One of the strongest plants and a good choice for bonsai fans is the Ficus retusa bonsai. It has significant acclaim for both its outstanding resilience and versatility. It is a tree with vibrant, sturdy foliage and visually arresting trunks.
It also has a unique character due to the emission of aerial roots. In the wild, Ficus extends its branches and engulfs a considerable amount of ground thanks to its aerial roots.
Tips On Caring For Ficus Retusa
Location
An indoor tree that cannot withstand cold temperatures is the ficus. If the temperature rises to at least 60 °F (15 °C), it may be left outside during the summer. Don’t put it anywhere shaded since it needs a lot of light, ideally direct sunshine.
The temperature needs to be maintained quite consistently. Due to their thick, waxy leaves, figs can tolerate low humidity; nevertheless, they prefer higher humidity, and they require extremely high humidity to form aerial roots.
Watering
The Ficus has to be watered routinely, which means that anytime the soil starts to feel a little dry, plenty of water should be applied. The Bonsai Ficus enjoys soft water that is room temperature, while it can occasionally be over- or underwatered.
To maintain humidity, we advise misting every day; however, too much spraying might lead to fungus growth. The more water a fig requires in the winter, the warmer its environment must be. It simply has to be maintained slightly damp if it is stored in a colder environment.
Fertilizing
If the growth doesn’t cease, fertilize every two weeks in the summer and every four weeks in the winter. Both organic fertilizer pellets and liquid fertilizer can be utilized.
Wiring and Pruning
To keep the tree in its desired form, regular trimming is required. After 6 to 8 leaves have developed, cut down to just 2. Given that some Ficus Bonsai species often have huge leaves, leaf trimming (also known as defoliation) can be done to minimize leaf size. The Ficus can be allowed to grow unrestricted for one or two years if a significant thickening of the trunk is required.
The Ficus is unaffected by the necessary subsequent severe cuts, and new branches will develop from the old wood. Cut paste should be applied to larger wounds.
Due to its flexibility, thin to medium Ficus branches are simple to wire and bend, but you should check the wires frequently since they can easily sever the bark. Guy wires should be used to shape strong branches since they may be left on the tree for a lot longer.
Repotting
Use a Bonsai soil blend when repotting your Ficus tree every other year. It is very easy to trim roots on Ficus plants.
Propagation
Despite the fact that cuttings can be planted at any time of the year, midsummer growth has the best success rate. The greatest time to use air-layering is in the spring, from April through May. The ideal time to plant Ficus seeds is often in the spring.
By pressing together the branches, roots, or trunks of two ficus trees, they can merge. Approach-grafting is a method that may be used to create visually pleasing structures. To combine several young plants and create one sturdy trunk, you can tie them together. Grafting fig tree roots and branches is also a simple process.
You may even transplant aerial roots from one area of the tree into another if the growth circumstances are right. Grafting young plants, branches, or aerial roots across wounds might hasten healing or help huge wounds close.
Growing Ficus retusa as a Bonsai plant greatly boosts the attraction since an expert grower may work on fig trees with almost limitless creative flexibility.
Diseases and Pests
Fig species are very pest-resistant, although depending on their location and the time of year, especially in the winter, they can still experience a number of problems. The Bonsai Ficus is weakened by dry air and a lack of light, which frequently causes leaf loss. They occasionally get scale or spider mite infestations in unfavorable environments like these.
The pests can be eliminated by sticking conventional pesticide sticks in the ground or spraying insecticide/miticide, but the environment around a poor Ficus tree has to be changed. The healing process will be aided by using plant lights 12 to 14 hours each day and often soaking the foliage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ficus Retusa
Why are the leaves on my ficus retusa dropping?
The environment has changed, which is the most frequent reason for ficus leaves to fall off. When the seasons change, ficus leaves frequently fall off. At this time, your home’s humidity and temperature also shift, which might cause ficus trees to lose their leaves.
Does Ficus retusa grow indoors?
One of the few tree species that can thrive both indoors and outdoors is Ficus retusa. It is also one of the most popular bonsai plants because of this. It is a highly attractive plant that is perfect for contemporary designer homes due to its compact stature and robust trunk.
Are ficus trees suited for coffee grounds?
The majority of ficus trees demand neutral soil with a PH of 6.5 to 7.5. However, applying coffee grounds to trees like Ficus can lower the soil’s pH level to 4. Coffee grounds are an excellent fertilizer for trees and shrubs that enjoy acidic soil, like blueberries.
What distinguishes the ficus Microcarpa from the ficus Retusa?
A entirely separate species of Ficus is Ficus retusa. This hybrid of two F. microcarpa varieties—one with enormous roots and another with tiny leaves—has been given the moniker Ficus ginseng by the optimistic owner. But there is no such thing as a wild species of Ficus called Ficus ginseng.
