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Complete newbi repotting question! 8 years 6 months ago #16920

  • Toooooby
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Hey everyone!

So this is my first post in here, I sure hope you can helpme ! - I just got my first bonsai tree. According to the note its a Ficus Ginseng Bonsai.

Unfortunately it came in a pretty big, ugly plastic pot. Obviously i want to re-pot it!

Now my question is, can i do this without any further trouble? And is there a specific time of year i should do it?

The tree it self is about 24 inches tall and it looks like this:

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I really want to put it in a tray-type pot, but how big would that need to be for the plant to stay healthy?

I've seen a ton of videos online, so i kinda know about the plastic mesh, and the speciel kind of soil you need and how you need to prune the roots. But is there .anything else i should know?

Thanks a ton!

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Complete newbi repotting question! 8 years 6 months ago #16921

  • Auk
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I've seen a ton of videos online, so i kinda know about the plastic mesh, and the speciel kind of soil you need and how you need to prune the roots. But is there .anything else i should know?


This is a houseplant, not a bonsai. Follow the general guidelines for Ficus Microcarpa houseplants:

www.plantsrescue.com/ficus-microcarpa/

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Complete newbi repotting question! 8 years 6 months ago #16924

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There is a cool bonsai hiding though. I think if you were to go bonsai, you should chop it bak to thee first ball of leaves (!) :blink: Then the trunk diameter and the height work well. Now it is a shapely houseplant :(

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Complete newbi repotting question! 8 years 6 months ago #16926

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There is a cool bonsai hiding though. I think if you were to go bonsai, you should chop it bak to thee first ball of leaves (!) :blink: Then the trunk diameter and the height work well. Now it is a shapely houseplant :(


Interesting thought... (using ms paint so not a great picture)


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Complete newbi repotting question! 8 years 6 months ago #16931

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Thanks for the answers!

Hah, the slip on it says bonsai :P I was thinking of choping it back, and then try go get some more dense balls of foilage.

But however you want to categorize it, is it possible to put it on a more tray-like pot, and how big would it need to be?


Edit: Oh dang it, you mean like cutting it down to 15-20 cm?

Thats probably not going to happen! Wouldnt i be able do some bonsai-ish pruning anyway? Make it a bonsai-ish houseplant :P

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Last edit: Post by Toooooby. Reason: realization

Complete newbi repotting question! 8 years 6 months ago #16933

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You can always keep it as is, and enjoy it. Just don't expect people at a bonsai club to get excited over it ;)

As an example, one of my ficus prebonsai projects, unfortunately in Dutch, but enough pictures:

www.bonsaiempire.nl/forum/48-help/12076-ficus-bonsai

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Complete newbi repotting question! 8 years 6 months ago #16934

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Hah, the slip on it says bonsai


That is because the label was too short for "Relatively cheap mass product grown to look like a bonsai for buyers that don't know the difference".

But however you want to categorize it, is it possible to put it on a more tray-like pot, and how big would it need to be?


Not really at this moment. The tree wasn't trained as a bonsai, so the roots are not adapted to a tray like pot. It can be done, but it would take a few years of training and reducing the roots.

Edit: Oh dang it, you mean like cutting it down to 15-20 cm?
Thats probably not going to happen! Wouldnt i be able do some bonsai-ish pruning anyway? Make it a bonsai-ish houseplant :P


What kills most 'bonsai' is people that cannot wait to repot, fertilize and prune their trees.
First just let it grow, make sure it is doing well. Then maintain its shape by pruning shoots that get too long.

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