How to Care for your Bonsai Ficus Ginseng Plant!

How to Care For Your Bonsai Ficus Ginseng Plant

The Bonsai Ficus Ginseng Plant is also known as Taiwan Ficus or Banyan Fig.

One of the attractions of this particular bonsai ficus ginseng is of course the roots which are usually exposed. Along with a thickish trunk and a canopy of dark green leaves it is a most attractive plant, creates a wonderful display in the home and is so easy to look after. This makes it ideal for newcomers to indoor plant keeping especially as it is very low maintenance.

Caring For The Bonsai Ficus Ginseng

Although the bonsai ficus ginseng can tolerate low light environments well, it does thrive much better in well lit environments and natural sunlight. So it is important to site the plant beside a window which receives lots of light for as much of the day as possible. I turn my own Ficus Ginseng by one quarter turn to the right each day so the whole ginseng plant has its fair share of the sun.

This bonsai tree does need a little tender loving care. It does need moderate watering in the winter, and I have had good results by feeding the potted soil with tomato plant liquid feed of all things. (Don't overdo this) Obviously, a little more water will be needed during the warmer summer season and less during the winter season.

The bonsai ficus ginseng does not mind being overwatered once in a while nor does it take offence when you forget to water it sometimes. It will however thrive more when misted regularly to mimic its rainforest home conditions. I do this daily using an old aerosol spray, and where possible I use rainwater rather than tap water which tends to contain Fluoride in this Country and I'm not sure this is good for the plant. Boiling tap water first may be another solution.

The bonsai ficus ginseng is basically a slow grower although this will depend on the condition of the plant and obviously on its environment. Repotting the bonsai plant depends on growth, so you may have to do this annually or bi-annually. I have had my ficus ginseng for about 6 months and growth is slow, so there is plenty of time to think about re-potting at a future time.

As for the soil, the plant does not seem too fussed and I have just used the soil which was in the pot when I bought the ginseng plant. Fertilizers may be added but the bonsai ficus ginseng is a good grower and can survive in lean conditions. (Try the tomato liquid fertilizer trick mentioned earlier)

The bonsai ficus ginseng tree is an easy tree to care for and you will not need to constantly monitor its state. At first you may be worried at the alarming habit the Ficus has of dropping its leaves daily. Look closely however at the plant and you will see that for all the dark green leaves which have been discarded, there will be a roughly equal number of light green new growth leaves to replace them.

The leaves of the bonsai ficus ginseng will need to be pinched when there are more than necessary to make a good looking crown. For every six new leaves that come out, you need to pinch off at least two or three to maintain its beauty and symmetry.

Overall the bonsai ficus ginseng is a hardy tree that is great for novices and beginners!

Ficus Ginseng Plant

Today i received a Ficus Ginseng plant as a gift and knowing very little about keeping them, I have started some basic research.

Apparently...

. A ficus bonsai tree may look good in your home but if you do not have the time and the patience to take care of it, you might as well forget the idea. You see, ficus bonsai trees are sensitive to changing environments and need constant attention. You need to tend to your tree every day to keep it healthy and beautiful. Therefore, busy people who keep erratic work and social schedules should not keep this type of plant at home.

. On the other hand, if you are one of those people who works a regular 9 to 5 job and then comes home to an empty house to eat dinner in the kitchen and then watch TV for the rest of the night, keeping a ficus bonsai plant is a good thing for you to do. Instead of wasting all your time sitting on the couch and watching TV when you get home, you can keep yourself busy tending to your bonsai tree. Tending to your bonsai tree is really a lot more relaxing and challenging than watching TV.

. Ficus will grow decently in low light, but thrive in high light conditions.

. Prune back to 2-4 leaves after 6-10 leaves have grown. use a dull pruning tool on Ficus, as a clean cut made by a sharp tool tends to bleed more than a dull cut.

. Water moderately, increasing in summer and decreasing in winter. Many Ficus are very tolerant of being over or under watered, which makes them ideal for beginners. The Ficus also enjoys a daily misting to maintain humidity.

. Repot every 2-3 years, although some will grow rapidly enough that yearly re-potting may be necessary. The best time is before a new growth spurt, especially in spring, but Ficus can literally be re-potted any time of year if reasonable after-care is given.

. Roots can easily be pruned by half. Basic bonsai soil is recommended, although Ficus tolerates many soil conditions.

All in all the ideal indoor companion without the need for walkies or a pooper scoop!

Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of blog http://www.lawnsurgeon.blogspot.com. Author of "Your Perfect Lawn," a 90 Page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Lawn Care and Maintenance. Find it at http://www.lawnsurgeon.com

I would be very interested to have your comments on this Article.

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