The Art of Watering - Craft Meets Art

Emperor Fish

The Art of Watering.

When I first started my interest in bonsai a few years ago, one of the things that I realised very quickly was that I needed to focus my attention very much on the horticulture and the craft of how to keep trees alive in small pots. I picked up many "facts" and "tips" during that time that turned out to be plain fallacy - like the oft-quoted advice that water droplets on a maple's leaves will burn them (I questioned this from the start) - or that fertiliser should be given at half strength. Having an educational background in biological science, I managed to de-bunk most of these falsehoods and half-truths without much trouble. However, one of the persistent bonsai truisms that I heard repeatedly throughout this early period was that the hardest thing to learn in bonsai was the art of watering. "Harumph!", I thought, "Utter tosh and piffle, chuck a bit of water on the trees every so often and they generally take care of themselves." I certainly thought that I had discovered yet another bonsai myth that needed exploding for the sake of the proletariat.

Well, it turns out that after a few years, I have changed my mind entirely. What looks at first, or even second glance, to be simplicity itself, IS actually one of the hardest things to get right. Those pesky elitist masters are correct after all. Of course, keeping a tree alive in a pot is child's play - any idiot gardener with a water supply and half a brain can do that. (In the absence of a brain, money can help - but you definitely need the water supply. In the absence of a water supply, money can help here also). What is very difficult, is knowing when, and how much, to water bonsai that are in refinement.

It is easy to err on the side of caution here - let's face it, if you have a good free-flowing soil mixture, then it really is hard, or impossible, to water so much that the tree's health declines. (Now, before anyone argues, bear in mind that I live in England - I truly know what rain is). What is very difficult to achieve is the level of watering where the tree gets only just enough to live well, but that actually has an artistic effect. "Artistic?" - No, I am not mad, nor extending the craft/art debate into the ridiculous - watering practices really can and do have an artistic effect on bonsai development. To demonstrate, let's have a think about the dynamics of a tree in a (specifically), bonsai pot:

During the growing season, as the temperatures increase and foliage places an ever greater demand on the roots to supply water for nutrient transport and temperature regulation, the demands upon our watering practices also increase, particularly in the case of developed bonsai. Soaking the trees in water every day will give us bonsai pots that have a permanent saturated layer at the bottom of the pot - even when the top looks dry - leading to no oxygen availability in this root zone, and stress upon the tree. Constantly sprinkling some water on the top of the tree, leads to less water being available for the foliage, and an air supply that decreases in oxygen saturation as the roots utilise it. (Granted, roots are better than us humans, they can tolerate an oxygen level of 10% or so before they get into difficulty). In either of these cases, we end up with just a minority of the root zone being in the optimum condition to support foliage growth.


Hold on, what has this got to do with art?

I'm coming to that. Just as ultraviolet radiation and increasing bud numbers v. root mass will decrease foliage size - (purely an artistic consideration) - so too will watering practices and water availability. Give a pine (for example), only just enough water to be without the symptoms of stress, and the needle size will be smaller. Lavish your pine tree with as much water as it desires and it will grow longer internodes and longer needles. So, the myth that watering is the hardest part of bonsai to master becomes slightly clearer now. The hardest part to master correctly, at least. We need to vary our watering practices upon many variables including weather, development of the tree, pot shape and size, species, sun/shade, growth rates etc.


In English, we describe watering in just one way - "watering". Sometimes we elaborate and include such sage advice as to water once, leave; water twice, leave etc. In Japan, the distinctions have earned their own terms in bonsai, purely because their value is recognised in refinement and development of good bonsai.

Kaeri-mizu: "Return Watering". Watering three times to ensure that the entire root ball is saturated and that oxygen exchange is achieved.

Ha-mizu: "Foliage Watering". An evening 'shower' technique of just the foliage, to increase humidity and open the stomata for gas exchange.

Hiroi-mizu: "Pick-up Watering". Watering dry bonsai throughout the day lightly.

In addition, there are a couple of general watering practices that illustrate the point of my post:

Mizu Ga Amai: "Sweet Watering". Watering too much. What amateurs do.
Mizu Ga Karai: "Bitter Watering". Minimal watering. Only the Master can achieve this (apparently).

"Watering" is really not so simple after all, unless we are just growing trees in pots.

Fish.

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Walter_Pall

Emperor,

sorry, I have to disagree. Watering her is foolproof. Anybody, I repeat anybody with some intelligence can water my trees. No artist needed, no bonsai knowledge. I seriously believe that this watering talk in bonsai circles is all totally wrong and a bonsai myth.

I water every day with the garden hose. Now, when it is sunny and hot I water in the morning and in the evening. It takes me about 30 minutes to water everything. More than 500 trees. Everything is in very well draining soil.

Overwatering is impossible. Whatever is too much will run out of the drainage holes. The loose substrate will never stay wet, always moist. My wife does not know the difference between the trees really and she does and should not care. She waters when I travel. No problem. I tell her to make evrything dripping wet.

Yes, I am sure that most people fuss far too much about the 'right ' way to water and waste a lot of time. I even think that many people seriously underwater their trees.

This comes from misleading information in bonsai books. In the days when we actually used soil as substrate trees could reall drown. That's true. but not anymore with modern substrates.

So listen!! Only when ALL your trees sit in very well draining substrate you can water and not even look at what you are doing. You MUST also feed aggressively at the same time. I feed about every 2 weeks from beginning of April to end of September.

Believe me, I would not risk trees of the value of more than 10 grand if I would not know what I am doing. Evry experienced bonsai person coming to my garden mentions how healthy everything looks.

Don't listen to what bonsai people tell you in this regard. Listen to professional gardeners. Those who have hundreds of thousands of plants. Do you really think that they are watering every single one carefully? They pour water all over them just as I do. At least in regions where water does not cost much.

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best regards
Walter Pall
http://walter-pall.de
I don't design bonsai, I design trees.
Tradition is not the custody of ashes but the propagation of fire.
NEW: The endless bonsai diary
http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/

Emperor Fish

Walter,

We disagree.

With all due respect, you seem to be missing the point of my post entirely. As I commented, anyone with half a brain and a water supply can keep a tree alive in a pot - big deal. I also mentioned that it was nearly impossible to overwater a tree that was in a free-draining soil mixture. These are not the points of my post here at all - rather it is that watering practices can have an effect upon growth rates and foliage size in bonsai. Both are things that we can use to our advantage in pursuit of the art I think.

Horticulture is not the primary issue here that I am addressing. I am sure that everyone comments upon how healthy your trees look; again, beside the point.

So listen!! Read the post please.

Regards,

Fish.

__________________
Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.

HEALTH WARNING: Engage brain fully, before typing into keyboard.


"We are the average gamers and we'll kill you badly. There'll be no finesse. no fancy tricks, no inventive attacks, just 2 whole smg clips and a rain of 'nades."

Attila

Hi Fish,

To summarize the point of your post,

If we give optimal amount of water, the needles will be longer.
If we give less than optimal amount water, but enough to keep the tree stress-free, then the needles will be shorter.

My first comment is that when water retention is applied, one has to consider the species very carefully. Some can take it. Others will lose their leaves if the soil dries out even for a short time. For some, it can cause instant death. So it would be extremely risky to keep the soil almost, but not quite dry.

Pines can go on being dry for some time, so retaining water can shorten the needles. But I imagine that walking the line between stress and well-being is extremely narrow. When one has many trees, it is extremely difficult to follow each individual one so closely. My suspicion is that very few of us has the time to do that.

Instead, I rather use other methods to shorten the needles: the timing and nature of candle pruning, needle plucking, and improved ramification. All the above can reduce needle lenght.

As far as watering goes, I am perfectly happy to keep my trees in vibrant health. Reducing internodes through withholding water is something I read in bonsai books, but in reality it never worked for me. I've easily achieved it through other methods, but not watering.

Nevertheless, I don't disagree with the premise that it can be done. It's just that it would be very impractical for me.

midwestbonsai

Fish who is we. oh, that must be you and the mouse in your pocket.
before Walters post no one said anything

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TreeBay

That "we" would be Walter and Fish, (and that's not a mouse in his pocket).

Regards,

Matt

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Attila

You know, in England they use a lot of that "royal We". It sounds more authoritative.

As part of the management, I do that a lot myself when I talk to my staff: "Hmmrghhh....we have decided that there will be no bonuses this year..."

David Yedwab

Fish,
I believe that even Walter may actually agree with you. I think, during my recent visit to his atelier, Walter may have said, while we were discussing watering, that he may not water the pines as much now, until the new needles harden, to perhaps shorten their growth.

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David Yedwab

Kansai

When I set out the garbage I do it in a very deliberate manner. The can is positioned against the curb just so. Any excess in bagged and stacked a certain way. Care is taken to avoid events like billowing charcoal ash or rank kitty-litter oders. Every pickup day before Christmas we set out three little banana-nut breads with gift certificates to a local restaurant tucked discretely inside the wrappers.

All this is done to elicit a specific emotional response from the sanitation workers. It seems to work. I call it the Art of Setting out the Garbage.