Newbie!

Theperfectrejection · 05-09-2009, 05:53 PM

Alright, so im really new to the Bonsai Tree maintance. I have so many questions, and am really excited to learn to how to do all this. So in this post im going to ask some questions, that have been taxing me a bit.
I have a Ficus, i believe it is a Holly (ilex), im not to sure if this makes any sense or if im reading it wrong. I picked it up at Walmart last week, and im worried that im not giving it enough light, or giving it to much. As of right now its sitting in my room, which gets alot of light, and stays at a nice heat. I have a Fan blowing in the room, so that it dosent get to hot. I also Mist my Bonsai as much as possible. I was wondering if i should water the Bonsai, as i would a Plant, or keep misting it on a regular base.
I have read alot in the other formus that its best to keep your Bonsai outside, is that the same with the Bonsai i have at the moment? if so is there any particular spot i should have it? i also have pets, and my dog is natories for digging up plants, this worries me since the plant is so small in comparison.
Another thing i was wondering is the soil content, when i got the Bonsai the top part of the soil mixture was rock. The rocks where stuck togther, and very hard for me to check the soil dampness. After i pulled them out to check the soil, i realized that most of the pot was Soil. The pot that im using is a small plastic one, about 3inches deep.
I have been reading up what i can, and learning what i can. Im a bit nervous about making the "proper" soil mixture. On the internet i can see that there is many things that people claim is the proper soil mixture. I was wondering if you guys could help me out a bit with Making a proper soil mixture.
The last thing i was wondering is how to prune my Bonsai.
Im sorry for all the questions, but i want to know everything i can about this awsome plant!
Thanks again, and i look forward to your answers.

Mortalis · 05-09-2009, 07:44 PM

Well first off its hard to give a ficus to much light. Just set it in your window sill and it should be fine. Ficus is one of the few that can grow well on just window light.

Next on your watering Ficus likes to be kinda dry let the soil dry until it is dry almost to the bottom of the pot but not bone dry. That may sound criptic I know.. It takes a bit to get this right. If leaves turn yellow it may be over watered.

On your soil mix you can use anything that will dry almost to the bottom in 24-72 hours and you ficus will love it. You need an aggregate like crushed lava rock and something organic that holds water like pine bark. You want your particle size to be no less than 1/4inch and no larger than 1/2 inch. The majority of my mix measures 3/8ths. The ratio you mix it in is related to how fast it drys in your conditions.

If you can get a humidity gauge you can get this about right.
If your humidity is low then use say 30% organic
If its high use say 10% organic. I have grown in pure lava rock and had mine do fine. Remember your shooting for 24-72 hours for it to dry to the bottom (Not bone dry). Don't repot into a new mix until its time to repot 6 months to a year for ficus if they are growing strong.

philgrayser · 05-10-2009, 05:47 AM

Hi there, all the Ficus that ive had in the past have enjoyed full sunlight from the sunniest window in my house. They can tolerate shaded areas but take longer to grow.
As for watering this is something that takes a bit of practice. If you spray your plant a lot it wont need watered so much from the roots as they take in water through their leaves and stems - more spraying less watering!! There is no set day to water any plant as watering has a lot to do with the environment your plant is in, if its in a hot area it will drink more than if its in a cold area the same goes for a well lit area as opposed to a shaded area.
What i do is water the plant and watch over the next few days to see when the leaves start to droop and the plant looks a bit dry and that is usually when i water them. It takes a bit of practice but you will get the hang of it!! Remember all plants will tell you what they require if its light, water or a feed - we as growers have to learn to 'read' what our little babies are telling us! It sounds tricky but through time and observation you will get the hang of it!! cheers Phil G

Phil · 05-10-2009, 10:51 AM

Something else that no one has covered here. You said it is in a plastic pot. Does this pot have holes on the bottom? Also, REMOVE all of those pebbles on the top. Bad news. They place those damn things on the soil so that it does not come free from the pot when shipped and should immediately be removed.

If it is indeed a Ficus it needs as much sunlight as possible. It will survive on a window sill with good lighting but it will not prosper as it should. Ficus are tropical trees so they love the heat. No need for a fan. They also love humidity so a spray bottle that will mist water will certainly help. Also, if you insist on keeping it inside a tray filled with pebbles and filled with water will be of some benefit. Just make sure the pot is sitting on top of the pebbles and not in the water. These are called humidity trays and are very easy to obtain or make. When it gets warmer and if you can place it outside by all means do so. There is a big difference between simply keeping a plant alive and having a plant thrive as it should.

~Phil

philgrayser · 05-10-2009, 01:12 PM

Forgot to say - you should try and sus out what type of plant you have. You said it is a ficus then you said it it a holly these are two totally different plants and require different environments - holly is outdoor and ficus is indoor. cheers Phil G.

Phil · 05-10-2009, 01:18 PM

Actually a Ficus is not indoor. All trees are outdoor and meant to be outdoor.
It's just that a Ficus with good care and lighting can survive being kept indoor. Yes, he referenced it to being a Holly/Ficus and totally two different species with different needs. Perhaps posting a picture and we can get that sorted out.

~Phil

Mortalis · 06-07-2009, 01:00 AM

Phil I hate to disagree with you. I have great success with my ficus growing indoors. When you say trees are meant to be outdoors what you could say is they must have conditions that meet their requirements. With good lighting, Proper humidity, and air circulation they can flourish indoors. If you only have one of those things they will "survive" but if you replicate them all as I do they will do just as well as if outdoors. With me it has been by necessity.

Good lighting is at least 15,000 lumins easily created with 6 4' cool white florescent bulbs. I have 21,000 myself.

Proper humidity is 70-85% at 75-80 degrees easily created with a ultrasonic humidifier. It helps to close off three sides of your grow area with plastic.

Proper air circulation is a simple fan set on a speed that makes the leaves move a very small amount. Only enough that you have to look closely to notice.

I grow Ficus, Texas Ebony, and Serissa in these conditions.

Mortalis · 06-07-2009, 01:06 AM

Oh I forgot to mention that the needs of temperate deciduous trees are different in that they must have a dormant period. I don't bother with them myself. But I actually do have a Green mound Juniper growing amongst my tropical trees and it has yet to complain about no winter.

Phil · 06-07-2009, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortalis

Phil I hate to disagree with you. I have great success with my ficus growing indoors. When you say trees are meant to be outdoors what you could say is they must have conditions that meet their requirements. With good lighting, Proper humidity, and air circulation they can flourish indoors. If you only have one of those things they will "survive" but if you replicate them all as I do they will do just as well as if outdoors. With me it has been by necessity.

I was simply trying to clarify for those that may be new to bonsai that there is no such thing as an indoor tree. I keep my ficus outside during the summer months and bring them in during the cold months. My lighting is just substantial enough to keep them alive and that’s about it. However, if one must keep a ficus indoors all year then by all means the optimum conditions are a must.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortalis

Oh I forgot to mention that the needs of temperate deciduous trees are different in that they must have a dormant period. I don't bother with them myself. But I actually do have a Green mound Juniper growing amongst my tropical trees and it has yet to complain about no winter.

You may possibly have some success with keeping a Juniper inside for a period of time but it will eventually succumb to not having its much needed period of dormancy. It’s not a question of if but merely a question of when. I can assure you that if your Juniper could talk it would definitely be complaining. Here is a quote from one of Brent Walston’s articles:

"One of the most common misconceptions about bonsai is that they should be grown indoors. With the exception of tropicals and sub tropicals, all bonsai should be grown outdoors. Temperate climate woody plants must go through a period of cold dormancy in order to survive. This dormancy completes a yearly cycle. In deciduous trees this is a very obvious phenomenon, however, temperate evergreens such as Juniper also need to go through this cycle."

~Phil

Mortalis · 06-07-2009, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil

I was simply trying to clarify for those that may be new to bonsai that there is no such thing as an indoor tree.
~Phil

Hey Phil What I am trying to say is There is no such thing as a tree that can not be grown indoors with the proper conditions. And the proper conditions are not hard to supply. A Gentleman by the name of Jack Wikle has been growing at least two Junipers under lights with no dormant period for 20 and 22 years respective of the specimen. You can get his PDF on indoor bonsai if you search his name. I am not saying any tree can go without dormant period. I am saying if you duplicate the conditions the tree needs it is easily done. There are trees that are better for it than others as there are fewer conditions they must have. But Any conditions can be duplicated the hardest one is light and you can even duplicate the sun simply by having 50,000 lumins or by leaving your lights on for a longer perioud. I have 21,000 lumins I leave on 18 hours a day. Everything else is easy to duplicate.

05-09-2009, 05:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
Theperfectrejection Join Date: May 2009 Location: Mississauga, Ontario Posts: 1	Newbie! Alright, so im really new to the Bonsai Tree maintance. I have so many questions, and am really excited to learn to how to do all this. So in this post im going to ask some questions, that have been taxing me a bit. I have a Ficus, i believe it is a Holly (ilex), im not to sure if this makes any sense or if im reading it wrong. I picked it up at Walmart last week, and im worried that im not giving it enough light, or giving it to much. As of right now its sitting in my room, which gets alot of light, and stays at a nice heat. I have a Fan blowing in the room, so that it dosent get to hot. I also Mist my Bonsai as much as possible. I was wondering if i should water the Bonsai, as i would a Plant, or keep misting it on a regular base. I have read alot in the other formus that its best to keep your Bonsai outside, is that the same with the Bonsai i have at the moment? if so is there any particular spot i should have it? i also have pets, and my dog is natories for digging up plants, this worries me since the plant is so small in comparison. Another thing i was wondering is the soil content, when i got the Bonsai the top part of the soil mixture was rock. The rocks where stuck togther, and very hard for me to check the soil dampness. After i pulled them out to check the soil, i realized that most of the pot was Soil. The pot that im using is a small plastic one, about 3inches deep. I have been reading up what i can, and learning what i can. Im a bit nervous about making the "proper" soil mixture. On the internet i can see that there is many things that people claim is the proper soil mixture. I was wondering if you guys could help me out a bit with Making a proper soil mixture. The last thing i was wondering is how to prune my Bonsai. Im sorry for all the questions, but i want to know everything i can about this awsome plant! Thanks again, and i look forward to your answers.

05-09-2009, 07:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mortalis Darkness abides him. Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 132	Well first off its hard to give a ficus to much light. Just set it in your window sill and it should be fine. Ficus is one of the few that can grow well on just window light. Next on your watering Ficus likes to be kinda dry let the soil dry until it is dry almost to the bottom of the pot but not bone dry. That may sound criptic I know.. It takes a bit to get this right. If leaves turn yellow it may be over watered. On your soil mix you can use anything that will dry almost to the bottom in 24-72 hours and you ficus will love it. You need an aggregate like crushed lava rock and something organic that holds water like pine bark. You want your particle size to be no less than 1/4inch and no larger than 1/2 inch. The majority of my mix measures 3/8ths. The ratio you mix it in is related to how fast it drys in your conditions. If you can get a humidity gauge you can get this about right. If your humidity is low then use say 30% organic If its high use say 10% organic. I have grown in pure lava rock and had mine do fine. Remember your shooting for 24-72 hours for it to dry to the bottom (Not bone dry). Don't repot into a new mix until its time to repot 6 months to a year for ficus if they are growing strong. __________________ "I'm ready to meet my maker, whether my maker is ready to meet me is another matter" W.Church hill.

05-10-2009, 10:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
Phil A bit "Windswept" Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chicago, Ill. USDA Zone 5 Posts: 1,042	Something else that no one has covered here. You said it is in a plastic pot. Does this pot have holes on the bottom? Also, REMOVE all of those pebbles on the top. Bad news. They place those damn things on the soil so that it does not come free from the pot when shipped and should immediately be removed. If it is indeed a Ficus it needs as much sunlight as possible. It will survive on a window sill with good lighting but it will not prosper as it should. Ficus are tropical trees so they love the heat. No need for a fan. They also love humidity so a spray bottle that will mist water will certainly help. Also, if you insist on keeping it inside a tray filled with pebbles and filled with water will be of some benefit. Just make sure the pot is sitting on top of the pebbles and not in the water. These are called humidity trays and are very easy to obtain or make. When it gets warmer and if you can place it outside by all means do so. There is a big difference between simply keeping a plant alive and having a plant thrive as it should. ~Phil __________________ Please, always keep in mind that the typewritten word does not always convey what you wish to say, and to always treat others as you would have them treat you. Think twice-submit once. I started out with nothing....and still have most of it. "Its hell out there, give them hell back." ~ Prowler/Victor Gray 12/31/1943 - 11/24/2008

05-10-2009, 01:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
Phil A bit "Windswept" Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chicago, Ill. USDA Zone 5 Posts: 1,042	Actually a Ficus is not indoor. All trees are outdoor and meant to be outdoor. It's just that a Ficus with good care and lighting can survive being kept indoor. Yes, he referenced it to being a Holly/Ficus and totally two different species with different needs. Perhaps posting a picture and we can get that sorted out. ~Phil __________________ Please, always keep in mind that the typewritten word does not always convey what you wish to say, and to always treat others as you would have them treat you. Think twice-submit once. I started out with nothing....and still have most of it. "Its hell out there, give them hell back." ~ Prowler/Victor Gray 12/31/1943 - 11/24/2008

06-07-2009, 01:00 AM	#7 (permalink)
Mortalis Darkness abides him. Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 132	Phil I hate to disagree with you. I have great success with my ficus growing indoors. When you say trees are meant to be outdoors what you could say is they must have conditions that meet their requirements. With good lighting, Proper humidity, and air circulation they can flourish indoors. If you only have one of those things they will "survive" but if you replicate them all as I do they will do just as well as if outdoors. With me it has been by necessity. Good lighting is at least 15,000 lumins easily created with 6 4' cool white florescent bulbs. I have 21,000 myself. Proper humidity is 70-85% at 75-80 degrees easily created with a ultrasonic humidifier. It helps to close off three sides of your grow area with plastic. Proper air circulation is a simple fan set on a speed that makes the leaves move a very small amount. Only enough that you have to look closely to notice. I grow Ficus, Texas Ebony, and Serissa in these conditions. __________________ "I'm ready to meet my maker, whether my maker is ready to meet me is another matter" W.Church hill.

05-10-2009, 05:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
philgrayser philgrayser Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Scotland Posts: 120	Hi there, all the Ficus that ive had in the past have enjoyed full sunlight from the sunniest window in my house. They can tolerate shaded areas but take longer to grow. As for watering this is something that takes a bit of practice. If you spray your plant a lot it wont need watered so much from the roots as they take in water through their leaves and stems - more spraying less watering!! There is no set day to water any plant as watering has a lot to do with the environment your plant is in, if its in a hot area it will drink more than if its in a cold area the same goes for a well lit area as opposed to a shaded area. What i do is water the plant and watch over the next few days to see when the leaves start to droop and the plant looks a bit dry and that is usually when i water them. It takes a bit of practice but you will get the hang of it!! Remember all plants will tell you what they require if its light, water or a feed - we as growers have to learn to 'read' what our little babies are telling us! It sounds tricky but through time and observation you will get the hang of it!! cheers Phil G

05-10-2009, 01:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
philgrayser philgrayser Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Scotland Posts: 120	Forgot to say - you should try and sus out what type of plant you have. You said it is a ficus then you said it it a holly these are two totally different plants and require different environments - holly is outdoor and ficus is indoor. cheers Phil G.

06-07-2009, 01:06 AM	#8 (permalink)
Mortalis Darkness abides him. Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 132	Oh I forgot to mention that the needs of temperate deciduous trees are different in that they must have a dormant period. I don't bother with them myself. But I actually do have a Green mound Juniper growing amongst my tropical trees and it has yet to complain about no winter. __________________ "I'm ready to meet my maker, whether my maker is ready to meet me is another matter" W.Church hill.

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