Ficus Benjamina, or Weeping Fig, are extremely popular for bonsai due to the beautiful umbrella-like canopy that can be produced with the thin branches that typically cascade downward from the weight of the leaves.  In the wild, the roots of this tree are known to break concrete surfaces, wreaking havoc on defenseless roads and sidewalks.  In the bonsai world, these roots provide great surface roots that attract the viewer’s eyes to the trunk of the specimen.

Watering Ficus Benjamina

This species typically needs to be watered more than others due to the amount of sunlight it receives.  These trees can dry out very quickly if not watched carefully.  You can use your finger to test how dry the soil is if you do not own a moisture meter.  Another way to test for moisture is by feeling how heavy the plant is.  A lighter plant than normal indicates that it needs to be watered.

Placement of your Ficus Benjamina

Benjamina Ficus thrive in well-lit locations, sheltered from direct midday sunlight.  Place this tree in an area that gets a large amount of moisture, such as a kitchen.  They tend to grow less leaves and look less lively if grown in dry areas of the house.  Ensure that your miniature tree is not in a location that experiences cool drafts.

Training Ficus Benjamina

Pruning Ficus Benjamina encourages the tree to grow new shoots, so it is essential that you prune them regularly.  In order to maintain shape, cut new growth back to the first two leaves after they have grown 5 or 6 leaves.  You will have to perform maintenance pruning regularly to maintain shape and size, as this tree grows quickly.

Benjamina Ficus are great for formal upright, informal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, broom, and slanting styles.  They are also well known for rock-over-root and clasped-to-rock plantings.  These plants are commonly grown as bonsai and much larger house plants.

Repotting Ficus Benjamina

These trees should be repotted every year for the first few years to ensure they have plenty of support for vigorous growth.  When repotting, it is important that you remove up to 30% of the surface roots to promote new growth.  Ficus prefer well-draining soils, containing mostly sand and other arrogates.

Fertilizing Ficus Benjamina

Your Benjamina Ficus relies heavily on the nutrients you provide in your fertilizer.  The nutrients in the soil will wash away quickly and must be reapplied through a good fertilizer.  This species prefers a weekly feeding of balanced fertilizer, slowed down to every other week through the winter.

Ginseng Ficus bonsai (Ficus Microcarpa Ginseng) are best known for the immense roots protruding out of the ground which base the tree trunk.  The large exposed root system provides a tropical and well-aged look.  These trees typically grow small leaves in clusters to provide a weeping effect over the root system.

Styles

Ficus Microcarpa Ginseng are typically grown in the umbrella style.  These trees are typically designed to look like they are clinging to rocks or other objects.  The large roots and short nature of this tree are perfect for making it appear to be hanging on to the side of a cliff or trying to walk off a rock.

Position

Ginseng Ficus bonsai need to be placed in a location that receives a large amount of light, while staying very humid.  This indoor bonsai tree will thrive in a kitchen or bathroom that receives much sunlight while shading the tree from midday sun.  These trees do not do well in drafty locations, or near heaters that dry the air.

Leaf and Branch Pruning

Leaf pruning should be conducted after the tree has grown 6-10 leaves.  At this point, trim the branches back to 2-4 leaves, allowing new branches with smaller leaves to grow.  Stick these branch cuttings into the ground to grow new trees.  This species is extremely easy to grow from cuttings, so simply stick the cut branches in the soil and water them regularly.  This will make the cuttings develop their own root systems and become more amazing bonsai trees.

Re-potting / soil

This species should be repotted every 2 to 3 years, cutting back about 10% of the root growth. This will allow the tree to continue to grow and not feel like it is out of room.  The exposed surface roots and root-over-rock styles allow us to plant Ginseng Ficus Bonsai in extremely shallow pots for more impressive results.

Golden Gate Ficus bonsai, like all other Ficus varieties, require warm and humid environments to thrive. For this reason alone, this species is best grown as an indoor bonsai in most locations. In warm locations, you can place this tree outside during the summer to cut back on maintenance and provide ideal conditions.

The Golden Gate Ficus is grown for the attractive gray trunk that they produce. This species grows a thick, sturdy trunk to compliment the shiny green leaves. The gray trunk in also accented with white stripes, giving it the nickname “Tiger Stripe Ficus”. This bonsai also grows extremely quickly, making it the ideal bonsai for beginners.

How to Water Your New Bonsai

This miniature tree type needs to be watered often due to its location. The fact that it needs a lot of sun creates the need for frequent watering because it will dry out quicker. Check your bonsai daily by sticking your finger into the soil to feel the moisture level. If you notice the top of the soil looks dry, then it is probably safe to say that you need to water. Once you get the hang of when it needs water, feel the weight of the pot before and after watering. You will start to notice how much it weighs when it is time to water your bonsai.

Submerge your pot in a tub of water for a few minutes to ensure that all of the soil is allowed to retain the water. This is the best way to water your bonsai because it ensures that you water fully and throughout. If you cannot use this method, make sure that you spread the water across the entire surface. It is also a good idea to go back again after the water settles and water again.

Placement of Your Bonsai

Golden Gate Ficus are best grown anywhere inside that has high humidity. They are native to areas that produce intense rain and jungle-like conditions. Kitchen windows, bathroom windows, or any other room that says somewhat humid is perfect for this bonsai species. If you cannot provide these conditions, consider using a humidity tree and spraying the tree with a water bottle a few times a day. These will help keep the humidity high and allow the Ficus to develop.

This tree species need bright indirect sunlight during the day. It is important that this tree is shaded from direct midday sun and heat. You can move the tree to a location that doesn’t get the full sun or shade the sun if needed.

While Golden Gate Ficus bonsai are primarily indoor bonsai, they love to be outside when it is warm. We place all of our bonsai outdoors in the summer once it is hot enough. They enjoys the natural environment and it reduces on the amount of care required to keep them healthy. Just ensure that you bring them back in when temperatures are in danger of dropping below tolerated temperatures.

Training Your New Bonsai

Leaf pruning is essential when training this species in order to reduce the leaf size. The first 2-4 leaves on a branch are the perfect size for use in bonsai, after that they grow much larger. For this reason, you want to trim each branch back to those first 2-4 leaves after 6-10 leaves have grown on the given branch. Complete defoliation can also be performed on Golden Gate Ficus bonsai at the end of spring. By removing all leaves from the tree, new smaller leaves will grow to take the place of lost leaves. Defoliation can only be performed on healthy trees, as defoliating an unhealthy tree can cripple it.

Wiring will also be a vital tool in producing a beautiful Golden Gate Ficus. This is how we train the branches to bend where we want and end in the right location. When wiring this species, it is important to check the wiring weekly to make sure the wires are not growing into the branch. Golden Gate Ficus bonsai are great for formal upright, informal upright, and slanting styles.

Repotting This Type of Bonsai

Repot this species every two to three years, at the beginning of spring before the growing season begins. Find a pot that compliments the tree well and it slightly larger than the previous pot. Cover the drainage whole with a piece of screening or loose rocks to hold dirt in.

After you decide on the right pot, you will need to find some good replacement soil. This species prefers a well-draining mixture, comprising of mostly sand or other arrogates. Cactus soil with some added arrogates tends to work really well for potting a Ficus.

Remove the tree from the old pot and trim back excess surface roots to promote new growth. Start with roots that are growing straight down because they will push your bonsai out of this pot. Put the tree in place and tie down with some bonsai wire if needed. This will help keep it in place while the new root system develops.

Add the soil to the pot after your know that the tree is secure. Make sure that you fill the pot with dirt and compact it as you go. Water your newly potted bonsai thoroughly after your repot it and place it in the shade to recover. Do NOT fertilize this tree for at least a month after transplanting!

Fertilizing Your Bonsai on A Regular Basis

The amount of water a bonsai tree gets is much larger than a tree planted outdoors in the soil. This has the side effect of soil nutrients being washed away quickly. Fertilizing this tree once a week in the spring, and then every other week the rest of the year, will help it thrive. Do not attempt to stunt your trees growth by not fertilizing it properly. This will force your tree to sacrifice other existent limbs in order to develop new foliage.

Propagating This Bonsai to Produce More Beautiful Specimen

All Ficus species are extremely easy to propagate from cuttings. Take new growth in the summer with a clean razorblade and place it in a sandy soil mix. Dipping the cutting in rooting powder before inserting it into the soil will increase your chance of success, but is not absolutely necessary. Place your potted putting in a bag or provide a dome to conceal humidity. After a month, you should be able to remove the rooted cutting and plant in your typical bonsai soil.

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Ficus Bonsai (Ficus Microcarpa Bonsai)

Ficus trees are native to Southeast Asia and Australia, where it is warm and humid most of the year.  They are also known to grow considerably quickly while developing strong root systems relatively swiftly.  The leaves of a Ficus tree are shiny, looking like they are covered in wax, and are very susceptible to changes in light.  Changes in light typically result in the tree losing all leaves and growing new ones for the new light environment.  There are many Ficus varieties that are very suitable for Ficus bonsai.

–Ficus Benjamina Bonsai

–Golden Gate Ficus Bonsai

–Ginseng Ficus Bonsai

Watering Ficus Bonsai

Ficus microcarpa bonsai like to dry out a bit between watering, but make sure they do not dry out entirely.  Check your miniature tree daily with a moisture meter or your finger to make sure the soil is not completely dry.  Water your bonsai trees by submerging them completely in water up to the top of the soil line for a few minutes, then pull them out and allow the excess water to drain.  If you are watering your bonsai with a watering can, it’s best to water them twice with a few minutes in between.  You should see water come out of the drainage holes, ensuring that you have watered all the dirt in the pot.  Your Ficus bonsai should thrive with the right amount of water and sunlight.

Placement of your Ficus Bonsai

This type of tree enjoys partial shade and needs to be sheltered from midday sun.  It is important that you do not shelter the tree from all sun, as they enjoy bright locations that do not singe the leaves during midday heat.

Training Ficus Bonsai

Each verity of Ficus prefers a different type of training.  Check out the links above for individual training advice.

Repotting Ficus Bonsai

Most trees require repotting every other year to ensure that the roots do not run out of room.  If the tree runs out of room to grow, it will stop growing.  Check out the individual links for species-specific information.

Fertilizing Ficus Bonsai

Fertilize your Ficus weekly during the spring and then every other week for the rest of the year.  This will replenish the nutrients lost in the soil from extra watering.