Clueless on Bonsai's!!

[Bee85]

Hi guys,

My husband gave me a ficus ginseng bonsai for a present, but I have no idea how to maintain it....I've heard that bonsai's are supposed to get very little water..like in 2 teaspoons at a time? Is this true ? Or is it like any other plant that you can water thoroughly?
The Bonsai is big already...looks like it is outgrown, because you can see some roots etc, so does it still need to be replanted from time to time?

Thanks!

[kdodds]

I've heard that bonsai's are supposed to get very little water..like in 2 teaspoons at a time? Is this true ?

No, not at all. How much water a particular tree gets, and how often, will largely depend on the type of tree and the soil used. Watering sparingly can be a huge mistake that can easily kill a tree.

Or is it like any other plant that you can water thoroughly?

In almost all cases, yes, you will want to water it throughly. Bonsai soils and pots are designed and implemented to be free-draining and to provide air flow, leading to further drying of the soil. When you water a bonsai you should be watering it thoroughly. If the soil has been allowed to dry (which will inhibit its ability to take up water), it should actually be watered at least twice in one sitting. The soil should then, depending on the plant, of course, but this is true for many, if not most, including, IME, Ficus, be allowed to almost dry out before watering again. If you have one of those trees that has rocks glued on the surface, you'll want to remove them as soon as possible.

The Bonsai is big already...looks like it is outgrown, because you can see some roots etc, so does it still need to be replanted from time to time?

Sounds like it's already pot-bound and in need of repotting. Since it's not in trouble right now, I would wait another month or two before doing this. You'll need to do some root pruning, in all likelihood, and may need to do some branch/leaf pruning as well. I'd use the coming months to purchase a decent book and go over it to get the basics down before attempting to repot the tree.

Thanks![/quote]

[bonsaiboy]

The following site offers good advice: https://www.bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html And don't forget to check out some other threads here on ficuses (and look at the stickies) for some good info. These are particularly good: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10297 , https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10307 , and https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10103 Hope this helps!