Mame Watering Systems

bonsaiweb

I am beginning to explore a new aspect of this hobby/addiction: mame. One of the challenges will be keeping them watered.

Does anyone have recommendations about how I might go about creating a watering system? As of right now, I am planning on setting up a series of small (probably Raindrop) sprinklers, rather than drip feeds, as they can cover a wider area. I am designing an area for between 100-200 trees which will be watered 3 times daily.

Of course, I plan to check them two or three times a day. The watering system is mainly a convenience, but not a substitute for maintainence.

That said, anyone have experience with set-ups, brands, or other aspects of mame care that I am not familiar with?

Thanks,
Doug

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Thomas_J.

Take a run to your local Home Depot, they will have everything you need. I had to make a misting system a few years ago and they had everything from different size misting heads(I believe in gallons per hour) to the main hose which you can buy in the amount of feet that you need. you just pop the mister heads on the main hose and attach a cap at one end and a hose fitting adapter at the other end and your all set. It didn't get much easier. All you will need then is a timer for the amount of times you want to water. I bought one at Wal Mart with two water times for $24. Try it you'll have fun making it.
Thomas J.

TreeBay

One of the bonsai mags, I think it was one of Kyosuke Gunn's, had a photo of some mame bonsai embedded about halfway in sand. The trees and sand were watered, and as the roots grow out of the rootholes, they are cut away.

I have seen other people keep them elevated on stones or grilles above water, and others just put them on a towel to help keep the humidity up.

Regards,

Matt

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Bonsainut

Dear Doug,
Good ideas in the above posts as usual. But...I wonder why you feel like you need a automated system. I don't think that in Santa Monica a collection of super tinys would need a special set up.
Perhaps work keeps you away for extended times. Have you had many losses in the past?
What is your thoughts behind this? Or do you just like the high tecky stuff.---Nut

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bonsaiweb

Well, I must confess to a bit of the "liking the hi tech stuff." But the reality of it is that I see an automated watering system as a kind of "belt and suspenders" approach. I expect with mame that I will want to mist them probably 3 times a day. I will, of course, check them daily, but once the collection grows a bit, I am not sure I will have time for a thrice daily watering regimen.

Unless I am being overly cautious in my watering predictions.

When I say mame, I really mean mame, most of these trees will be under 5 inches and some may be considerably smaller.

If I go with Matt's suggestion though, it may be enough to water just once a day, and then the issue is less pressing.

That aside, as Thomas_J said, I will have fun making it.

I'd love to hear from people about their experiences growing mame though, particularly watering needs, etc.

Doug

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Frank Kelly

I place mine on a drip tray filled with peat which I find only needs to be watered daily, however being in the UK we get a bit of rain now and then. My mame are between 2 and 4 inches tall. I also keep a hand mister close by to spray them whenever I pass

growermn

I have also been looking into mame bonsai. I got some info from a couple of growers who have 2 to 3 hundered of them. They dont use water systems, they keep the small pots in large trays filled with turface up to the rims of the pots. The just keep the Turface wet {moist} and it help the trees from drying out. I suppose you could use other materials also, vermiculite,perlite, and such it should have the same affect. Keep the pot from drying out too fast. Just some thoughts that i ran across.

Jeff

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Leesa

Hi Jeff - can you describe the trays that they use for their mame? I assume they have drainage holes - what is the approximate size? Do they water daily or what?

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