- Intriguedbybonsai
- Senior Member
- Posts: 262
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:03 pm
- Location: Escondido, CA (USDA Zone 9-10)
Leaf misting
I own a juniper bonsai, a Japanese maple bonsai, and a few other maples not yet in bonsai form. I use a spray bottle to mist the leaves daily(Not in full sunlight though). Is this misting beneficiary to my bonsai?
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- Full Member
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:39 am
- Location: London UK
Misting is a notoriously bad means of watering, but a very good way to temporarily raise humidity in the immediate area. The watering aspect is so bad because the moisture tends to wet only the top, visible, layer of the soil, leading to a belief that the plant's roots are receiving moisture when, in fact, the exact opposite is likely to be true if this is the only means of watering. Although, 10 minutes of hand pumping will deliver a LOT of water. If you've one tree, you might find that is an option for you, but if you've a dozen or more... well, better than two hours of constant hand pump misting would be more than just a time consumer, it could well be damaging to your health.
- Intriguedbybonsai
- Senior Member
- Posts: 262
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:03 pm
- Location: Escondido, CA (USDA Zone 9-10)
I do not mist to water the entire tree. My actual watering is done with a watering can, and making sure the soil is moistened all the way to the roots. And I check this by simply inserting my finger,(or as with my Juniper, a toothpick is used) down into the soil to check for moisture. What I was referring to was the leafy parts of the plant. Giving the leaves, and new growth a good saturation with a spray bottle.kdodds wrote:Misting is a notoriously bad means of watering, but a very good way to temporarily raise humidity in the immediate area. The watering aspect is so bad because the moisture tends to wet only the top, visible, layer of the soil, leading to a belief that the plant's roots are receiving moisture when, in fact, the exact opposite is likely to be true if this is the only means of watering. Although, 10 minutes of hand pumping will deliver a LOT of water. If you've one tree, you might find that is an option for you, but if you've a dozen or more... well, better than two hours of constant hand pump misting would be more than just a time consumer, it could well be damaging to your health.