The tree has been exposed to rain for a long time

[natemalone]

Hi, It sucks to ask this question. I have a business trip away for about 2 weeks and during that time the weather was wet and raining continuously for a few days and some trees got a lot of rain water, fortunately the soil I used drained well but I am still wondering Do they have root rot?

Please experience the test from you and how should I handle it? The situation is quite urgent. Thank you!

[kcpoole]

2 weeks of rain should not affect any trees especially if in Well draining mix
2 months i might be concerned

Ken

[shibui]

I agree. Overwatering does not happen overnight or even in a couple of weeks. It takes months of soggy soil to cause root rot so if your trees have root rot it was because they were already getting far too much water before you went away.
With well drained soils you have to try really hard to overwater so root rot is rare.

Do the trees have any signs of a problem that might indicate root rot?
Unfortunately the signs of root rot and dehydration are very similar because both mean the plant is not getting enough water from the soil.

[Phil Rabl]

I agree too.

The logical starting point for managing our watering regimes is to understand the water-holding capacity of our potting mix - not the amount of water the tree gets (although that is obviously part of the picture). The water that drains away under gravity is not available to the plant. The water that remains in the pot - does not drain away under gravity - is what matters. And that is determined by the water-holding capacity of the potting mix. It is very hard to over-water a plant that is in a free-draining potting mix. Mind you, if your potting mix is very free-draining, the risk you are managing is under-watering rather than over-watering.

Here is a diagram I developed to visualise what I am saying.

PastedGraphic-1.png

[KIRKY]

I think going away for two weeks and having it rain everyday would be a blessing. It wouldn’t hurt your trees in any way and guarantee them all surviving you being away. It’s a win, win in my book.
Cheers
Kirky.

[longd_au]

I agree with Kirky. I often wish for wet weather when I am away. And even then, my sprinklers run daily if not WIFI controlled.
Nothing really stays wet for that long in bonsai pots, no matter your mix, in warm weather.