Watering podocarpus bonsai
Podocarpus is killed far more often by too much water than too little. The roots dislike permanently saturated media, costalis most of all.
How often
There is no schedule. Check the soil, not the calendar. In the dry season a shallow pot at low elevation may need water twice a day; at the peak of the rains it may need none for several days.
To check: push a finger a knuckle deep into the mix. Cool and damp, wait. Nearly dry, water until it runs freely from the drainage holes.
How to water
- Water until it runs out of the base, then go round again a few seconds later.
- Water in the morning where possible, so foliage dries before nightfall.
- For Blue Ice, aim at the soil rather than the foliage to preserve the waxy blue bloom.
Signs to read
- Too much: interior leaves yellow then drop, soil smells sour, growth stalls in good weather.
- Too little: leaf tips dry and brown, oldest leaves drop first, soil pulls away from the pot wall.