watering

willowgrove · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 5:32 pm Post subject: watering

Hi everyone,
I have a quick question about soil saturation. It may be because I live in Missouri and it is really humid, but my soil doesn't seem to ever want to dry out. Recently, I have been waiting three or four days to water my tree because the topsoil stays very damp. Should I wait until it starts to dry out on top, or keep up with what I'm doing or what? It's a blue moss cypress, and a couple of weeks ago it was damaged on top because I trimmed it improperly. It seems to be very slowly recovering, because only on top is it a little yellowish.

Thank you for the support,
mike

Dick · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:00 pm Post subject: Re: watering

If you could describe the soil particle size and how the water acts when it's watered, that would help a great deal to answering your question properly.

E.g., is the soil like a very course sand? Does the water flow right through the pot when you water it or does it slowly seel through? Do you have anything glued to the soil surface resembling aquarium gravel? Those are crucial questions to answer your original question.

willowgrove · Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:09 am Post subject: Re: watering

the soil is a mix of very small particulate sand and a little bit of dirt soil. It is very black though. Nothing is on the surface but a little bit of moss I found growing outside my apartment around the base of the tree, and a rock that is removed when I water it. When I water it, the water seeps through fairly fast. About five seconds after I start to water, the water seeps through the bottom. I do it gently enough to not disturb the gravel in it, and I water it as evenly as I can, because I do not have a watering can with a rose on the tip of it. I water it until I see it coming trough the bottom, and that is just enough time for myself to get it nice and even. The tree was purchased from bonsaiboy.com. It is 5 inches tall from the top of the container. The container it's in is 2.25" deep, 7" across, and 5.5" wide.

Dick · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:46 pm Post subject: Re: watering

If all is as you describe, then even though the soil seems to be draining well to you, it's probably a little to dense for a bonsai tree. Most regular bosai soil has all the particles in the 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch in diameter with very little black soil . It may have a compost in it, but even this is not lkike regular potting soil, but coarse like the sand and grit.

I would say that if it is taking 4-5 days for the soil to dry out, that it needs to be repotted into a more freely draining bonsai soil that is usuallu available in most good garden centers. Check around for one and they may even have a repotting service. Since serissa is semi-tropical, it can be repotted virtually any time of the year.

By freely draining, to gove an example, my trees outdoorsa are watered with a hose. I can water my trees with a dramm breaker nozzle and the water goes right through fromthe hose and never puddles on top.

steve · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:45 am Post subject: Re: watering

Actually Dick he said it was a blue moss cypress. Cypress have some unique needs and soil that stays damp for long periods isn't one of them. If you were a subscribed member there is a listing in the A to Z on them and it would make for much more complete information than my small summary but I"ll try. They need very fast draining soil and alot of water. I know that sounds contradicting but they are prone to root rot so they don't actually like to sit in water like the famous swamp cypresses of southern America. They don't like to be misted much as their foliage will rot quickly as well. Protection from afternoon sun and winter winds is adviseable.

Dick · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:20 am Post subject: Re: watering

Hi steve,

I wasn't suggesting that the soil remain wet. A little damp is all that is needed. Soil that freely drains does not stay wet for more that a day or two when outdoors, and maybe for three days indoors. I don't see that what I said was in anyway contradictory to what you indicated to him. And if 1/8 to 1/4 inch diameter particles are not free draining soils components, then I don't know what is.

steve · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:13 pm Post subject: Re: watering

Dick-
You called it a serissa good buddy. When you mentioned repotting I was worried he wouldn't notice the serissa part and migt repot the tree. No worries.

m5eay · Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 7:46 am Post subject: Re: watering

Try pushing a chopstick through to see if it really is staying damp under the surface .
Geoff.

Dick · Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 3:54 am Post subject: Re: watering

You're right steve. I called it a serissa! My error.

This must be the ultimate spelling error - referring to a cypress and spelling it as serissa Laughing

. What happened im my brain on this one? Laughing

You must be rolling in the aisles.

DMicheleR · Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 4:39 am Post subject: Re: watering

Hey Dick! Maybe I'm contagious since I can't tell serissa from fukien teas when they're right under my nose! Laughing