Misting leaves?

joshy boi · White Belt Joined: 17 Aug 2005 Posts: 18

How comes you have to lightly spray the leaves of bonsais, and how is this beneficial for the tree? Also is it safe to mist serissas, as I'm told they're fussy trees?

thanks

Dick · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 5:06 pm Post subject: Re: Misting leaves?

Misting only raises humidity level in the local area of the tree. Most trees have some ability to absorb some minor amounts of moisture through their leaves, but they are not like epiphytes which can actually exist without being watered because they absorb moisture through their leaves and exposed roots from the humidity in the air.

It's more crucial for some misting of indoor plants than outdoor plants, especially when the heat is turned on for winter. The added humidity slows the transpiration of water through the leaves and helps the plant struggle less with the dry climate. Outdoors, the humidity in the air is normally enough for the plant and misting is not all that important.

Serissas are moisture loving plants. If they are outdoors in the summer and kept evenly moist all the time, misting isn't needed. However, once they come indoors, what I said above would hold true. However, there is a danger to all plants that are misted and that is the possibility of developing a fungus on the foliage. Most times it can be easily treated and so the benefits of misting outweigh not misting, even on serissas. And then another problem could be caused if there is too much moisture at the roots causing root rot, or on the soil and bark cause harmful mosses to grow. Serissa bark is not as thick as on other trees and can be invaded and underminded by moss that can grow from an increased humid groing area which misting will sometimes provide.

Stymie · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 5:57 pm Post subject: Re: Misting leaves?

Dick said it all. Make a copy of that and keep it in your diary. Smile

joshy boi · White Belt Joined: 17 Aug 2005 Posts: 18

OK Thanks for that!

So whats the best advice you can give for misting an indoor serissa?

Stymie · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 11:14 pm Post subject: Re: Misting leaves?

Light misting can be done daily but best not to the point of run off of the water. Don't do it when sunlight is on the foliage or when its in flower. Okay?

joshy boi · White Belt Joined: 17 Aug 2005 Posts: 18

oh ok excellent cheers for that

steve · Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 1:42 am Post subject: Re: Misting leaves?

The way I understand it the evaporation of the water off the leaves pulls more water through the tree. It eases transpiration this way and gives the tree more nutrients to boot.

Tuppence2 · Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:32 am Post subject: Re: Misting leaves?

Thanks for the interesting informaiton about misting.

Hello joshi boy, nice to meet you.

Penny Smile

joshy boi · White Belt Joined: 17 Aug 2005 Posts: 18

is it safe to mist chinese elms, as since ive started misting it lots of leaves have gone brown and started to fall off?
is this right?

Stymie · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:41 am Post subject: Re: Misting leaves?

Its not really necessary to mist your Elm if its outside, which I hope it is.

joshy boi · White Belt Joined: 17 Aug 2005 Posts: 18

naa its an indoor elm.its bin grown indoors for 8 years and was growing fine but now its started loosing leaves.

Dick · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 8:54 pm Post subject: Re: Misting leaves?

Chinese elms will lose leaves naturally if left outdoor. They really benefit from outdoor living and become weakened if they continue to grow indoor. They will also lose their leave sooner if grown indoors. They are not considered evergreen trees anbd are alwasy classified as being deciduous.

What Stymie wrote about the growing place for Chinese elms is absolutely correct. It's truly an error to say, "naa its an indoor elm," regardless of how long it has been indoors because it misleads people into thinking that it doesn't matter where they grow them. I think that if you will read any standard reference works concerning the cultivation of Chinese elms, whether as bonsai or not, you will not find that the recommended growing space for them is indoor. My suspicion is that you have not since then you would also know about misting them or not.