Water treatment

Bonsai Barry

How do you treat the water that sustain your bonsai?

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Bonsai Barry

"Our talent lies in our choices."

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Joanie

I chose other, because some of the trees get bottled water (shhh, don't tell hubby!) and the rest get the hose. Our water has a lot of salts in it, and some of the trees like Japanese maples and serissas seem to do better with bottled.

Joanie

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Vance Wood

It really depends on the quality and nature of the water you have available to you, essentially from the hose. Detroit area water is rated as some of the best in the country so I don't worry about water quality and use it right from the hose. Other parts of the country may have high contents of this that and other stuff, you just have to figure out where you stand. Usually leaving the water to stand for a few days to percolate out sediments and the like is enough but some chemicals may not respond this way. A water purification system may give you what you need.

DO NOT USE SOFT WATER. Water that has gone through a water softening process runs the risk of having toxic levels of salt in it and is not fit for bonsai.

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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

OKbonsai

I use well water but it is so hard that I have treat it. If not, overhead watering will turn the trees white from all the minerals. I have a 55 gal barrel with 55 oz of sulfuric acid and a 25 lb bag of fertilizer mix in it and use an injector at 100:1 to mix with the well water. This mix makes my water 5.6-5.9 ph (out of the ground it is 7) and this takes care of my hard water problem and fertilizing is automatic. It's a bummer to have to do so much with the water, this is the first place I have lived that I had to do anything with the water. Have to run a water softener in the house also. If not the water ruins everything in time.
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Aaron_K

I just use water straight from the tap without any ill effects. Even though I live in a hard water area (S.E. England being very chalky) all my trees seem to do fine on it. They all get rained on too, unless under the shelter.

I suppose it really comes down to what species you have for bonsai, and what your local water supply is like chemically. I don't possess any eraceous soil loving trees like azalea etc, so have no need to worry. If you do have trees that require an acidic soil, and your local water supply is very chalky and high in chloride, then perhaps you should consider treating it or use a source other than straight from the tap.

On the whole though, if its safe enough to drink.... its safe enough for your trees.

All the best,

Aaron

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Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Muriel Strode

Vulpes pilum mutat, non mores!

"A fox may change its skin but never its character"

Bruce Winter

Other: Rain off the roof, into a 10Kgallon tank.

Joanie

Bruce, does your rainwater contain sea salt? Have you ever tested it? Our roof accumulates salt because of our nearness to the ocean, and the lack of rain here, so I let the roof get washed off first by the rain and then set up the barrel.

Does your rain blow onshore?

Joanie

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Bruce Winter

Hi Joanie, I'm a hour away from the sea and 4Kfeet high in an alpine rainforest, next to Kilauea volcano. No minerals in the water so glass doesn't spot and pots don't stain.

Joanie

LUCKY YOU!!! Ah, Paradise indeed.

Joanie

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