Caring for and caring for ficus at home

Ficus is an ornamental plant with a huge variety of species and varieties. Caring for a ficus at home is simple, but requires understanding and taking into account the characteristics of this plant. With proper care, this indoor flower will become not only a wonderful interior decoration, but also a natural air purifier.

Ficus is a tropical plant. Therefore, most representatives of ficus plants love warm, humid air. In their homeland, trees grow of huge sizes, differ in majesty and bizarre forms.

The genus of ficus includes more than a thousand species, a significant proportion of which outwardly have practically no similarities to each other. Many species are wild, and some grow in gardens, greenhouses, offices and apartments.

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Ficus care at home

Ficuses get along well in houses and apartments. They not only decorate the room, but also purify and humidify the air with the help of emitted phytoncides. However, most ficus plants, with excessive dry air and lack of light, can lose their decorative appeal, so it is important to consider their preferences.

Basic requirements for caring for ficus:

1. A place. Before choosing a ficus, you need to decide where it will stand. After all, these indoor plants do not like moving. Therefore, you should first choose a place and only then a ficus.
2. Lighting. It is preferable to place the plant in well-lit places, avoiding direct sunlight. In the cold season, it is advisable to put a flower on the windowsill, or use additional lighting with a phytolamp. Otherwise, the resulting shoots will be weak, the leaves will become smaller, the branches will begin to reach for the light, making the crown one-sided.
3. Temperature. Ficus needs a temperature of 18-20 ° in winter, and about 25 ° in summer. Some varieties withstand lower temperatures. If the room gets cold, you need to reduce the number of watering.
4. Watering. Most ficuses are sensitive to both excessive and infrequent watering. Do not swamp and overdry the soil. In winter, watering is reduced to about 1 time per week, depending on the species. It is important that the soil has time to dry out between waterings.
5. Humidity. Ficuses love moist air. They can be sprayed and even washed in the shower, especially on hot days. Ficuses with large leaves should be periodically wiped with a wet rag or sponge, as they collect dust and deposits can form on the surface.

Ficus is a flower, the care of which is necessary for its active growth, preservation of beauty and health. Taking care of the plant makes it possible for some of the species to form into bonsai, and some to grow under the ceiling.

If the foliage is covered with yellow spots and falls off, most likely the soil is waterlogged. It is necessary to stop watering and let the earth dry out. Withered or twisted crumbling leaves can signal insufficient soil moisture. You can place the plant pot in a bucket of water, then take it out and let the water drain.

Ficus transplant is a necessary procedure

A young plant should be replanted every spring for the first 4-5 years. Further, less and less. Large ficuses are not recommended to be transplanted, as you can damage the plant or roots. However, an annual replacement of the topsoil is required.It is also worth removing the top layer and pouring a new one if a salt deposit appears on it.

Ficus doesn't like being planted in a pot much larger than its root system. Therefore, it is necessary to change it only when the roots presumably fill the entire space of the old container. The diameter of the pot should be a couple of fingers wider than the root ball.

If the roots are showing through the drainage hole, the pot is probably too small. In this case, the ficus can be transplanted again over the summer. If you do this carefully, without injuring the roots, then the ficus will tolerate the transplant well.

The ficus transplant process should consist of several stages:

1. The plant must be watered first to facilitate the process of removing it from the pot and not damage the root system.
2. Prepare a porous soil consisting of humus, peat and sand.
3. Place a layer of gravel at the bottom of the pot to ensure better drainage.
4. You need to get the plant out of the old pot carefully, without shaking off the lump.
5. Cut off damaged areas on the roots and sprinkle with charcoal or activated carbon.
6. Place the flower in the center of the new pot, making sure that the roots fit relatively freely in it.
7. Gradually fill all the free space with earth, without covering the root neck.
8. Water the plant.

Do not sprinkle the surface of the earth with decorative stones or expanded clay. This prevents the soil from drying out and aerating.

The first two days after transplanting, it is better to refrain from watering. If the air is dry, you can spray the leaves with water.

Soil preparation

The soil can be bought universal or special for ficuses. It is worth abandoning acidic and alkaline substrates, ficuses prefer slightly acidic, light soil. Also, such a soil mixture is well suited to them: 2 parts of leaf, 1 part of peat land and 1 part of humus.

Large, perennial plants need heavier, more nutritious soil. It can be a mixture of 2 parts of sod land and 1 part of leaf or greenhouse. Chopped pine bark, vermiculite and charcoal can be added. In this case, it is important to lay good drainage on the bottom of the pot.

Tearing fragile roots in ficus are a sure sign of improper care. The reason may be improperly selected soil or errors in watering: flooding, overdrying or alternating both.

It is necessary to revise the irrigation scheme and not to use too dense clayey soils. Fine sand should not be added to cement the soil.

Ficus care at home: fertilization

If you properly care for the ficus, even at home, it will not be inferior in beauty and originality to its exotic counterparts. For the health of the leaves, root system and active growth of the plant in spring and summer, it is necessary to carry out fertilizing. This can be done as a complex fertilizer, and organic or special for ficuses. Also, ficuses are very fond of feeding from coffee grounds.

Lack of nutrients and trace elements affects the appearance of plants:

1. Lack of nitrogen leads to a slowdown or arrest of growth.
2. Calcium and potassium deficiency is manifested by the loss of brightness of the leaves, they look pale and lethargic.
3. Lack of phosphorus provokes the elongation of the stems.
4. Iron deficiency leads to pigmentation and leaf shedding.

However, it is important to observe the measure. Ficus needs to be fed about 2 times a month. If you do this more often, brown spots may appear on the leaves. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging!

Before fertilizing, it is necessary to spill the soil so as not to burn the plant roots.

Reproduction

If the ficus has lost its decorative appeal or there is a desire to increase the number of plants in the house, you can try to propagate the flower.

There are several ways to breed ficuses:

1. Cuttings. A tree shoot should be selected with a length of about 10-15 cm.For effective rooting, an incision or split is made at the bottom of the cutting (if the wood is soft, one incision is made, if it is hard, it is cruciform). After cutting off the shoot, it is immersed in warm water for an hour to stop the release of milky juice. Next, there are two options for rooting the cuttings:
   • In the ground. The stalk is deepened by two buds into a container with light soil. Then the soil is compacted and moistened. Cover the top with polyethylene or a plastic container to create greenhouse conditions.
   • In water. The stalk is lowered into a container of water and covered with a film or plastic container. After rooting, it is planted in a pot with soil.
2. Reproduction from a leaf. Healthy, young, but not the topmost leaf is cut with part of the trunk. The resulting cutting is soaked in water for an hour, then the container is filled with drainage 3-5 cm and soil. Next, the planting needs to be watered and covered with polyethylene. After rooting and sprouting, the new plant can be transplanted into light soil.
3. Reproduction by layering. The fastest way to get a new plant. There are two methods, with air and horizontal layering:
   • In the first case, a healthy shoot is selected, several leaves are removed from the place where roots should form. A couple of circular cuts are made with a distance of 2-3 cm and the bark is removed. Places of cuts are processed with Kornevin powder and wrapped in moistened sphagnum, then with a film and fixed with threads. After the formation of roots, the cutting is cut off and planted in the ground.
   • The second method is suitable for ficuses with flexible branches. The selected shoot bends to the ground in the form of an arc and slightly deepens until a root system is formed. Further, the rooted shoot can be cut off from the main plant and transplanted.

The plant propagation procedure should be started in spring or in the first decade of summer at an air temperature of 23-25 ​​°.

Home care for ficus includes pest and disease control

Before buying a ficus from a store, it is important to inspect the plant for signs of pests or diseases. At the slightest hint of an unhealthy flower, it is better to refuse the purchase. It is better to put a new plant in the house for a week separately from other indoor flowers.

Ficuses can be susceptible to such ailments as:

1. A sooty mushroom. A sticky bloom of black appears on the foliage. These are the consequences of the secretion of mucus from aphids, scale insects and other pests. The plant must be treated with a solution of soapy water. Then the entire flower from the top to the roots is sprayed with a fungicide solution.
2. Cercosporosis. On the back of the leaves, dark spots appear and gradually grow throughout the plant. The cause is the Cercospora fungus. It is necessary to remove diseased leaves and spray the plant with an antifungal agent.
3. Gray rot. The plant becomes moldy, then dark spots appear on the leaves. It is important to notice the disease in time and remove the infected parts at the very beginning. Then the ficuses are sprayed with fungicides. It is important to ventilate the room more often and temporarily reduce watering.
4. Powdery mildew. A flour-like bloom appears on the leaves. At the initial stage of the disease, it is enough to wipe the infected areas with soapy water. If the condition is running, the affected areas are removed, and the plant itself is sprayed with fungicides.
5. Root rot. Caused by excessive watering. The damaged roots do not cope with their functions and the plant dies without receiving adequate nutrition. For prevention, you can water the ficus with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate once a month, and add charcoal to the soil when planting. You also need to monitor the moderation of watering.
6. Pests (mealybugs, nematodes, spider mites, scale insects, thrips). Spots or dots may appear on the leaves. It is also worth looking for pests if the leaves become discolored, gradually turn yellow, depressed spots, pinpoint punctures, and strokes on the leaves appear.Such a plant is wiped with soapy water, and if it is strongly spread, it is sprayed with insipicides. Only acaricides are effective against ticks.

Placing flower pots close to each other is undesirable, as this can contribute to the rapid reproduction of pests and the spread of diseases between plants.

Varieties of indoor ficuses

These showy mulberry plants can look like small trees, vines or bushes. Each type of ficus is distinguished by its originality of forms and individual beauty.

Rubbery (Elastic)

The most common type. It takes root and grows easily. It has glossy hard leaves of various shapes and colors. Some varieties branch well and are quite compact, others weakly form lateral shoots and tend to grow upward. It is necessary to form the crown in a timely manner, tying up the stems or periodically trim them and root them. He really does not like hypothermia of the roots. Drought-resistant, does not tolerate frequent watering. It has a small root system, so it is better to choose a smaller container.

Ficus Benjamin

The most popular indoor ficus, reaching 1.5 - 2 meters in height. It lends itself well to crown formation by pruning and splicing the trunks. Lightly bending branches take any shape. Leaves are shiny, leathery, oblong or lanceolate, pointed at the end. Does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. He loves light very much, especially variegated varieties. It tolerates dry air well.

Binnendiyka Ali

The leaves resemble willow in shape, therefore the people have the name willow. Branches well. At home, it can reach 1.5 m in height and about 70-80 cm in diameter. Loves bright diffused light, light partial shade. Varieties with green leaves (not variegated) are more shade-tolerant than other types of ficus. They endure severe dryness, but die from waterlogging. In winter, watering is limited to such an extent that the soil dries out completely.

Lyre ficus

Large leathery leaves up to 50-60 cm long are close to the trunk and directed upward, which makes the plant look like an inverted violin or lyre. Loves loneliness, do not put it close to other plants. At home, it branches poorly, and at the age of 4-5 years it can give side shoots. Does not tolerate soil cooling after watering.

Dwarf

Ground cover or ampel plant with heart-shaped leaves and clinging shoots. Small leaves 1-4 cm long gradually become elastic leathery leafy plates up to 7-10 cm. Poorly tolerates overdrying of the earth. In insufficient light, it can grow new shoots without leaves. In winter it can withstand temperatures around 12-14 ° C without draft.

Oak-leaved ficus

A creeping plant with flexible shoots that cling to supports. They are used in the interior for decorating walls and curtains. Leaves are shiny, leathery, 4-6 cm long, shaped like oak leaves. Can be grown as an ampelous plant or directed shoots along various supports (cylinders, pyramids, etc.).

Karika

A tree plant, also called a fig or fig tree. The leaves are pubescent, large, with 3-7 lobes. Growth and flower buds are laid in the leaf axils. Foliage partially falls off in winter. There are a number of undersized varieties that bear fruit indoors.

Cherry

Stunted view. Shoots are orange, leaves are elongated and pointed. It has small decorative fruits that resemble cherries. The fruiting plant looks very impressive.

Ficus Parcel

Leaves are broadly oval with a variegated marble color and intersperses on a tree-like trunk. It can form a beautifully shaped crown. Caring for a ficus at home requires compliance with certain rules. In summer, it requires abundant watering and spraying. It reacts poorly to drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations. It does not tolerate air pollution, therefore, it is absolutely impossible to put it in the kitchen or next to it.

Rusty

An unpretentious plant with a hemispherical crown. Large broadly elliptic leaves are colored red on the back. It has young fluffy shoots of a reddish hue, and the lower part of the trunk is covered with aerial roots. Water the plant with warm water.

Bottle ficus

The base of the trunk, in which the plant accumulates moisture, resembles a thickened bottle. The roots are short, so low, but wide containers are chosen for their cultivation. In winter, this type of ficus enters a dormant state, watering should be greatly reduced.

Bengal

Can form bonsai. Differs in the formation of aerial roots, some of which dries out, and the rest reach the ground and can take root. The leaves are powerful, of various configurations, depending on the variety.

Deltoid ficus

The leaf shape is similar to a triangle with rounded corners 4-8 cm in length. On the front side, the sheet has light dots, and on the back - several dark ones. From an early age, it can begin to bear fruit with small yellow berries, unsuitable for food. It grows up to 80 cm. Resistant to temperature changes, but does not tolerate drafts. Moisture-loving, loves daily spraying and cool showers.

Crater-leaved

The leaves, although leathery, are soft, up to 9 cm long, in reverse triangular shape, slightly concave at the tip. The crown of ficus crateroliferous is easily formed in the form of a broom. In summer, it is possible to keep the plant outdoors.

Ficus microcarpa

Can form bonsai. Differs in an unusual thickened trunk and lush crown. It is prone to strong branching, looks like a tree. To form a lush, moderately branched crown, it is necessary to prune. When forming, bonsai can shed foliage. Small inflorescences up to 2 cm in diameter may appear.

Everyone can decorate their home with an original tropical flower, it is enough to understand how to care for a ficus and devote some personal time to it. A healthy, well-groomed plant will delight with its beauty for many years, and the indoor air will become fresh and comfortable.

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