Question
Aloha,
I have a ficus bonsai. The leaves have all fallen off off of it and I was told not to panic if this happened that it was common for this type of bonsai.
My question is. If the leaves fall off shouldn`t they grow back? It develpoped tiny little buds but they never leafed out. I am assuming this plant is dead.
How do I know if it`s dead or alive?
How often should I water it
How often should I feed it.
If it should still be alive, does it need sun?Mahalo,
Gayla


Answer
HI Gayla:

Yes this is common with members of the Ficus species.  It should start producing new leaves with in two weeks this time of year.  When a plant is defoliated you have to be careful with water, water only when the surface starts to dry out.  How can you tell if it is dead??? You can scratch the bark and see if there is some green underneath, but with a Ficus this is not alway good because they scar easily and the scaring is slow to dissappear.  I would suggest waiting a couple of weeks.  If no new growth appears odds are the plant is gone.  Put it some place where it will get watered occassionally and just wait, they can surprise you.

Vance Wood.