Can a sprayer work for bonsai ?

[Njyamadori]

So my parents are divorced and it’s really hard when I have bonsai trees . I have all of my trees at my dads house but sometimes he forgets to water the trees ! And the leaves get sad . We have a sprayer system that I have tested and actually fully water well. But it also soaks the foliage . Is it okay if the leaves also get watered?

 

[Njyamadori]

Also the sprayer will be only on when I’m not at his house and I will water the trees as usual .

 

[just.wing.it]

I've successfully used a series of strategically placed sprinklers hooked up to a timer on the water supply, when I have to leave for extended periods of time.
Not ideal to water the foliage, in my opinion, but better that than dead.

 

[Njyamadori]

I've successfully used a series of strategically placed sprinklers hooked up to a timer on the water supply, when I have to leave for extended periods of time.
Not ideal to water the foliage, in my opinion, but better that than dead.

Yeah I believe Ryan Niel or however you spell his last name said that you can but it will slow it’s growth.

 

[just.wing.it]

I think the issue with it is that wet foliage invites fungal problems.
I dunno what Ryan said in reference to it....

 

[Forsoothe!]

Not only do I water with a hose and spray the foliage, I use a hard spray on the junipers to make it a bad place for spiders, et al every time. As long as the foliage has enough time to dry out sooner or later every day, there is no problem. Show me one place in the world where foliage doesn't routinely get completely wet without problems and I'll show you a desert. Do you want your trees to grow like they would in a desert?

 

[Divide_by_zero]

So long as they don't stay wet between waterings, getting the foliage wet is no issue. I'd be careful with the frequency of watering so your trees aren't getting waterlogged.

 

[leatherback]

I try to avoid water on the leaves. This because of fungal but more of waterspots (Calcium buildup) which I find ugly. When I water from my water barrels, rainwater, I water the foliage too. I make sure to do this at least an hour before sundown whever possible to reduce fungal problems. That being said.. The weather this year has created a nice fungal jungle here.

 

[Paradox]

Do you mean a sprinkler system?

I use a timer, a hose and a lawn sprinkler to water my trees. It goes off in the morning around 7am which I believe is the best time to water and the foliage dries throughout the morning.

I don't see any problems with my foliage.

I do have my larger pines and juniper in a different area than my maples and other deciduous trees. The larger pines and juniper get watered every other day unless it's over 85 to 90 then I water them every day.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I think the issue with it is that wet foliage invites fungal problems.
I dunno what Ryan said in reference to it....

This is personal experience here also. Other than rain, fungicide, bugicide or stimulant foliage rarely gets wet. If needed and must use such a system only water substrate and use system that can be turned on remotely to guarantee it works.