Mallsai ficus repotting question.

[MavyBoy]

Hey all, I picked up what I believe to be a tiger bark ficus and plan to repot it very soon. From what I’ve read summer time is a good time to repot ficus.

I was planning on just using spagnum peat moss, with a shallow layer of rock on the bottom for drainage, or perhaps mixing some of this store bought ‘bonsai’ soil mix 50/50 with the spagnum peat moss. I am wondering if anyone has any advice on whether this is a good idea or not. I know it’s a conifer mix but I think it could work well when used with the peat moss, but again I have no idea.

Thanks!

 

[cbroad]

Bonsai soil is more coarse and promotes much better drainage (which translates to better aeration around the roots) than straight peat moss. This gives the plant a much finer root system, which is what we want in a small container; more feeder roots to take up water and nutrients and less bulky roots for anchorage and food storage. Bonsai soil's superior drainage gives much more control over the plant.

If you add peat moss to this mix, it will slow down drainage, and anything over 50% will really clog up the soil. The plant will live as long as you don't keep it too wet in this peat mix, but you will slow down it's development when compared to the same plant in an entirely coarse mix.

But depending on your ability to keep this watered, adding some peat may be in your benefit while you're learning to keep plants alive (I'm just assuming your new to bonsai). A plant in a coarse mix will need constant attention, and will probably need water at least once a day if not more depending on it's site location. By adding peat, you can prolong it's need for water, possibly by days but the plant might be slower to develop (which might be good for you if you're trying to get your feet wet in this hobby). If you're worried about the watering commitment, maybe add 20-30% peat to this conifer mix, that should give you good results while giving you a watering buffer and while you learn to care for this tree long term.

 

[MavyBoy]

I would say I'm a complete novice lol. I've killed one juniper which was my first, and now have 3 ficus, a serissa, and a chinese elm all of which were bought from local bonsai enthusiasts except for this new one (Edit: and the elm I bought online), and even I can tell this tiny shallow pot is probably not ideal for it. It's been a semi-active hobby for about 11 months now.

I don't mind pampering the trees at all, I water them currently probably 5 days a week when they dry out.

Would something like this be a better option for me as a beginner, you think? Same brand as the other mix as well.

Amazon.com : Tropical Bonsai Tree Soil Blend Two Quarts From Tinyroots. 100% Organic. For Ficus, Fukien Tea, Buttonwood, Dwarf Jade & other Tropical varieties. FRIT, Mineral Additives, Perfect For Healthy Bonsai Growth : Bonsai Tools : Gateway

Amazon.com : Tropical Bonsai Tree Soil Blend Two Quarts From Tinyroots. 100% Organic. For Ficus, Fukien Tea, Buttonwood, Dwarf Jade & other Tropical varieties. FRIT, Mineral Additives, Perfect For Healthy Bonsai Growth : Bonsai Tools : Gateway

www.amazon.com

 

[cbroad]

That is still a pretty coarse mix, what you have already is fine in my opinion. You can use whatever you want, 100% coarse or 100% peat, but I just wanted you to know the benefits of using either substrate.

If you're up for the watering commitment, go with the 100% coarse and your plants will develop well. If you want to ease up on the demand on your plants go with 100% peat or a mix of peat. If these plants stay mostly inside, you run the risk of soil and root issues using exclusively peat.

 

[MavyBoy]

They're all outdoors, this will be their first winter, so I plan on bringing the ficus and serissa indoors for the colder months and investing (unfortunately) in some grow lights for them.

I'll buy the mix and see how it is, and possibly add some peat to it for some water retention. Thanks man, I'll see how it goes.

 

[cbroad]

unfortunately

Fortunately!

I wish I had room for my indoor setup right now...
At least you're aware enough to know you'll need lights to keep them happy through winter. Lights help some of us prolong or obsession throughout the year

Whatever you do, don't add more than 50% peat to any coarse mix; the less, the better. I messed around enough to have finally figured this out...

 

[cbroad]

And if I may, here's a link to a thread about Soil physics written by Markyscott. There's a lot of good stuff in our resource section if you haven't checked it out yet.

The whole thing is highly important and fundamental to understanding soil compositions and how this affects plants in containers.

 

[MavyBoy]

yeah I’m hopeful but expecting the worst this winter. If I can manage to keep atleast 2 alive and well I would consider myself lucky! Haha.

And alright, I’ll make sure not to overdo it with the peat IF I mix it. I'll read up on the thread while I wait for it to ship. I'm patient... because I have to be. lol