The Ficus Ginseng cannot be described as very easy to care for, but if you keep a close eye on the plant and follow a few basic rules, you can enjoy this exotic looking houseplant for a long time.
The Ficus Ginseng needs some attention
location and soil
To thrive, the Ficus Ginseng needs a bright location without direct sunlight. Drafts should be avoided at all costs, as should a cold surface or heating air that is too dry. The Ficus Ginseng does not particularly like larger temperature fluctuations, but it is welcome to spend the summer outside in a sheltered place.
The soil is ideally rather coarse-grained and well-drained. Grow your Ficus Ginseng as a bonsai, then you can use special bonsai soil. A mixture of sand, clay and earth is also suitable and much cheaper. As a houseplant, the Ficus Ginseng also thrives in commercial potting soil.
plants and repotting
When planting and repotting, be sure to leave a drainage hole in the planter and create a drainage layer at the bottom. All you need to do is place a few large pebbles or two pieces of pottery over the drain hole so that it doesn't get blocked by draining soil.
You should repot a Ficus Ginseng about every two to three years. With bonsai, use this opportunity to trim the root ball right away. If the pot of the bonsai or the pot of the houseplant still fits, then it is sufficient to change the potting soil.
Water and fertilize
You should not water a ficus ginseng according to a schedule but as needed, namely whenever the top layer of soil has dried a little. In summer this can be every two days, in winter it is usually much less frequent. Rainwater or stagnant water is more suitable than very calcareous tap water.
From April to late August or early September, fertilize your Ficus Ginseng about every 14 days with commercial liquid fertilizer. Alternatively, you can also use fertilizer sticks (€4.48) or long-term fertilizer. Special fertilizer is not necessary, also no bonsai fertilizer.
The ficus ginseng in winter
The Ficus Ginseng is not hardy. It can winter well at room temperature, but also a little cooler at around 12 °C to 16 °C. As an evergreen plant, it also needs a lot of light in winter.
The essentials in brief:
- Location: bright, without direct sunlight or draughts
- Temperatures between 18°C and 22°C
- Soil: coarse, well-drained substrate (bonsai soil or a mixture of loam, soil and sand)
- water and fertilize as needed
- not very lime tolerant, use rainwater or stagnant tap water
- if necessary, increase the humidity or spray the plant with low-lime water
- regular pruning only required for bonsai
- not hardy
- Overwinter at room temperature or 12°C to 16°C
tips
Regular pruning is not necessary for Ficus Ginseng as a houseplant.