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Don’t you water a bonsai like any other plant? The answer is absolutely not. Bonsai are very particular and specific and how to treat them will depends on lots of factors including enviornment and climate.

Bonsai use water at different rates, which means that because there are many different types of bonsai they will all use water at different times and amounts during their growing cycle. All bonsai are not the same. Different species of bonsai do not have set cycles and should be tended to when necessary.

Watering - it’s important that the compost never dries out. You can quickly kill a bonsai this way. You will of course be aware that when in the ground, plants and trees adapt to the environment - this isn’t possible for a bonsai as due to the smallness of scale, everything you do - or not has a big effect on it. The masters say that to fully master the correct watering of a bonsai it takes 3 years.

Under-watering harms a bonsai far more quickly than over-watering. It is very important to take careful note of the condition of the compost, make sure it is not dried out.

The roots of a bonsai need oxygen to breathe - water comes into contact with the roots and provides oxygen, it flushes out all the by products and in exchange gives fresh air and oxygen which nourishes the plant. If you give too much water the plant will literally suffocate - the fine root hairs cannot breathe and it dies through too much oxygen.

How do you know what the right amount of water is? Sometimes if you are re-potting you can tell that a plant is over-watered because the fine root hairs will turn black and rotten.

There are other signs to look for in order to tell if you are watering incorrectly - loss of vigor, looking tired and no longer vibrant and healthy - also when the foliage turns yellow - or the smaller branches shrink and die away.

So what can be done to remedy this? Cutting away the black roots will help. Rotten roots foster bacteria that kill the plant, so cutting the old rotten black roots away will help restore a more friendly eco system and help the plant to recover. Take care not to damage the healthy roots as this will impede recovery. More importantly you will need to change your watering habits!

How often do you water? Never on a set routine. Temperature changes and changing environment mean that you need to adapt to what your bonsai needs. Bonsai only have a small root system and can dry out very quickly, you must keep a careful eye on the needs of each individual plant. Your plant may have damp compost on top, but below be drying out. Each species bonsai plant will use water at different rates according to their living conditions, and must be checked daily.

You can use a wooden toothpick to help you find out what is going on beneath the surface if you put it into the soil and leave it. The next time you check the toothpick you will be able to see by viewing the lack of dampness and this will help you decide how much water you should use.

You need to be able to adapt your routine to the needs of your plant and never underestimate how important watering is.