How to water a Vitex bonsai correctly in the early stage

Vitex (Vitex negundo) is an extremely tenacious tree species. It is not only undemanding about the soil environment, but also has fairly strong adaptability to its surroundings, so it is very widely distributed in China. Because Vitex is relatively easy to shape, especially old stumps, which look ancient in trunk yet have very fresh green leaves, the two form a sharp contrast, so its ornamental value is also quite high and it is very pleasing to look at, which is why many bonsai enthusiasts make it into bonsai for appreciation.

Old Vitex stumps are relatively easy to keep alive after transplanting, but some old stumps germinate rather slowly due to the influence of various factors, so water management must be scientific and reasonable. Because Vitex is relatively drought-tolerant, its water demand is not very great, but in order to maintain growth needs, it must not be left in an excessively dry state either. Overall, watering a Vitex bonsai should follow the principle of “water when dry, and when dry, water thoroughly.” So, how should a Vitex bonsai be watered in the early stage?

The phenomenon that is relatively likely to appear in the early stage of a Vitex bonsai is that some old stumps germinate slowly, but as long as the bark still shows a green state, it means the tree has not died. Therefore, at this time water should not be cut off; instead, normal watering should continue as usual. As long as water can keep up, generally by the plum rain season, the old Vitex stump will sprout fresh green young shoots. Once the old Vitex stump has survived, it should be kept in a relatively shady place without direct light for about 2 weeks, and then moved to a well-ventilated, sunny position so it can receive light to promote photosynthesis. After its growth has stabilized, we need to provide it with plenty of light, plenty of water and plenty of fertilizer, so as to ensure it can maintain vigorous growth.

During the process of potting up an old Vitex stump, watering is very critical. Usually the principle of “do not water until dry, and when dry, water thoroughly” should be adopted, and normally the tree body should be sprayed with leaf-surface water more often to keep it moist. Otherwise, not only is dehydration likely to occur and cause the leaves to droop and wilt, but even normally growing leaves may grow relatively large. For stump bonsai, generally the smaller the leaves, the higher the ornamental value. So, to avoid affecting the ornamental effect of the Vitex bonsai, taking preventive measures in advance against the leaves growing large is something we have to consider.

During the growing season, because a Vitex bonsai's water demand increases relatively, watering should be timely to ensure the potting soil stays consistently moist and does not suffer poor growth due to lack of water. Although Vitex is relatively drought-tolerant, if the potting soil is too dry during the growing season, it often causes the leaves near the base of the branches to turn yellow and fall off. Also, during spring budding and after pruning, water should be controlled promptly, mainly to make the Vitex's internodes shorter and its leaves smaller, thereby improving the bonsai's ornamental quality. But note that water consumption is relatively low in winter, so water must be strictly controlled; even if no watering is done throughout the entire winter, it usually has little effect.