每日吃瓜

hey all ! i'm new in the business like mentioned above and story is :
my friend got me a bonsai for my birthday around 3 months ago and i never thought i'd grow that attached to it. a few days ago i started noticing leaves dropping, and now one leaf started growing dark (blackish) and i'm pretty sure it won't stop there.
i read it might be due to over-watering/under-watering , pests or even bad soil quality. i really need you guys to help me out throught this since i have no idea about what to do ! i think my bonsai is a ficus. i'll upload pictures really soon showing it. Thank you all !!

use the search function to look for about a million other questions like this. Also, this video may be of some use:



Luckily for you, I got here first; some people on here can be a bit too straightforward with beginners (not to say that what they say isn't true). If your plant is a ficus, it's probably what we call a mallsai (combination of mall and bonsai) and will probably never be consider a real bonsai by anyone serious about the hobby unless you work really hard on it for many years.

comme ci (I just joined the french forum so I've been practicing):


Good luck, for now I would recommend just following the care guidelines on this site (species guide > common tree species > ficus bonsai)

Ed

i see what you mean . did some research about "mallsais" and got the point. No glued rocks around it but the soil quality isn't good . thank you for explaining !!! Since i'm new with bonsais i don't think i will be investing in more delicate and expensive ones... yet... TO THE MALLSAI RESCUE !!! hahaha. the vids really helped out, merci a nouveau ! (french is my mother language ) Thanks again and cheers !

每日吃瓜Learner wrote: Luckily for you, I got here first

That's an interesting point of view.

If your plant is a ficus, it's probably what we call a mallsai (combination of mall and bonsai)

Nope. If it has disproportionate fat roots and is labeled as bonsai, it is probably a potted plant. If it is a ficus with an S-shape, it is probably a mallsai

Krowtoes wrote: Since i'm new with bonsais i don't think i will be investing in more delicate and expensive ones... yet

Makes sense, most new people on this forum do that. Remember not to limit yourself, though.

Krowtoes wrote: the vids really helped out, merci a nouveau ! (french is my mother language )

That's good to hear, de rien mon petit pois (make sure to check out the french forum)

Ed

potted plant or mallsasi ?

Potted plant (As described by Auk).
You may as well use it to learn basic techniques on, but ultimately treat it as a normal houseplant (or try to transform it at risk of losing it)

Ed

Was this picture before or after the leaves started falling? Ficus trees, often drop leaves when you move them. If it's in a sunny place, it'll probably grow new ones.

An after pic might help.