Pot size?

[TuckerBesosa]

Hello I'm new to Bosnia's and need some help.
I planted my ginseng ficus and now I. Worried the pot is too small. I've attached some pictures. Any advice is definitely welcome

 

[MHBonsai]

Your pot may be fine to survive, assuming you keep it outside and your soil is well draining.

What's the soil like under those rocks?

 

[Palmer67]

Hello I'm new to Bosnia's and need some help.
I planted my ginseng ficus and now I. Worried the pot is too small. I've attached some pictures. Any advice is definitely welcome

Welcome! I'm greener at Bonsai than that tree of yours. A couple things I've picked up, keep trees outside, never let the tree dry out, and learn everything you can about soil. Your Ficus can live indoors but will thrive outdoors. Expose her to fresh air as much as possible. Depending where you live, she should be brought inside during the coldest winter months. Add a location to your account profile to get better advice from folks. Soil, soil, soil... watch some videos and read a few articles, and stay away from regular garden or potting soil. The pot looks a bit small but should survive until next re-pot. However, the size screams you'll need to stay on top of watering. The smaller the pot the more watering you'll need to do. Don't let her dry out!

 

[Shibui]

Ficus are some of the few plants that don't mind living indoors. I assume that's because they are rainforest species so they are adapted to low light and dry periods. Whatever the reason, it is possible to keep these as house plants year round. Ficus are also incredibly hardy and can live in very limited soil. I have no doubt that this one could survive in that little pot but it will never grow much or be really healthy. The smaller the pot the more difficult it becomes to maintain a healthy tree.
The real test for pot size for bonsai is whether it looks right. This one does look a little top heavy to me so maybe a slightly larger pot would be better.

 

[sorce]

Just don't keep it on the table next to your real bowl of carrots!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[TuckerBesosa]

Thanks everyone! I'm using tinyroots all purpose blend. Could I repot now or do I need to wait?
Also I'm in North Carolina, so it fairly warm out.

 

[sorce]

That tree will be fine there, so if you enjoy it, just let it be.

Why?

It's not a "real" bonsai. It breaks every rule. So pot aesthetics as a rule shouldn't matter either.

Truth Truth....

If you intend, or accidentally get sucked into this like the rest of us, you will soon have better things than this.
And this will teach you things as is.

Sorce

 

[TuckerBesosa]

Could you explain why it's not a real bonsai?
That my be a dumb question, but I'm completely new to this

 

[amatbrewer]

Could you explain why it's not a real bonsai?

While you are not going to get anyone to agree on what the definition of Bonsai is (there are plenty of threads here where that topic has been beaten to death), I would point you to the Wikipedia definition of bonsai as a starting point:
Bonsai (Japanese: 盆栽, lit. 'tray planting') is a Japanese art form using cultivation techniques to produce in containers, small trees that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees.
In this context I would start by asking: Does your tree look like it mimics a full size tree?
Then suggest you ignore the answer, because unfortunately it is not that simple. You will find lots of examples of "Bonsai" that also violate that definition. And if you ask two people what Bonsai really is, you are likely to get three, or more, contradictory answers.

No disrespect to Source, who has been the source of lots of bonsai knowledge for me, these ginseng ficus are a common starring plant and mass produced, so are looked upon with disdain by many who practice "Bonsai". They are often referred to using the pejorative term Mallsai: "a term used by bonsai enthusiasts to describe mass produced trees typically found in malls, chain stores and garden centers around the world."
It would be like showing a "Salisbury steak" to some butchers and being informed they did not consider that a "steak"

I would also mention that I suspect many BNutters got their start with similar material (My son's first Bonsai was a ficus very similar to yours). So take the "not a bonsai" comment as encouragement to continue learning about bonsai.