Port Jackson Fig newbie

[nav]

Hey all, first time poster here.

I bought this Port Jackson Fig the other day from a stall in Chaddy shopping centre (not the best place to buy bonsai I guess).



A few things I want to clarify:

1. Should I get rid of the small gravel stones that are on the surface of the soil? I understand they may hinder water from reaching the roots. Also, I can't accurately tell if the soil is dry and if it needs watering.
2. When I do water it, it takes very little water for it to start dripping out of the drainage holes. Am I doing something wrong? Also, does it matter where in the pot I pour the water, or should it be right at the base of the tree?
3. I've placed the pot on a book shelf that sees plenty of daylight throughout the day (The picture was taken in full daylight with no flash. The shelf also gets some sunlight in the mornings). This should be sufficient? I believe the fig is more suited to indoors than other plants.

Thanks to anyone who replies.

[Michael]

hey nav

i bought same as u 8 years ago put in stock pot now owns my backyard very hardy is now back in bonsai pot for styling just keep soil moist ie i look at soil under gravel if moist dont water if dry then water i know is cooler ur way but u can cut back to get ramification very hard give full sun ,not indoor tree guys up north will tell u theres grow out of control and they are very lucky to have this situation but they are great tree to start with.

[hugh grant]

hi Nav
ive been doing bonsai for about 3 years now so i do have some basic knowledge that i could give you that might help
In my opinion i don't like gravel,i rather not have it as for that reason that i can't see if the soil is moist or dry so i would loose the gravel.if the treehealthy it might good idea to repot anyway as some purchased trees like this one can be quite root bound, i know this from experience, and since figs grow quite rapidly it could be in need of a repot. i don't know exactly were your going with this tree but if you were aiminng to style it into a slightly larger tree it might be a good idea to, if you do repot into a larger pot or if you like it size just a loose trim on the root ball. But that is totally your decision as to what you were planning for your tree.
I would say that a tree of this size and the size of pot the tree is in, it should be watered regually to keep it moist as small trees in small pots will dry out alot faster than larger ones. the reason that it takes very little water to run out the bottom is because it is a small tree so it would come out faster and only a small areafor water to go so a little bit of water is going to come out of a small pot quick. there isnothing wrong with this i don't think and proberly means it has a good draining soil which is what you want to stop water logging. just as long as the soil is wet the tree will be happy and figs arn't really a problem they can with stand a lack of watering fine. To water it you should obviously be wanting the water to be going into the soil so water slightly above the tree witha watering can not a mister. Many people who start off in bonsai think you have to be delicate with watering but using a mister is not good as it does not provide nearly enough water. So make sure you water just like any other normal pot plant. Also to water a small tree like this it is good to submerge it in a bucket of water that will submerge it deep enough that the water level will come up the trunk base and leving it untill bubbles stop rising, this indicates that all the small airpochets have been waters and water has reached all the areas of the inside of the pot and the roots.
Figs inside is more acceptable then other species of plant, so it is considerably fine that have it there is enough morning and or afternoon sun like you say. But i keep all my trees outside as it is the best coditions for a tree, remembering that it is a tree. So if you wanted best growth out of it it would be good to keep it outside in good sunlight but if you are wishing to keep inside which is fine, you could bring it out for a period of a few days outside aswell as you should probably keep it inside nomore than two weeks at a time with figs i find.
Bye the way i didn't mention that the pebbles propobly wont stop water penetrating the soil too much as water can just run through them.

i know that was alot of blabber that i gave you but i hope you find something helpfull form it
Have fun with your tree.
Hugh

[Jamie]

mate,

if ya have the means of growing it outside do it, when it gets to cold bring it into a sunny spot where it can get plenty of sunlight, i would be changing that pot for a slightly bigger one as it looks quite small and the tree will either be root bound or just repot recently being bought from where you got it.
now if ya want a bigger tree with more character it needs to be put into a grow box, a styrofoam box or a pot that allows it to grow freely, just recently someone posted just how quick figs can grow roots and it does happen, growth can be that fast its hard to keep under control. here in queensland they just boom, growing all year round, not sure of melb. but i know some in melb. have them booming aswell.

do you know where you want to go with this tree? a vision or something like that? it will hlep you if ya do, use al the resources you can to get as much info you can about bonsai, it will help imensly

as for watering like you have been advised with the small pot it is in you may have to water frequently, especially if it is to be indoors where things like a heater (obviously not in summer) and airconditioners can dry out the soil real quick. in a larger pot it will be easier to look after
as for the gravel i am not a major fan of it myself, i think top dressings like gravel and moss and the sorts are for when you are showing your trees, but its a personal thing, if you like it and can look after the tree with the gravel on it then thats cool too

hope this has helped a bit

cheers.

jamie

[bonscythe]

Hi,
The point you mentioned about the water draining out the drainage holes very quickly is actually a good thing, you don't want excess water hanging around in the soil/pot as root rot and other detrimental things can happen. All this means is the soil will need to be checked regularly (once a day should be ok) to see if it has dried out and rewater accordingly.
Hope this helps

[nav]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

What's my vision for the tree: Well I really only bought it as a decoration for my room, thinking that it would grow larger and I could start styling it. But I guess if it needs a bigger pot to grow, I'm going to have to move it outside as I don't think I could fit a larger pot in my room.

I haven't used a mister as of yet, I've just been watering it by holding it under a tap unit water starts appearing out of the drainage holes.

Anyway, looks like I'm going to have to find a bigger pot!

[LZRD84]

mate,

my opinion:

put it outside, repot it into something bigger (grow box or styro box) and let that thing just explode! feed regularly and water as needed. make sure to change the food every other time as this really helped me see tremendous change ni my figs within the month! just let it grow. maybe clean some of those leaves up so the sun can get in better, but other than that, just sit back and watch... after a few months of this, rethink what you want to do with the tree. you can still trunk chop to keep it mini, if you so choose, and then just clean up the taproot and/or any other changes, and take it from there. pretty much personal preference all the way though. but i would be investing in a watering can, under the tap isn't so good. If it is tap water, it should be still for 24hrs before pouring into the soil. fyi.


would love to hear what you decide to do, and photos!