HelpfulGardener.com

Hi there,
I am new in this forum and into the Bonsai world,
I received 2 ficus microcarpa ginseng big trees (90cm high) and will try to raise them in my place,
the problem is that I live in a basement without a direct sun or window,
I do get fresh air into the room daily though.
could anyone recommend a lamp type to use with those trees ?
is there a difference between the effect of a florecent 'white light' lamp or 'yellow' light lamps ? does the lamp needs to be strong and hot or I could use an LED lamp as well ?
should it be placed on top of the pant facing down, or could I just face it sidewise or stick it to the pot and face it up on the tree?
any help would be much appreciated.

The second thing that came in mind is the fertilising subject, should I feed it with a liquid fertiliser even though it will be raised in a room without a window ?

Thanks a lot for your time guys,
looking forward to get some tips.

If you have a good camera learn how to use the light meter, otherwise if you are going to garden indoors a light meter is a good investment. There are some meters that do multiple functions.

Light meters measure in foot candles, or lumens; sometimes both.

https://growershouse.com/rapitest-4-way- ... model-1880
https://growershouse.com/plant-light-intensity-meter

Light is more than just light. White light is made up literally of a rainbow of color. Certain spectrums of light are more important for photosynthesis. The quality, duration and quantity of light matter.
https://www.aos.org/Default.aspx?id=230

If you go outside in the middle of the day and measure the light you will find out how many foot candles or lumens you have in full sun. If you go out at different times of the day or at different times of the year, it will vary a bit.

My light meter reads full sun at 15000 lumens in the middle of the day and it drops to 8000 in the evening and during the cooler months of the year on the south side of my house. I only have a 10 foot strip between my house and the neighbors hedge so it can be shady for a good part of the day.

Most bonsai are outdoor plants and want to be in full sun.

Even with lights you may not get the full spectrum of photosynthetic light unless you use grow lights. Grow lights will fit in a standard flourescent fixture. Even with lights, it still will probably not be the same as being outdoors iin p

It is best to mount the fluorescent light on a stand, and either use a pulley system or adjustable bar so you can move the light up and down. The light should be position within 5-8 inches from the top of the plant. Reflective surfaces will help the plant. You may need more than one light and more than one color.
https://www.htgsupply.com/Category-LED-Grow-Lights

https://www.uvm.edu/pss/ppp/articles/lighting.html
https://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6515

Ficus, is Latin for "Fig" a tree of the tropics. It will tolerate florescent lighting, but you'll need quite a bit of it.

Personally, I would recommend a full spectrum led grow light. This ensures the bonsai plant light mimics the sun. I bought one here: https://wilberline.com/grow-lights/led-grow-lights.html - there are a bunch to choose from depending on how much space you have and plants you need to light.