Chopstick Method For Watering Bonsai
This is a favored method of many experienced bonsai gardeners as it is generally a good indication of moisture content.
Chopstick method for watering bonsai. Be cautious to not disturb the soil surface too much. Take a chopstick that has no coating on it and stick it in the soil of the pot near the edge. Hold the chopstick by the thicker end and insert the narrow end 1 inch 2 5 cm into the soil. Dryness can also betested with a chopstick inserted into the bonsai pot as a sort ofdipstick.
Use a wooden chopstick as a moisture gauge. Once it has soaked in you can continue to water. When the chopstick is pulled out and it is nearly dry it istime to water. If it is damp you don t need to water.
Pull it out to check the water line before every day or touch it to your inner wrist or cheek to feel for moisture. A thirdmethod perhaps used by most people is to dig half an inch under thesoil surface. It s not dissimilar to checking the oil level in a car engine. You can also use the old chopstick method where you insert a wooden chopstick into the soil and leave it there for a minute.
The next time you repot your bonsai take a strand from a string mop and thread it through both drain holes in the pot so that the string hangs out each side. Use a fine nozzle either on your hose or watering can which provides a gentle shower of water. After 15 20 minutes take the chopstick out of the soil and see if it feels damp. This is a method advocated by michael persiano.
Then pull it out and if the chopstick is dry it is time to water.