What is Bonsai Exotic Ficus ?

Although Westerners had encountered bonsai on their travels in the Far East, and a few had even written articles about them, it wasn’t until the end of WW2 that the hobby really began to catch on in the United States. GI’s returning from Japan brought with them small samples of these fascinating trees. Bonsai as everybody knows is an Eastern practice of miniaturizing trees and plants in a container. A Japanese word the term 'bonsai' means tray gardening. Research has it that 'bonsai' has its predecessor in the Chinese 'penjing'. The Korean craft of 'bunjae' also shares a remarkable likeliness. Since its beginnings in China during the Han Dynasty over two thousand years ago the art of growing miniature trees in containers bonsai has had an interesting history. Initially penjing – as it is called in China was considered too spiritual for the common folk and only nobles were permitted to own one. During the 14th century the Chinese invaded Japan and brought with them many aspects of Chinese culture including religion, calligraphy, and penjing.

Bonsai Exotic Ficus Potting Tips

Bonsai are generally repotted every two years while in development, and less often as they become more mature.

There are many designs of bonsai pots which is an important aspect when it comes to creating the right tree. They are usually about 2 – 25 inches across and 1 to 10 inches in depth. Some pots are made from clay, some are glazed, but they should all have the correct drainage holes.

By having a pot too large, your bonsai tree will look more of a plant in a pot rather then a full grown bonsai.

Bonsai Exotic Ficus Pruning Tips

The pruning (cutting the leaves) can be done when we see that the old leaves have turned yellow or look a little bit dull. We can do it in two ways: shearing or pulling out. The best way is the second one... that is gradually pull out the old leaves. To prevent pulling out the whole group of leaves use your left hand to hold the lower end of the leaves group and use your right hand to pull out the old leaves one by one and leave the young ones. If you prefer the first way... shear the old leaves at about 1 cm higher from the leaf stalk. This is to provoke the new bud from the rest of those old leaves. Unfortunately shearing will leave brown traces and these unsightly traces will stay there for months before they disappear.

You must consider root pruning. This type of pruning is done to maintain the basic health of the tree. It should be coordinated with your branch pruning schedule.

Only remove branches that are affecting the way your Bonsai is growing. If a branch is causing the tree to drastically differ from your design it may be appropriate to heavily prune that branch.

Bonsai Exotic Ficus Soil Tips

The top soil and that found around the base of the trunk should serve to boost the tree's natural look.

Some bonsai enthusiasts prefer to cover their soil with moss. The Kyoto moss is popular because it is a fine bright green moss. Moss can be grown on a separate plate and then place over the soil once you have done a re potting. However some prefer to sprinkle the moss spore over the soil once they have re-potted their bonsai tree. Moss needs humidity and shade to grow.

One essential care that we should give to our bonsai plant involves the soil and the fertilizers and nutrients that we mix on it. This is why we have to make sure that the soil that we are using to plant our bonsai in, should be of good quality.

Bonsai Exotic Ficus Techniques

It is very important to examine the roots at least every two years. Depending upon the age species and the size of the pot some trees can become root bound. Roots naturally curve within the soil and container. They will start to curve inward when they meet the side of the pot. They will be pressed for space and have nowhere to go but up when the available space is occupied by more roots. That's why root pruning is required.

Aside from seeds there are many ways to develop a bonsai: nursery stock garden plants or cuttings. Beginners would usually start with a bonsai that is already in some level of development and slowly learn the special care required by the bonsai. At some point a bonsai enthusiast would delve deeper by learning miniaturizing techniques and how to wire and prune the bonsai. Advanced bonsai enthusiasts would not stop here and the urgency to start from scratch becomes irresistible. They will attempt on developing bonsai from seeds.

When bending the branches, one should listen and feel for any sign of splitting.

Bonsai Exotic Ficus Tidbits

The branch structure of your bonsai trees will play a crucial role in the trees health. Make sure that you do keep you bonsai tree in the sun. The branches should be sculpted in a way that it allows sunlight to reach all areas in the structure so as to enhance health and emphasize the beauty of your bonsai garden as well.

Bonsai culture offers the greatest and most beautiful tree species on this planet. Since bonsai originate from asia most likely from China and Japan the most popular tree’s are originating from this region. For its daily dose of sunlight place your bonsai tree outdoors especially if it requires some direct sunlight. To ensure soil nutrients regularly schedule fertilization for your bonsai plants. Due to the conditions under which they are transported and sold, they are often inadequately watered and are kept in poor soil, usually a clump of sphagnum moss or the aforementioned clay with a layer of gravel glued to the top, which leaves them susceptible to both drying and fungal infections.

What comes into your mind when you hear the word tree? For starters it surely is something tall and towering. You may start thinking of big trunks and a deeply rooted body. Of course that is the generic perception. That is until the bonsai tree came into the picture. It makes a great indoor plant as it can thrive well in low light. Many of the really fine specimens have been pruned for more than 100 years.

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