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I made an account just for this question, and I've never owned a plant my entire life. Well, I started out with a Golden Gate Ficus, as I was told they're great indoor beginner trees, but I underestimated its need for sun. And I think it has root rot, but I can't afford new soil right now to re pot it. That, and I don't want to re pot it if it's already dead.

I now know that I watered it too much as well as deprived it of sun. It was also near a draft and I didn't know that air flow would hurt it so. But I also think that it has an infestation. When I took most of the soil out, there were these itty bitty white worms that had black on less than half of their bodies. I found out maybe they were adult gnat larvae or something, so I let the tree dry out as instructed. I was watering it too much anyway, and I read that if the tree is in shock, leave it alone. So I let it dry completely before watering it just a little agian, but there was also another kind of bug. A bug so small that a ball point pen could swallow it up. And they were VERY hard to spot. Only if the soil was disturbed, they'd scramble back into it to hide. I searched for hours and hours seeing them randomly then FINALLY managed to get one out onto a white paper towel. It was red or amber color. I read about spider mites, but at the time, the leaves that were on the tree were spotless. No webs, no eggs, nothing. And I searched the leaves for probably a good 15 minutes, too. I even flicked them over a white paper towel to see if anything dropped off. Nothing. So I'm thinking it's another kind of red mite, but I read that there is a red mite that is good and beneficial for the tree? It eats the waste the tree gives off, i.e. fallen leaves and such.

But anyway, aside from the possible infestation and whatnot, I'm going to share a few pictures and wanted to know if it is indeed gone. A lot of other forums were telling me that Ficus are notorious for 'throwing fits' and that even if you think it's dead to not discard it, because it might surprise you. But on my tree, all the branches are crispy. The twigs are dried out and snap when some pressure is applied. People were saying if the branches are pliant, then it's still alive. Well, none of them are and I'm too afraid to bend the big ones. I fear they'll snap.

I just want some piece of mind. I'm not the kind of guy that cries, but the fact that it was all my fault this poor tree died made me horribly upset and I cried pretty hard. Almost as if the thing was as important to me as my cat. Which surprised me. I never knew I could get attached to a plant. So anyway, please let me know if the tree is dead or not. If it is, I'll pitch it in the compost bin, and if it isn't, I'll try to get some soil immediately, wash the roots in warm slightly soapy water, and re pot it. I have a full-spectrum grow lamp coming in the mail that had a wicked amount of good reviews, specifically for bonsai trees, to help it get a lot more sun. I live in Washington State, so sun is not plentiful here. Mostly clouds. But I did put it outside as much as I could and took it in at night when it started to get chilly.

My question is... does it appear that it can be saved? Either way, I'd be able to relax instead of worrying over the thing. I look at it every day and feel depressed. (The mites were too small for me to get a picture of. I tried. My camera isn't that amazing, unfortunately.)

I know how you feel, I feel terrible when my plants die. I don't really have much experience in growing bonsai, as I am new to growing them, but I have been reading A LOT lately and love to help, so hopefully this advice will be decent. Anyone can feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

I have read in many places that a way to tell if a tree is alive or dead is to use your nail, or something else sharp, and gently scrape some bark off of the trunk. Don't go too keep, just through the bark of the tree and into the trunk. If the tree looks to be green, then there is still hope that you can revive it! Trees can sometimes be stripped of all of their leaves and live through it.

No tree is technically meant to live indoors. Ficus can live inside when it is cold. As long as it is warmer outside, you should leave your ficus outdoors. I recently bought one, so I've read about them a lot. They're tropical, so they respond well to humid conditions. You should not put a plant out in the direct sunlight as it could burn, I keep mine near the railing of my deck so it always has a bit of shade, so some clouds will not prevent it from getting the light that it needs. I would leave your tree outside, maybe even at night, if it does not get super cold where you are. A grow lamp will also work very well, but do not put it too high up or the tree with not receive the light well.

In reference to pests, I do not know much about that, but I would say spraying your tree with a pesticide is a good idea. Make sure it is one that removes many sorts of bugs as you do not know what you have. I am also not sure about the worms, but if you have infested soil, new soil is always a good idea. Potting soil with forest compost, peat, and course sand go good in bonsai soil. You can also google other ingredients that would be good for your plant. Anything that drains well, and make sure that your pot has a drain hole in the bottom so the water gets out, if you have root rot. I would not recommend using any soap when washing out the roots. A bigger pot may also help your tree re-establish it's damaged roots, and then you can put it back into a bonsai pot once it has grown.

If your tree is alive, it should begin to grow new shoots, as ficus grow year round and do not go dormant! I hope your tree is alive, and that this was of some help. Checking a book out from the library on bonsai may also be a good idea

I would gladly do all that, but I don't have the money right now (hitting a really big financial bump in the road), and I don't want to spend money I don't have if it's already dead. I'm in a situation where time is of the essence. And it sucks because at the same time, I don't want to refrain from buying new soil, a new pot, pesticide and all that if it IS alive and my delay on purchasing such things kills it for good. Then I'll feel even worse. Either way, it's a lose/lose situation unless I know for sure it is alive or dead. I can't spend funds willy nilly, but I'm afraid if it is still alive and I don't spend the necessary funds to help revive it, it'll be lost forever! I know I just repeated myself, but I'm just kind of pulling my hair out. Ugh, such stress over a wee little tree. Why is this tree harder to care for than my own cat? Maybe because trees can't speak? Hm.

I did do that trunk scratching thing, and there's no green underneath. It's sort of dark brown around the edge, then white on the trunk.

I think that would mean it is dead, then, if there is no green? You would have to ask someone else to be sure, but that is what I would think.

Trees can be hard to care for, especially bonsai because they're picky, and depending on the tree species. Soil, a pesticide, and a pot should not be that expensive- depending on where you buy them. Although I do not know your budget. But if you go to walmart or your local gardening/home store, you could probably get all three for around $25. That is a lot for some people, however.

On the bright side, if you ever decide to get a new tree, you now know how to care for it, and can buy the proper materials ahead of time. I would wait for someone else to respond though, before you get rid of it.

$25 dollars isn't bad at all for what I was thinking, but currently I'm not sure I can do it. It can't hurt to look, though. And I'm not sure I'll be able to get another tree after this. This one was expensive and I feel a bit bad for killing it. Makes me nervous about getting another one. I would put it outside for good, overnight and all, but I'm afraid the stray cats and raccoons might hurt it. I never knew caring for plants could be so difficult. And if this is supposedly a beginner tree, I'm afraid to know the difficulty level of the others.

I'm not sure if this matters, but where the bark is white, it's soft and still feels moist.

I'm not sure. The ficus does produce a white, latex-like sap, so perhaps your tree is still producing sap? (Which would mean it is alive.) My ficus from walmart had damage to a branch when I got it, and the inside of the branch seemed white and sappy, and it is still alive. So maybe your tree is?

Yeah, if you get stuff that is really good for bonsai, it will be more expensive, but purchasing a regular pot and stuff for it until your tree gets back on its feet and is older shouldn't be too much at all! I would try growing it like a houseplant for a while, seeing as it does not really have any leaves for you to shape anyway. I potted a ficus in regular potting soil and it was dying and it is now doing a lot better, so maybe yours will do the same?

It is possible that your tree was sick when you got it, so it may not be all your fault. like I said before, I would wait for a second opinion from someone with more experience.

I never thought I could have gotten it already sick. I bought the tree from a website called bonsaioutlet.com and for the first few months, it did just fine. Even when I moved the tree's location to right under my air conditioner. I didn't know it was crucial to keep it away from drafts, but now I know. But even after I moved it, it took at least a month for any leaves to fall off, and I kid you not, within two to three days, all the leaves were just gone. I was in shock that it happened to fast, I didn't know what to even think.

I will definitely get to walmart as soon as I can. There are actually potted plants on the porch here that have been dead for probably a hundred years now (these ones didn't belong to me and were dead even before I moved in). I could probably just sanitize one of those and use it then just focus on buying soil and a pesticide, right?

As long as the pot has a drain hole, I don't see why not. Any pot should be fine as long as it has room to grow. Hopefully your tree comes back! I don't want you to buy potting soil for it and then have it be dead. I wish that we could have gotten a second opinion... I am sure someone will reply tomorrow.

That is odd, I have no idea why your tree would loose leaves like that. I know that ficus are very prone to leaf loss, though, so hopefully it is okay.

I sure hope so. I miss my tree already. Those pretty green leaves greeting me every morning.

Contrary to common believe.. A few bugs won't kill a plant (Think outside.. Plants have bugs on them all the time). PLants and insects have evolved together and won't really hurt one another in most cases. So no, don't go off buying insecticide (And yes, this ficus is as dead as they come).

Letting the roots dry out completely is a no-go for almost every single plant species.
Sitting in the wind of the airconditioner is another.

IF you want another plant, and you cannot afford the store-inflated prices: Look at ebay-type websites (The smaller personal adds, rather than the commercial retailers). Or find yourself a club; More often then not, there will be someone who has way too many plants and is willing to share one or two.