Desert shading

[PastryBaker]

Test your water! I cannot under-emphasize how crappy California water can be. If you are watering your trees with hard alkaline water, they can become chlorotic even in the shade. Mesquite, manzanita, and other desert plants won't care, but tropicals like ficus definitely will.

I am waiting on my PH kit. I was so use to really good water when I lived back east. No wonder I have to de-scale my coffee maker so often.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I am waiting on my PH kit. I was so use to really good water when I lived back east. No wonder I have to de-scale my coffee maker so often.

In California, your local water district has to publish an annual water quality report. Assuming you use Desert Water, their annual report has your groundwater pH at 8, which is high, but not too bad. Your hardness is 230 mg/L however, which is very hard indeed. Also your water is moderately high in sodium (which again is not unusual in SoCal) so you have to be sure that when you water you water deeply and flush out the soil. If you water frequently in small amounts, the water can dry within the soil and your plants can start to show symptoms of salt toxicity as sodium builds up in your soil. Been there, done that.

Consider using an acid fertilizer which will help counteract the effects of high pH in your water, and will prevent iron and manganese deficiency issues. I used to use Super Iron 9-9-9 because it was a product a lot of Southern California citrus growers used.



Best Super Iron Plant Food is an iron rich fertilizer that helps counteract Alkaline soil and enables plants to overcome iron-induced chlorosis. The Iron in Best Super Iron Plant Food is part of a homogeneous pellet which virtually eliminates the possibility of staining concrete. Super Iron also promotes good health, slower growth, and great color.

 

[CapeCodBonsai]

Mesquite, manzanita, and other desert plants won't care

That was my first thought . . . work with the locals!

Those San Jacinto foothills are loaded with Manzanitas, Mountain Mahogany, and Creosote bush. I’d definitely attempt a few of those.

I lived in Hemet for 10 years. Having owned a plumbing business out there I can attest to the fact that the water sucks! Reverse Osmosis is your only hope.
You have my sympathy.

 

[PastryBaker]

In California, your local water district has to publish an annual water quality report. Assuming you use Desert Water, their annual report has your groundwater pH at 8, which is high, but not too bad. Your hardness is 230 mg/L however, which is very hard indeed. Also your water is moderately high in sodium (which again is not unusual in SoCal) so you have to be sure that when you water you water deeply and flush out the soil. If you water frequently in small amounts, the water can dry within the soil and your plants can start to show symptoms of salt toxicity as sodium builds up in your soil. Been there, done that.

Consider using an acid fertilizer which will help counteract the effects of high pH in your water, and will prevent iron and manganese deficiency issues. I used to use Super Iron 9-9-9 because it was a product a lot of Southern California citrus growers used.

View attachment 563282

Best Super Iron Plant Food is an iron rich fertilizer that helps counteract Alkaline soil and enables plants to overcome iron-induced chlorosis. The Iron in Best Super Iron Plant Food is part of a homogeneous pellet which virtually eliminates the possibility of staining concrete. Super Iron also promotes good health, slower growth, and great color.

Funny, on my "to do list" today was to look up the water report. Thank you. I watched Bonsaify on how to fix Ph. And another video that showed when one adds a plant food like that makes the Ph better. I started doing heavy watering a few days ago. And when I get the Ph kit, I will fix the water when I do plain waterings and use the plant food on other times. Is there a way to make the water less hard? Or just use a type of bottled water. Thanks so much for the info. I am sure the water in NC is great. In KY it was really good.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Funny, on my "to do list" today was to look up the water report. Thank you. I watched Bonsaify on how to fix Ph. And another video that showed when one adds a plant food like that makes the Ph better. I started doing heavy watering a few days ago. And when I get the Ph kit, I will fix the water when I do plain waterings and use the plant food on other times. Is there a way to make the water less hard? Or just use a type of bottled water. Thanks so much for the info. I am sure the water in NC is great. In KY it was really good.

After two decades in Southern California, I now live on a big lake where I can get all the water I need for my plants. Living in California taught me not to take water for granted - particularly because we were still paying $200/mo for water even after we cut back almost all landscape irrigation (though I had a pool and a koi pond in addition to the bonsai trees).

You can make your water much less hard (and drop the pH a bit) by using a house water softener that uses potassium chloride pellets (instead of sodium chloride). If you want super clean water - just for drinking, ice cubes, and limited trees - get a reverse osmosis (RO) unit. The downside of RO units is they waste a lot of water - about 50% - and you can typically only get about 10 gallons per day or so out of most under cabinet units. Even a "whole house" RO unit will get you about 50 gallons. However if you want pure water that is almost mineral free, that is the way to go. Even with our very clean well water, I splurged and bought a whole house RO unit for my ice cubes and drinking water.

 

[PastryBaker]

After two decades in Southern California, I now live on a big lake where I can get all the water I need for my plants. Living in California taught me not to take water for granted - particularly because we were still paying $200/mo for water even after we cut back almost all landscape irrigation (though I had a pool and a koi pond in addition to the bonsai trees).

You can make your water much less hard (and drop the pH a bit) by using a house water softener that uses potassium chloride pellets (instead of sodium chloride). If you want super clean water - just for drinking, ice cubes, and limited trees - get a reverse osmosis (RO) unit. The downside of RO units is they waste a lot of water - about 50% - and you can typically only get about 10 gallons per day or so out of most under cabinet units. Even a "whole house" RO unit will get you about 50 gallons. However if you want pure water that is almost mineral free, that is the way to go. Even with our very clean well water, I splurged and bought a whole house RO unit for my ice cubes and drinking water.Water

I dont know what is more, water or electric these days. So can you send me some of that lake water...lol Is distilled water the same as having a RO unit? And will the potassium chloride be ok with the trees?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I dont know what is more, water or electric these days. So can you send me some of that lake water...lol Is distilled water the same as having a RO unit? And will the potassium chloride be ok with the trees?

Distilled water is 100% mineral free. When I lived in SoCal, my water out of the tap had total dissolved solids of about 175. Bottled spring water was about 35. My RO unit was about 6.

FWIW Desert Water has your TDS reading at 390. Crazy.

 

[PastryBaker]

Distilled water is 100% mineral free. When I lived in SoCal, my water out of the tap had total dissolved solids of about 175. Bottled spring water was about 35. My RO unit was about 6.

FWIW Desert Water has your TDS reading at 390. Crazy.

Wow...390 TDS,,,might as well drink mud water...lol

 

[PastryBaker]

Distilled water is 100% mineral free. When I lived in SoCal, my water out of the tap had total dissolved solids of about 175. Bottled spring water was about 35. My RO unit was about 6.

FWIW Desert Water has your TDS reading at 390. Crazy.

I got my Ph meter, checked my water. It is between 7.8-7.9. Going to fix it.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I got my Ph meter, checked my water. It is between 7.8-7.9. Going to fix it.

That honestly isn't that bad. All municipal water sources will tend to raise pH so that it doesn't corrode plumbing infrastructure - pipes, fittings and fixtures. In the OC my water out of the tap was 8.5 pH.

Here in NC my well water is 6.8 - slightly acidic but barely so. However in our rental home, which gets municipal water, it was 7.8.