Hello! This is my first time on the forum. I come seeking guidance. My elder sister just bought me a Bonsai Tree(I was unprepared and surprised) as I'd been wanting to try it for awhile. However, I didn't expect to begin until after uni, and I'm afraid I'll kill my tree. She also decided to buy herself one.

She wanted a Snow Rose that was being sold. I chose a Ginseng Ficus. According to it's papers, it's 10 years old and the recommended watering is every 4-6 days in Spring. The Snow Rose is 3 and it's watering is twice a week. The instructions say to submerge both trees in water up to 1/2" above the pot for about 5-10 minutes for both of them. We observed the seller doing so while we were browsing, and I'm inclined to think he knew what he was doing as he had some very old traditional juniper trees there.

Is this correct? I also want to know how to take care of the trees now that we have them - both pruning and shaping. The instructions say to pinch undesired growth off by hand(without scissors), and to use wire to shape it. I understand this, but probably my biggest fear is pruning them. I don't want to get it wrong and kill/permanently harm it, and I have no idea which parts to prune.

Welcome to BE,

You have found yourself a very nice ficus starter. Much better than the average 'my first bonsai' we see on this forum.

For now, I would just take care of the plant, get a feel for it. No wiring or trimming for a good few months. That will allow you to learn to care for the plant: If you do something else to the plant, you at least know your basic care is OK.

Watering a plant 'by the calender' is tricky: A few days of sunny weather, a growth spurt or a weekend away with the heater off will all affect the water usage of a plant. Better is to check the soil: Is it getting dry? Then it needs water. So if the soil surface dries out (You will quickly learn to tell: It changes color, adding a few drops to the surface will show you straight away) you water.

Emerging into a tub of water is one way. I prefer using a watering can. When watering, give so much that it drains from the bottom of the pot. That way you know the whole rootball has received water. I water plants indoors with lukewarm water, as it is easier absorbed by dry soil particles.

This is a plant: It lives of light. Ficus ideally take full sun (But if they have been grown in the shade they need a week or two to get used to it; slowly give it more and more sunny exposure).

Often ficus drop their leaves when being moved. So do not be overly alarmed if over the next week or so leaves start to drop.

Thank you for the advice! Heh, I remembered seeing the word "ficus" and "easy" somewhere back when I was first becoming obsessed with bonsai. The guy wanted to sell me a very beautiful French Maple. However, I was sure I'd kill the poor thing.

Thanks for telling me about the leaves! I'd probably freak out if you hadn't!

GrimThePanda wrote:

Thank you for the advice! Heh, I remembered seeing the word "ficus" and "easy" somewhere back when I was first becoming obsessed with bonsai. The guy wanted to sell me a very beautiful French Maple. However, I was sure I'd kill the poor thing.

You probably didn't know that you would have to keep that maple outside too

I agree with LB, that Ficus seems to have a quite nice trunk, not the typical 'Ginseng' bonsai with disproportionate roots that we see here usually - and that's a good thing. I don't have a ficus, but as far as I know they're not too difficult too grow. Would be interesting to see a close up of this tree, specifically the trunk.

The Serissa is less interesting, it's a young plant, not really a bonsai. Serissa's are not as easy as Ficus.
Guidelines can be found here:
www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Serissa.html

Welp, my poor sister

I'll do my best to help her out, I'm better at indoor plants than my family(I managed to grow very tall tomatoes inside my bedroom due to the intense SoCal heat and wind) but everyone else are total plant killers!

Which I guess is another good reason why I didn't get the maple.

Here's some pics of the ficus' trunk

Nice Ficus indeed to get things started, much better than my first, that's for sure. And yes, don't be afraid to practice and care for this tree. They prove to be, time and time again, a very resilient and forgiving species. Good luck with it and keep reading and learning. This site is a nice place to start, but you should probably consider joining a club or association as well. Oh, and make sure you also check: bonsai4me.com for gathering further knowledge. That site is amazing!

Alain

First and foremost Ficus Love warm temperatures. They do not like being repotted until the warmer temps after Spring jhas set it, the roots need warmth to allow quick recovery. They at that time can be quite drastically rootpruned when repotting.
Ficus absolutely Love fertiliser and feeding them very regularly will encourage great health with good rootgrowth,also nice colour to the foliage.



Ficus are quite drought tolerant and appreciate the soil not remaining wet, allowing the soil to dry slightly inbetween watering but not drying out completely.

I would rather see the 2 trees you have there swap pots when you feel comfortable doing so, the ficus will appreciate a shallower pot but also use the extra width to spread it's root laterally. This is what they need to develop, sideways room not depth . allow you Ficus to grow without taking/trimming any foliage off until it is quite overgrown with shoots and then it will have alot more branches which will be wired into position. That will be the next step for it's progression, get it healthy, grow some more branches, wire them all out and This Ficus will begin to take shape. It will make quite a nice tree with some attention.
Anyway hope that gets you going for now, any more questions, ask away .

regards Craig..

GrimThePanda wrote:

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The second one I think is a Serissa Foetida. I found this on Bonsai4Me.

Serissa foetida derives its name from the fetid smell of its bark and roots when they are crushed or cut. Foetida is literally 'foul-smelling' in Latin. (It should be noted that S.foetida is sometimes referred to by its old Latin name Serissa Japonica).

Serissa is a genus of only one species (foetida), a small evergreen shrub up to only 50cm in height, from moist, open woodland in S.E. Asia. Its leaves are borne in opposite pairs and branches are produced in dense numbers from both old and new wood giving the tree good potential for bonsai cultivation. Serissa produce numerous small funnel shaped flowers during the summer (and at other times of the year in alien environments) hence its common name 'Tree of a thousand stars'.

There are now quite a variety of forms of S. foetida in cultivation that carry variegated leaves with single or double flowers.

Though very commonly found for sale at bonsai establishments throughout Britain and Europe, the Serissa is notorious for being hard to keep for both experienced hobbyists and beginners alike. The Serissa has a tendency to yellowing and dropping leaves if correct growing conditions are not kept.

Being a subtropical species Serissa have to be protected from temperatures below 7°C which means indoor cultivation is required in most areas of Europe and America for a good proportion of the year. However, here lies the heart of the problem with this species; it is difficult to keep up the humidity levels required by Serissa in an indoor environment and this often causes the tree to suffer.

Bonsai cultivation notes

Position Outside when day and night temperatures stay reliably above 7°C; in Britain this means from late May to mid-September. It is important for the health of the tree to spend at least a few weeks each year outside, however, ensure that the tree is not moved around too much once outside.

Indoor cultivation; when temperatures threaten to dip below 7°C (day or night). Find a bright but not too sunny permanent position out of cold draughts, for instance on a East or West facing windowsill. Good humidity levels must be maintained and can be provided by the use of a humidity tray. Never place the tree on a windowsill above a radiator, (radiators/central heating are the primary reason that indoor cultivation is so difficult as they dry the air considerably) do not place the tree on a windowsill where the curtains are closed at night as this environment can experience very cold temperatures at night during the winter.

Moving the tree to a new position will stress the tree until it acclimatizes, on occasions causing yellowing and dropping leaves- this should be followed within a few days by fresh growth.

Watering Serissa strongly dislike continually wet roots though bone dry compost will also kill them. Water thoroughly (ensure your compost medium is well drained) and do not water again until the compost has NEARLY dried out. Daily watering as a routine should not be carried out unless necessary though daily check the soil daily. Ensure the gravel tray is kept continually wet but never allow the pot to be stood in water.

Yellow leaves can often indicate overwatering (though this can also be due to other factors), brown and crispy leaves indicate lack of water or lack of humidity.

Feeding Feed once a month during the winter (September to March) and every two weeks between March and September when growth is stronger. Only feed when the compost is already moist or the root-tips can be burnt. Do not feed when the tree has lost leaves or if it is not showing new growth.

Repotting Serissa dislike rootpruning and can be left for 2-3 years at a time. Repot in Spring as growth starts -this helps the rootsystem recover quickly. Use a standard soil mix.

Pruning Remove suckers unless required for multiple trunk styles. Prune back to one or two leaves to shape unless otherwise required.

Propagation Softwood cuttings in Spring or Early Summer. Semi-ripe cuttings in late Summer. Rooting is aided with bottom heat.

Pests and diseases Scale insects. Yellowing leaves and leaf-drop caused by incorrect placement, poor humidity levels or incorrect watering.

Styles All forms except formal upright in extra-small to medium sizes.

Craig wrote:

the ficus will appreciate a shallower pot but also use the extra width to spread it's root laterally. This is what they need to develop, sideways room not depth.

Nice piece of advise Craig I only wish you had posted this 3 weeks earlier when I repotted my Ficus I didn't know this fact and I've been caring for my Ficus for a year now and even if it is in good health, knowing this will allow me to give it a better care in my next repotting in two years Currently he is standing in a rather deep pot instead of a shallow one. Thanks Craig!

Alain

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I'll try a shallower dish when I repot my Ficus. I don't think I'll try that for awhile though, and I'll give it some plant fertilizer more regularly.

I was also going to try to get a humidity dish for both the trees, as I read that was good, especially for the serissa.