Description: TIGER BARK FICUS - thick Trunk, Aerial Roots, dense Foliage, Indoor Outdoor H 12" x W 12" with a 3" trunk FICUS is a very hardy tree, that is particularly great for banyan-style bonsai. It can be grown indoors and outdoors with beautiful pads and great aerial roots. Produces ornamental figs and unqiue spotted gnarly bark. Ficus likes full/ partial sun and moderate water and fertilizer. Tropical tree, keep away from freezing temperatures. Ficus Bonsai Care guidelines Placement The ficus is an indoor tree that does not endure frosty conditions. It can be kept outside in the summer as long as temperatures are above 60F (15C). It requires a lot of light, preferably full sunlight, so be sure not to place it in a shady location. The temperature should be kept relatively constant. Figs can endure low humidity due to their thick, waxy leaves, but they prefer higher humidity and need extremely high humidity to develop aerial roots. Watering Ignore labels stating your Ficus needs watering every day, you need to water on observation. The Ficus should be watered generously whenever the soil gets slightly dry. The Bonsai Ficus prefers room temperature soft water and it can tolerate occasional over, or underwatering. We advise daily misting to maintain humidity, but too much misting can create fungal problems. The warmer the placement of the fig during winter, the more water it needs. If its kept in a cooler place it only needs to be kept slightly moist. Continue reading about watering Bonsai trees. Fertilizing Fertilize every two weeks during summer, and every four weeks during winter if the growth doesn't stop. Liquid fertilizer can be used as well as organic fertilizer pellets. Pruning and wiring Regular pruning is necessary to retain the trees shape. Prune back to 2 leaves after 6-8 leaves have grown. Leaf pruning (defoliation) can be used to reduce leaf size, as some Ficus Bonsai species normally grow large leaves. If a considerable thickening of the trunk is desired, the Ficus can be left to grow freely for one or two years. The strong cuts that are necessary afterward don't affect the Ficus' health and new shoots will grow from old wood. Larger wounds should be covered with cut paste. Continue reading about pruning Bonsai trees. Wiring and bending thin to medium Ficus branches is easy due to their flexibility, but you should check the wires regularly as they can cut into the bark very quickly. Strong branches should be shaped with guy-wires because they can be left on the tree for a much longer period. Repotting Repot your Ficus tree during the spring, every other year, using a basic Bonsai soil mixture. Ficus tolerates root-pruning very well. Continue reading about repotting Bonsai trees. Propagation and grafting Cuttings can be planted at any time of the year, but they have the highest success rate during mid-summer growth. Air-layering will work best during spring, in April through May. In most cases, springtime is the best time for planting Ficus seeds. Ficus trees can fuse by placing branches, roots, or trunks together and applying some pressure. This technique is known as approach-grafting and it can be used to form appealing structures. 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. For faster healing, or closing of large wounds, young plants, shoots, or aerial roots can be grafted across wounds. An experienced grower can work on fig trees with a nearly unlimited range of creative freedom, which considerably increases the appeal of growing Ficus retusa as a Bonsai plant. Buying a Ficus Pests and diseases Fig species are quite resistant against pests, but they are still susceptible to several issues depending on their location, and time of year, especially in the winter. Dry air and a lack of light weakens the Bonsai Ficus and often result in leaf drop. In poor conditions like these, they are sometimes infested with scale or spider mites. Placing customary insecticide sticks into the soil or spraying insecticide/miticide will get rid of the pests, but a weakened Ficus trees living conditions must be improved. Using plant lamps 12 to 14 hours a day, and frequently misting the leaves will help in the recovery process. For more detailed information on these techniques Courtsey of Bonsai Empire
Price: 250 USD
Location: Pompano Beach, Florida
End Time: 2024-08-22T01:10:14.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Climate: Sub-tropical, Temperate, Tropical
Common Name: tiger bark ficus
Color: Green, Red
Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor & Outdoor
Bonsai Species: tiger bark ficus
Item Length: 12 in
Brand: Nichibotsu bonsai
Plant Form: Finished Bonsai
Type: Bonsai Tree
Watering: Medium
Genus: Ficus
Growth Rate: Fast
Item Height: 12 in
Sunlight: Full Sun, Medium Sun
Features: Dwarf
Item Width: 12 in