Fig bonsai care

The fig tree is a tree or small tree that is widely cultivated in gardens and orchards. During the summer it produces some fruits, figs, which have an exquisite sweet flavor. But being deciduous and having invasive roots, it is not always advisable to have it in the ground. Although, fortunately, it is a plant that can be worked as bonsai.

Even so, I would like to warn you that it is not an easy task. Its light-hour requirements are high, and it is sensitive to waterlogging. Therefore, If you want to have a fig bonsai, we advise you to follow the advice that we are going to offer you in this article..

What is there to know about the fig tree?

The fig tree, whose scientific name is ficus carica, is a deciduous tree or small tree native to Southwest Asia that grows up to 8 meters in height. His cup is wide open, and it tends to branch out a lot even close to the ground. The leaves are green and large, measuring 12 to 25 centimeters long by 10 to 18 centimeters wide.

It blooms in spring, although its flowers sprout inside a receptacle and are pollinated by small wasps. The fruit ripens throughout the summer / early fall.

How to care for a fig bonsai?

The species ficus carica It is, as we anticipated at the beginning, very demanding in terms of electricity and water. But it must also be said that to be able to work it as bonsai it is important that the size of the leaves is reduced, since otherwise it cannot be considered a bonsai. So let's see how to take care of it:

Location

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You have to place it in full sun. But be careful, if the nursery was protected from this, it is necessary to put it in semi-shade and gradually get used to direct sunlight. Sudden changes in exposure could cause damage to the leaves.

For example, if it was in the shade and as soon as you get home you put it in the sun, it will burn; If it was in the sun and you put it in the shade, its leaves will weaken until they fall. Both the first and the second must be avoided, and always bearing in mind that it is a plant that wants light.

Temperatures

The fig tree is a plant that withstands temperatures between 40ºC maximum, and -12ºC minimum. However, when working as bonsai it must be protected from these extreme temperatures, since its root system is considerably smaller than it would have if it were planted in the garden. In addition, bonsai pots or trays are also limited in size, so they heat up / cool down much faster than soil.

To this you must add that the higher the temperature, the more water it will need; and that the lower it is, the more careful with watering you will have to be so that its roots do not freeze.

Irrigation

The frequency of irrigation will be determined by the climate of the area, as well as the substrate that has been used. But broadly speaking, You should know that the hotter and drier a climate is, the faster the substrate will lose moisture, so you will have to water more.

It is advisable not to put any plate under the bonsai pot or tray, because the water that is left over from the irrigation will accumulate in it. By doing so, the roots will have too direct contact with it, and unless it is removed, they will end up rotting.

Substratum

The right substrate for your fig bonsai it will be one that is light, porous, and capable of absorbing as well as draining water quickly. If we talk about mixtures, any of these are interesting:

• 70% akadama + 30% kiryuzuna
• 50% akadama + 50% peat
• 70% peat + 30% perlite
• 70% akadama + 30% pumice

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It is advisable to pay from early spring to fall. For this you can use a specific fertilizer for bonsai, but follow the indications that you can read on the product packaging. In this way, the risk of an overdose is avoided.

Transplant

Your fig bonsai you will need a transplant every two years or so. Do it in spring, before its leaves sprout (it will be when its buds swell). Carefully remove the substrate and check if it has any dry, diseased or damaged roots, and if so, cut them with scissors that you have previously disinfected.

Then, plant it in a bonsai tray and leave it in an area a little protected from the sun until you notice growth. Once this happens, you can place it in the sun again.

Style

Those most advisable for the fig tree are the broom style, as well as that of the multiple trunk.

Pruning

There are three types of pruning that you have to do:

Formation pruning

It is done in late winter, before the leaves sprout. It consists of shaping the tree, so it may be necessary to cut entire branches. To avoid unnecessary risks, use previously disinfected pruning tools, and decide before doing anything what style you are going to give it. In this sense, it does not hurt to take a look on the Internet at other people's fig bonsai, so that you have an idea of ​​how you can form your own.

Also, you will have to remove dry, diseased branches and those that are weak. Also the suckers that come out of the roots, unless you want to have it with several trunks.

Maintenance pruning

Maintenance pruning is done throughout the year. Basically what you have to do is trim those branches that are growing a lot, letting 6 to 8 leaves grow, and then removing 2 or 3.

This is a tree that grows at a good rate, so you will have to check it from time to time.

Apache pruning method (leaf size reduction)

Fig tree leaves are quite large, so one thing that can be done is Apache pruning. Which are the steps to follow?

1. First, you have to wait for the fig tree to recover from the transplant if it has been transplanted recently.
2. Then, when a branch has 8 leaves, you have to clamp (cut them in half) 4 leaves and remove the other 4.
3. In early summer, remove all the leaves.
4. Then, at the end of summer, you have to cut off all the shoots only if the fig tree is strong.
5. Finally, at the end of winter you have to prune the new branches of that year.

During all the process, the bonsai must be protected from the sun.

With these tips, we hope you enjoy your fig bonsai 🙂.