Ficus Bonsai: Care Guide for Healthy and Beautiful Trees

If you’re looking for a unique and captivating plant, a Ficus Bonsai might be just what you need. With the right care, this tree can become an eye-catching addition to your home or office. In this guide, we’ll go through the essential care guidelines for a healthy and beautiful Ficus Bonsai.

Placement: Provide Sufficient Light and Temperature

When it comes to placement, the Ficus Bonsai is an indoor tree that cannot withstand frosty conditions. While it can be kept outside in the summer if the temperature stays above 60°F (15°C), it thrives better indoors. Ficus trees require plenty of light, preferably full sunlight, so make sure to place them in a spot that gets a lot of light. Avoid shady areas as much as possible. Additionally, the temperature should be kept relatively constant. While Ficus can tolerate low humidity, they prefer higher humidity and require extremely high humidity to develop aerial roots.

Watering: Observe and Water Generously

Ignore labels stating that your Ficus Bonsai needs watering every day. You should water your plant when you observe the soil getting slightly dry. The Bonsai Ficus prefers soft water at room temperature and can tolerate occasional over or underwatering. While daily misting can help maintain humidity, too much misting can create fungal problems. During winter, Ficus placed in warmer spots will require more water, while those in cooler spots only need to be kept slightly moist.

Fertilizing: Follow a Schedule and Use the Right Fertilizer

To promote growth, fertilize your Ficus Bonsai every two weeks during summer and every four weeks during winter if the growth doesn’t stop. You can use liquid fertilizer or organic fertilizer pellets, depending on your preference.

Pruning and Wiring: Regular Pruning and Shaping

Regular pruning is necessary to retain the Ficus Bonsai’s shape. After 6-8 leaves have grown, prune back to 2 leaves. Leaf pruning (defoliation) can be used to reduce leaf size, especially for species that normally grow large leaves. If you want a considerably thicker trunk, let your Ficus grow freely for one or two years. Strong cuts that are necessary afterward won’t affect the Ficus’ health, and new shoots will grow from old wood. Wiring and bending thin to medium Ficus branches are easy because of their flexibility, but you should check the wires regularly as they can cut into the bark quickly.

Repotting: Repot During Spring and Use the Right Soil Mixture

Report your Ficus Bonsai every other year during spring, using a basic Bonsai soil mixture. Ficus trees tolerate root pruning very well.

Propagation and Grafting: Different Techniques for Appealing Structures

Cuttings can be planted at any time of the year, with the highest success rate during mid-summer growth. Spring is the best time for planting Ficus seeds, and air-layering will work best from April through May. Ficus trees can fuse by placing branches, roots, or trunks together and applying some pressure, known as approach-grafting. You can tie many young plants together to fuse them and build a single strong trunk. Fig tree branches and roots can also be grafted quite easily. If the growing conditions are ideal, you can even take aerial roots from one part of the tree and graft them into a different position.

Buying a Ficus: Choose Quality Over Cheap

Ficus plants are available as cheap Bonsai or pot plants in almost every home-improvement store or nursery. Mass-produced cheap Bonsai usually come with many problems, like ugly scars from rusty wire that dug into the bark