humidity try + stones?

SteveS · Yellow Belt Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 75

hey,
i have a couple of humidity trays, i have put stones in them with water and sit the pot in that.

do i need stones? im sure i read somewhere it said to put them in...?

emorrin · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: humidity try + stones?

You don't necessarily need stones. The stones are there so that the pot does not sit in the water. The goal is to make sure that the water does not touch the pot or else water will come through the drain holes by capillary action and your bonsai will end up with wet feet (and root rot if sitting in the water too long). Someone on this site mentioned that they used water bottle caps instead of stones. You can use just about anything (glass, nails, coal ...) to your liking just as long as it won't end up rotting in the humidity tray with water. The goal of the humidity tray is to provide a bubble or micro environment of humidity, it is not there for watering purposes.

SteveS · Yellow Belt Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 75

well i put lots of little stones in, i thougth they were needed, the pot doesnt sit on them, they are around it. so... ill just remove the stones then.. lol... waist of time looking for them :p

emorrin · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:10 pm Post subject: Re: humidity try + stones?

It is probably a good idea to have the pot sit on top of the stones. This way you can add more water and have more humidity around your bonsai. The point I was making is that you can use just about any inorganic object just so that the bottom of the pot does not touch the water. If your pot has little legs than there is not problem just having water in the humidity tray. Do you always have water in you humidity tray? Rocks just look nice aesthetically.

SteveS · Yellow Belt Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 75

yes, the tree is in my room and i check them by the minute!! hehe

ill just remove the stones. to be honest i didn't like them.. so good news that they don't play a bigger part

thanks guys

Stymie · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject: Re: humidity try + stones?

I use hydroleca in some of my trays and have been known to use marbles and grit at different times. They present a greater evaporation surface than flat water.

SteveS · Yellow Belt Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 75

ah so there is a point... tut

Stymie · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:09 pm Post subject: Re: humidity try + stones?

Its all relative really. Perhaps a wider tray would evaporate more than a smaller one with grit. Confused