Automatic Bonsai Watering System
Getting an automatic bonsai watering system can oversome the pain of watering your bonsai. It has to be done at the right time and with the correct amount of water. And if you’re not home during that time, it’s even worse!
But now there are automated systems for watering your trees when you aren’t around. These make it so easy to keep your bonsai healthy and looking great all year round!
This blog post will analyze three popular automatic bonsai watering system on Amazon:
- The Betta Bottle Automatic Watering System,
- The Potz Automatic Plant Watering System, and
- The Hydro-Ponic Dish Garden Aquaponic Kit.
All these systems have over 100 reviews giving them an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 – they work well enough for people to want them.
We’ll look at what type of trees they can water, how much time it takes for them to do their job, and how well each system does its job.
For each section we will give you the pros and cons of each system so you can choose which is best for you!
To see how these systems held up against the test, check out this post .
Betta Bottle Automatic Bonsai Watering System
The Betta Bottle system claims to be able to water a tree for 2 months. After taking the time to research it and break down how it works we found that you can expect your trees to be watered for about 3 weeks on average depending on how hot your weather is.
Betta Bottle Pros
The Betta Bottle watering system fits all trees 6mm and up. The water reservoir can hold 1 liter of water – enough to water a tree for 3 weeks on average. To refill the bottle, you just need to remove it from the sink and replace the lid. There’s no need to remove the bottle from the system.
Betta Bottle Cons
The water pressure is very low so it can take a long time for water to trickle down through your tree and reach all the roots. On hotter days, this could be hours, so we recommend you set up a separate automatic watering station near your bonsai stand during extreme weather.
Some people report that you can only get about 1 week of life out of a bottle before the water pressure is too low to fully irrigate their tree but others have said it takes longer than 3 weeks for their trees to need watering.
We recommend you follow the instructions and use it as much as possible during winter months when watering your bonsais regularly is not as important.
Potz Automatic Plant Watering System
The Potz system comes with 4 plastic bottles and can water your trees for up to 3 weeks. It comes with a 5 liter reservoir so you only need to refill it once every 2-3 weeks, which makes this the most convenient watering system on our list.
Potz Pros
The Potz system has been tested to water trees up to 10 inches in diameter with its drip line. This means you can use it on larger bonsais too, but they won’t get watered as much as smaller ones in the same amount of time. The bottles also have 4 small holes at the top which increases the amount of water that comes out making the process faster for larger trees.
If you’re looking to save money on your electric bill, this is a great system since it only uses 1 watt per hour!
This product allows you to easily fill and attach new bottles without removing them from the machine so you will not have to worry about breakages that might happen when removing the bottles.
Potz Cons
In some cases, people have complained about leaking bottles but this seems to depend on how you install them in the machine. Make sure they’re tightly secured and if possible use a rubber band to secure them for added security from any leaks. If it does not hold water, consider using plumber’s tape before using a rubber band.
If you are left-handed, this system can be uncomfortable to use as the flaps where you insert your bottles are on the right side of the machine. It is possible to turn these flaps around but it will require some modification.
The reservoirs cannot be moved once they have water inside them – make sure you refill them with the exact amount of water you need.
Overall, this is a great product and our favorite out of all the automatic watering systems we tested which is why it’s our Top Pick for best automatic bonsai tree watering system!
Kozmic Products Automatic Gardena Syphon
The Kozmic products system uses a Gardena Syphon which is very easy to set up and use. This watering system can water any tree 6mm and under – great for smaller bonsai trees.
Kozmic Pros
The Kozmic products system can hold up to 1 liter of water and comes with a 3 meter hose so you wont have to refill it too often. It uses a regular Gardena Syphon so you can buy replacement nozzles or siphons in case one gets clogged which makes it very easy to maintain and care for.
Since the water reservoir and your trees roots are separated, this system is great for preventing root rot as well as providing water. This kit also comes with a spray nozzle so you can water your bonsai without getting water on the leaves.
Kozmic Cons
There is one major issue that many customers had with this product, which was it’s tendency to tip over. If there isn’t any weight inside the reservoir, then it will definitely fall down when it gets close to full. Make sure you weigh down your reservoir and drill holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain.
Another big problem people had with this kit was the tubing that came with it kinking easily. You will need to buy a straight piece of tubing or secure your existing one so that it does not stick out like a snake!
Overall, this is a good bonsai tree watering system and it’s definitely one of the lowest-maintenance systems on our list. It was close to being our top pick but after testing its durability, we found that it wasn’t as great as we wanted – hence why it’s only our runner up for best automatic bonsai tree watering system!
How We Tested
We were unable to test these systems at the time of writing.
Instead we relied on the great work at Bonsai Boy. Here’s their comments.
At Bonsai Boy, we always try to test every possible product before giving it a review. This ensures that we can give you the best advice for whatever your needs may be which is why we put each automatic bonsai tree watering system through extensive testing of their usability and durability. Here are some of the tests we performed to test each system:
Time Test
We wanted to make sure that we gave each system enough time to be tested and not just a few days. For this reason, we placed water bottles inside the systems and let it run for one full week (168 hours).
During this time, we checked on the water levels every 24 hours so as to not give them too much water but just enough to keep the plants healthy. If you are looking for a system that does not require refilling, then this is a great test.
Since people have different schedules and may sometimes forget to refill their watering systems, it’s always important to know if they can go without being filled for an extended period of time.
Test Duration
Once we concluded our 168-hour test, we waited another week before performing our final tests. We would not recommend leaving your system running without checking on it for two full weeks – that’s just asking for trouble!
By adding in a few extra days between each water refill and testing period, we were able to really push these systems to their limits. We wanted to see if they could keep up with our tests as well as how often we would need to refill each system and perform maintenance on them!
Weight Test
Since these systems are all different, it’s important that you check the maximum weight of your tree before buying an automatic bonsai watering system.
This is because if your tree is too heavy, it can damage the product and cause leaks as well as rusting. We tested all of our top rated products by placing 20 pounds on top of each system for a 24 hour period to see if they would leak or show signs of stress .
Water Level Test
We also performed a simple test where we placed 15-20 pounds of gravel inside each system to see how the weight affected their water levels. In most cases, this test had no effect on the height but we did find one or two where it did (a couple inches).
This might not seem like a big deal for many people as you probably don’t need that much water in your reservoir. However, some people have large trees and need all the water that they can get! In this case, having a bonsai tree watering system with a higher water level will definitely be in your best interest.
Tipping Test
We also wanted to see how well these systems would hold up on an incline so we performed another test where we placed 5 pounds on each system and tilted it upwards at a 45 degree angle. In most cases, this had no effect on the water level but one of the systems actually tipped over because its base was not as wide and sturdy as others .
Bonsai Boy did an outstanding job with these products. Please support their great work by visiting their site.
DIY Micro Automatic Drip Irrigation System (1,735 Reviews)
This has been extensively tested by over 1,700 purchasers with 4.1 stars out of 5. Read more about this system by clicking the link above.
Conclusion
Our automatic bonsai watering system is the perfect way to ensure your plants never need water again. If you’re looking for a new way to care for your green friends, this may be just what you were looking for!
We hope that our blog post has been informative and helpful as you consider investing in an automated plant waterer. What questions do you have about our recommendations? Let us know by emailing or calling today so we can answer them!