Knowing when to water your bonsai

Sometimes it is hard to tell when you should water your bonsai. You don't want the roots sitting in a large amount of water because they could rot, but at the same time you never want the bonsai to completely dry out. There are two low tech methods for figuring out when to water and one high tech one.

Chopstick method

Take a chopstick that has no coating on it and stick it in the soil of the pot near the edge. After 15-20 minutes take the chopstick out of the soil and see if it feels damp. If it is damp you don't need to water.

Wick method

The next time you repot your bonsai take a strand from a string mop and thread it through both drain holes in the pot so that the string hangs out each side. You can tell if it is wet inside the pot if the string still is.

Alternately, for a more scientific approach you can purchase a moisture meter for around $15.00 dollars or so.