Work Tree: Ficus Benjamina

ShadyStump

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Starting a thread for this one, seeing as how it's already my single greatest success with bonsai. That and I'll probably have more time with this tree than any other in my almost-not-a-collection.
Here's the initial conversation on it.

This is what I noticed this morning, though.
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Those little spots around the edges of each leaf. At first I was worried it was a lighting thing, but then noticed it's EVERY SINGLE LEAF.
So now I'm thinking nutrient deficiency. Just repotted, so I was going to wait a couple weeks for the roots to repair a little before fertilizing.
Thoughts?
 

ShadyStump

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Quite sure that is normal.
I considered that, too. First time working with these, so I felt the need to be sure. That and it at work, on my desk a mile from a window under a desk lamp with grow bulb. It's a hinky enough situation as it is. LOL
 

just.wing.it

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I considered that, too. First time working with these, so I felt the need to be sure. That and it at work, on my desk a mile from a window under a desk lamp with grow bulb. It's a hinky enough situation as it is. LOL
I know my ficus has similar features on the leaves....mine is not a Benji, but.....
 

ShadyStump

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(As much for my own notes as anyone's interest...)
I've adjusted the timer on the light again to a total of 15 hours on. New buds that were pushing when I got the tree have sat still this whole time. I'm hoping I can compensate for the airconditioned environment with a little more light.

I've also noticed issues with my soil mix. It's a very coarse, hand broken mix of brick, lava rock and terracotta, so mixed some peat in for water retention.
It's WAY too wet for an office space. I water maybe once a week and the lower bit of trunk is looking darker by the day from it.

As soon as I have a nice slow afternoon again (yeah, right) I'm putting some screws in the underside of the bookshelf and mounting a light there. Better to ask forgiveness than permission when it comes to "modifying" school property. Hopefully the slightly more enclosed space will help hold some heat from the lights, and help with both problems.
 

ShadyStump

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These can take a little while to recover from an insult such as a repotting. But then it will come back with a vengeance.
That's what I've heard, it's just been a month... in a dry 72F building... under a very narrow coverage light... in wet soil, with stuff growing on my trunk. 😫
I know I'm just being paranoid, but I feel it's justified. 😜 LOL

It's counterparts from the big nursery pot it originally came in are at the house, outside, and growing new leaves now, so I can be certain environment is having a significant impact. This really is quite the experiment in manipulating microclimates.
 

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Never mind. Figured it out, at least partly.
Pulled some of the soil back to see the damage to the trunk where it was turning dark like it was about to rot. Apparently the base under the soil surface is growing faster than the rest, because the wire I tied it into the pot with was cutting in hard. Impromptu surgery with a stick and a multitool to cut out the wire without pulling the tree out of the pot again was successful. We'll see how it heals up.
 

ShadyStump

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Also, bug buddy.
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I think he came in last week when I was picking wild plums behind the building.
Any guesses?
Doesn't seem to be eating anything.
 

Dzhokar

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Also, bug buddy.

I think he came in last week when I was picking wild plums behind the building.
Any guesses?
Doesn't seem to be eating anything.
Some type of assassin bug. They are predators so beneficial to the garden.
But... some carry chagas disease which is a nasty parasite. And some will bite and feed on blood.
Not sure about the particular one in your picture.
 

ShadyStump

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Some type of assassin bug. They are predators so beneficial to the garden.
But... some carry chagas disease which is a nasty parasite. And some will bite and feed on blood.
Not sure about the particular one in your picture.
That explains why the aphid someone pointed out one time went missing. Wonder what he's been eating since.

If you can't tell, I'm not super hard up about bugs in my trees... or my work space apparently.
I worried about it for about two seconds once, then a coworker got all excited about how my tree is officially an ecosystem now. I couldn't break his poor little heart after that.
 

ShadyStump

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I missed this thread!

Yeah.. those spots used to freak me out, too.

Also... what else is under those lights.. cause I’m gonna be that asshole that tells you that 15 is oookaay... but 18-19 is much better.
Nothing else for now. Timer runs 5am to 8pm right now, so 15 hours. There's growth of sorts- leaves turning toward the light, the issue with the wire I just talked about, seems taller (haven't measured, though nothing seems to be 'reaching' too much either), etc- just no new leaves opening. A pinch of 12-12-12 Osmocote on top as of two weeks ago- can't have anything smelly indoors with lots of people, and I got the stuff that looked like it would work for a wide variety of species. Could easily get away with adding more.

I really do think temperature is a thing here. Hard to create summer growth conditions when it stays low 70s the whole time. I'm trying to avoid more cords/devices since I'm also going for a proof of concept thing where budget, space and scale are all very limited, but display still matters a little.
So, no heating apparatus, or shoving it in a closet, or whatnot.

Once I'm confident the roots have taken a good hold, I already have a hard cut in mind, which means two trees (!!!😁!!!) that will fit under the light a bit better.
 

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Chop chopped.

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And TWO new trees...
Maybe. We'll see how they do.

The final decision maker was last Friday realizing that I had to aim my desk lamp grow light horizontally to get any coverage- and that was with it standing on top of a box now- so it was shining right into the middle of the room blinding people. The tree almost doubled in spread since bringing it in.
Asked coworkers to choose between the numbers 3 and 4, and 3 won. So 3 branches left on the original tree, and had to pull number 4 off to plant the main trunk section, so I planted a second cutting. We'll see what survives.
 
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