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