Detailed Explanation of Root Pruning Methods and Steps for Bonsai Ficus
The beauty of a bonsai ficus lies in its roots, trunk, branches and leaves. If the shape of the trunk and branches is already quite complete, but the roots appear thin and lacking in strength, with defects in the root section, too few roots, deviated root direction, or uneven root sizes, the overall appearance will be affected. In this case, the root grafting method can be used to compensate and make the roots more perfect.
Bonsai Ficus
For root grafting, the inverted cut grafting method can be used, preferably during the plum rain season. Choose the location for the graft, use a sharp grafting knife to cut along the bark of the trunk, gradually going deeper into the xylem, making a cut of about 2 cm in one stroke to form a tongue shape, and the cut surface should be smooth. Cut a root from the ficus, and the color and thickness of the root should meet the requirements for root grafting, with an appropriate length of about 1520 cm or longer. Cut the end of the root into a wedge shape, with the size and length of the wedge surface matching the tongue-shaped cut surface, then insert it. The cambium layers of the grafted root and the receiving trunk must be aligned on at least one side, then bind tightly with a plastic strip 1 cm wide, wrapping the joint. The other end of the grafted root can be directly buried into the potting soil and compacted, then water thoroughly once. Pay attention to watering regularly, keep the soil moist, and it will soon take root.
Do not fertilize within 1 month after root grafting to prevent the grafted roots from rotting. Place the grafted bonsai in a cool place with sufficient light, but pay attention to shading during hot weather and strong light, and do not touch the grafted roots to prevent them from loosening and affecting wound healing.
When grafting roots, a root diameter of about 0.51 cm is generally suitable. If the grafted root diameter is too large, the joint scar will be large and difficult to heal. The cut should also not be peeled too large or too deep, otherwise it will be difficult to bind, hard to seal, and the survival rate will be low.
How to Grow Bonsai Ficus: Ficus Bonsai Pruning Methods
How to grow a bonsai ficus? Many people ask this. Bonsai ficus is one of the most common bonsai, evergreen year-round with elegant posture. It is also relatively simple to care for, making it the first choice for beginner bonsai enthusiasts.
What Is a Bonsai Ficus?
Bonsai ficus refers to potted ficus bonsai that use ficus as material, aim to appreciate the strange forms of the ficus stump and roots, stems and leaves, and through pruning, branch training, wiring, grafting, careful cultivation, and long-term control of growth and development, are shaped into unique artistic forms. The Ginseng Ficus has roots shaped like ginseng, with a natural form, exposed root plate, lush crown, and unique charm. Appreciating its posture and form is fascinating and delightful, and it is deeply loved by consumers around the world. In the Netherlands, it has been named "Chinese Root." It is a floral variety that has gone global with a Chinese brand, and is a beautiful scene for indoor and outdoor decoration!
Ficus is famous for its peculiar tree shape, luxuriant branches and leaves, and huge crown. Bonsai ficus, on the other hand, uses ficus as material, aims to appreciate the strange forms of the ficus stump and roots, stems and leaves, and through various techniques, controls its growth and development to shape it into a unique artistic potted ficus bonsai.
How to Grow Bonsai Ficus?
1. Ficus is a tropical tree species that prefers a warm, sunny, humid and well-ventilated environment. Besides sunlight, watering is also a key point in the daily management of bonsai ficus. Watering is one of the most important and most frequent measures in bonsai ficus management. When ficus is planted in a pot, whether a deep pot or a shallow pot, the soil is always limited, and the water it contains is also limited. If water is not added for a long time, the plant will wither due to lack of water. Therefore, observe promptly and water according to the dryness and wetness of the soil to maintain soil moisture. Of course, watering should not be excessive either. If watered excessively and the potting soil remains too wet for a long time, it can easily cause root oxygen deficiency and rot; at the same time, the amount of watering also depends on seasonal changes and whether the weather is cold or warm. Generally speaking, in summer or during drought, it is best to water once in the morning and once in the evening; in spring and autumn, water once a day or every other day; in spring when the stump begins to sprout, you can also water once in the morning and once in the evening depending on the situation. During the plum rain season or on rainy days, there is no need to water, and attention should be paid to drainage. Sandy soil can be watered more, while clay soil should be watered less. Watering can be done by spraying the leaf surface or by watering the roots. Generally, the two are combined: first spray the leaf surface, then water the roots thoroughly. Be careful not to give "half watering" that causes the pot surface to be wet while the inside of the pot is dry, and leaf spraying should not be excessive, as it can easily cause excessive growth of branches and leaves. For households growing it in the north, spray water on the leaves frequently to increase air humidity.
2. The potting soil of bonsai ficus is limited, so attention should also be paid to fertilizer supplementation in normal times. During the growing season of ficus in summer and autumn, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once a month, and apply less or no fertilizer in winter. In addition, when repotting once every two years, crush and decompose organic fertilizer and mix it into the pot in a certain proportion to slowly provide nutrients. For quick-acting fertilization, dilute organic fertilizer or chemical fertilizer and apply according to the seasonal growth needs of the stump, but note that it must not be too concentrated. Newly planted stumps are not suitable for this type of fertilization, and fertilizing on rainy days causes nutrient loss and poor results.
3. It is best to repot in early spring or late autumn during the dormant period of the ficus, and at the same time thin out overly dense roots.
4. Ficus is tolerant of pruning, has strong sprouting ability, and grows quickly. In addition to pruning in early spring, during normal care, new branches and leggy branches should also be pruned according to shaping requirements to maintain the beauty of the tree shape and improve ornamental value.
In addition, the growth temperature difference for bonsai ficus should not be too large. A temperature difference of 10 degrees can easily cause leaf drop and death. The roots of ficus are also prone to various root rot diseases or root nodule diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. In normal times, without injuring the roots, you should often slowly open the soil to check the roots, and pay appropriate attention to spraying medicine for prevention and control.
What to Do If Bonsai Ficus Leaves Turn Yellow?
1. Water yellowing: young leaves are dark yellow and lusterless, old leaves show no obvious change, branches are thin and yellow-green, and new shoots shrink and stop growing, indicating excessive watering. Remove the plant from the pot, place it in a ventilated and shady place to let the soil ball dry naturally, then put it back in the pot.
2. Drought yellowing: yellowing due to lack of water is different from yellowing due to too much water. Yellowing from lack of water shows leaf tips or edges becoming withered and dry, old leaves turning yellow and falling from bottom to top, but new leaves grow relatively normally. Just pay attention to watering thoroughly.
3. Scorch yellowing: strong direct sunlight on some shade-loving flowers (such as spider plant, peacock arrowroot, hosta, etc.) can easily cause leaf tips and leaf edges to wither, and yellow spots to appear on the sun-facing parts of the leaves. Move them to a shaded place.
4. Lack of light: being placed in a shaded environment for a long time prevents the leaves from getting enough sunlight and forming chlorophyll, so the whole plant's leaves turn yellow and then fall off. Supplementing light can avoid this problem.
5. Fertilizer yellowing: yellowing of flowers caused by excessive fertilization or too high concentration shows dry brown tips on new leaves, generally thick and lusterless leaf surfaces that are uneven and not smooth, and old leaves scorched yellow and falling off. Stop fertilizing immediately, and in severe cases use a large amount of clean water to wash out part of the fertilizer.
6. Lack of fertilizer: this shows the color of young leaves becoming lighter, yellow or light green, while old leaves are relatively normal or gradually turn from green to yellow. Check the potting soil; if there is dry caking, change the soil, usually apply thin fertilizer frequently and water with some alum water at appropriate times.
How Can You Promote Rapid Rooting of Bonsai Ficus?
Bonsai ficus refers to potted ficus bonsai that use ficus as material, aim to appreciate the strange forms of the ficus stump and roots, stems and leaves, and through pruning, branch training, wiring, grafting, careful cultivation, and long-term control of growth and development, are shaped into unique artistic forms. Previously I saw flower enthusiasts discussing how to promote rooting, root shaping, and aerial root promotion in small and medium-sized (indoor-grown) bonsai ficus. Methods include watering thoroughly after drying out, moving outdoors, spraying water on the roots, using nutrient solution, etc. Below, the editor will share the care experience of flower enthusiasts for everyone's reference and learning.
1. Classification
Common indoor bonsai ficus are generally called two types among enthusiasts: Ginseng Ficus bonsai and aerial root ficus bonsai.
This does not mean that the ficus varieties are different, but that the bonsai shaping techniques are different.
2. Production Methods
Ginseng Ficus bonsai: Take a ficus seedling and place it in a small container that blocks light and water, firm it with soil, place it in a rain-proof environment, preferably with sunlight, and do not water for a long time. Wait until the soil is completely dry and the ficus begins to wither, then water heavily. At this time, the ficus roots will absorb a large amount of water and expand. Repeat this many times to form a ginseng shape. Dig it out and replant it in a pot.
Aerial root ficus bonsai: Take a healthy and vigorous ficus seedling, ring-cut the bark at the bottom of a strong branch so that water and nutrients from the roots cannot be transported to the branch. Above the ring-cut area on the branch, aerial roots will then grow. During this process, keep the branch moist. After aerial roots sprout, adjust water and soil, and comb and guide their growth. When guiding aerial root growth, use stones or rammed earth to fill the middle part of the ficus so that the aerial roots grow downward along the outer periphery, which helps them take shape. After the basic shape of the aerial roots is formed, raise the roots year by year, repeating many times to form the aerial root ficus bonsai shape.
3. Miscellaneous Notes
Having introduced the production methods of bonsai ficus, flower enthusiasts should easily understand that for small and medium-sized bonsai ficus bought from flower shops to keep at home (or in the office), it is relatively difficult to promote secondary root shaping.
For example, in theory, a small Ginseng Ficus bonsai costing around ten yuan can also be made into a relatively expensive medium-sized aerial root ficus bonsai according to the above method, but due to limited conditions, water and moisture as well as seedling conditions are difficult to control, and ordinary flower enthusiasts also have limited time, so the chance of success is not very great.
It would be better to find another approach: use pruning and binding to shape the branches and leaves, pair with ornamental stones and moss to shape the bonsai, or mix-plant with other plants. This will also achieve satisfactory results.
Bonsai making emphasizes a steady, long-term process and is by no means achieved overnight. Do not be impatient, or you will get the opposite of what you want.
Care Precautions:
Bonsai ficus should not be repotted frequently, to avoid injury and rotting of the tuberous roots. Generally, repot once every 3 to 4 years, preferably in late spring from April to May (repotting is generally not suitable in autumn and winter). At the same time, remove part of the old soil and cut off old roots and rotten roots. In addition, ficus pests and diseases are rare, with occasional scale insect damage. Once found, remove them manually with a brush and then spray medicine.
Summary: The above is an introduction to knowledge about bonsai ficus. I hope everyone will exchange more experience in growing bonsai ficus.