mosk1640
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New Ginseng Ficus

Hello all.. I should be getting my "Ginseng Ficus" shipped to me any day now, I ordered it in a 6 inch pot. Any special instructions on these???? (light, water, etc) Also, the guy on the phone said their is a difference between the Ficus Retusa and Ginseng Ficus??? Is this true? Are they different and if so, how???

I basically want the "Banyan" look, large exposed roots with a green canopy. Should I be expecting that with a Ginseng Ficus????

Thanks Everyone!!!

Matt :?:

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Matt,

For information on Ficus I always go to [url=https://www.bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html]Bonsai Hunk.[/url] Jerry is one of the most widely known enthusiasts working with Ficus, in fact he has written a book on the subject.

Jerry notes that Ginseng Ficus is a variety of F. microcarpa. He further states that F. microcarpa and F.retusa are synonymous. If this is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, then F. retusa and Ginseng Ficus are the same species.

The confusion lies in the fact that sometimes the [url=https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/taxonomy.htm]binomial name[/url] of a species is changed or reclassified. You then have a situation where the same species has two different names, in this case F. microcarpa and F. retusa.

The name ginseng Ficus is a common name for a specific variety (cultivar) of this species. It is also referred to as Pot Bellied Ficus. See this [url=https://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/GinsengFicus.html]article.[/url]

To my eye, I find the bulbous root, exposed roots of the Ginseng Ficus to be distracting and to me they detract from the illusion of a tree in a pot, which is the essence of bonsai. You may feel differently.

Look [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7031]here[/url] for an example of a typical young Ginseng Ficus.

Norm

mosk1640
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Norm,

As usual, thank you for your reply and insight. I find the "Banyan" look to be wonderful and I hope that one day (assuming its a fast grower) that I can capture that "banyan tree air root" style. Would you think that a high powered florescent lamp or a grow light would be sufficient for 8 hours per day? Unfortunately my office only has a northerly window that trees mask.

Thanks again!, look forward to your reply and in the meanwhile ill check out "The Ficus Man".

Matt

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mosk1640,
As usual, thank you for your reply and insight.
You're welcome, glad to help.
I find the "Banyan" look to be wonderful
For the longest time I found the [url=https://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/InfoBanyanficus.html]Banyan style trees[/url] to be odd looking, probably because I never see those in nature and focus my bonsai efforts primarily on temperate species. Lately though the style seems to be growing on me and more and more I get the feeling I would like to own one some day.

I'm not sure that a Ginseng Ficus is the way to got though, again the bulbous roots don't quite seem to fit into any recognizable style. As Jerry says, perhaps it is best to just enjoy them for what they are. After a while of managing this one you will be in a better position to make a more advanced purchase.
Would you think that a high powered florescent lamp or a grow light would be sufficient for 8 hours per day? Unfortunately my office only has a northerly window that trees mask.
I take it that you will be keeping this tree in your office and that you can only keep the lights on while you are there. Eight hours seems kind of low, I keep my fluorescents on for 16 hours with a timer to make it easy. I only use the inexpensive shop lights though and I use the extra hours to make up for the relatively weak output. There are all kinds of light available ranging from a simple CFL all the way up to a 1000 watt high discharge similar to what Jerry uses. The more light the more growth. Just don't make the mistake of going with a conventional incandescent bulb. They are way too weak for the amount of heat they produce and the wavelength is all wrong too.

Norm

mosk1640
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Yes, Unfortunately I have a 60 watt grow light bulb shining down upon it plus some northern indirect light. (The tree is about 5 feet away from the window, cannot place it closer) I also have fluorescent office lights way up in the ceiling of my office but as you said, they are on about 8-9 hours per day.

Is this going to be bad? I'm figuring that if I give it a ton of light (as much as I can artificially) and mist it a lot I can have a healthy looking Ginseng with possibly more Aerial roots? I guess time will tell.

Thanks.

Matt

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Matt,
I have a 60 watt grow light bulb shining down upon it (about 6-10 inches above the tree.)
Is this an incandescent type bulb? If so please see my remarks above. A Compact Fluorescent is a better choice. Can you leave the desk lamp on longer than the other office lights? A small timer is inexpensive and is a great investment.

Ficus can do OK in low light conditions but will do better with better lighting. Humidity is pretty much the same, it will be OK in an ordinary setting but if you can raise the humidity it will appreciate it. If misting is impractical a humidity tray may help.

Norm

mosk1640
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Yea its a blue incandescent grow bulb called "Spot Grow" or something. It gets pretty hot so I keep it far enough above as to not burn the tree. Should I simply replace the bulb with a fluorescent? If so, what wattage is sufficient?

Thanks.

PS: As its getting sunnier outside, it does receive "some" natural light from the window which is about 5 feet away.

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mosk1640,
Yea its a blue incandescent grow bulb called "Spot Grow" or something. It gets pretty hot so I keep it far enough above as to not burn the tree.
Thats one of the problems with incandescents, they get so hot so can't get them as close as you should.
Should I simply replace the bulb with a fluorescent? If so, what wattage is sufficient?
A Compact Fluorescent would be a better choice. And if you can get it on a timer and leave it on after you leave so much the better. A timer will also help for weekends if that is permitted. Look for Lumens not Watts. Get as high Lumen a bulb as your lamp can physically accommodate, you won't regret it. Also the bulb will be more effective if you can expose the long dimension to the plant.

Norm

mosk1640
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Thanks Norm. I have a compact, coiled up Fluorescent bulb that I'm putting in. Unfortunately I am unsure of the lumens it puts off but I'm hoping it will suffice if its directly overhead. Furthermore, for the weekends I put all the plants on the North facing windowsill because the lights aren't permitted to be on. The windows are insulated so there wont be much of a temperature change.

Thanks for your help!!! Ill let you know how the Fluorescent works out.

Matt

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I am really enjoying my Ficus that I have at my Desk:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11175

This baby has its own growth florescent bulb and honestly each day I notice growth change.

The bulb fits in any standard fixture. It was $15 at Home Depot and is marketed as a plant growth light.

In my area this light is approx 1ft away from the plant and this bulb is so low on heat I am sure it could get closer with no problem.

mosk1640
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Nice Ficus! Yea I just looked up the lumens on my bulb and it says 970. Is that sufficient, provided that the plant also received a tiny bit of natural indirect sunlight (northern exposure) and some other fluorescent ceiling lighting?

Thanks.

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Lumens and watts are very poor measures of what makes a bulb good for photosynthesizing organisms. Better measures are PAR (photosynthetically available radiation) values, which are usually impossible to come by for particular lamps.

mosk1640
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Well, Ive had good results with other Fluorescent lamps I'm hoping it will be enough for the plant to remain and healthy and possibly thrive. Everybody thus far has told me to concentrate on lumens when it comes to fluorescents/grow lights in general.



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