Summer watering: root stew

[ponderingsage]

I was just wondering what peoples thoughts were on summer watering.

A friend and I were talking about if you were to water in the middle of the day when it’s 100 or so, wouldn’t the roots be stewing in soon to be 100° all day?

I like to water in the evenings in summer when things are cooling off.

Assuming that people have their soils optimize (not trying to start Soil Wars Vll: Return of the Turface) for location/tree,
isn't it better to just water once a day when it is cool, as the tree can only transpire so much.
I guess I’m wondering if you were to water in the middle of the day, or in the morning and it stays wet, and trees sit in hot water all day is that doing more harm than good?
Of course, there are considerations for Shohin etc.
A lot of people in our club wrap pots with light colored rags/burlap and wet them down when watering. And top dress as well.

I feel (mostly)confident about my watering practice. just wondering what people think about this idea.

 

[Joe Dupre']

I normally water mid-morning. I figure transpiration and evaporation are cooling the soil and the tree. The tree has all the water it needs going into the hottest part of the day. A local bonsai artist with world-class trees has most of her trees under shade cloth and wraps the best ones in wet rags during the heat of summer. My thought on that is the wet rags allow ALL of the soil to work to nourish the tree.

 

[sorce]

A cooling off mid-day makes sense.

Though I think it is better to take preventative (wrap and location) measures to keep things more consistent.

Displaying bonsai is one thing.

Keeping them healthy the other 363 days of the year is something else.

Sorce

 

[Gabler]

It's best to water whenever your trees look dry, but if you must water on a schedule, I've found mornings are better than evenings. Fewer problems with fungus that way. The sun quickly dries off the foliage in the day, but everything stays damp at night.

 

[Colorado]

I have always watered in the morning and then again mid-day if it’s really hot. Never had any problems with it. Personally I think it is much better to keep it moist in really hot weather rather than letting it dry out too much.

 

[Michael P]

Hello from a hot climate. Assuming that your irrigation water is at lower temperature than ambient, watering close to the daily maximum temperature does cool the soil in the pots significantly.

 

[gooeytek]

My sprinklers go on at 2AM, and the trees/plants go through the cycle at 3:30AM.
By the time the sun comes up, things are still slightly moist.

 

[ponderingsage]

I have always watered in the morning and then again mid-day if it’s really hot. Never had any problems with it. Personally I think it is much better to keep it moist in really hot weather rather than letting it dry out too much.

Yeah, l never let things dry out.
I imagine that waterIng in the mid-day heat would cool the roots for a bit, before warming back up.

Your probably feeling this heat wave too?
Should be 108 F here for a day or more.

 

[Paradox]

I also water in the morning. Seems better for the trees to have a drink before the sun comes up and the soil stays moist for most of the day unless its really hot.
If its over 90, Ill run the sprinklers for another 10-15 minutes after work if it looks like the trees need it

 

[leatherback]

The drier the pot goes, the easier it heats up. Water evaporation cools the pot.
So watering is a GOOD thing.

 

[Colorado]

Yeah, l never let things dry out.
I imagine that waterIng in the mid-day heat would cool the roots for a bit, before warming back up.

Your probably feeling this heat wave too?
Should be 108 F here for a day or more.

Sheesh! That’s too hot! I am in the foothills west of Denver at about 6000 elevation and we are forecasted for 99. I’m just thankful it’s not triple digits

 

[dbonsaiw]

I tend to water early morning before work, but I’ve never had an issue watering when it’s hot in the afternoon and the trees need it. Think about this way, assuming the tree has water In The pot to survive, that water is also being heated by outside temps. Meaning, if water cooks trees it would cook them from the morning watering as well. Never been hot enough here that I need to use towels.

 

[rockm]

I was just wondering what peoples thoughts were on summer watering.

A friend and I were talking about if you were to water in the middle of the day when it’s 100 or so, wouldn’t the roots be stewing in soon to be 100° all day?

I like to water in the evenings in summer when things are cooling off.

Assuming that people have their soils optimize (not trying to start Soil Wars Vll: Return of the Turface) for location/tree,
isn't it better to just water once a day when it is cool, as the tree can only transpire so much.
I guess I’m wondering if you were to water in the middle of the day, or in the morning and it stays wet, and trees sit in hot water all day is that doing more harm than good?
Of course, there are considerations for Shohin etc.
A lot of people in our club wrap pots with light colored rags/burlap and wet them down when watering. And top dress as well.

I feel (mostly)confident about my watering practice. just wondering what people think about this idea.

watering pots still in the sun is counterproductive. It cools the roots down, but only until the sun heats things up again in an hour or two. Yeah, you can cook your trees' roots with just watering. I cover pots in the morning after I water thoroughly--with white towels. That keeps the sun from heating up the soil to above air temperatures. I remove the towels after sun exposure is gone in the late afternoon. The towels also tend to insulate or lag the soil temps since they insulate the cooler morning temps. I do this for my extremely large trees that can't be moved easily. The shohin and two-handed trees were moved into shade a month ago as this heat wave built. I have noticed some of the native species aren't using as much water during some days. I also had to cut back some water completely on some newer trees that still have field soil in the pot. They were beginning to show signs of yellowing and dying leaves--too much water.

I've been doing this for weeks now. I used to only do it when we had days above 95. The last two weeks have been 95-102 F.

 

[penumbra]

I water when I need to and when I can, whether it is pre sun, full sun or post sun. I have never, to my knowledge, lost a plant through watering. I have lost plants due to lack of water.
I think this thread is mostly much ado about nothing.

 

[shimbrypaku]

I water when I need to and when I can, whether it is pre sun, full sun or post sun. I have never, to my knowledge, lost a plant through watering. I have lost plants due to lack of water.
I think this thread is mostly much ado about nothing.

I try to do the same. I have never lost a tree in the summer heat to over watering.

On some very hot days I water early Am and then at 1:00-2:00 pm, My belief is that my well water, 55 degrees ,cools the roots and pots down.

Just my experience in my backyard in NC.

Thanks

 

[BrianBay9]

We're on our 21st day in a row of triple digit heat. I water morning and early evening with the auto system, and mid-day by hand. And at least once a week check the entire set up for squirrel-induced failures.

 

[Colorado]

Well it seems like different folks have different opinions on the subject. Surprise surprise!

Personally I don’t see how having more water in the pot would damage the roots. Seems to me that the temperature in the pot is going to be about the same either way, it’s just a matter of whether you want hot dry roots or hot moist roots. I prefer to err on the side of water.

 

[Srt8madness]

A cooling off mid-day makes sense.

Though I think it is better to take preventative (wrap and location) measures to keep things more consistent.

Displaying bonsai is one thing.

Keeping them healthy the other 363 days of the year is something else.

Sorce

This is one of the top 5 things bonsai noobs (myself included at the time) don't realize. Bonsai trees don't just sit in a pretty show ready state all the time, sometimes they're even ugly.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I think there might be different guidelines for watering a tree in a shallow bonsai pot than a tree in a grow box or a nursery pot.

I would think you'd want to water the trees in bonsai pots more often in the heat.

If I were worried that water is cooking roots, I'd flush it out more often with cool water.

 

[ponderingsage]

watering pots still in the sun is counterproductive. It cools the roots down, but only until the sun heats things up again in an hour or two. Yeah, you can cook your trees' roots with just watering. I cover pots in the morning after I water thoroughly--with white towels. That keeps the sun from heating up the soil to above air temperatures. I remove the towels after sun exposure is gone in the late afternoon. The towels also tend to insulate or lag the soil temps since they insulate the cooler morning temps. I do this for my extremely large trees that can't be moved easily. The shohin and two-handed trees were moved into shade a month ago as this heat wave built. I have noticed some of the native species aren't using as much water during some days. I also had to cut back some water completely on some newer trees that still have field soil in the pot. They were beginning to show signs of yellowing and dying leaves--too much water.

I've been doing this for weeks now. I used to only do it when we had days above 95. The last two weeks have been 95-102 F.

That was what l was thinking. Luckily i get pretty good afternoon shade. thanks