A healthy root system

Another thing that water does that is an unseen benefit is to push out old gasses and pull in a fresh atmosphere. Secondly, the water that flows through the soil carries nutrients your plant needs and washes out the excess salts that might build up otherwise. Watering accomplishes three things for your bonsai. The other end of the spectrum, over-watering can damage plants nearly as quickly; it is in finding the proper bonsai tree balance of soil, water and air that you will develop a healthy root system and thus a healthy bonsai. All soils have different water retention properties, the different species of Bonsai differ in individual water requirements, and even the different styles of pots dry out at varying rates, so each pot must be checked regularly until you become more familiar with the plant in question.