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Azaleas need more acid soil and that means different from other trees. Should I use Biogold +something else? Something else only? Just Miracle Gro for azaleas?

Important note is that the tap water here is pretty hard and therefore basic.

Nu friend and I visited an old man last summer whom had done bonsai f?r 45 years. He had biogold only on all hes azaleas. And they locked really good.

I would be more concerned with hard tap water. Can you collect rain water?

Tropfrog wrote: Nu friend and I visited an old man last summer whom had done bonsai f?r 45 years. He had biogold only on all hes azaleas. And they locked really good.

I would be more concerned with hard tap water. Can you collect rain water?

Some days we have lots of rain, then none for a week or two. With the number of trees I have I would need very big barrels, and places to put them. I keep the water I drain out of the fish tanks and it is much slower pH but that is good for one watering, not much help in July-August.

I have no choice but to use mains water which is hard, I use seaweed with sequestered iron once a month on my Satsuki. I use biogold on all my trees, which although expensive is excellent, and along with the seaweed extract works well. The main thing is not to use any chemicel fertiliser, only organic

"However the implications of the continued use of hard water on our trees must be addressed or there is a very real possibility of a lack of vigour and deterioration in health in our bonsai."

Aivar1988 wrote:
"However the implications of the continued use of hard water on our trees must be addressed or there is a very real possibility of a lack of vigour and deterioration in health in our bonsai."

?

Azalea is the only species that gets special substrate. I found my hard well water in combination with my regular substrate was causing problems. As of this year I have 2 500l water barrels and in hot periods without rain I only water from there. (When it reains frequently, I continue the well water)

But you can get lime-scale with hard water on any tree roots and on the rim of the pot. And cleaning it is a real pain.
Last winter I used tap water on my indoor trees. I even left it for 24h for the chlorine to evaporate. This winter I have to decide, where will I store my 200liter barrel with rain water :lol:

Aivar1988 wrote: But you can get lime-scale with hard water on any tree roots and on the rim of the pot. And cleaning it is a real pain.
Last winter I used tap water on my indoor trees. I even left it for 24h for the chlorine to evaporate. This winter I have to decide, where will I store my 200liter barrel with rain water :lol:

Never understood the whole "letting water stand for 24 hours". But then again, the whole chlorine in drinking water practice has been dropped in my whereabouts a generation ago. There are better ways.

Just drain the barrel once frost hits and let nature refil in a spring storm?

For tropical fish some say let the water stand for 24 hours but some sat that doesn't get all the chlorine out. I use conditioner for the fish water that also regulates pH.
I save the water from tank changes and use it for the trees, but that is less than 10% of watering during the week.
If chlorine harmed trees or plants there would be a lot of dead lawns around here.

I have the same issue with my tap water. The water comes out of the tap at around 8.5 pH; this is way too alkaline. This is what you need to do: purchase a $15 pH digital measuring tool (available in Amazon) and start testing your tap water and correct if needed. In my case I fill my watering can and test and I pour a little white vinegar to acidify the water, stir the water and retest. I do this until I reach a pH of 6-6.5 which is perfect for evergreens and azaleas...then water away. Cheap, simple, reliable solution.