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Hello,

I was recently gifted a bonsai (yesterday) and have no clue what I’m doing or where to get started! I love the idea of caring for this tree, and I think this could be a lifelong hobby, so I’d like to get off on the right foot!

I’d like to repot my tree and properly prune it, but I’m not sure if either of those are good ideas. I’m also not a huge fan of the root that’s sticking out to the left, but I don’t know if cutting that off is smart or if it could potentially grow further.

Any advice would be appreciated, and apologies for presumably not using the correct vernacular in this post. Thank you!

This is a ficus microcarpa ginseng. One species of ficus grafted on another species of ficus. By most bonsai artists not concidered a bonsai.

In any case, do not prune and definetely don't repot. If you are in the nortern hemisphere and it is summer now, take it outdoors and leave it there until night temperature is 10c in authum. Just let it grow wild. In the meantime read up on the species. When to do what and why.

There are a few people that has been able to transfer this kind of material into bonsai. But it takes some really advanced teqnices and not all of them survive. As a beginner I would sugest not to try. Just grow it as is. If you make it survive a year, just prune to decired shape.

I myself got one like it.
My no.1 mistake that almost killed it was I didn't repot it in proper draining soil. When I reported it I used same soil it came with like dark dirt and added black dirt.
Roots couldn't breath.

I had to do a drastic cut, you can see in my own topic in this forum pics of it.

I did the severe cut about 4 days after I got it and reported it with proper draining soil 2 days after that and re water the new soil. And now 24 to 48 hours after that I scratched the bark a bit and it was a very bright healthy green underneath thr bark.

Still no leaves, no branches, but I do expect one to grow in coming weeks.

The branches can break easily son don't be gung-ho on wirering, styling the branches too much.
If you keep it indoor make sure lots of light and if you use grow light make sure you know the distance and intensity of the lights.

Too close not good to far it may not be enough light.
I am not anexpert at all.

As you see I my self am knew at this.

I did wish I knew how extremely important proper soil and light and easy to break branches.
As for watering it depends how much evaporates, size of bonsai, how much water drains. Keep researching.

Sorry I don't know more.

Robert.

It is important to understand that the soil the tree comes in is the soil it has been produced in. If it is good for comercial production, it is good for a beginner. Yes the soil it comes in is not the best for long term development and refinement. But repotting is stressful for the tree and If done wrong or in the wrong time of the year can kill the tree.


No1 misstake for beginners is to start messing with the tree before actually know how to grow it. Yes, creating a bonsai involves pruning of branches and roots and wiering. But If you don't know how to grow the species, it will die anyway. So before doing any bonsai development at all, learn how to grow the species. 1 year, 2 years or 3 years. Just as long as it takes to keep the tree growing healthy. After you know how it is done it is time to start using bonsai teqnices, not before.