Room bonsai - Ficus retusa - small ficus

Room bonsai - Ficus retusa - small ficusDESCRIPTION: legendary tree of tropical Asia, where it is a huge shade-giving tree with long, down-hanging aerial roots. In tropical rainforests, a layer of wax protects the leaves from drying out in the hot sun. Young plants need a modest amount of light that penetrates to the ground. Therefore, even indoor plants need less light. All types of small-leaved ficuses are very suitable for shaping bonsai, as they quickly form a strong trunk with gently branching branches and evergreen leaves. The size of the leaves predisposes them to medium and larger bonsai. They are very resistant to hot, dry air, which is why they are the best plants for indoor bonsai. LOCATION: Ficuses, like other plants, need enough light to grow new small leaves. Of the plants that are used for indoor bonsai, ficuses need the least light. Therefore, they can be the furthest from the window. In winter, they require a temperature above 15oC and, with proper watering, tolerate dry and warm air well. They like their roots to be dry and warm, they are bothered by cold drafts during longer ventilation and leaking windows near the windowsill, which can hypothermic the bowl and soil in winter. WATERING: abundantly after the soil has dried with soft water. With a high dose of lime, ficuses react with chlorosis. The water in the sub-bowl should not be for more than 1 hour. Watering with warm water of 40oC (water temperature for bathing in a bathtub) acts as growth stimulation. The frequency and abundance of watering depends, among other things, on the type of ficus. FERTILIZATION: year-round after two weeks with liquid fertilizers. TRANSPLANTING: every other year in the spring, at the same time cut the roots SOIL: Substrate for bonsai Bonsai Master, airy nutritious soil or clay, peat and sand in a ratio of 1 : 2 : 2. PRUNING: if we want to keep the size of the crown of the ficus, we cut it 3 leaves deeper than the final outline of the crown. So that this intervention is not visible, we cut more often and a smaller number of branches. If we don't want to lose germination, we leave a piece of branch behind the last leaf. Prevent milk juice from leaking by misting with cold water. In winter, we remove large leaves. An overgrown crown can be adjusted in the summer by radical shortening with defoliation. SHAPING: we can wire at any time, but only for 3 months. We have to remove the wire in time, because the branches and the trunk get stronger quickly.