What to do with a drying out ficus Bonsai?

Ficuses are pretty, but above all they are a plant that requires a lot of maintenance. Therefore, it is quite possible that these plants will start to suffer if you do not know exactly how to do it. 

Among these plants, there is also one that has been fashionable for several years in the West, especially with the arrival in force of Japanese culture in recent decades. 

Just by evoking this culture, you surely know that we will be talking in this article about the ficus Bonsai, a very popular plant, but which requires a lot of maintenance. In a previous article we advise you on where to place it

But if you are here, it is because you have a drying out ficus Bonsai! Together we will see what it can be due to, but also how to get there to fix this problem and save it!

Ficus Bonsai - General information 

There are a whole bunch of different ficus trees on the market, each with characteristics that will look better on some people than on others. But here it is Bonsai ficus that we will talk about in more detail.

Poor watering can explain a drying out ficus Bonsai 

It may seem really stupid, but most often if you have a Bonsai ficus that is drying out, it is simply because the watering is not enough and your plant is therefore simply lacking water. 

The operation is then the same as with us when our lips dry up and wrinkle when we are thirsty. The solution is then to water your ficus Bonsai which is drying out to solve the problem. 

A stupid solution, but it is advisable to see together how we water this ficus in particular to prevent this problem of drying out again or that, on the contrary, you water too much. 

The first thing to know is that a ficus Bonsai does not especially need a lot of water to live. Therefore, the benchmark that you can take is the level of dryness of the earth. 

Indeed, when it begins to dry on the surface, it is usually a sign that it will have to be watered. If you stick to that, you shouldn't have any problems with drying out ficus Bonsai at all! 

However, there is also a second rule to follow for the good of your plant. In fact, the saucer under it should never be filled with water, at the risk of drowning it and leading to other problems. 

Is your ficus in sufficient light?

A ficus, it needs light to work and if yours does not benefit enough from the sun's rays, you could have a lot of problems and in particular a loss of the foliage of this one. 

As a result of this loss of foliage, you will surely have a drying out Bonsai ficus. To avoid all this, you simply need to place your ficus in an area where it will not be too hot, but where it can benefit from the sun's rays. 

But how to spot that the problem comes from there, you will surely be tempted to tell us. Well the answer is simple, first you will see the leaves change colors going to yellow hues. 

This is a sign that you have a ficus which is sorely lacking in light and we advise you to act quickly before having a ficus Bonsai which is drying out and therefore having to try to save it. 

Beware of an environment that is too hot and above all too dry!

We just touched on the subject just before, if the Ficus Bonsai loves the sun's rays, it is not a big fan of environments that are both hot and dry and this may be the cause of your problem. 

In this case, there is a situation that we do not always think of when we talk about a ficus Bonsai that is drying out, it is that of the interior in winter with the dry heat of a radiator for example. 

This is typically the case where you might have an overdue platinum. To fight against this, you will need to do regular maintenance of the leaves, by cleaning them, but also by sprinkling them with water. like on this video

Our tips for maintaining the leaves of your ficus Bonsai

It is important to maintain the leaves of your ficus fairly often. This will allow them to be always so beautiful. For this you will need a few materials.

Restart a dried out ficus Bonsai tree 

If, despite our advice, you cannot get a drying out ficus Bonsai tree to start again, it may be that the problem is more serious than expected. To be sure, lightly scrape the bark. 

If the color is black, it means that your ficus Bonsai has indeed taken a big hit, but it is still possible to save it. For this, the first thing will be to cut the dead branches if there are not too many of them. 

If you have a Bonsai ficus that is drying out to the point that all the branches or at least a majority are dead, there is one last solution to try to save it at all costs, cut it short. 

Indeed, cut everything that is above 10 cm from the base. Through this operation you may be able to successfully save your ficus Bonsai, but this will not necessarily be the case.