest way.

I say this because it is so important to get the root mass totally wet. And soaking may be the only sure way for a beginner to accomplish this.

I once read in a bonsai book that the Japanese have a saying that is "water three times, once for the pot, once for the soil, and once for the tree.
Bonsai apprentices in Japan, I am told spend as much as 2 years learning to water trees.

It is the single most important thing to keeping a tree alive.

So play it safe if you have doubts.

__________________
http://www.tellys.com

http://www.Fourseasonsbonsai.com
The original Four Seasons Bonsai Club of Michigan.
Our guest master in August is Pedro Morales.
Tellys Greenhouse, 3301 John R road, Troy Mi. 48083

Four Seasons Bonsai Club meetings monthly.
Troy, Michigan

"Anything is possible when you don't know what you are doing"................someone famous I think.

dtree

Could we have some explanation as to exactly how top watering is different from dunking your tree in water ? I don't really see how there could be that much difference, can someone help me ? Doesn't the water drain out after dunking the tree as well ? What kind of water or fertilizer are you using that you get salt build up so easily ? I have been taught that dunking your tree is a good way to flush excess salts, especially for Japanese maples.

Joanie

Well, I thought I gave an explanation at least a good try.... I wasn't using any fertilizers on my tree, it's the condition of the water here. Nasty stuff.

Hopefully someone will come on today or tomorrow (weekends are always slow) and give a better explanation.

But since I started watering from the top, all of my trees seem a whole lot happier.

Joanie

__________________

Joanie

If you wanted to clean something with water, like a filter or a sponge, would you just dunk it and let it drain on its own? Or would you run water through it?

It is the movement of the water from the top, flushing downward, that helps remove the salts.

Joanie

__________________