How to take care of your bonsai when on vacation

It’s time for a well-deserved vacation, but what to do with our bonsai? Who is going to take care of them? Do you leave them to fate, or keep watering them? After months of caring and working on the bonsai we cannot tempt our luck. Can you imagine coming back from a wonderful vacation and finding your bonsai all dry and sad? In this blog we are going to give you some tricks on how to take care of your bonsai when you go on vacation and not get any unpleasant surprises.

Before leaving our bonsai alone, we must take into consideration two important and basic factors: light and water.

The importance of light in bonsai

Many times, the first thing we do when we go on vacation is close the blinds. This is something you shouldn’t do if you keep your bonsai indoors. If they don’t get all the light they need, they can weaken or even die, because they will not be able to carry out photosynthesis.

It is very important to leave them in a room where they receive all the light they need.

If, instead, you keep your bonsai outdoors, we recommend leaving them in the semi-shade so that the sun does not affect them negatively. This also ensures that the water in the Automatic Watering System doesn’t evaporate and lasts longer.

The watering of bonsai

Because bonsai live in pots, their possibility to find and retain water is limited by the container. Therefore, it is extremely important to give them the right amount of water they need.

In summer our bonsai need to be watered more often. If we are at home it is quite easy to keep track and water them whenever they need it. The problem comes when we go away on vacation for a few days. We are not at home, but our bonsai still need to be watered.

Our best ally: the Automatic Watering System

We already know that the best way to water our bonsai is using a watering can with fine holes, that’s why the best option would be to ask someone you trust to water your bonsai while you are away. But, if there is no one who can help, don’t panic. At Mistral Bonsai we have come out with a solution. Your best ally is the Automatic Watering System, a device that automatises irrigation and which is of great help.

How does it work?

The Automatic Watering System works by capillarity. It consists of a container where we store water and connect it with the bonsai using a wick. The wick will provide the water as it is needed. The system is designed to help us when we go on vacation.

Its installation is very easy, you can see it in the video below.

The step by step:

1. Fill the Automatic Watering System container with water. Remember that it must be good quality water. The best option would be rainwater and we can also use mineral water. If you decide to use tap water, let it rest for a minimum of 24 hours in an open container. This will allow the chlorine to evaporate, and it will be better for the bonsai.

2. Wet the wick with water. Before connecting the wick, it is very important to wet it well. Make sure that both ends of the wick are completely wet.

3. Connect the wick with the bonsai pot. With the help of tweezers, a flat knife or a similar tool, insert one of the ends of the wick through a drainage hole in the pot. Perform this step carefully to avoid breaking important roots.

4. Place the bonsai on top of the Automatic Watering System and we are almost finished. Make sure that the wick enters the hole of the container and touches the water.

5. Water the bonsai. The last step is the most important, because only with it we will make sure that the system works. Water the bonsai as usual. Since the substrate is wet, the water that rises with the wick is properly distributed.

In addition, the best thing about this device is that, when you are not using it, you can also use it as a dish to put under your bonsai to protect your furniture.

We hope these tips have helped you.

Have a happy summer!