Several questions..

[TheBearded]

Its me again trying to get the hang of Bonsai.. or rather just keeping material alive before I get any true bonsai. I have 2 Schefflera that I have managed too keep alive for over a year. 2 English Ivy I have had for a year. Tomatoes no problems (I know not bonsai material) I have never had success with anything else yet. I want to grow Ficus of all kinds most of all!

1.How do I tell when I have too small a pot? Is it just a matter of what size pot dries out every 24 hours or is there anything else to consider?

2.It is possible for me to check them every 12 hours with work.. is that often enough?

3. I am using the toothpick method to tell when to water do I water when the toothpick is bone dry or mostly dry or still a little moist when I pull it out. For trees like Ficus that like it dry? For Trees like English Ivy that like moderate moisture? For Trees like Schefflera that like it moist?
I am using 1 part chicken grit, 1 part fir bark and 1 part Diatomite

4.With the toothpick method I am sticking the toothpick in the edge of the pot down between the soil mix and the side of the pot to avoid disturbing the soil too much as in my gritty mix it moves the mix around alot when I stick the toothpick in otherwise. Is that going to give me a true reading of the moisture still?

 

[linlaoboo]

IMHO:

1.How do I tell when I have too small a pot? Is it just a matter of what size pot dries out every 24 hours or is there anything else to consider?
This depends on what stage of development the tree is in. In general bonsai should be repoted at least every 2 years. Some aggressive species every one year so you can tell the pot is too small if it gets rootbound much sooner than that. With a finished bonsai the pot must not be too big so it takes the attention away from tree. How fast the bonsai mix dries depends not only on the size of pot; it also depends on how water retaintive it is. It also depends on weather. With trees under development, would like for it to grow faster with a bigger training pot

2.It is possible for me to check them every 12 hours with work.. is that often enough?
That is entirely up to you

3. I am using the toothpick method to tell when to water do I water when the toothpick is bone dry or mostly dry or still a little moist when I pull it out. For trees like Ficus that like it dry? For Trees like English Ivy that like moderate moisture? For Trees like Schefflera that like it moist?
I am using 1 part chicken grit, 1 part fir bark and 1 part Diatomite
ficuses like its soil 90% dry before a good soaking. I just started growing Scheffs so not sure

 

[Bonsai Nut]

First, Senor Mr Bearded, a few general questions:

(1) Where do you live (what state, climate?)
(2) What kind of dwelling do you live in (house with yard, ranch with acres of land, apartment?)
(3) What kind of bonsai do you most want to keep? Big / small? Pines / junipers / deciduous / tropical? What bonsai have you seen that really inspire you?

We will get you dialed in...

 

[edprocoat]

TheBearded, I have grown Ficus for many years. They are unique among many tree types as they actually love being rootbound, that is when they grow the most aerial roots. Ficus are also among the most easy trees to keep, they can be kept successfully indoors. They take being cut back well popping all kinds of new growth quickly, they air layer easily and fast, the grow from cuttings fast too. You can cut off a branch and just stick it in the ground and they will grow, rooting hormone may help but is really not needed. In my experience all Ficus do not mind being wet, I water them day and night and have several with green moss on the trunk and still doing fine. I have also let them dry out for a day or two with no problem either. If you have kept Scheffelera with no problem than a Ficus will not be any different for you. The best varieties are really any kind except Benjamina. Benjamina will work too, just the leaves get larger and they are more particular than any other I have worked with. Taiwan Ficus and Tiger Bark Ficus have lovely trunks with spots that give them a gnarly aged look. The Burt Davi is great but harder to find in my travels, really most any type is a great plant for Bonsai. There must be almost a hundred types of Ficus, the Ficus Salicara has unique narrow leaves that remind me of a podacarpus or a yew, I have seen them trained to look like a pine tree. The Ficus Salicara are also called Ficus Nerfolia, Willow Leaf Ficus and also Salicifolia, many Ficus have several different names. In my experience you need to really try hard to kill one, give them a shot and do not worry you will be thrilled with Ficus.

ed

 

[TheBearded]

To inlaoboo: When you say its up to me if every 12 hours is up to me do you mean its OK to go 12 hours? I can not check them any more often than that because of work..

To Administrator:
1.I live in Texas but I can not have anything in my yard. I grow under lights inside the house. I have 6 4 foot shop lights with 2 3600 lumin bulbs in each for 16 hours per day.
2.Its a normal house with yard but things in my yard get stolen so I cant have anything I care about outside. I have even had Azaleas I just planted dug out of the ground and stolen.
3.I want to keep small tropical trees under 12 inches. I especialy like Mame size trees and want the majority of mine to be as small as possible. I love Ficus of all types and Schefflera. I also like small leaf varieties of Hedera helix Ivy.

To edprocoat:I have tried Ficus in the past and killed them with overwatering.

I have just started a couple of new ones and am using the tootpick method to water them. I repoted them into my new 1-1-1 gritty mix and put them in a plastic bag to recover. That was on 5-18-12 since I have watered them twice because the bag keeps them moist. They are growing tons of new growth inside the bag. I am almost afraid if I take them out they will hate me and die..

I am a recovering overwaterer. Only plants that like alot of water have done well for me Tomatoes, Scheff, Pothos, spider plants. stuff like that.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Do you have any sunny windows? Any place where you can put trees where they can get some sun, even for a few hours each day?

Sometimes root rot may not be caused so much by overwatering than by poor soil drainage. If you have a free-draining soil, you should be able to water frequently and the soil will drain well and let the roots breathe. Make sure if you work with ficus that you get them into a good bonsai soil and not leave them in nursery soil (which may just be a cheap potting mix that compacts easily).

You have lots of options if you are going to stay small. Since you like ficus so much, you might consider a ficus pumila, or creeping fig. Also, Chinese elms are pretty forgiving when it comes to different types of lighting, and you might enjoy them because they give good results as small trees.

For watering, if you have a small space and just a few trees, you might consider an automatic watering system. You could put up a simple drip irrigation system that would allow you a little more piece of mind (like if you had to travel or whatever) and once you got it adjusted, you wouldn't have to be so nervous about constantly checking dampness of the soil. Just a thought...

 

[edprocoat]

Thebearded, are you sure you "killed them by overwatering"? The reason I ask is that a few sentences down you point out that you have some growing in bags that keep them moist which is the same as watering them all the time, actually it seems they would not dry out at all in a moist bag? I only ask as it has never been the case with any Ficus I have tried to have them be sensitive to overwatering. As I mentioned the Ficus Benjamina are the toughest to keep alive for me, they seem to get used to setting a certain way and when you move them they drop their leaves, which do come back most times. I actually grew a ficus in a fishtank with fish swimming in it without hurting either the fish or the ficus, although its roots were near the filter which I assume moving all the water constantly would have provided much air from the water to the roots. Things I have had kill an indoor Ficus, Air Conditioning, besides just the drying effect from air conditioning the plant can get really cold when the air actually blows on them, Air Pollution, yup you might think I have no air pollution in my home but things like air fresheners, especially those scented plug in types that burn oils, and the aerosol things such as hair spray, cooking spray and naturally any type of cleaner such as windex, carpet cleaner etc. that can float through the air or emit fumes will harm indoor plants. Cooking fumes will kill a plant faster than you would imagine too. My experience with tropicals such as my Scheffelera Arboricola as well as my many Ficus has been the more water the better, if you think about it these plants native habitats are very wet environments, in Florida tropicals grow excellent despite most days being well over100% humidity with rain usually twice a day with evenings so humid you can hardly breath. Good luck.

ed

 

[TheBearded]

To Bonsai Nut: No windows where my wife will allow me to have a lot of trees sitting around.. unfortunatly the shop lights are it. But they have worked for my Tomatoes and they need alot of light so I am confident that I have enough.
I am using a very free draining mix of chicken grit, fir bark, and diatomite so I think soil drainage is good..
I may use the drip system once I figure out if my watering is really what killed them before..

To edprocoat: Well I assumed I had overwatered them. The leaves yellowed and droped and when I removed the tree from the soil the roots where all but gone. Is there anything else that can cause that?

You have a good point that the bags are keeping them moist all the time..
Maybe it was not overwatering that killed them.. But what could do it in two different locations? I have moved several times in the last couple of years.

I guess failure has made me paranoid about overwatering.. Could underwatering have the same effect???