Hey Everyone! I'm a current student majoring in design and I'm doing a project for my class to design a watering can for Bonsai trees. I need to gather research for my project and have to interview 3 people who own a Bonsai Tree/s in an office space and use a watering can. Is there anybody here that can help me out? All I need is to ask you a couple question and some basic info like age, how long you've had Bonsai tree, the watering can that you use. I also need pictures so i can create a story board of the steps taken in the watering of a Bonsai tree. Maybe like 8 pics, you grab your watering can, filling it up with water, walking to Bonsai tree, watering the Bonsai, You holding on to the handle, How close you get to the Bonsai when watering it? Thanks

Thedesigner wrote:

Hey Everyone! I'm a current student majoring in design and I'm doing a project for my class to design a watering can for Bonsai trees. I need to gather research for my project and have to interview 3 people who own a Bonsai Tree/s in an office space and use a watering can.

Erm... do you mean 'I need to gather research and have to interview 3 people, who own bonsai, in an office space, or 3 people, who own bonsai in an office space?

If it concerns people who keep bonsai in an office space:
Your research will be flawed. Bonsai are not grown in offices; these people will have no bonsai knowledge.

Yes my mistake. 3 people who own bonsai in an office space. A personal bonsai!

I understand that Bonsai are not grown in the office but some people might like to have a bonsai in there personal office or desk.

So you want a water can, that only puts the water on the plant, and doesn't drip all over the office? or ???

If you're careful, a coffee cup aught to do. Watering a bonsai is really not much different than any other plant. Don't over water it, don"t under water it. Is there a certain type of bonsai you got in mind?

Thedesigner wrote:

Yes my mistake. 3 people who own bonsai in an office space. A personal bonsai!

My 50ish personal (pre-)bonsai are outside.

If you're looking for people that have office plants, you will not find anyone with any knowledge about watering cans that are specifically designed for bonsai.

Samantha wrote:

Watering a bonsai is really not much different than any other plant.

That's not the point. There certainly are watering cans designed for bonsai, and they are quite different from regular watering cans. If TheDesigner wants to design such a watering can, he sure is on the wrong track.

I grow bonsai
In winter I keep my ficus in my office and/or living room
I use the same watering can I use for all my plants for the ficus. I have a very different watering can for my outdoor bonsai area.

I really don't understand why someone majoring in design doesn't study his project and doesn't research the purpose for what he is designing something. TheDesigner really has no idea what he is supposed to design - but that's probably because he doesn't know what bonsai is. Watering office plants is done with an ordinary watering can.

leatherback wrote:

I use the same watering can I use for all my plants for the ficus. I have a very different watering can for my outdoor bonsai area.

Exactly. Let's add pictures to that... hopefully that makes things clear.

Office plant:


Bonsai:


(BTW: I use a garden hose )

The questions are wrong too:

All I need is to ask you a couple question and some basic info like age, how long you've had Bonsai tree, the watering can that you use.

Correct questions would be:
- Why is a bonsai watering can different from an ordinary one?
- Why is it so long?
- Wat materials are preferred (probably an important question for a designer)
- Why is the nozzle so small?
- Why does the nozzle require finer holes than a regular watering can?
- Why are they so expensive (well... this last one is actually from me, looking at my low budget)

i appreciate the questions and it helps me understand Bonsai a little better.

I'm here to learn from you guys, those that truly understand Bonsai trees.
All the input that everybody has offered has been incredibly helpful.

What I'm hearing from here is that most people use just a regular watering can or coffee cup to water there Bonsai.
I know there are watering cans designed for Bonsai trees.
Any input or correction would be most helpful.

Yeah a watering can that doesn't drip all over the office.

That's very interesting about watering the bonsai and no I didn't have a certain type of bonsai in mind.