Today, many plants are grown at home. Some of them look really exotic. Such plants allow you to decorate any interior. They make the room cozy. It is a pleasure to be here for both the owners and their guests. One of the spectacular plants is ficus for bonsai. How to care for him will be discussed in detail in the article.
What is a bonsai?
Bonsai is an unusual and very interesting art of growing real trees in miniature form. It originated in China over 2,000 years ago. From there, this type of crop production came to Japan, and the Japanese became recognized masters of this art, masterfully using dwarf trees in landscape design.
In the art of bonsai, different plants are traditionally used - pomegranate, olives, oleander, bougainvillea. Ficus Benjamin bonsai is very good. Although in the classic Japanese version, this plant was never used. However, recently ficus has become one of the most popularplants from bonsaists due to their plasticity and responsiveness to care.
A feature of growing this plant is the interweaving of its root system, which is located on the surface, into certain shapes, figures, as well as the formation of a beautiful lush crown.
Creating bonsai plants is a real art. It requires certain knowledge from the grower. However, even beginner growers will be able to create a spectacular image. In this case, it will turn out to create an unusual interlacing of roots, stems. Such a plant will look special. It is important to adhere to all the rules for caring for ficus, creating the conditions necessary for its development.
Bonsai from Microcarpa
Under natural conditions, ficus lives in tropical rainforests and reaches a height of more than 25 m. At home, it grows up to a maximum of 3 m. Bonsai from ficus Microcarpa has the appearance of an adult, but a miniature tree with a height of only 30 to 60 cm. The word microcarpa in Greek means a small fruit.
Under natural conditions, ficus forms small yellow fruits that change color to burgundy when ripe. For the art of bonsai, the plant provides a lot of new opportunities. This is an unpretentious tree that can grow even with small deviations from the required conditions.
Ficus bonsai, the photo of which can be seen above, has oval wide leaves, curved at the end. They are attached to branches on short petioles. The foliage is monophonic, painted in dark green. Her surfacesmooth as if waxed.
Reason for the popularity of the plant
In natural conditions, ficuses are often epiphytes. They grow on other trees, putting out aerial roots for this. This feature is one of the reasons for the frequent use of ficus Benjamin in the art of growing bonsai.
In addition, the presented plant perfectly and quickly heals wounds on the trunk, forms new branches instead of cut ones, and can be formed with twine and wire.
It's hard to imagine that even a beginner can independently create a beautiful miniature ficus in just a few years, even from a plant that has grown to a standard size. However, in order to achieve certain success in this art, first of all, you need to create suitable conditions for the plant, providing it with the right care.
Temperature and lighting
The plant prefers moderate light. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight. One of the conditions for the development of a plant is proper care at home. Ficus bonsai does not tolerate exposure to hot air from batteries in the winter, as well as drafts. Their plant does not tolerate.
Comfortable temperature for this species is 18-25 °C. The main thing is that there are no sharp temperature drops of 5-7 ° C. The tree does not tolerate cold temperatures below 15 ° C, since its roots can rot in cool, moist soil. This will result in the death of the plant.
IncreaseFicus Benjamina will easily tolerate temperatures above the optimum, provided that comfortable humidity is provided.
Water and air humidity
In the hot season, a special approach to ficus bonsai is required. Care includes constant spraying (1-2 times a day). To do this, use settled water just above room temperature. It is not the trunk that should be sprayed, but the leaves. In addition, they can be regularly wiped with a damp cloth. To combat the increased dryness of the air in the room, it is worth installing a humidifier.
The frequency of watering depends on the condition of the soil. Watering should be as soon as its top layer dries. It is better to use soft or rain water at room or slightly higher temperature for this. Excess liquid from the pan should be poured out without allowing it to stagnate.
Pot and soil
Capacity for planting ficus for bonsai need a shallow, flat, fairly heavy and wide. Such a container avoids the growth of roots and, as a result, an increase in the crown and leaves. The pot should have legs 9-14 mm high, large drainage holes and preferably a drip tray to collect excess water.
A mesh with a 3 mm cell is placed on the bottom of the tank, on which a layer of coarse sand with a grain size of 4 mm is poured, and on top - a layer of the main soil.
You can buy ready-made soil for palm trees. Also, the substrate can be prepared independently. The composition of the soil includes fine sand, picking earth (humus) and clay,taken in equal proportions. For the cultivation of bonsai, special types of clays are traditionally used, the most suitable of which is the Akadama granular composition.
Feeding
The plant requires regular fertilizing from spring to autumn. For ficus bonsai, home care involves the use of suitable formulations. To do this, mineral and organic fertilizers for palm plants are purchased in specialized stores.
There are special fertilizers for bonsai plants. They are applied at intervals of 15-20 days a month after transplantation before watering the plant. Fertilizers can be added both to water for irrigation and for spraying. In winter, during the dormant period, the ficus does not need fertilizer.
Reproduction
How to make ficus bonsai? It propagates by cuttings. To obtain planting material, the top is cut off with a sharp knife and placed in a vessel with water in a well-lit place until roots appear on it. Every 2-3 days you need to change the water to fresh. After rooting, the young shoot is planted in the ground and replanted regularly every year for 3-4 years. Subsequent transplants are carried out every three years.
You can apply cut shoots directly into the soil, composed of equal parts of sand, leafy soil and peat.
Shaping roots
How to grow ficus bonsai? To do this, in a strict sequence, first form the roots, then the trunk and finally the crown of the plant.
In a container prepared for planting a cutting with drainage anda small stone is placed as a substrate, a plant is placed on it and the roots are carefully distributed over the surface. Lightly sprinkle them with soil to make a small hill, and tamp it down. The root neck should be at the level of the substrate.
The plant is thoroughly watered. After 20 minutes, drain the water from the pan. Then, for four months, the usual care procedures described above are carried out. During this time, the ficus will take root well. Now you can gradually expose the roots, raking the soil from them. Because of this, they will begin to intensively increase in size and become woody. After that, you can start forming the trunk.
Trunk and crown
There are two ways to create ficus bonsai. The first of these is tying. The branch or its top is fixed on the base of the plant, achieving a beautiful curved shape. This method is the most common due to its simplicity and safety.
The second method of forming the trunk is to use a wire structure. The tree is wrapped with insulating wire, gradually moving from the roots to the top. The frame is fixed and left for 1.5-2 months, during which the plant gets used to the new form and learns to maintain it on its own. Then the structure is removed, carefully cutting the wire so as not to damage the branches (in no case unwind). With this method of formation, it is impossible to wrap the trunk and branches too tightly with wire, otherwise the ficus will begin to dry out. Do not apply this method immediately after cutting the plant, otherwise it will begin to deform.
WhenThe formation of a plant often uses a technique such as weaving. Several seedlings are planted in one pot and, until they are coarsened, they are carefully intertwined and tied with a rope for fixation. In order for the stems to grow together, the bark is removed at the points of contact and the wood is treated with a special compound.
When the trunk and root system are formed, you can start decorating the crown. To do this, you need to constantly trim the extra branches and pinch the top kidney. Since ficuses grow rapidly, pruning should be carried out according to the scheme - 4 are cut out of eight leaves. This should be done from below, gradually moving to the top of the plant. For pruning, use sharp tools - garden shears, pruners, a well-sharpened knife or razor. At the end of the procedure, each section is sprinkled with crushed charcoal.
Pruning is best done in the spring. If necessary, you can do this in the summer or autumn. In winter, during the period of slowing down all life processes, cutting the plant is strictly prohibited.
Following the advice of experienced growers, you can create a beautiful ficus bonsai with your own hands. It will please the owners and guests of the house with its unusual spectacular appearance. This is a real work of art that can decorate any interior. Growing miniature trees is a fun process that even beginner growers can do.
