Did you know that you can use aerial roots to help grow bonsai? With two simple methods you can elicit decorative aerial roots from a tropical indoor bonsai for an authentic appearance. Read how to do it here.
How do I grow aerial roots on a bonsai?
To grow aerial roots in a bonsai, create high humidity with a transparent hood or use the moss method, in which a mossy wooden stick is attached to the trunk and sprayed daily. Both methods promote aerial root growth.
How can I pull aerial roots on a bonsai?
The easiest way to grow aerial roots on a Ficus Bonsai is to create ahigh humidityat rainforest level or amoss-covered wooden stick on Fix trunk.
Fig trees (Ficus) are tropical trees that can produce numerous aerial roots in their natural habitats. These include species such as Ficus ginseng, Ficus retusa or Ficus benjamina, which are very popular in this country as indoor bonsai.
How do I grow bonsai aerial roots using high humidity?
By creating a humidity of almost 100 percent under atransparent hood, you can activate the growth of aerial roots on the bonsai. How to do it right:
- Best time is in summer.
- Put the ficus bonsai in a transparent bag.
- Watering bonsai.
- Close the plastic bag tightly.
- Care for the bonsai as usual for three to four weeks in a bright location.
- Remove the bag when the first aerial roots sprout.
How do I grow bonsai aerial roots using the moss method?
With theMoss method you can grow aerial roots in bonsai by leaning a wooden stick wrapped in moss against the trunk and spraying it daily. The tools required are wire pliers (€24.00 on Amazon), scissors, raffia ribbon, floral wire, wooden sticks and moss (sphagnum or lawn moss). It's so easy to get decorative aerial roots from a fig tree bonsai:
- Attach some moss to the tree trunk with raffia.
- Wrap a wooden stick (e.g. shish kebab skewer) with moss padding and floral wire.
- Lean the stick against the bonsai trunk and secure it with raffia ribbon.
- Spray twice a day with stale tap water or filtered rainwater.
Tip
Can you cut off the aerial roots of a bonsai?
The growth of aerial roots on indoor bonsai is not always met with enthusiasm. Sometimes the long, hanging root strands are perceived as a disruptive factor. However, he althy aerial roots on ficus, monstera, orchids and other tropical plants make an important contribution to the supply of nutrients. Pruning could weaken the bonsai. It is best to introduce living aerial roots into the bonsai soil. However, you can cut off dead aerial roots
