AusBonsai

Gday every one,
Im going on holiday for a week and am leaving my bonsai behind. Im worried about them drying out while im gone so I have semi submerged the pots so that the water can soak up from the bottom (I was given this advice). I wil also be leaving them inside for the week.

Is this a good strategy to keep them alive and healthy? Are there better ways?

You can't get someone to babysit them ? Being inside sitting in water for a week would not be ideal.

You could buy a tap timer and a sprinkler . Set the sprinkler to come on every morning for fifteen mins .
I think this is the simplest idea . 2 things that can go wrong are the timer fails or you get a connection that blows off. Buy good quality hose connections and timer . And don't have the water pressure to high and you will be fine . This type of set up would only cost about 60 bucks max . And can always be used in the fucture . Your trees will most likely be ok in the bath for a week but I reckon it will push them to borderline root rot. And they will need to be returned to the sun gradually .

ok, thanx for the advice, definately dont want rooot rot! I will look into a timer, but for now ill try and find a baby sitter.

From your picture I am guessing that you have 4 bonsai ?

If so, do you think they be up for a sleepover at a friends/neighbour or relatives house. ?


If your only option is to leave them home alone, I would place some pebbles or sand in the bottom of the plastic containers as well as water.

Have a great holiday.

Fiona

Put Find a large tray about 1-2 inches deep and fill with course gravel ( 5 mm or so) an then fill the tray with water. Sit the pots on top of the gravel or a little in it. The pot will soak up water and the area will stay humid as well.
Should be good for 4 days and if you can find someone to check them and water so the tray fills back up every few days should be good.

If you can organise a sprayer then great but you must have someone check them any way as the battery ones I have had issues with before.

A week sitting in water will probably be OK , but not ideal

Ken

Something I came across in a 25 year old magazine the other day is using a plastic garbage bin as a drip watering system.

Drill a few holes around the bottom of the bin & fit 4mm poly tube in them with little taps on the end. Fill with water and turn the taps so that you get one drop every 3 to 5 minutes. Depending on the bin size & the number of connections, it could last a while but no idea how long. Lid on the bin keeps the nasties out. May or may not work.....

Cheers

Drac0 wrote:Something I came across in a 25 year old magazine the other day is using a plastic garbage bin as a drip watering system.

Drill a few holes around the bottom of the bin & fit 4mm poly tube in them with little taps on the end. Fill with water and turn the taps so that you get one drop every 3 to 5 minutes. Depending on the bin size & the number of connections, it could last a while but no idea how long. Lid on the bin keeps the nasties out. May or may not work.....

Cheers

I saw a similar setup on better homes and garden but they used large plastic containers readily available at Kmart or bunnings, put all the plants into a shallow tray, turn the tap on the container on slowly so it drips.bingo bango.
Can also add seasol

Isitangus wrote:I saw a similar setup on better homes and garden but they used large plastic containers readily available at Kmart or bunnings, put all the plants into a shallow tray, turn the tap on the container on slowly so it drips.bingo bango.
Can also add seasol

Just checked & the magazine was the Sept 1989 Better Homes & Garden....

Water them well, put the pot into a plastic bag tie the top of the bag around the trunk, I have sent trees up north in this manner, and they have arrived after 6 days without a problem.

Cheers Pup

Have just spentost the day setting up irrigation lines for my trees. Going away for a few days and decided it was about time. I have a vattery timer I have used in the past with no worries. I have too many trees to ask anyone else (I don't trust anyobe to do it properly either) so decided it was time to set up the lines. Means from now on I'm ready to go away when needed too. For only 4-5 trees its a lot of work. I used to just have the large container with an adjustable dripper on it and would get around 4-5 days out of it, when I only had a couple of trees so probably the best/easiest way to go.

Josh.

wow, thanx for all the replies!
Ive organised for them to stay at a friends house, only because I didnt have time to work on one of the great DIYs that have been suggested.

Isitangus wrote:

Drac0 wrote:Something I came across in a 25 year old magazine the other day is using a plastic garbage bin as a drip watering system.

Drill a few holes around the bottom of the bin & fit 4mm poly tube in them with little taps on the end. Fill with water and turn the taps so that you get one drop every 3 to 5 minutes. Depending on the bin size & the number of connections, it could last a while but no idea how long. Lid on the bin keeps the nasties out. May or may not work.....

Cheers

I saw a similar setup on better homes and garden but they used large plastic containers readily available at Kmart or bunnings, put all the plants into a shallow tray, turn the tap on the container on slowly so it drips.bingo bango.
Can also add seasol

Have actually been thinking of making something just like this, as I had a few die while I went away for a weekend the other week(luckily nothing I didn't mind losing). I'm planning on connecting the tubes to coke bottle lids, and just hanging a two litre bottle above each plant, with the tube going from the coke lid to a drip tap on the end.

Would only be for weekends away, wouldn't be keen to trust it for more then that