bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Ficus

Hello,
I know South Africa can be a bit hot by that dates(my wife is from Durban). But it would be better to be outside. Don't you have a shady part in your garden or a protected part or a big tree where you can lay your ficus next to it? If not you can put a protection/shade net (bug net would do) on top there is many articles about that on the forum.

Ficus loves sun. Here in Switzerland we are not getting so much now! But Ficuses are leaving outside during the nice season and they are thriving.

They like water as well but not to soak in. Use the stick technique for watering it, plug the stick (I personnaly use toothpicks) in the soil if wet no watering if bit dry wait more. If completely dry then give with a water can a good quantity of water. And so on.

If you move the tree in the sun watch out that the plant is having enough water it can dry quickly! And may be you will have to water several time a day. This is depending on your soil composition.

Do your cuttings when ficuses are thriving.

For cutting that is so easy with ficus. Take a cutting remove the leaves but keep three leaves at the end (not too much to feed for the plant at the begining of rooting). Then put them in a small container with sand mixed with soil like your bonsai. OR take a glass fill in with rested water (24h rest if tap water or rain water is better) put a sheet of aluminium foil on top (avoiding the cutting to fall in the water), do a small hole with the point of a knife for each cutting (remove leaves like above) then place the cuttings in the holes. Check all the time your cuttings based in water. Wait a week or two in hot weather and you shall see appearing little white roots. Wait more and when you have a good portion of roots pot the cuttings individualy.

Very good article about cutting propagation here:http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/i...=130&Itemid=134

If really it's not working get rooting hormones but I doubt you need it for ficuses.

13-Dec-2007	#12
flehmann bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Jan-2007 Country: Switzerland Posts: 17	Hello, I know South Africa can be a bit hot by that dates(my wife is from Durban). But it would be better to be outside. Don't you have a shady part in your garden or a protected part or a big tree where you can lay your ficus next to it? If not you can put a protection/shade net (bug net would do) on top there is many articles about that on the forum. Ficus loves sun. Here in Switzerland we are not getting so much now! But Ficuses are leaving outside during the nice season and they are thriving. They like water as well but not to soak in. Use the stick technique for watering it, plug the stick (I personnaly use toothpicks) in the soil if wet no watering if bit dry wait more. If completely dry then give with a water can a good quantity of water. And so on. If you move the tree in the sun watch out that the plant is having enough water it can dry quickly! And may be you will have to water several time a day. This is depending on your soil composition. Do your cuttings when ficuses are thriving. For cutting that is so easy with ficus. Take a cutting remove the leaves but keep three leaves at the end (not too much to feed for the plant at the begining of rooting). Then put them in a small container with sand mixed with soil like your bonsai. OR take a glass fill in with rested water (24h rest if tap water or rain water is better) put a sheet of aluminium foil on top (avoiding the cutting to fall in the water), do a small hole with the point of a knife for each cutting (remove leaves like above) then place the cuttings in the holes. Check all the time your cuttings based in water. Wait a week or two in hot weather and you shall see appearing little white roots. Wait more and when you have a good portion of roots pot the cuttings individualy. Very good article about cutting propagation here:http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/i...=130&Itemid=134 If really it's not working get rooting hormones but I doubt you need it for ficuses.