That day, I didn’t have the time to make a trip to the nursery where I get my stuff from, so I looked around the garage and found some Miracle-Gro potting soil that I had used for another tree a few months before. The other tree, a ficus benjamina, had done so well in it that I decided that my ficus retusa probably would too. I was so right.

Maybe it is the fertilizer, or maybe it’s just the fact that the soil is new, but it has been doing great since. I suppose it could also be the root trimming, or the time of year, but I have a feeling that whatever is in that Miracle-Gro is perfect for my trees. The ficus benjamina, which is not a bonsai tree, is still getting new growth every day practically. The ficus retusa bonsai is starting to act the same way, with tons of new growth every week or so.

I hope no bonsai purist would look down on me for doing this, but all I know is that it is working. I now will fully endorse Miracle-Gro potting soil and I’ll probably use it on all my bonsai trees from now on into the future.

Tags: bonsai, Miracle-Gro, bonsai care, fertilizer, ficus bonsai

One thing I’ve learned to be very careful about as I take care of my ficus bonsai is watering too soon before the soil has dried out sufficiently.  I learned this lesson the hard way recently with a natal plum bonsai.

I bought a a natal plum for my mom for Mother’s Day because she has an amazing skill with plants but she had never got into bonsai.  What I didn’t take into account was the very limited amount of sunlight that my mom’s house received.  She has no western facing windows large enough to accomodate a bonsai tree, so she put it in front of a big eastern facing window.  I told her to water it about as much as I watered my ficus bonsai, not thinking that her sunlight conditions were not equal to mine.  So maybe it’s kind of my fault.

The leaves on the plum started to yellow so I became worried and took the tree home to my place where it would get enough sunlight.  I think it must have been too late by that point because I started watering it a little more because it was getting more sunlight.  The leaves slowly dried out and eventually the tree died.

My conclusion is that first, I plated it in a pot that was too tall and didn’t drain well enough.  I don’t think the soil every fully dried out between watering.  Or at least enough to warrant another watering.  I looked at the roots after I had given up the plant and saw that all of them had rotted out.  That would explain why they weren’t getting any nutrients to the leaves.

It was a disappointing experience, but I learned to be more careful with my trees.  I really liked the natal plum bonsai and I plan on getting another one in the future.  But I’ll plant it shallow and water wisely.

Tags: bonsai, natal plum bonsai, bonsai care