Small Ficus Bonsai
R300
Small · happy indoors
Care guide
- Species
- Ficus benjamina / retusa / microcarpa (Ficus)
- Light
- Bright indirect — east-facing for the morning sun is perfect, or a north-facing window with a sheer curtain. Avoid harsh midday sun through glass (scorches the leaves). Sudden leaf drop is almost always a light change.
- Water
- Water when the top 2–3 cm is dry; soak until it drains, then empty the tray after 10 minutes. In JHB's dry air: roughly every 3 days in summer, every 7 in winter. Prefers slightly moist soil — not bone-dry, not soggy.
- Soil
- Well-draining bonsai mix — akadama, or bark + pumice + sand.
- Feed
- Balanced feed every 2 weeks in growing season; halve in winter.
- Where
- Ideal 18–28°C; never below 12°C. Keep away from cold drafts, air-conditioners, and heaters. Outdoor in bright shade through warm months gives stronger growth and smaller leaves — bring inside before nights drop below 15°C.
- Notes
- Latex sap when pruned — wipe clean. Aerial roots add character; mist them to encourage thickening. Mist 2–3× a week or sit on a pebble-humidity tray; brown leaf tips = air too dry. Yellow leaves usually = overwatering; sticky leaves = scale insects. Trim new shoots back to 2–3 leaves once they reach 6–8 — back-buds very easily.
