Thanks Nigel! My daughter's musical talents are limitless, she also plays the Haws violin and Haws bongos!

@@BlueSkyBonsai Lol!

Yeah exactly!! That's the fifth method of watering! 😂😂👍

😂 bonsai is the perfect blend between art and science!

An analytical mind can turn anything into science. The reality is that any hobby that has to do with the care of a living thing is going to require certain parameters to be met for the overall health of the organism. If you think bonsai people are bad, you should see the reef tank community. Lol

@@BitterrootBonsai I probably do over analyse this, but the thing is, I really enjoy it! 😊

I should have Said "we" bonsai ppl

That makes more sense Anders! 😎✌

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

Cheers Raphael! #2 is exactly my thoughts on the best way to set up an automatic system. Now I just need to shoe-horn in some time to make the vid! Cheers 🍻

It was my pleasure. Thanks so much for your comments!

Thanks Ian! It's weird, in terms of bonsai cultivation I sometimes wish I was living in UK again just for the sake of water savings!

Love your channel back garden.

@@BlueSkyBonsai its literally the only benefit of being here. Id happily swap the free watering for that extra growth you get! :)

@@edinborogh cheers :)

@@BackGardenBonsai yes it's true that there are some benefits of living here ☀️😊

Thanks man! I appreciate it. 🌳👍🏻

Hope you like it!

@@BlueSkyBonsai can't wait for the next part!

@@edinborogh me too, I really enjoy doing these. Cheers! 🍻

Thank you so much! Bonsai is a wonderful hobby - enjoy it!

Thank you Jack!

Thank you!!

Thanks PPP! Agreed on the watering wand, while I love spending a bit of time with the can on each bonsai, that time becomes a chore for 150 developing trees. Hope part 2 doesn't disappoint.. probably won't have my daughter in that one 😊

My daughter is the fifth watering system! Actually she just wanted to get the views 😂😂 I said if this one reaches 10k views I would buy her a new top. The spinkler on a timer, in the end I guess almost everyone goes that way eventually. I recently got two Gardena drip feeders that are inline with the watering pipes and so far so good. I suppose I won't be able to really evaluate them until a year's time when I see the long term results. Tell ya one thing I'm not using organic fert any more, between the smell and the bird attacks.... can't do that any more. Cheers Colin, looking forward to your next vid!

@@BlueSkyBonsai kids these days…always doin it for the likes! Agree on the organic stuff…keep the fish in the sea! Or my belly, just away from the trees! Vid coming out soon. I’ve had more extracurricular activities than normal slowing me down, but we’ll get there!

@@BostonBonsaiIdiot extracurricular activities! I know what you mean. But it's all worthwhile 🌳👍🏻

Thanks bro! 🌳👍🏻

Muchas gracias! Viste los subtítulos en español? He empezado a traducirlos...

Hi Sue, Welcome! And thanks for your kind words!

[[g=[[o d0

Thanks!! Yes I still think the watering can is my favourite method but just due to the time it takes I only use it for the trees with rainwater, and when I want to add fert.

Cheers Jered! 🍻🍻 And now with Ronaldo in Man United it will be an interesting season. Did you see hos goals yesterday? Spectacular.

Thanks, yes it's a beginner topic but I think that all Bonsai teachers need to publish at least one video video on watering. Cheers! 🌳🙏🏻

Thanks! Yup, it was a teaser I suppose. In fact I've been posting the community pics because I'm aware I leave too much time between my videos....

@@BlueSkyBonsai I enjoy your videos regardless of how often you post (and I don't think I'm the only one) so I don't think you should feel bad about not posting more often.

@@OddBonsai thanks, I appreciate that. Maybe like bonsai itself, patience yields rewards!!

Hi Ernst, I really appreciate your comments. I am so glad to hear you're enjoying the videos! You might be one of the few that noticed, I prefer to produce a few focussed videos with good information, rather than hundreds of videos that people could easily choose to skip. Thanks again for your kind words.

@@BlueSkyBonsai what you say is right. A lot of bonsai stations make a lot of video's with out any horticultural explanation just pruning and repotting without any further explaining. You are among the few you raise the level of their subscribers. Of the fifty stations which I follow you are in the top 10.

😍😍 thank you for watching and your lovely comment! ❤

Thanks! 😊

Terima kasih banyak 🌳👍

Great job Stevie, bonsai is such a pleasure as I'm sure you have already discovered 👍 It's filming and editing for YT that is the hard part, as I'm sure you are starting to discover 😂 I'm going to publish a video later today which took a year to film (on and off) and then over 6 weeks to edit, in my spare time. We'll see if it was all worthwhile....

Thanks Karliah! Well the fact is I filmed this one in 4K so maybe that's why???

@@BlueSkyBonsai Yeah, but I also meant the editing and structuring of the video - it's great!

@@KarIiah oh oh ok 😊 thanks again!

Thanks! Yes my daughter wanted to be in a video even if it meant watering all the trees! I've been thinking about doing an update on all the growing trees, nothing new this year but I just consolidated everything together in the bonsai area for the watering system. The ginkgos are doing great, I gave the forest a good trim a month ago, now they're looking healthy but no new growth since pruning, which is okay because now in autumn the root growth is most important. I'll definitely get some footage when the forest turns yellow.

Thanks so much 😊

@@BlueSkyBonsai how can i contact you ??

@@beautyagriculture9480 you can email me if you want, dave@blueskybonsai.com

Hi from Madrid, Spain!

terima kasih 😊👍

Thanks Safak! And to everyone else reading this comment, please take a look at DO Bonsai's channel, he has many beautiful olive bonsai with some amazing trunks 🌳🌳🌳👍🏻

@@BlueSkyBonsai Bro, Thank you very very very much indeed for this praise.

Thanks @Buhay Bukid 🌳👍

Yes you're right, as long as the water in the tray can't touch the bottom of the pot then there's no harm in keeping some water underneath. The problem is, most typical bonsai pots with plates don't keep the pot far enough above the water. The feet on my indoor pots are minimal. A bonsai friend here in Madrid puts stones in his trays so the pot is a bit higher. Anyway, sounds like your ficus is in good hands 🌳👍🏻

Thanks! Here's one I found with a quick search: irunbonsai.com/platos-y-bandejas/1646-hydrobonsai-8422844937007.html

Hola Papá Bonsái! me alegro que te ha gustado, y además en mis últimos videos he añadido subtítulos en castellano porque sé que hay gente por aquí a quien le gustaría entender mis videos en español.... empezando con mis cuñadas en León! Acabo de ver tu canal ahora, y por supuesto he suscrito! También me alegra oír que estás en Madrid. Esta semana miraré tus videos. Sííí, los arco iris son reales, supongo que normalmente no los vemos porque no es habitual regar el follaje en pleno sol. Por cierto el planito rápido, ha sido intencional - ya sabes las alfombras persas, que los tejedores incorporan unas imperfecciones porque dicen que nada creado por hombre puede ser perfecto 😂😂😂 También hay otros escapes en el video, me pregunto si se han pasado desapercibidas... Muchas gracias por tus comentarios, lo agradezco mucho amigo!

@@BlueSkyBonsai gracias a tí 🙏💕

I also love Chinese elms. The one you see in this video, I didn't yet do a video on it, but I plan to sometime in the future. I did two pruning videos on other chinese elms, if you're interested: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mbV3dK1mzte7lp8.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qOCZqNmQqMrKXYk.html

Thank you! Unfortunately this watering can is no longer available. It seems that Hawes have stopped making the 2L bonsai can. On Amazon you can find the 0.7L bonsai can which is good for small pots and indoor bonsai, but for the 2L can you might need to choose another brand.

@@BlueSkyBonsai thabk you for your answer. I wanted to tell you again that your videos have a cinema quality which makes the viewing pleasure. Thanks again and keep going.

I got mine in Spain: www.planetahuerto.es/venta-hidrobonsai-system_01057

Yes, you make very good points. The wick helps uniform drainage and maintains a good vertical distribution of water in the pot for longer. But it could re-introduce the roots' waste products and growth inhibitors again as the water gradually gets wicked up again into the soil. It's probably healthier to use the watering can frequently and let it drain away. But in the hot summers the water box & wick keep the bonsai alive for several days without having to water it. Thanks!

Hi Andrew, the most likely is that either the roots got dry while repotting, or after root pruning the tree got too dry due to transpiration in the leaves without sufficient roots to supply enough water. . Keep it in near 100% humidity for a few weeks. You can do this by putting a clear plastic bag over it so it stays humid but still receives light. It's possible that it will lose all its leaves but that doesn't mean it's dying - it can be a temporary way of conserving water in the stem. Make sure the soil doesn't dry out, and keep it in the shade if it's hot there at the moment. Keep it humid for several weeks and with luck it might start budding new leaves again. It can take a few months, so don't give up!

Thank you!!

Carmona bonsai are notorious for dying with no apparent reason. One of mine died a few years ago after its second repotting... it survived for a few days, then I chopped one branch and it literally dropped its leaves within 24 hours and never returned to life. Curiously though, I rooted that branch and it's still alive - just repotted it a few days ago. www.flickr.com/gp/davidhseymour/Y09z1iLBBE It now spends most of the year covered with a clear plastic bag, on a south-facing windowsill. Whenever I remove the plastic bag the leaves start to dry after a few days, so I tend to keep it covered most of the time. I keep it watered normally. My assessment is that carmonas cannot survive long term in low humidity, and since most household air is low humidity, they dry and die. My advice is: 1. Be prepared in case it dies. Most bonsai enthusiasts I know have had a carmona die on them. 2. Cover it with a clear plastic bag, in a south-facing windowsill, mist the inside of the bag. Water it normally, every day or two, and keep your fingers crossed. Good luck!

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thanks Dave, from what you say it's certainly too cold for Carmona where I live in Yorkshire. Your branch cutting looks great, nice shape. I will be concentrating on my Box layering as soon as it's warm enough to sit outside doing it !!! Stay safe and well Alan🤣

Since I published the video I also can't find the 2 litre can. I got mine a few years ago on Amazon but looks like Haws don't make this model any more. I'm going to contact them because you're not the first to ask. In the meantime you could try their "fine as rain" rose on another brand can??

Thanks Jonne! Excellent question about watering the foliage in full sun. Broadleaf evergreens, like olives or azaleas, I don't water their leaves with tap water at all, because they can keep their leaves for over a year, and I don't want to let calcium deposits or other chemicals build up on the leaves. But if the tree is deciduous, it doesn't matter because it will lose its leaves in autumn anyway (or even earlier if you defoliate) so any calcium deposits are short-lived. But on the question of whether water droplets on leaves magnify the sunlight and burn the leaves? I believe that's just a myth, I've watered the deciduous leaves in full sunlight for several years here in Madrid and never noticed any leaf problems as a result. The water evaporates off quicker than it could burn a leaf. Otherwise we'd see millions of burnt spots on tree leaves in nature everywhere whenever there's sun and rain together. In theory, if a water droplet is suspended by tiny wax hairs above the leaf surface then it could burn the leaf surface because the water itself is not cooling the surface. But even then, the water tends to evaporate fast enough that no real damage is done. Here is a scientific (phytology) paper on the science of water droplets on leaves: nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03150.x

, i didn’t notice any impact on my tree’s so far, Thanks!

Yes, I had a busy summer!

Hi Syster, sorry to hear it died. It is something we get accustomed to. It is even more upsetting if it's a tree you've been cultivating for several years, but ultimately you'd prefer for none of them to die! It's a good reason to have many bonsai and developing trees, so that when one conks it you still have a lot of good material. By the way, I sometimes get messages from people who say "I killed my plant by overwatering". I just don't buy it (unless they have a pot with no draining holes in full sun so the stagnant water is cooking the roots.) I bet the real cause is that the roots dried out a few weeks before, then they tried to water it much more in the hope that it would recuperate... so they attribute the death to the more water rather than the prior drought. I also lost a tree this summer, you can see it in this video looking bare and sad. It was one of only five tiny bonsai I took on holiday with me... it completely dried out in the sun in one day. That's the risk of shallow pots. Good plan to try another aspen next year 🌳👍

​@@BlueSkyBonsai It's ok, but I'm sad because I love aspens. Still, I'm counting on a few trees dying as I'm learning. And I'll definitely try more aspens. I'm considering putting my trees indoors in the cellar. There's an empty room there beside the washing room that's fairly cool. And I turned off the radiators and hope nobody will check on that. XD I fear the balcony might get too cold in the coldest weeks in winter and thought I could put them down there during that time. What do you think? Or would it get too warm? (I'm gonna put a thermometer there to check how warm it is). At work we have this little ficus tree. I have twice this week had to save it from literally drowning. The cleaning maid (who's in charge of the plants as well) poured so much water it stood like 1cm above the dirt... I had to put it lying down in the sink to let the water run off since it's planted in an outer pot without runoff holes. XD She's done it twice! In 5 days. I believe it fully that people drown their trees. XD But if they're planted correctly, they'd have to really water a lot to manage it. lol. Aww, your poor little tree. :( At least you have many. :) I have quite a few baby trees too, but I only had one aspen. I think I have... 18 I think. But they're all less than one year old apart from my oaks. They're exactly one year next month. :)

@@SysterYster I think you're right about the cleaning person trying to drown the ficus! About the room downstairs: I wouldn't do that until it gets really really cold outside. In nature tree seedlings grow outside so it would have to get badly freezing to kill them. But I guess your balcony is probably a lot more exposed than seedlings in a wood somewhere, so I understand your concern. Also if the room downstairs is above about 8 or 10°c, you run the risk of waking the trees early, they use signs of daylight hours and temperature to "wake up" in spring. The risk is early budding, say in January, and then you really have to keep them indoors with grow lamps until you know there won't be ice at night. Maybe that's not such a bad plan anyway with such young shoots and seedlings.

@@BlueSkyBonsai lol, for sure. XD Yeah, I only meant to use it if it like, goes really cold for a week or two, not like the entire winter or anything. :) The light won't be much of an issue there, there's only two really tiny cellar windows. It's only the warmth that might be an issue. But I'll check the temperature first. I don't have grow lamps though. Any suggestions? :)

Sounds good. I wish I had a creek nearby!

Hehehe you mean you only pretended to enjoy it?? ❤

Sorry to hear that Mike. What soil did you use?

@@BlueSkyBonsai I started out with just the dirt the plant was in, then I tried Montmorillonite, lava rock and some perlite with a little peat mixed in.These were junipers and two mogo pines. Now my cryptomeria with is still in the original garden pot is showing of branches dying. I should have bought a new gun with the money I had, at least I'd have something.

@@mikecipriani7792 that sucks. Take care of the cryptomeria, hope it pulls through.