Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
clint_stevens

grow ficus in water tray?

clint.stevens
14 years ago

i have a ficus cutting that has rooted and is producing new growth, i currently have it potted in sphagnum moss and i have the roots wrapped around a few different rocks, i was wondering, would it be possible to grow a ficus in water only?

Comments (22)

  • ryan_tree
    14 years ago

    I don't think so. The tree would need nutrients which it gets from the soil and the water would not be able to provide the nutrients it needs.

    Ryan

  • jastitizer
    14 years ago

    Good answer.

  • jane__ny
    14 years ago

    You would add nutrients using fertilizers specifically for hydroponic growing. I think anything can be grown in water.

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    The answer is 'yes'. I have nice big one that's been happily growing (root over rock) for quite a few years. I posted a pic of it somewhere back in the posts here. I have another large (4') one which will grow as a stand-alone tree as soon as I get the initial styling where I want it. You don't want the water to become stagnant, add or change (some of it) about once a week and add a low dose of a balanced fertilizer about once a month. Your one big problem may be high light and getting algie bloom. I solved this by adding some water lettuce to the pot, cut it down to about nothing.

    Bob

  • ryan_tree
    14 years ago

    Well yes I guess you could add nutrients to the water, but the tree would never survive if you put it into soil. The water is where it would have to live out its life.

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    Ryan,
    can't see that there would be a problem with that but, if you had a nice little ROR ficus growing well you probably wouldn't want to plant it in soil anyway.

    Bob

  • garyfla_gw
    14 years ago

    Hi
    i have a F. benjamina that has been growing in a bucket of water since 1982. I keep it around 4 feet tall along the fence line. Also have one that is grown in a water fall made of expanding foam. This one is kept under two feet. Has been in the waterfall since 95.
    What's wrong with the sphag?? i find this an ideal media for all my dwarfed trees. The trick is to compact it . So MUCH easier to take care of than soil especially outdoors. gary

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    Gary, the problem with using spag as a medium is that, for Bonsai, the asthetics of it. It just ain't 'soil' and doesn't look like soil, doesn't act like soil. While it's ok for growing a lot of things in it's still the 'look' of it. The things I have growing in water don't need it and I wouldn't use it (not to mention good luck finding it here). The original ficus would have to be cut off the rock now and the upcoming one will have out-of-sight supports under the water.

    Bob

  • ryan_tree
    14 years ago

    Water isn't soil either :p.

    I am just not a fan of growing something in pure water.

  • jane__ny
    14 years ago

    Why couldn't the tree be planted in soil eventually if you wanted? Plants can change their roots depending on what they grow in. Would have to be a gradual turnover, but I don't see why it couldn't be done.

    Jane

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    Right Ryan, it's not. However, the ROR ficus is to look like a bigger tree, growing over a big rock in a pond or lake, the new one will look (a little) like one I saw growing 'in' the lake of (late) Emperor Nguyen's summer palace near Hue. I'm just using the big ficus because it will grow in water with no problem. If I ever decide to change it I'll jerk it out and put it in a pot. No problem.

    Bob

  • garyfla_gw
    14 years ago

    Hi
    What I do is mound the sphag using a drip tray as a base. You can't see the sphag due to underplanting. I use jewel orchids , tropical selaginellas baby tears and a few phal, orchids . What I particularly like about the method is that it can be removed from and the sphag will form a solid mass.. So there is no pot at all eventually lol.
    Provides very strong support for the plant with out external supports unlike water .
    What kind of Ficus are you trying to grow?? gary

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    Gary,
    If that was for me I'm not trying lol. They are standard ficus, the one ROR is well established. I bought it as a gift for myself during Tet 2 years ago and have been re-styling it to make it look a lot better, the owner just let it go. Got the other one a few weeks ago for cheap (hell everything here is cheap) and started thinking about what to do with it. Reduced it to 4' and have it wired/styled as a windswept, after a few months I'll set it up in the pot to make it look like it's growing like that tree in the lake. If I get a chance I may post some pics but that's a real pain in here. I think there is a pic of the ROR in the galleries section here.

    Bob

  • ryan_tree
    14 years ago

    Oh my bad Bob. I was told a while ago that if they stay in the water too long they grow water roots that cannot be grown in soil. I'm obviously wrong :)

  • clint.stevens
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    thanks everyone for your replies, i am going to definitely try growing it in water, but not immediately, i will keep it in sphagnum moss for now until its grown more, right now it is more or less just a 5 inch sprout. i am planning on letting it grow into a full size tree, but i might end up changing my mind eventually...

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    Older pic of the ROR in water, I've been removing the horizontal roots in the past few months to make it look better and have re-wired it to change the overall look.

    Bob
    {{gwi:16760}}

  • garyfla_gw
    14 years ago

    Hi
    Looks fantastic to me!!lol. What are you growing as water plants?? My water grown ficus has a sprout of a strangler fig about midway up the trunk. I'm going to let them fight it out. Going to add a few broms just for fun lol
    clint have you ever seen a full grown ficus ?? First I don't think there is such a thing they just get bigger and bigger. I think you'll change your mind lol gary

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    14 years ago

    Hey, Bob!
    thanks for re-posting your ficus....it's a classic!
    This one's fairly large in it's own right, if I recall?
    That's one thing I love about your bonsai...they're huge!
    It's great to see how they'll flourish in the proper environment....

    How is it in Vietnam, by the way?

    Josh

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    Hey Josh,
    C'mon, not really huge just large-er Bonsai. The fun will come if and when I have to move ha ha...especially with the 'Welcome' tree. The ficus above is only about 12" over the rock and 30" spread, medium size ;)) I'm actually about to re-pot it, the pot is falling apart and I've been plugging leaks but--the rocks are cemented in place (dammit) so it's gonna be a job breaking them loose. Been looking around for a decent pot and waiting for the weather to moderate a little.

    The one I said was going in all water (like the one in the lake at the one palace) is well wired and doing very well. Did almost 100% defoliation a few weeks ago and it's breaking new buds all over. If you want to see what's really going on here, and around Vietnam send an email to me: tuyhoabob@tuffast.net and I'll send an invite to my Facebook.

    Bob

  • clint.stevens
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Gary,

    i didn't mean literally letting it get full grown, but maybe 7 feet tall or so... like those fake office trees. but yeah i might change my mind.

  • head_cutter
    14 years ago

    Ya Clint, they can get out of control ha ha. This is my buddy Tuan with one in a local nursery...sort of out of the 'Bonsai' class and back to 'tree'.

    Bob

    {{gwi:17750}}

  • suks
    9 years ago

    Hi head_cutter or somebody else, can you help me to find out how to growing ficus in water tray?

Sponsored
Newport News' Expert General Contractor