a must for bonsai practitioner

[bonhe]

Water is one of the factors which the plant must get. The quality of the water including pH, salt, chloride can affect the plant's health. I've been using those for both: bonsai and koi pond to keep my plants and koi in good shape.
1st pic. kit to look for chloride and pH.
But for pH, I like the kit in second picture because its pH range from 1-14.
3rd kit to find out the salt concentration.
4th one to check for hardness and others.
Bonhe

 

[bonhe]

Oh, and an outside thermometer is needed, too.
Bonhe

 

[jjbacoomba]

Where do you get those kits from? Why a thermometer? New to bonsai. Learning alot from these forums. Thanks, Joe

 

[rockm]

This stuff is not necessary, unless you live in a desert where water is extremely hard.

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

I suggest everyone go out side and look around. Unless you live in the desert, and even if you do I suppose, there is green vegitaion all around you. It is living by using the water that it can get, where ever it can get it from. I'd spend a lot of money on a lot of things but wouldn't spend any on a water test kit as long as I could drink the water that I would be using.

 

[bonhe]

Where do you get those kits from? Why a thermometer? New to bonsai. Learning alot from these forums. Thanks, Joe

Hi Joe, you can get those kit in Lowes, Home Depot except salt meter, you can get it from Koi dealer.
Thermometer is needed to check the temp. in planting area. Bonhe

 

[johng]

But for pH, I like the kit in second picture because its pH range from 1-14.
Bonhe

have you ever measured water or soil that is outside of the 5-9 range? Accuracy is far more important than range when it comes to pH. Nothing can live in the extremes...even bacteria dies between 4 and 5. Don't be fooled into thinking you have something better just because an expanded range is printed on the bottle.

I have raised tropical and temperate fish all my life. In my garden my plants grow faster than I can keep up and my Koi are in the 10 year old range now. I tend to agree with some of the others that have posted already. I have never once checked Ph for my plants or koi...I am fortunate to have really good and abundant well water!

 

[bonhe]

Hi Johng, I like that kit because it correctly measures one level in range. As a general guideline, most trees desire a pH of 5.5 to 6.2 for optimum plant growth.

For me who is living in very hot, dry area with tap water has a lot of chlorine, and alkaline with hard water, I have no choice to check my water to make sure that my plant and koi get the optimum environment for growth. Thanks anyway. Bonhe