How do you care for a Ficus exotica

I have a large Ficus bonsai. I recieved at at Xmas and it was not happy, shed loads of leaves and the rest turned yellow.

I then found out they get grumpy when moved. They like to stay in the same place with plenty of light, I water my bonsai every other day.

If you Ficus is a large house plant, once a week should be fine but keep him away from drafts.

Keep the soil watered, but let the top two inches of soil dry out. Letting the soil become extremely dry will result in dry, and yellow, leaf drop. New green leaves dropping off can be a sign of over watering. When this occurs the plant is in trouble, make sure it is using the water you give it. These plants, when new, have a tendency to drop a noticeable amount of leaves. Don't panic, this is due to the trees being grown in ideal conditions, they are adjusting to your environment. The leaf loss may occur over several months. Pick up fallen leaves and remove yellow ones still on the plant. Cut off dead and dry twigs. This helps light to penetrate to the inside foliage, to promote growth on the inside

Ficus benjamina Exotica

latin name:
Ficus benjamina Exotica
common name: Exotica Weeping fig, Weeping Chinese Banyan
family: Moraceae (z)
group: Other green plants
origin: South and East Asia
climate: tropical, subtropical
minimal winter temperature: 14°-16°C
ideal temperature: 22°-27°C
light: shade
soil: humus-peat-loosely
rarity: yes
month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
availability
flowering
description:
There are over 600 species of Ficus, most of them tropical and evergreen, although some, most notably F. carica, the common fig, are deciduous. Ficus produces a unique fruit which is actually an inverted flower. Not all Ficus produce edible fruit.

These plants are sold in wide range of sizes, including tissue-cultured cuttings and plugs, air layers, small liners (plugs) from standard cuttings, and container-grown plants up to 200-gallon (900 L) capacity.

Ficus benjamina is commonly known as the weeping fig and can originally be found in India, northern Australia, and Southeast Asia.
The Ficus benjamina Exotica is light green in color and grows compactly.

The Ficus benjamina can get very large and is found growing both in full sun all the way down to the heavy shaded dense forest. The Ficus is a very versatile plant as far as light goes. In the full sun it will have a thick canopy of leaves. But, in the dense forest it will grow very open with fewer leaves and thin weeping branches. This explains some of the leaf loss going from a higher light level to a lower light level. This is why every time you move that ficus from one room to another or turn it around you lose leaves.

Ficus benjamina %27Exotica%27 is suitable for bonsai.

To grow Ficus benjamina and the other small leafed species successfully, they should be placed in bright indirect light, such as an east window, or in front of a curtain-filtered south window. Although the plant will adapt to direct sunlight, a combination of very dry air and direct sun can lead to problems with spider mites. At least 400 foot candles of light should be provided for optimum health requirements.
The main cause of leaf drop is stress from over-watering or under-watering the plant. The media should be kept moist at all times. Dryness of the media followed by a sudden soaking will almost certainly result in yellowing of the leaves and leafdrop. The tree should be watered as soon as the media%27s surface approaches dryness. This can be determined by feeling the surface of the media or simply noticing the difference in color of the media. A wet or moist soil or media is dark colored, whereas, a dry surface is light colored. A soggy soil will also cause leafdrop, so it is important that the media be well-drained and the containers drainage holes always open and free of obstructions. Water at the top of the soil and continue to add water until excess water runs out of the drainage holes in the pot. Do not let the pot sit in the excess water.
Although the tree will tolerate night temperatures as low as 45°F (7°C), 65-68°F (18-20°C) is ideal. Daytime temperatures should be maintained near 72-80°F (22-27°C). Warm or cold drafts must be avoided as they can also cause leafdrop. Misting the tree is beneficial for both health of the tree and prevention of spider mite infestations.
Indoor Ficus appreciate being brought outdooors during summer.
Ficus is one of the easiest plant to root from cuttings%3B; although the specifics for maximum
Repotting them every 2-3 years, although some will grow rapidly enough that yearly repotting may be necessary. Ficus can be repotted any time of year if reasonable after-care is given.
author: Hrovatin Dušan