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Fri, Jul 17, 09 at 22:32
| Hi everyone. I am new to bonsai and have got my first plant. I believe that it is a ficus bonsai that I got from walmart. It came in a plastic container with gravel glued to the top in a layer. It does have some holes in it so water can get through, but should I try to get rid of the glued gravel layer? Also do I need to buy a set of special bonsai tools? They seem really expensive and I already have a good pair of shears and a spray bottle. I would also like to know if I plant my own bonsai do I need to use 100% bonsai soil or some bonsai soil and some potting soil? Please try to awnser my questions and give me any tips that you will be willing to share. :) |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by moyogijohn zone 6 w.va (My Page) on Sat, Jul 18, 09 at 19:36
| Walter take a case knife pry the glued rock off first thing so the roots can breath.. what ficus did you get?? i have seen 2 kinds there ginsing and microfolia.. you need small sissers pointed to trim with. wire plires that cut at the end. only bonsai tool you need to start with are concave cutters to remove branches leaving ahollow like place to heal over good..watch your water well not too much just moist.re pot whenyou can free draining soil.hope this helps john |
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| I have found that for my ficus retusa bonsai, Miracle Grow soil has been fantastic. The original soil it came with started to lose its nutrients I think, so I wanted something with fertilizer in it. My tree has done very well since I re-potted with it. Also, I agree with the above comment, in that you should get rid of those rocks as soon as possible. You will then be able to tell when your soil has dried out enough before each watering. Good luck with your tree! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Ficus Bonsai
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- Posted by head_cutter Vietnam (My Page) on Thu, Jul 23, 09 at 0:56
| Good, Retusa are the 'junk-yard' dog of Ficus, they will rebound from almost anything you can do to them. Doubt if he'll need concave cutters for a few years tho. Floral shears would probably work well for now. Ya, loose the stones right now. Good tip there. Bob |
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| All the advice you have gotten so far has been good. I would get the concave cutters sooner than later though. The only thing not covered so far is your soil question. I teach a beginners bonsai class and a lot of the specialized soil components are not available locally so I tell my students to get a bag of cactus mix and mix that in about equal parts with pumice or scoria. The particle size should be about 2-5 mm. A source of pumice is a product called Dry Stall which is available in many feed stores in CA. I'm not sure how common it is elsewhere. It should be screened or washed to remove fines before mixing. |
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- Posted by walter1996 OH (My Page) on Fri, Jul 24, 09 at 15:16
| Thanks every one! I really appriciate all the help. Also I would like to say that I do have bonsai soil and I need to know if I use 100% bonsai soil or do I mix it with someone else? Thanks again everyone :) |
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| I would use the bonsai soil mix straight out of the bag but screen it first through a window screen. Anything that will pass through a window screen is too fine and will untimately clog up your drainage in a bonsai pot. After potting water the pot with a shower nozzle until the water runs clear out of the drain holes. This may take several minutes. |
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- Posted by walter1996 OH (My Page) on Sat, Jul 25, 09 at 9:47
| Thanks everyone you have been a big help! :) |
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- Posted by head_cutter Vietnam (My Page) on Sun, Jul 26, 09 at 21:22
| Loved the comment 'not available locally' Jack!! I'm in Vietnam and there is nothing that you would call bonsai soil within about 1000 km. I found a hillside about 25km outside of Tuy HOa where I can dig some coarse sand, I look for road-work where I can get some crushed Basalt rock and carry it home in buckets on my motorbike. There is no mulch of any kind to be had. |
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- Posted by ryan_tree 7a VA (brendathompson1963@yahoo.com) on Fri, Jul 31, 09 at 13:11
| I would definitely not use Miracle Gro potting soil. The reason is that it is potting soil which contains a lot of peat moss and other substances that hold water a little too well. Although you may get people telling you to use regular potting soil, I would stray far from that. I use 100% turface, which is what most professional bonsai-ists use. Ryan |
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