Ficus Bonsai Trees Are A Good Choice For Beginners

A ficus bonsai tree is a lot like caring for an old buddy or a child that must be taken good care of.

Ficus bonsai trees vary from slithering vines to huge forest trees. They are one of the most popular trees grown as indoor bonsai and also frequently used as outdoor bonsai in humid and steamy climates. The root structure of the ficus bonsai will intertwine as it grows, this will add structural integrity to the tree. Many ficus bonsai species can be grown such as ficus benjamina, microcarpa and salicaria.

How To Care For A Ficus Bonsai

It is essential to start with a good and healthy ficus. Repot the new ficus bonsai in an appropriate container.

The ficus must get the utmost amount of light every now and then. Exposure to badly lit light will result in weak, off color growth and disease prone plant. But do not put it in an area with magnified, constant sun as it will burn the leaves.

Proper fertilization and watering are essential for the bonsai. When watering the bonsai, make sure it is fully soaked. Soak it in a bowl or water a number of times to make sure it is fully saturated. Give some time in between watering to dry it out completely.

Make sure to fertilize your plants periodically. You can use indoor fertilizing every week. Do not forget to prune and trim the bonsai from time to time.

These are just a few tips to help you care for your ficus bonsai to make sure it stays healthy.

Bonsai tree trimming is definitely an art and will take some time and practice to become good at. Trimming your first Bonsai tree can be challenging.

Before we start, if you are a beginner to the bonsai, I highly recommend you get a guidebook. Try to get one with pictures, and also one that is easy to understand. I guarantee it will end up saving you time, money and most importantly, your bonsai.

By trimming your bonsai plant, you are not only shaping it up to look artistic, but you are also helping to keep it small and healthy. Most bonsai trees will only need to be trimmed two or three times a year.

Bonsai Tree Trimming – When To Trim Your Bonsai

It is important that you learn about the type of tree you have so that you can prune it at the right time or you may end up with a “not-so-happy” bonsai plant. But as a general rule of thumb, trimming times are:
1) at the start of spring
2) at the end of summer, and sometimes
3) during late autumn or winter.

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Chinese Elm Bonsai Trees Are Great For Beginners

Chinese Elm is a well liked tree for creating bonsai. It is often recommended for beginners in bonsai for its high tolerance of pruning and slow growth pattern.

Bonsai plants dry much faster than other pot plants because they are mostly potted in shallow containers and coarse dirt. So you need to water your tree regularly.

A simple way to water your Chinese Elm bonsai is to set it in a sink or container nearly filled with water, making sure the water level is just beneath the edge of the plant, and allows it to sit in the water until it has absorbed enough water in the bottom. After it has been soaked for 5 to 10 minutes, get it out of the sink and place it where it can drain off any surplus water.

To ensure your bonsai is living healthy, you need to keep your plant correctly watered. Decide on your watering program on how the soil feels. If one part of the soil is dry, then you will need to water that part.

You can prune your bonsai. You will just have to remember that two nodes must remain after pruning and these nodes should be near the main trunk.

The tree should be repotted in early spring, at least one month before or after pruning. Repot after the first year, not later than the third year.

The Chinese Elm bonsai usually requires full or partial sunlight. The bonsai should be protected from harsh conditions. Take care of the roots during winter, because the plant has fleshy roots that can get damaged in cold. Very good air flow is also important for the growth of the plant.

The Chinese Elm bonsai requires feeding. If the plant is outdoors, feed it once a week with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Continue the weekly feeding of your Chinese Elm bonsai for one month and then reduce it to once a month.

Overview Of The Siberian Elm Bonsai

The Siberian Elm bonsai is native to Central Asia, eastern Siberia, Mongolia, China and Korea. It was brought to the United States in 1860’s and it was praised for its hardiness.

It is a fast growing deciduous tree that is considered an invasive species in some areas, so it needs to be properly disposed of discarded specimens and cuttings. The Siberian Elm bonsai is twiggy branching and it grows fast. The bark appears gray or brown and has a rough texture.

The bonsai is grown from seed, and is grown in open ground for six years before being potted up in early spring. This can be an ideal tree for novices.

It makes a less than desirable bonsai because it has a tendency to lose branches. It has resistance of Dutch elm disease, and it is highly susceptible to damage from many insects and parasites.

Growing A Siberian Elm Bonsai

It has a high sunlight requirement, with adequate lighting it exhibits rapid growth. It also grows better on well-drained soil. It is very resistant to drought and cold.

Feed the tree well to encourage growth but reduce nitrogen content toward late summer to harden off any tender shoots. Allow all the new shoots to grow unchecked in order to thicket the host branches. Apply the wire fairly loosely so that the branches will thicken. Check the wiring after three weeks and then every few weeks after that.

As soon as it appears too tight renew it immediately. In a year or two your Siberian Elm bonsai can be planted in a display pot and the refinement stage can begin.

The Chinese Elm bonsai tree is a tough landscape tree, planted in harsh situations such as parking lots, small planters, plazas or patios. Chinese Elms are often used in bonsai. It is a personal favorite among bonsai starters.

Seasoned bonsai artists often recommend this plant for newbies in the hobby because of their high tolerance of pruning. It is also recommended because of its predictable growth pattern. A slow growing tree is the most suitable for novices and this tree is slow grower.

The tree could be found at Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China and as a natural tree it could grow up to 60 feet. This tree is not subjected to contracting Dutch elm disease, another reason of its popularity.

Appearance of Chinese Elm Bonsai Trees

The leaves of the Chinese Elm bonsai are darkish green and have a leathery appearance with a saw-like edge. The leaves are small and ideal for bonsai. The bark of the tree is mottled with grey colors, interspersed with cream and red colors. The Chinese Elm bonsai remains semi-evergreen as long it is in indoors. In outdoors, where it is allowed to grow as a large bonsai tree, it will turn into deciduous tree, which means it will shed leaves annually.

The tree should be protected from harsh weather. It is affected to cold blasts of air, so if it is grown indoors, make sure to keep it far from outside doors.

You can grow the bonsai on the ground sometime, pruning and trimming it while it grows. This will help the trunk to get a short and sturdy appearance. You can give the Chinese Elm bonsai a ragged or scarred or a hollow look by styling it.