--- Nina wrote:

You're so kind.

I should have realized that "Chopstick technique"
was not very clear.
When I answer "Bonsai Doctor" posts, I have a
sentence I always add:
"Don't water on a set schedule; water when the
potting mix an inch down
is barely moist". That's the basic message, whether
you use the
"Persiano pick" method of pushing a rod of wood into
the soil to see if
it is moist when you withdraw it, or whether you use
the Sandy
"knuckles" Vrooman method of sticking a finger in.

Being Ms "Knuckles' Vrooman, may I describe my method?
To me bonsai is a hands on endeavor. I use my
fingers as a tool rather than a chopstick. I actually
feel the soil with my fingers to see if it feels moist
or not. In a loose mix, one can push a finger down
and test for moisture in knuckle depths. Some trees
have to be waterd if the soil is dry at one knuckle
some at the second knuckle. I also used to push soil
in around roots with my fingers as well as a chopstick
to get the feeling of where and how the soil was
located. The arthritis doesn't allow me this luxury
anymore. Also not feasable for shohin as some pots
are less than knuckle deep, but you catch my drift.

Another knowing if you have enough water trick is to
feel the weight of the pot when the soil is moist and
compare that to the weight of the pot when the soil is
dry. If the pot feels heavy, you do not need to
water.
Of course if you have a two person or three person
tree, this is not feasable.

You can talk to plants and they to you, its just not
with words. You have to sniff and look as a means of
listening. You can have all sorts of measuring
devices, soil mixes, fertilizers, etc, but still not
hear what your plants need. You need to have a sense
about the plants or no tools can save you. You must
know how and wjen to use tools.

Kitsune Miko

=====
****
"Expectations are resentments under construction."

Anne Lamott

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