With good-natured pruning tolerance and modest demands, the birch fig advertises itself as the ideal bonsai for beginners. Have you been captivated by the fascinating Asian garden art of the mini trees? Then familiarize yourself here with all the relevant measures for the best care of a Benjamini as a bonsai.

The Ficus Benjamini is the perfect bonsai for beginners

The ideal location for a ficus bonsai

For harmonious growth, a place on the balcony is desirable in the period from May to September. The location should be bright and warm, with protection from the blazing midday sun. When the temperatures approach the critical 15-degree mark in autumn, allow the birch fig. Your mini Benjamin will survive the cold season at a light-flooded window seat at temperatures of around 18 degrees Celsius.

Pour birch figs as bonsai - how do I do it right?

Whether in large format or as a bonsai, the birch fig attaches great importance to a regularly moist substrate. If the surface of the soil is noticeably dried, water thoroughly. Spray the root disk with soft water until it drips out of the bottom opening. The substrate should dry again before the next watering, but never dry out. Please note that your Benjamini reacts to waterlogging and dry bulbs by dropping the leaves.

Fertilize Ficus benjamina as a bonsai - when and how often?

In view of the small volume of substrate, the nutrient requirement of a birch fig as a bonsai is higher than you are used to from a normal-sized houseplant. From March to September please apply a liquid bonsai fertilizer once a week. From October to February, the fertilizer intervals increase significantly to 4 to 6 weeks. Spray the substrate before and after with soft water to effectively prevent root damage from the fertilizer salts.

Tips for pruning - This is how Benjamini stays in bonsai format

It is primarily the skilful pruning, with the help of which you wrest the graceful shape of your birch fig as a bonsai. The exemplary incision follows the motto of the targeted alternation between cutting and letting grow. The more continuous the cut, the more filigree the growth. How to do it right:

  • Prune every 6 weeks from spring through fall
  • Best time is between March and July
  • Shorten new shoots with 5 to 7 leaves down to 2 or 3 leaves
  • Place the bonsai scissors 2 to 3 mm above a sleeping eye
  • Shorten the shoots protruding from the crown shape
  • Ideally, thin out dead branches in early spring

When making the cut on your birch fig, make sure that there is no thick branch over a thin branch at the end. Please wear gloves to protect yourself from the poisonous plant sap. By placing a small piece of kitchen towel on each freshly cut wound, the sticky milky sap can't drip onto the leaves.

Under no circumstances should the pruning of a birch fig as a bonsai follow a firmly cemented timetable. The old masters of Asian garden art do not constantly abuse a Benjamini with scissors and tongs. Instead, they leave the bonsai undisturbed for a longer period of time in order to enjoy its unique appearance every day.

Artificial fall produces dainty leaves

The secret of small leaves on a bonsai lies in simulating autumn conditions. To do this, cut off the leaves during the growing season and leave the petiole on the shoot. After a while, the stems will dry up and fall off. Smaller leaves than before sprout from the buds underneath. The more often you repeat the artificial fall, the more graceful the foliage will be. A light to sunny location and regeneration phases of 6 to 12 months are required.

Repot professionally - this is to be considered with bonsai

Once a bonsai has fully rooted its pot, it is high time to repot it. At the Benjamini, this is usually required every 2 to 4 years. The length of the new bonsai pot should be at least three quarters of the growth height. Loosen the root ball from the edge of the tray with a sickle knife and lift out the bonsai. Loosen the soil ball with a root hook to shake off the substrate. How to proceed:

  • Lay out a plastic grid in the new bonsai pot as drainage
  • Fill in a thin layer of 2 parts pricking soil and 1 part each of Akadama and expanded clay (19.73€).
  • Spread the root system of the Benjamini bonsai in a star shape on the substrate
  • Fill up with soil all around so that the previous planting depth is retained

Press the substrate firmly with a wooden stick and pour in soft water. In the following 4 to 6 weeks the stressed bonsai is not fertilized, pruned or wired.

tips

Selected branches are wired in early spring so that the birch fig turns into a three-dimensional bonsai sculpture. Special bonsai wire is wrapped around the flexible shoots at a 45-degree angle. Buds and leaves must not get under the wire. Within 4 to 6 weeks, direct a branch in the desired direction and then remove the wire again.

Category:

Indoor plants