How to Care for a Bonsai Ficus? Cultivation Methods and Precautions for Potted Ficus
The ficus is a particularly beautiful plant with lush branches and leaves, evergreen throughout the four seasons, and an exceptionally long lifespan - some ficus trees even live up to a thousand years, with extremely tenacious vitality. The ficus has a unique shape, and many people like to grow potted ficus, so do you know how to care for a potted ficus? Let's find out together below!
How to Care for a Bonsai Ficus
1. Water, Fertilizer and Humidity
Improper watering does great harm to the ficus. Feel the condition of the potting soil with your hand, and follow the principle of “dry-wet cycle” (water when dry, water thoroughly when watering). Do not water frequently; when you do water, water thoroughly. Overwatering will cause root rot and leaf drop. The ficus is more difficult to care for in the north, so households should spray water on the leaves more often to increase the humidity around the air. The ficus likes fertilizer during growth, but too many fertilizer applications will harm its growth. The amount of fertilizer should vary depending on the season.
2. Potting Soil
To grow a healthy bonsai ficus, use a loose, well-draining leaf mold soil, usually in the ratio of garden soil : humus soil : sand = 2:2:1. It is best to place moss the same size as the pot on top of the bonsai - this is both attractive and plays a good role in drainage and aeration.
3. Pest and Disease Control
The roots of the ficus are prone to root rot or root nodule disease caused by various bacteria and fungi, so appropriate attention should be paid to spraying medicine for prevention and control. The main pests of the ficus are aphids, red spiders, scale insects, etc. Spray the leaves with omethoate at 500 PPM or spray with a 1000-fold solution of 50% isocarbophos wettable powder. Using laundry detergent water or essential balm water at 0.1% is also very effective.
Cultivation Methods and Precautions for Potted Ficus
1. Watering Methods for the Ficus
If a potted ficus is not watered for a long time, the plant will wilt from lack of water, so observe the plant's growth condition in time and water according to the soil. When watering, keep watering until water flows out of the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot; after watering once, wait until the soil surface turns white before watering again.
When the ambient humidity is low, you can place a small tray under the flower pot with a little water in it, which helps increase humidity. Also spray water frequently, especially in disaster-prone hot seasons.
2. Fertilizing Methods for the Ficus
Because the soil of a potted ficus is limited, the nutrients available for the ficus's growth are also limited; only by replenishing nutrients in time can the ficus grow vigorously. In summer and autumn, apply decomposed fertilizer water once a month; in winter, apply less or no fertilizer. In short, everything depends on the plant's growth condition.
3. Pruning Methods for the Ficus
The ficus is very tolerant of pruning and grows quickly, so you can reshape it in early spring. Properly thin out branches to enhance ventilation and light penetration and reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases. According to your own preferences, reshape it to improve its ornamental value.
4. Precautions for Cultivating the Ficus
Ficus pruning is mostly done during the dormant period; pruning during the growth period will cause white sticky sap to flow out, which is very unfavorable to the plant's growth. During pruning, be sure to sharpen the knife to avoid excessive wounds.
For any potted plant, the nutrients in the potting soil will eventually be exhausted, so repot once every two years, adding a small amount of base fertilizer when repotting; the best time to repot is early spring or late autumn.
How Often Should a Bonsai Ficus Be Pruned
Pruning the ficus, or more vividly, styling, should focus mainly on pruning, with wiring as a supplement; once a year is best.
The ficus has strong sprouting ability, and pruning can be done year-round, but early spring is generally best. Cut off unnecessary forked branches, overlapping branches, dead branches, and diseased branches.
During routine care, you can cut off leggy branches at any time to keep the tree shape attractive. For vigorously growing branches, you can prune 1~2 times a year, repeating this, and within 4 years a beautiful bonsai ficus will appear.
Bonsai Styling Methods for Cultivating the Ficus
Because the ficus has many aerial roots, it is suitable for the exposed-root-claw style and multi-trunk leaf bonsai. When making these two kinds of bonsai, first cultivate its root base and nourish its essence in the first year; after it grows vigorously, raise the roots and switch to a shallow pot.
Because the ficus grows quickly and has well-developed roots, it can be made into a root-over-rock bonsai. Before planting, wire the tree into curved shapes of varying sizes with metal wire, plant it diagonally in a soil pot, and after 2-3 months of cultivation, the aerial roots will increase and the crown will take shape; then take the sapling out, remove all the potting soil, and attach the sapling to the selected rock. At this point, note that the ficus and the wired tree and rock should have a consistent momentum, with the roots embedded into the crevices of the rock as much as possible. Wrap the roots tightly with cotton cloth strips or metal wire and place them in a tall, large pot for cultivation. The root-over-rock bonsai can, according to the tree's momentum, be created as far as possible into forms such as root-embracing-rock, root-through-rock, and root-adhering-rock.
Trees are generally easier to care for than flowers and have more tenacious vitality, making them especially suitable for long-term cultivation. In particular, the potted ficus has an undulating, quaint and beautiful shape; placed in a study or office, it is very attractive and full of artistic sense!