How to take care of Ficus bonsai

Good Tuesday! Today’s protagonist is a genus of trees especially suitable for people who want to make a bonsai without having to complicate ourselves much. Its rusticity and resistance make the Ficus suitable plants to start in this art.

Cheer up and you will discover how to take care of the Ficus bonsai is simpler than we could initially imagine.

ficus sp

Most of the Ficus are trees of tropical or subtropical origin, but some, such as the Ficus carica or the Ficus retusa , can withstand mild and short-term frosts of up to 3 degrees Celsius below zero. They are exceptional garden plants, since in a short time you can have an area to protect yourself from the sun, but… it must also be said that their roots could end up breaking pipes or raising walls. So… what better way to make it bonsai?

For this, it is important that it is planted in a pot that is wider than it is deep, in a very porous substrate (with 70% akadama and 30% perlite, for example). In a short time, its trunk will have thickened enough -it is preferable that it has a thickness of at least 2cm to be able to work with it more comfortably- to transfer it to a bonsai tray. Once there, it will be when we can give it the design that we like the most.

ficus rubiginosa

Let’s see the Ficus bonsai cultivation calendar :

  • Spring : before it begins to sprout, training pruning can be done, that is, those in which we will give the tree the design that we have chosen for it. It is also time to transplant, but it is important to bear in mind that, between transplanting and pruning, you have to wait about 2 months.
  • Spring and summer : throughout the growing season it will be pinched to maintain the style, and fertilized with a specific fertilizer for bonsai or, if you prefer to use something natural, you can use earthworm humus, compost or horse manure.
  • Autumn : it’s time to remove the wire to place those branches that we don’t quite like. They will be removed next spring.
  • Winter : in this season we will only take care that the substrate does not dry out, and protect it from frost.

Has it been useful to you? If you have any questions regarding the care of Ficus bonsai, don’t wait any longer and tell us about it 🙂 .

How to take care of Ficus bonsai

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