Ginseng ficus is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia and is a member of the Moraceae ormulberry family.
Ginseng ficus grows best in acidic to neutral soil with higher humidity and full sun from a nearby window.
Indoors, placing it on a windowsill is a good idea.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
If this is not available, grow lights can aid in growing your ginseng ficus.
The bonsai will not tolerate shade at all.
More frequent watering will be needed if your plant is in a hot environment.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Temperature and Humidity
The ginseng ficus is an indoor bonsai and is not frost-hardy.
Fertilizer
Bonsai draw on very little soil, so it is necessary to replenish their nutrients occasionally.
Any multi-purpose liquidfertilizeravailable at your friendly local nursery or garden center should be adequate.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
For bonsai, dilute the mixture by 50% with water before applying monthly.
It looks terrific and requires minimal care compared to other bonsai, which can be challenging to maintain.
Bonsai artists especially focus on the raised roots of these funky little plants to create a particular aesthetic.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
In their natural habitat, these aerial roots grow easily in high-humidity environments.
This can achieve the desired pillar style or the root-over-rock bonsai style, deshojo.
Training a Bonsai
To train your plant, use anodized aluminum or annealed copper wire.
Wiring your ficus thin and medium branches is easy since they are flexible and bend easily.
Ensure the wires are not cutting into the tree and readjust if needed.
For larger branches, guy wires will be necessary and must stay on the tree much longer.
Ficus trees are unique in that they can fuse their branches, roots, and other ficus plants.
you could forego the pruning for a year or longer to achieve a thicker trunk.
New shoots will grow from old wood if you have left the trunk to thicken.
But be sure to tend to any substantial wounds with cut paste so disease does not occur.
Always use sharp andclean toolswhen working with your plant.
Pruning Tip
Looking for the best pruners for your ginseng ficus bonsai?
We tested over 10top-rated pruning shearsin our Lab to confirm your plants stay happy and healthy.
It needs to be done to give the tree new soil and toencourage a more compact root system.
You will only need to repot your ficus every other year during the summer.
Simply remove the tree and soil from its pot and trim its roots' outer and lower quarters.
Be careful not to over-prune or remove too much root material.
Place the bonsai into the original pot or a new container using the bonsai soil mix.
However, the ginseng ficus can get spider mites, scale, mealybugs, andaphids.
Use neem oil or a liquid dishwashing soap and water mixture to remove the pests.
Root rot, a fungal disease, can be a problem for ginseng ficus If overwatered.
Keep the top inch of soil moist but not soggy.
Leaves that are underwatered will appear wilted but should plump up again after giving water.
Ficus can drop leaves because they are either too wet or too dry.
The ginseng ficus can live for 50 to 100 years.
There are bonsai trees that are 1,000 years old.
Since these bonsai thrive on humidity, a kitchen or bathroom is a good place to put these plants.
see to it they get adequate lighting.
Ginseng ficus plants bloom, but the flowers are small, insignificant, and hard to notice.
