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I picked up my first tree today. After lots of reading I decided a banyan ficus was the best to start with as I live in ireland and plan to grow it inside. However as I'm new to this I have some questions that I can't find answers to on the net!

1) I bought a potted tree (picture attached I hope) as I am unaware of how old the tree is and I bought it from a garden centre. Should I repot the tree?

2) I read that I should water my tree when the soil feels damp to touch and that I should mist it twice a day to promote growth is this correct? If so how much water should I mist it with?

3) the tree has been grown into a certain shape is it ok for me to wire it and reshape it to my tasting or will the tree need to be kept to the shape it is growing now?

Some of the above might be silly questions but I just don't want to make a mistake that I can't fix

Thanks in advance
Tommy

I will paste what I wrote in another similar post.

Give it the required amount of sun and water it wisely, as per the books with careful eye not to overwater or dry out. Just - Dont touch it. Patience is the best tool you have in your hands now. Leave to adopt and get used to with its new home. See how it goes after months, if it goes up and looks good you may start thinking of repoting. If it goes down, well something is not right - either the place or the basic care - sun and watering. Its not good to repot ill tree unless it is emergency. Since it lives in this pot for years, it will cope with it little more, thats for sure. Just give it time and good care for now.


Just few more to add to your case:

- Soil not looking good. Repot in spring to summer period. Read carefully about repotting and watch videos before that. If there is expert around you who can do that, ask him.
- Ficus prefers indirect sunlight, still it requires good amount of it, So place it near sunny window but not directly facing the sun.
- Water it, but not over water. Check soil, if it feels dry on the top - water, but just enough to start draining water out of the holes on the bottom. Repeat from beginning.
- Misting is no benefit, it gives additional humidity and washes the leaves. Be careful with that as it may create base for bugs to settle.
- Keep away from the heaters in your house.
- You are free to wire your tree as you wish. Read on the bonsai styles and techniques and see which one fits your tree. Wiring is considered as advanced technique so dont do before you read and watch enough or get a good lesson from a bonsai master.

Don't repot, don't wire, don't prune. First learn to keep the tree alive. Study the subject. Learn how to wire by practizing, for example on branches you cut from other trees or plants. Learn the basics. Wait at least until the tree is settled and is growing. Do not try to wire the trunk and change the shape.

The soil look fine.

Thank you for your response.

You say the soil doesn't look good. Why do you think that?

As for watering what way do you recommend at this stage? Sit it in pool of water and let it soak it up water it from the top?

Soil looked too dense and muddy to me, which means not much air inside for the roots. Since Auk is saying its ok - so its ok, listen to him, he is the experienced one here. Tree should be ok in it so far, I would switch it to a better soil at some point, but you dont touch it right now. As said above, let it adopt, no work on the tree. Have patience, watch, read and learn for the coming time.

As for the watering, I personally oppose dunking. You can do it when you have the proper soil for that, otherwise you can push out all the vital air from the soil. Pouring water over the top of soil should be more than ok.

spacewood wrote: I would switch it to a better soil at some point, but you dont touch it right now. As said above, let it adopt, no work on the tree. Have patience, watch, read and learn for the coming time.

I agree

What do you recommend for feeding the tree? I have the feed just need to know when I should feed and how often?

tommyboy26 wrote: What do you recommend for feeding the tree? I have the feed just need to know when I should feed and how often?

Follow the instruction on the bottle / package.

every time you try new fertilizer use a bit below recommendation then see how tree likes it. go up and down based on how tree reacts.