Bonsai Ficus retusa

Bonsai Ficus Retusa

Origin and care

A Bonsai is cultivated and formed as an image carrier of the beauty of nature. Literally translated, Bonsai means: tree in pot. Bonsai is grown in Asia and evokes the image of an old tree. The scale gives balance to the whole composition. Bonsai have always been older trees. A well-formed Bonsai is like a living painting in which all the characteristics of nature are recognizable. Bonsai is an experience of Eastern culture in a nutshell.

History of Bonsai.

Even before the beginning of our era, Chinese monks saw the beauty of trees that remained small in nature and attributed great powers to them. As an image bearer of the mountainous environment, they took the trees home and cultivated them further in pots. Later on, other tree species were also used, resulting in a cultivation and mold culture that has come to be called Bonsai.

Artistic features.

A Bonsai is not a mathematical reduction of a large tree in nature, but it does give the impression of it. A good bonsai is like a living painting in which all the characteristics of nature are recognizable. Bonsai is art and nature in one hand.

Your Bonsai already has a rich history and has been cultivated and artistically shaped with the greatest care. With the information below it is easy to keep your Bonsai beautiful and healthy.

watering.

Your Bonsai is a living tree. All trees need moisture to survive and grow. Too little water will dry out the leaves and, if it lasts for a long time, also dry out the sap flow. Too much water causes the roots to rot in the shell and weakens the tree. Water your Bonsai when the soil starts to dry up and wait with the next watering until the tree has absorbed the water (in a normal location this is about every two days). Always make sure that the root ball is well filled, the excess water runs out of the pot through the bottom.

Nutrition

Every Bonsai needs certain substances to maintain its systems. It is best to use solid or liquid Bonsai food that you can get commercially. You press solid food into the soil and dissolve with the watering. You mix liquid food with the irrigation water. Use the dosage as indicated on the packaging. You can also use normal plant food, but keep in mind to adjust the dosage to 60%. Your Bonsai grows all year round and therefore needs nutrition all year round.

Pitch

Your Bonsai is grown in South China and is used to an annual temperature between 12 and 30 degrees Celsius. That is why it is extremely suitable for standing indoors. If the outside temperature is higher than 12 degrees Celsius, you can also place the Bonsai outside. Bonsai need light to grow well. Place your Bonsai in a light place, possibly with some direct sunlight. Prevent your tree from being in direct sun all day.

repot

Thanks to the good breeding, this Bonsai is in perfect balance. The proportion of roots and foliage is excellent and the scale has also been chosen with care. After a number of years of healthy growth, the roots will start to pinch in the pot and the Bonsai can be repotted. This gives you the opportunity to prune the roots, so that the root ball remains young and vital. Repotting is best in the spring. Remove the tree from the pot and carefully comb out the roots. After this you can prune 30% of the roots. For good rejuvenation, remove some thicker roots. After this, the Bonsai can go back in its own shell. Put some good loose potting soil, possibly mixed with some sharp sand, at the bottom of the pot and place the tree on it. After that, you can fill the shell with the same new soil mixture.

Diseases and plagues

A healthy Bonsai has little to no problems with diseases and pests. Lice or spider mites may get in. You can recognize louse by the sticky drops and spider mites gives the leaves a slightly speckled pale color. To prevent aphids and spider mites, make sure that your Bonsai is in a well-ventilated place. This also prevents any infestation by fungi such as mildew. In every garden center you can buy adequate means to combat the above.

pruning

Every tree has a natural tendency to grow at the ends and to shed the oldest leaves or needles from the inside. For a beautiful, finely branched Bonsai you have to break this trend. This can be done very easily by pruning the growth at the ends. The Bonsai you have purchased already has the right shape and size and therefore only needs to be maintained. You can remove all shoots that extend beyond the silhouette of the tree. All shoots on the branches that grow downwards or upwards may also be pruned away. This way you keep the Bonsai healthy and in the right shape.

wired

Young branches naturally grow upward and only bend over time. The branches of your Bonsai are bent downwards to give the image of an old tree. You can further determine the shape of your Bonsai yourself by means of wiring. If you wrap the branches at 45 degrees with wire of the correct thickness, they can be bent into any desired shape. After some time, the branch will thicken further and pinch the wire. Now is the time to remove the wire again