Kind Ficus (Ficus) from the Mulberry family is represented by evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs and woody vines, which, according to various sources, number from 800 to 1000 species. Their places of growth are tropical and subtropical regions located in Africa, Asia, America, Australia, where under natural conditions these plants reach enormous size.
Leadership in prevalence among cultural ficuses belongs to Ficus rubber-bearing. It should also be noted the great popularity of Ficus Benjamin, Ficus lyre, Ficus Bengal and Ficus dwarf.
Ficus - growing and care
Ficus is very demanding on the temperature of the content and does not tolerate sharp temperature drops. The most optimal mode for it is the temperature from 25 ° C in the spring and summer, and from 16 ° C in the winter.
The location of the ficus should be as bright as possible, since with a lack of lighting their branches begin to reach for light, their internodes are lengthened and the number of leaves decreases. An ideal place for a pot of ficus is the space near the western and eastern windows. In winter, it can be located on the south side, but in summer, ficus will have to be shaded in this direction so that the plant does not suffer from direct midday sun. However, it is too often impossible to move the ficus too, so that sudden changes in position do not cause the leaves to fall. Also, it must be protected from drafts.
Ficus needs to provide uniform watering throughout the year, which should become plentiful by the summer. For watering, you should use warm soft water that has been left standing for at least 12 hours. In the case of tree species, it is important to allow the soil to dry between waterings, ampelous forms should be watered more often. If the plant does not receive enough moisture, then its leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off, which, for example, for small-leaved species can cause death. However, excessive watering can also lead to leaf falling and decay of the root neck.
In summer, ficus should be fed every 15 days with any organic fertilizer for indoor plants. In winter, top dressing should be done no more than 1 time in 2 months. During the period of active growth, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content should be used, they stimulate leaf growth, in winter, on the contrary, an excess of nitrogen is undesirable so that the ficus does not begin to grow in low light. In the first two months after transplantation, it also does not need to be fed, as the new soil contains all the nutrients necessary for the plant.
Ficus perceives spraying very well, but for this you need to use only warm, better boiled water, in order to avoid the formation of white limescale on the leaves. Spraying can be carried out even more than once a day. From time to time, you should wipe the leaves with a damp sponge.
Ficus - transplant and reproduction
Ficus transplantation is carried out in the spring. For young plants, this procedure should be carried out annually, after reaching 5 years, ficuses are transplanted every 2 years, for old tub plants, the interval between transplants is about 3-4 years. To prepare the soil mixture for transplantation, compost or humus, sod, peat and sand are taken in equal parts (replanting large tree specimens, the proportion of sod land should be increased).
For the propagation of ficuses, semi-lignified apical cuttings with leaves are used. To do this, after washing off the milky juice from the cuttings, it should be placed in water and placed on a sunny window until the roots appear, or rooted in sand or water at a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees.
Ficus - Diseases and Pests
If the leaves of the ficus begin to turn yellow and fall, it means that it lacks nutrients and should be transplanted into more nutritious soil.
Premature falling of leaves, the appearance of yellow spots on them or yellowing of the edges of the leaves suggests that the plant suffers from an excess of moisture. Therefore, the soil should be allowed to dry between waterings.
If you keep ficus in a room with excessively dry air, or do not shade it from direct sunlight, or do not provide it with sufficient watering, its leaves may wrinkle. In this case, it is necessary to provide the plant with optimal watering and regular spraying.
Sudden falling of leaves may indicate waterlogging of the soil (if we are talking about rubbery and lyric ficus), lack of light or a sharp change in climate (in the case of Benjamin ficus). In addition, the reason for this may be the use of cold water for irrigation, a low temperature in the room, a lack of light, an excess of nutrients in the soil or a plant staying in a draft. The elimination of these causes, as a rule, leads to the normalization of the state of the plant.
Untimely transplantation or transplantation into poor soil, lack of top dressing or violation of temperature and light conditions can lead to leaf fall, up to complete exposure of the trunk.
Too high room temperature, dry air or excess fertilizer can cause brown spots on the ends and edges of the leaves.
Ficus can also be affected by pests: thrips and scale insects. To get rid of them, you need to wipe the leaves of the ficus with a sponge dipped in soapy water, and then treat the plant with any systemic insecticide.
By following these simple rules, you can grow a beautiful plant at home, which is famous for its good energy and brings not only beauty, but also home comfort and peace to the house.
