First time owner in need of advice

[homeskillet]

I received two 3 Year old Port Jackson fig (Ficus Rubiginosa) Bonsai this most recent Christmas. Initially I watered them every day, but after I noticed some fungus spots on the leaves, I did some research and realised I was likely over-watering them so it became every 2 or 3 days.
The fungus spots have seemed to have stopped growing (they appear dry and have lost saturation), however they are still there and I am worried there could be other problems with the plants that I have no idea about. Considering I am new to plants and bonsai growing, I thought I would post and ask for some advice.
I will now list some observations I made and ask that you answer as many of them as you can:
- A few times the leaves have dropped off and there are some small leaves at the base of the trunk that are very small and shriveled up. Is this something to worry about?
- Some of the bigger leaves are wavy when looked at from a profile angle, is this normal for a Port Jackson fig or is this a sign of fungal infection/dehydration?
- I read online that its a good idea to re-pot when you get a new plant, should I do that now? If so, how would I go about doing so correctly without risk of hurting the plant/hindering its growth?

Thanks for the help, I have attached a link to an image drive that can give context to the plants state, as well as their positioning near a window for sun during the day.
Feel free to ask any questions, and request more specific photos. Any new photos will be added to the drive.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

[homeskillet]

Just realised I posted this in the wrong sub-forum, not sure how to delete it / move it. Sorry about that

[shibui]

Hi Home Skillet.
welcome to Bonsai and to Ausbonsai. I hope we can help you.

Don't worry about the sub-forums. They just make it a bit easier to find threads when you are searching but your thread will still be active wherever it is listed.

What fungus spots are you concerned about? Ficus normally have white spots on the leaves. You may notice they are in similar spots and arrangement on every leaf. Fungal infection is usually more random. The brown spots could be fungal or could be sunburn. Just a few small spots is nothing to worry about.
Figs will drop leaves when they are under stress. Your tree has moved from a location it is accustomed to into your place where air, light and care are very different. Dropping a few leaves is accepted as natural as it adjusts to the changes. Provided there are new leaves opening there is no need for concern.
Ficus are evergreen but that does not mean that every leaf lives forever. Typically evergreen leaves last for 2-4 years until they are too old to be efficient so the tree drops those but in the meantime new, younger, healthy leaves have grown so the tree still has a good cover of leaves. Usually when the oldest (lower) leaves drop off it is not a cause for concern.
Wavy leaves are not cause for concern but may reflect growing conditions - see below.
I often encourage buyers to repot new trees at the earliest appropriate opportunity so they get their trees into a potting mix they know how to care for. If every tree is in a different potting mix it can be hard to work out when and how much to water. Repotting is also an opportunity to check how pot bound and what the roots are like but not crucial. If you only have a couple of trees, both in the same mix and are still learning to care anyway there is not so much advantage to repotting early.
Figs do best when repotted in warmer weather. Our local club has a yearly fig day in February when trees are repotted, root pruned and styled as now is a good time but anywhere from late October through to Feb is OK for Southern Aus. Figs can be repotted year round in warmer areas. figs are generally bullet proof and we can cut off almost all roots and almost all branches and the tree will still grow well after. Repotting figs is the least of your worries.

Some other things to consider:
Your location: You probably know where you live and what the climate is like but the rest of us don't have that info. Care advice can be very different for figs in Hobart to figs in Brisbane. You can update your Ausbonsai profile so we can see a location which will help get better tips and advice.
Tree location: I note that they appear to be in a relatively dark position - inside? Figs are one of the few trees I know that will survive indoors but even they need pretty good light. We, as cave dwellers, often underestimate how much light plants really need to stay healthy. Low light will force the trees to grow long skinny stems and larger leaves. Your figs will do so much better in a spot with good light but not too much direct afternoon sun. Outside, in summer, is even better where they can get a healthy dose of fresh air, wind and real sunshine.

Watering: It is possible to overwater a potted plant which can cause roots to rot and eventual death but it is also possible to give too little water and the tree dies from dehydration. Generally we advise to check soil moisture before watering - dig a little with a finger or keep a wood skewer in the soil as a moisture gauge and only water when the soil gets a bit dry. Fortunately figs are really tough and can go much longer either wet or dry than many other species so you get a much better chance to learn how to water properly.

Nutrients: Watering regularly flushes nutrients out of the pots so bonsai can starve quite quickly. We tend to feed regularly to maintain good growth and good health. Leaves turning yellow and dropping off early is one sign of nutrient deficiency.

It is also easier for us if you can upload photos direct to the post. Unfortunately file size limit appears to be 1Mb so you may need to alter settings on the camera or compress photo files a bit to get them here.

[homeskillet]

Thanks for the detailed reply! First of all, I am attaching the photographs compressed to fit within the file size to this reply. My main concern with the fungus is trying to address a potential outbreak before it gets out of control.

Secondly, by nutrients do you mean fertilizer? Im not sure what to do for this specific plant so I would appreciate some advice in that regard.

Thirdly, at the moment there is a heat-wave going through my area. We have had 40 degree days for 3 days now, and I have been watering the plants daily to account for the rapid drying.
I am concerned about the plants freezing at night, because usually when its not hot it can get pretty cold outside (I read online that the plants shouldn't go below 10 degrees C, however I am not sure how accurate this is). Also there is the issue of fungus being spread through the humid air, as well as wildlife feasting on the leaves.
Perhaps its a better idea to leave them outside during the day and bring them inside at night? Otherwise I could find a spot next to a window that they could get direct sunlight from.

[shibui]

Thanks for attaching photos direct. That makes it much easier to look and reply.

Some ficus sp do not cope below 10C but Ficus rubiginosa is hardy down to at least 0C. If you don't get frost it should be OK outside all year round. In marginal areas close to the house, under the eaves is usually fine. Down here were nights get down to -4 and -5C they do need to go inside for winter but we still get them outside on sunny days. In summer it will not get cold enough to even remotely worry your ficus.
There is still no indication of your location so I can only give general guidelines and hope it makes some sense. You mention a heatwave so can assume you are somewhere in Australia but it is a big place with widely varying climate and care of figs is very different in Canberra to Perth to Brisbane.

It is true that many fungal diseases love humidity but sunshine is a natural antibiotic. Inside it is still humid but there's no sun to counteract the fungus and no moving air. If you think about the places ficus thrive it is humid rainforests. They can fight off many diseases naturally if we give them good conditions.

It is hot here too. I am watering twice each day all through summer. Figs are kept in quite humid conditions and doing well. Occasionally something will munch a leaf but that does not happen often and the tree will soon grow new leaves. Trees grow far better outside and can cope with a few nibbled leaves.

Hard to assess how good the tree placement is as the camera compensates for light but it does not feel good from my end. Seems too dark by far for healthy growth and the new shoots appear long and thin.
Direct sun through a window can be very intense. Morning sun is usually alright but afternoon sun through glass can kill plants. If your trees have been in the dark for a few weeks the leaves will have no sun hardiness. Moving straight to sun can result in burnt leaves. That will not usually kill a fig - they just grow new leaves but it is better to transition a little slower - an hour or 2 per day for a week then a few more until you get to full sun. Like our skin the leaves can adapt to sun if you give them time.

I get some yellowing of leaves in winter but as long as there are still healthy green leaves I do not worry.
Yellow leaves can be symptoms of a number of things.
*Older leaves do get old and die naturally. That leaf is the lowest on the trunk and may already be at life end.
**Nutrient deficiency causes older leaves to turn yellow as the plant takes nitrogen from older leaves to help grow new ones. Fertilizer provides nutrients. Bonsai need to be fed regularly. There are some who swear by certain special fertilizers but trees are trees whether they are in pots or indoors. Any fertilizer will provide nutrients for your tree. Soluble fert is quick acting so great when the trees are starving. Solid ferts are slower to release nutrients but usually keep releasing for a longer period. It does not really matter what sort or what brand as trees cannot read but it matters that the tree does get some. I use
Thrive and Power feed as quick acting water soluble fert but brands don't matter. All have the required nutrients in quick acting form. Use any fertilizer on your tree.
I also sprinkle some chook poo pellets (many brand names - dynamic lifter, rooster booster, etc but all basically the same) on the pots every 4 weeks or so but that may be too smelly for indoor use.
I also include osmocote in the potting mix when I pot trees. Osmocote allows a little nutrient out into the soil every time the pot is watered so keeps the trees growing for a whole year. You can poke holes in the soil and sprinkle a few osmocote prills in for the years you are not repotting.
***Low light can cause yellow leaves.

[juan73870]

Shibui has pretty much covered it for you there. From the pictures, I would say that the trees actually look relatively healthy, just in need of some more sunlight. If they were suffering from fungal disease, they would look far worse. Small spots and holes in leaves here and there are just common blemishes and not of much concern.
Follow shibuis advice, place them outside with a bit of sun and fresh air and you'll be right as rain.

[homeskillet]

Thanks again for the detailed response, not sure if you noticed in my original post but I live in Sydney, NSW (about a 40 min drive from the city). During summer we can expect between 20° and 30° C (in normal circumstances), and it usually only gets humid when its really hot.
I have taken your advice and gave them a temporary location outside (see image below), I have been taking them outside to water previously and usually leave them there for an hour or two, so they are used to direct sunlight. However I will keep a look out for signs of burn and adjust their exposure accordingly.
Some time this week I'll go grab some fertilzer from bunnings.
Your help is greatly appreciated!

[shibui]

There are plenty of members here willing to share info so you are welcome to ask anything about bonsai.
I thought I read carefully and have done so again and the only ref to Sydney I can see is the latest post. My apologies if I have missed it earlier.
You can add Sydney to your profile - click on user name at the right of a post and then look for edit profile. That way a location is always available when you post something and you don't have to remember or keep repeating it.

Sydney is the home of PJ figs. They grow all over the city. Some great ones around the botanic gardens and Observatory hill park. You can also see young ones growing out of walls and roof gutters in many places where they germinate from seeds dropped by birds. If they can grow outside in the gardens they can grow outside in pots too.
Further inland there are some colder spots where you may have to take some care in winter but most of Sydney basin should be frost free for PJ figs.

Please watch water a little more carefully now they are outside. All trees tend to dry out quicker in the open. Not only is it warmer out there but trees are also drawing more water from the soil to help cool themselves. Much will depend on the precise location, amount of direct sun, type of potting soil, how long since last root prune, size of pot, etc.

I look forward to seeing these trees thrive

[juan73870]

Oh also, from your pictures it looks like these are standard bunnings bought bonsai that come complete with a hard layer of glued together pebbles as a top layer of soil. If this is the case, I would strongly recommend removing the chunks of glued rocky bits, then repotting in a nice bonsai soil. Those glued rocks should be chucked out and not put back on. I think they do that hard to layer so that it all keeps together in transport, that's the only possible reason I can think of, but regardless - it is not something you should keep on them for much longer as it isn't ideal for the plants health in the long run.
Have fun, hope you catch the bug and have much more little trees soon

[homeskillet]

I miss-remembered typing my location in my first post so sorry about that, also I was considering taking off the pebbels anyway because it made it annoying to check how damp the soil is because the pebbels were in the way. When I get the fertilzier I will consider getting some fresh soil and repotting them but no promises. I assume the plants will be fine with just keeping the old soil and removing the pebbels, at least for a while untill they are overdue for a repotting.
I will update the thread if any new developments happen that are worth posting about.

[Stu]

Can I suggest you don't get your bonsai soil from Bunnings. The only one I have seen there is rubbish. Try a bonsai nursery, a nursery that carries a better brand than Bunnings, or at least add a little 2-5 mm sand/gravel/scoria to a decent potting mix.

[legoman_iac]

My 2 cents ... don't keep them on that brick wall for long, it will heat them up more, causing them to dry out and need extra watering. Any chance they can go on a garden bed? Some of mine send shots down through the drainage holes, which is great for trees needing an extra boost.

Ideally too, I recommend you place them somewhere prominent so you pass them often, and keep a good eye on them. Mine used to be out back and out of the way, now they're just outside my front door, much easier to monitor and say "hello" and have a chat.

[shibui]

I assume the plants will be fine with just keeping the old soil and removing the pebbels,

Fortunately you have chosen Port Jackson Fig for your first bonsai. They are very nearly indestructible so a great choice to learn with.
They can also survive without repotting for many years. I have had students come with figs they say are 20 years old and have never been repotted. Not always in prime condition but certainly alive. These ones should be fine for a year or 2 in the same pot and the same soil until you are confident to tackle repotting.

[homeskillet]

Ideally too, I recommend you place them somewhere prominent so you pass them often, and keep a good eye on them.

The location on the brick wall is just outside my front door, at the moment I havent found a better spot for them but I will keep it in mind.