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DDMcKenna
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Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2014 1:10 pm
Location: Florida, USA, just north of Daytona Beach

Science of watering a Bonsai tree

The Science of Watering a Bonsai Tree

Okay, here’s your chance to tell me I'm totally crazy or if you think there is some merit to this idea.

To start with, I have never claimed to be a horticulturalist because I’ve never grown anything. I am your basic nerd and at my age, I’ll accept that label proudly. I have always been closer to physics and geometry than I have with any biology. But I think I understand how a tiny tree will die if it is not watered or if it is over-watered. I think the latter might even kill it quicker but I don't know and I don't want to find out.

So I did grab one of my wife’s chopsticks, (didn’t ask because she would have refused), but they were nice chopsticks and I suspect they have some kind of lacquer finish or something, maybe polyurethane. But in any case, I don't think it was as capable at detecting the moisture level of the soil quite as accurately as the cheap wooden coffee stirrers that were available for free at the local convenience store.

But even with those, I could tell when some of the soil or even moisture would stick too or be absorbed by those little wooden sticks. But I still didn’t feel confident until I pushed my finger down into the soil and “felt” the soil and tried to feel the amount of moisture in it. I think everyone here is right in saying that it is an art-form that takes practice and experience.

But I'm a nerd. It seems to me that since I guess it’s the “In” thing to be able to measure and calculate ingredients when you prepare food these days but the wife has one of these electronic digital scales sitting right there on the edge of the countertop where I walk in and out of the lanai. So it wouldn’t be difficult at all just to set my baby down on that scale when I looked at her every once in a while. I asked my wife and she doesn’t mind as long as I wipe it off when I'm done. And it seems to me that when just watered, three times, with the soil holding as much moisture as possible, it is going to be fairly heavy comparison to when it is completely dry. And it just so happens, my baby is right in the correct weight range to fit that scale.

Remember, I am a nerd. So with a Excel spreadsheet, I should be able to see a graph of the growth rate of the tree as it consumes nutrients and water from the soil and uses sunlight for photosynthesis to grow bigger at various rates depending on the month of year and the amount of over-all sunlight.

But more important, I should easily be able to create a graph that shows how heavy it is when it is freshly watered and how light it becomes when it is completely dry. And allowing for the much smaller change in growth rate, it should be easy to see its weight decrease as it dries. I believe it would be a slow curve as it got lighter and lighter, gradually slowing how fast it lightens until it really wouldn’t decrease weight except for plant deterioration itself. I'm thinking you could get a good idea of how dry the soil was just by how much it weighed and have a good idea when it is time to water it again.

I'm sorry for making this so long but it seems like it might be a good idea but I'm sure you guys will know if it’s worth debate or just frickin crazy. Of course, I understand this is only meant to help with my Juniper and because it weighs what it does. I don't think this method would work at all for a plant like anything that produced fruit or had other variables that could affect the weigh as dramatically. But my tiny Juniper seems like it would be willing to gladly tell me when it was thirsty.

tomc
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Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

I have heard of growers who use a ?hydrometer?. I think you'll have to kill more trees than by touch to work out all the things that a spread sheet would have to have to support your tree baby(s).

My by-guess or by gosh; is to take a dry chopstick out to my trees and poke soil, and take a feel of the withdrawn chopstick.

If you have deep enough pockets to buy a hydrometer, and it'll get you there, by all means go for it. An' its sounding like even with a graph, you want something metric to give legs to your idea.

My last minimum--maximum thermometer had mercury in it. So-o if your a geek, then I'm a luddite. ;)

Our job to each other here is to be helpful.

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DDMcKenna
Senior Member
Posts: 152
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2014 1:10 pm
Location: Florida, USA, just north of Daytona Beach

Ah, you're right. I probably wouldn't trust the hydrometer anyway.
I like giving her the personal attention she deserves and I like watching how she responds.
I found a new spot in the garden today, lots more sun.
So she looks as if she grew out half an inch today just to spite me for clipping a few loose ends.
Probably just my imagination because that's what my son would do.
But it's really beautiful to watch her grow and I can tell she really likes the sun.



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