≡× MENU

• Repair
• Repair
• Interior Design
• About everything
• About plumbing

What kind of pot does a ficus with large leaves need. In which pot to plant ficus - the secrets of the right choice. Brief description of the plant

Can be planted with seeds. As a rule, seeds are purchased at a specialized store. Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil, which in equal parts consists of soddy soil, humus and coarse sand. You can add some bone meal. Seed treatment, soaking or immersion in a phyto solution is not required for this plant. Seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of approximately 5 mm. A container with planted seeds should be in a bright place at a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees. To maintain a constant level of humidity, the container is placed with a plastic bag, and direct sunlight is excluded. After planting, you need to be patient, as Benjamin's ficus seeds germinate after three months. After the appearance of several leaves on young shoots, the plants are picked into separate pots.

Location and lighting

Ficus Benjamin belongs to light-loving plants, which must be considered when choosing its location. If the plant is located on the windowsills of the south side, then in this case the window must be slightly shaded from the sun, which can cause burns to the foliage. It is even better to place the plant in the back of the room. Windows on the east and west sides are optimal for ficus. On the north side, especially in winter, when daylight hours are short, Benjamin's ficus needs additional lighting. For this, ordinary light bulbs are not suitable, as they get very hot and dry the air. You have to use fluorescent lamps. When choosing the place of "registration" of ficus Benjamin, it must be remembered that he painfully perceives the change of place of "residence". In the summer, if there is a place protected from drafts and precipitation, the plant can be put on a balcony or terrace.

pot size

The pot for ficus Benjamin must be changed at the annual transplant, when the plant is actively growing and its root system is developing. This period lasts about four years, after which the pot remains the same size. The change in the size of the pot during transplantation in quantitative terms increases by 2 - 3 cm without fail. Pots should have drainage holes. There are no special requirements for the material of the pot, it can be either ceramic or plastic, the main thing is that it fits the plant in size and harmoniously fits into the interior.

The soil

Soil for ficus Benjamin is sold in specialized stores. You can prepare the soil for planting the plant yourself. The acidity of the soil for ficuses is neutral or slightly acidic. Depending on the age of the plant, the mixture will be slightly different from each other. For young plants, the soil is made up of equal parts of peat, leafy soil and sand. For adult plants, the soil is denser and consists of leaf and sod land, with the addition of sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 0.5.

Transfer

Ficus Benjamin transplantation is carried out in several cases:

• with an annual transplant of young plants, when a replacement of the pot is required;
• in case of reproduction;
• when soil is depleted and drainage is replaced.

Usually transplantation is carried out in the spring. In order for the ficus to transfer the transplant painlessly, without damaging the root system, the plant transshipment method is used. In this case, the old earthen ball does not collapse, the roots remain intact, and we fill the gaps formed in the pot with fresh soil. After transplantation, the first watering of the plants is carried out only on the third day. If the room is very hot, dry and there is no way to ventilate without harming the plant, spraying the plant can be applied. If the ficus was purchased in a store, then the best time for a transplant would be the period after three to four weeks after purchase.

Fertilizers and top dressing

When growing ficus Benjamin, you can not do without top dressing and fertilizers. Fertilizer is produced from April to September, usually twice a week, alternating complex mineral and organic fertilizers. During the period when the foliage is actively growing on the plant, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are recommended. The fertilizer dissolves in water and is applied along with irrigation. As an organic top dressing, a mullein solution is used in a ratio of 1:10. In winter, Benjamin's ficus begins a dormant period, during which the plant does not need fertilizer.

Watering

There are no special rules for watering ficus Benjamin. It is produced as the soil dries out, which can be determined simply by feeling it with your hand. Overflowing ficus tolerates quite hard, so it is better to underfill the plant, since the plant tolerates drying out more easily than overflowing. But it is still better not to bring the plant to extreme conditions. To prevent the plant from overflowing, it is usually watered in several approaches, especially if the root ball is too dense and does not absorb moisture well. Excess water, if any, must be poured out of the pan. In winter, the plant is watered less frequently. Water for irrigation should stand for several days, or it must be boiled, cooled, and only then water the plant.

Temperature

Ficus Benjamin in terms of temperature content is a rather unpretentious plant. In the spring and summer months, the temperature for normal growth and development of the plant should be in the range from 20 to 25 degrees. The only thing to consider is that the plant does not tolerate drafts and the temperature changes associated with it. In winter, when the plant has a dormant period, it has enough temperatures in the range of 16-18 degrees. If the plant is cold, you will notice it by yellowing leaves, which will begin to fall off over time. You should not be afraid when, with the onset of a dormant period, the plant begins to shed its leaves. It is in the order of things when in winter the ficus loses 10-15% of foliage.

Humidity

Ficus Benjamin is a moisture-loving plant. A comfortable level of air humidity for him is at the level of 70%. In the summer months, ficus requires regular spraying of the leaves, and the plant should be sprayed with boiled water at room temperature. Once every two weeks, the plant can be given a warm shower, also from boiled water, by installing a ficus in the bathroom. In winter, when heating devices are on, the humidity level is maintained with the help of air humidifiers or with the help of a container of water in the immediate vicinity of the ficus.

pruning

Ficus Benjamin pruning is done in late spring or early summer, when the plant has the highest growth rate. The attractiveness of this flower is that with the help of pruning it can be given a different shape. The most popular are the crowns of the plant in the form of a ball, a neat bush, in the Japanese bonsai style and in the form of various sculptures. There are a number of rules that should be followed when pruning Benjamin's ficus: the cut is made only with a sterilized tool at an angle to the upper edge, while you can not damage the bark, twist and cut off the leaves, and you should also try to maintain the natural appearance of the plant and take your time to cut branches that can be saved. Ficus Benjamin with woven trunks looks very attractive. This can be achieved by planting two or more young plants of the same height in one pot. Young ficuses are easy to braid, after removing branches and foliage in places of plexus. The coils of the plexus are fixed with electrical tape.

Pests and diseases

Common diseases of Benjamin's ficus are: botrytis - white bloom on the foliage due to overflow of the plant, cercosporosis - black dots on the underside of the leaf and anthracnose - drying of the edges of the sheet and the appearance of brown spots on them. To treat the plant, severely affected parts are removed, the plant itself is transferred to another place and provided with proper care, namely, proper watering and lighting, compliance with the humidity and temperature regime.

Of the pests, ficus Benjamin is most often affected by spider mites, aphids, scale insects and mealybugs.

A plant infected with a spider mite, if urgent treatment measures are not taken, dies. The fact is that this insect, sucking juice from foliage and other soft tissues, lays eggs within one to two weeks and multiplies exponentially. A preventive measure against the appearance of a spider mite is the steaming of drainage and soil, as well as regular spraying of the plant. If the spider mite has already appeared, then they fight it both with folk methods and with the help of chemicals.

Folk methods include washing the entire plant and pot with soapy water, which leads to a decrease in the mite population, and then water the plant abundantly, spray the leaves and cover it with a plastic bag. The fact is that this creates high humidity, from which the spider mite dies.

An alternative treatment is to spray the plant with chemicals such as Aktara. If the leaves of the plant are severely deformed, begin to curl and dry out, then this indicates that the plant has been damaged by such a pest as aphids, which reproduces no less rapidly than the spider mite. It is necessary to fight aphids by spraying the plants with tobacco, onion or garlic tincture, as well as tinctures from pepper, celandine and others. Also, the plant can be treated with insecticides and other chemicals.

If brown plaques are found on the stems of the plant, which are nothing more than a scale insect, the plant must be urgently isolated from other indoor plants. You can fight the scale insect quite effectively by wiping the affected areas of the plant with a soap-alcohol solution after you remove all insects from the plant with a damp cloth or toothbrush. Alcohol can be replaced with engine oil. This procedure is recommended to be carried out weekly until the complete destruction of pests. Another method of dealing with scabies is rubbing the affected areas with tinctures based on garlic, celandine or hot pepper. Of the chemicals, drugs such as Fitoverm or Akarin are the most effective.

To combat the mealybug, a soap-alcohol solution should be prepared, which is sprayed on the plant. The next day, the ficus is washed with warm water, and after another 3 days, the procedure is repeated again. Garlic tincture wipe the affected leaves. Chemical preparations such as phosphamide, actellik and others treat the leaves of the plant, sucking in the juice of which, the insects are poisoned and die. In the chemical methods of processing plants, in no case should one forget about personal safety by using protective equipment.

Bloom

At home, unlike in the wild, Benjamin's ficus practically does not bloom. Yes, and as such, there are no flowers, but there are inflorescences in the form of peas or berries with small holes for pollination by insects that live in a tropical climate.

reproduction

Reproduction of ficus Benjamin can be carried out in two ways: cuttings and leaf propagation. The most common method is the cutting method. For a cutting, a strong and healthy shoot is cut. Cut with a sharp sterilized scalpel or blade. The lower leaves are removed from the cutting. You can root the cuttings both in water and in the ground. To root the cutting in water, the cutting is placed in water by about 1 cm and regularly, adding water to replace the evaporated water, we wait for the roots to germinate. When the cutting takes root, it is clearly visible through the glass, it is planted in a separate pot in the ground for young ficuses. When rooting the cuttings in the ground, the cut of the cutting is washed in warm water and planted from the ground. A container with a planted cutting is placed in a plastic bag or covered with glass. This is how the greenhouse conditions necessary for the rooting of the cuttings in the ground are organized. After new leaves appear, indicating successful rooting, the plants dive into separate pots.

For leaf propagation, cut off the bottom leaf of the plant and place it in a container of water. The leaf should be cut with a small part of the stem. After new roots appear, the leaf is planted in the ground. You can immediately plant the cut leaf in the ground, but for its rooting you will have to create greenhouse conditions by placing the container in a bag or under a glass flask.

Plant toxicity / beneficial properties

The beneficial properties of ficus Benjamin include its ability to purify the air, but the milky juice of this ficus can cause allergies.

Not all lovers of indoor crops know how to transplant Benjamin's ficus at home, as the plant is exotic for the latitudes of Russia. Ficus benjamina of the mulberry family grows in tropical and subtropical forests of China, Southeast Asia and India. It is also found in Australia and the Philippines.

Even a small indoor ficus looks like a small tree with a short trunk, smooth light beige bark and a highly branched crown. Since this plant comes from the tropics, it has a large number of aerial roots characteristic of it. This beautiful evergreen tree in nature can grow up to 30 m in height. Its smooth, ovate-oblong leaves can be 6 to 13 cm long and 2 to 6 cm wide. The leaflets have a strongly pronounced main vein compared to the barely visible 8-12 pairs of lateral veins.

Ficus Benjamin has a well-developed strong root system, but gardeners should remember that it is very fragile, so you need to be careful when transplanting it. Its roots spread both in depth and are located on the surface of the earth.

Indoor small ficuses come in various varieties that differ in size, shape, leaf color, etc.

Many novice gardeners are interested in the question of when to transplant ficus and how to properly carry out this process. The need for a transplant may arise in such situations:

1. Ficus grows in a small shipping pot (if purchased from a store). But for a long time the plant should not be in such cramped conditions, since it will not be able to grow and develop normally.
2. Small pot size (the roots don't have enough space and start to protrude from the drainage holes).
3. Reproduction to obtain young plants.
4. The presence of fungus, mold or signs of other diseases in the soil.

In addition, the frequency of plant transplantation should be controlled:

1. In the first 4 years of the life of a ficus, it is recommended to transplant it at least 1 time per year. A young plant is best transplanted in the spring.
2. After 4-5 years, the plant must be replanted every 2-3 years.
3. Between transplants, it is recommended to regularly update the topsoil.

Transplanting ficus from a shipping pot after buying it

Consider how to properly transplant a ficus bought at a flower shop. The plant can be transplanted into another pot no earlier than 2 or 3 weeks after its purchase.

Experts recommend transplanting young plants into leafy soil. Ficus does not tolerate soil with high acidity, so its level should be close to pH 5.5-6.5. Suitable universal primer for ficus Benjamin or do-it-yourself soil mixture.

1. For transplanting, prepare a pot that will be 3 cm larger than the previous one.
2. We are preparing the soil for transplanting a young crop from 1 part of sand, 2 parts of coniferous soil and 2 parts of peat. The air temperature in the room during the transplantation process should be around + 18 ... + 23 ° С, otherwise the ficus will begin to wither and can quickly die.
3. 24 hours before transplanting, water the plant abundantly with water so that it is better removed from the old pot.
4. Carefully remove the ficus from the pot and shake the earth from its roots into a large container. At the bottom of the new tub, we lay about 3 cm of a drainage layer made of foam, expanded clay, river pebbles or other components. Pour a small layer of sand on top. We place the plant in a pot and surround it with prepared soil, filling up all the voids. Carefully tamp the soil. When moving, the root neck should not be deeply buried in the soil.
5. After transplanting, the ficus must be sprayed with warm water. Within 2 weeks after moving the crop, various top dressings should not be introduced into the soil.

How to transplant "adult" ficus Benjamin

Many gardeners do not know how to transplant Benjamin's ficus over 5 years old so that it takes root well and quickly adapts to a new environment.

1. We take a pot 2-3 cm larger than the previous one and, before filling it with soil, lay drainage on the bottom (pebbles, expanded clay, polystyrene, etc.). Pour a small layer of river sand on top.
2. Adult ficuses prefer to develop in the most nutritious soil. To do this, we prepare it from leafy soil, coniferous mixture, peat, turf and humus. All components are taken in equal parts.
3. The day before the transplant procedure, we water the plant and leave the ground to soak with moisture.
4. Then carefully remove the ficus, trying not to damage the roots, and shake off the ground a little on the pallet. If some roots are rotten, then they can be carefully removed, and then treated with a fungicide at the cut sites.
5. We move the plant to a new pot and fill all the voids around the tub with a prepared mixture of good nutrient soil. After transshipment of the ficus, it needs to be watered a little. Since the transplant process is some stress for the plant, in the first month it is recommended to replace full-fledged watering with spraying with water at room temperature (up to 2 times a day).
6. If the transplant process is difficult due to the “age” of the culture, then in this case it will be enough just to carefully remove the top layer of soil and replace it with a new one.

After the transplant process, the plant will need some time to adapt to the new environment. If you take too large a pot, then the ficus growth period may slow down a bit. Some experts advise covering the top of the crown with polyethylene or a special transparent cap until the plant recovers, and ventilate it 2 times a day. Nutrients such as "Rainbow" and "Palm" are introduced only 30 days after his transplant.

Sometimes gardeners transplant the plant in the fall. Some types of ficus can tolerate this process normally, but it must be remembered that in October-February, many cultures begin to shed their leaves due to the lack of sufficient heat and light. This factor should be taken into account when transplanting rubber ficus.

If you do not want the plant to start growing quickly, it should not be moved to a very large pot. In order for the ficus to develop normally, it is necessary to cut young shoots once every 3 years. Indoor crops do not bloom in a cramped pot, so you should not expect beautiful and abundant flowering from them.

1. What shape is needed for a ficus pot? For most representatives of this species, the standard model, in which the height is approximately equal to the diameter, is quite suitable. For example, such a pot is suitable for ficus Benjamin.

   Ficus Benjamin (Ficus benjamina)

   The only exceptions are those plants that are grown using the bonsai technique. Then you need to pick up flat pots or bowls, in which the height of the sides is not more than 10 cm. In this case, for ficus Benjamin, you need a pot in the form of a bowl or container, preferably made of clay and without a glossy finish.

How to breed ficus benjamin at home

3 Ways to Propagate Ficus Benjamin

It is believed that ficus brings good luck and cleanses energy, so many housewives would like to acquire this home shrub. Ficus Benjamin is very popular now. This is due to the fact that its trunks can be intertwined into beautiful designs, cut the crown, create beautiful Bonsai. Very often the question arises how to grow Benjamin's ficus at home. This plant is quite unpretentious, it is not difficult to propagate.

Spring and early summer are ideal for reproduction, since during this period the plant begins to grow more actively, acquires new branches and foliage, and the root system also grows more rapidly.

There are several ways to propagate Ficus Benjamin:

• cuttings;
• Reproduction using seeds;
• Microcloning.

At home, the first two types of reproduction are the most optimal. Since cloning is used on an industrial scale, or when breeding new varieties of ficuses. In this case, gardeners receive an exact copy of the donor plant.

Propagation of ficus Benjamin by cuttings

If you decide to use this plant propagation method, you should follow the following algorithm, in more detail you can see the video below:

1. We cut the branches from the top of the tree with a length of 10-15 cm. We make the cut obliquely. On the harvested handle should be 2-3 tiers of leaves.
2. When the shoot is cut, a white milk will appear, it is washed off with water, since the dried juice can interfere with the full development of the roots. It is also allowed to put the cut stalk in a container with water, the water must be changed every 2-3 hours, until the liquid from the cut stops coming out, then dry it for an hour.
3. We put the dried sprout in a jar of water. It is necessary to ensure that the water is at room temperature, in warm water the branch will give roots faster.
4. We put our plant in a lighted place, but without direct sunlight. We monitor the evaporation of the liquid, add the missing one.

Make sure that the leaves of your future tree do not touch the water, otherwise it may begin to rot. We also recommend adding a tablet of activated charcoal to the water, it will also help prevent decay.

If the conditions are not met, the effect can be obtained as in the photo below. The sprouts gave roots, but they could not be saved, the stalk began to rot, and the leaves fell off (the reasons for leaf fall can be seen here), as they were completely in the water.

After the roots in the water have reached about 5 cm in length, it is time to transplant the sprout into a pot for further cultivation. For faster growth, you can treat the lower part of the seedling with a special root stimulator.

We propagate ficus in the ground

There is another way to breed ficus with cuttings at home - planting cut branches immediately into the ground. To do this, you need to pick up a special mixture of earth that young ficuses love. If you have a desire to make the mixture yourself, for this we take in equal parts:

• peat land;
• sand;
• leaf humus.

You can also find bags with ready-made substance in stores, they are also suitable for this procedure.

For such rooting, we prepare the cuttings in the same way as in the instructions above. After that:

• take a dried cut and sprinkle with crushed coal;
• we plant a sprout in the ground on one kidney;
• we cover the plant with a three-liter jar, thus creating a mini greenhouse for it, a plastic bag is also suitable;
• we water the earth moderately, for growth it should not be dry, but at the same time it is impossible to make a “swamp”;
• put the pot in a warm place, for example, next to the battery, but no direct sunlight;
• When the branch takes root, you will see new leaves, after that we gradually remove our greenhouse. We start with 15-20 minutes a day so that the tree gets used to the new conditions.

Propagation of a tree from seeds

You decide to try to germinate ficus at home from seeds, then store-bought specimens are better suited. At home, such ficuses bloom extremely rarely, one might say they do not bloom at all, so purchased seeds are ideal. They have a high degree of germination, they can also be stored for a long time if the rules of storage and transportation are observed. Additional processing of these seeds is not necessary. The land for sowing seeds is used the same as for cuttings; for top dressing, you can add 10 g of bone meal for every 10 liters of soil mixture. We plant the seeds not deep, it is enough to sprinkle them with earth, the planting depth should be approximately 5 mm.

It is acceptable to plant a few seeds in a wide, shallow container, as seedlings are subject to further transplantation. Next, spray the soil abundantly and cover with a plastic bag (you can also use a glass jar or plastic bottle). The ground until full growth should always be wet, but not "mud".

The greenhouse created in this way must be opened daily for 10 minutes to avoid waterlogging the soil and remove excess condensate. When you see the first sprouts, the greenhouse can be removed for a longer period, but it will be possible to refuse it only until all the seeds have fully germinated.

The optimum temperature for germinating seedlings is 20-25 degrees. After the seedlings have a couple of leaves, they can dive into a larger pot. A similar method of propagation and rooting is great for Benjamin Dunetti's ficus, since it is the Dunetti variety that is quite expensive, and by sprouting it from seeds there is a chance to grow a beautiful tree at an affordable price.

For rooting, it is better to choose a fairly large pot. Ficus does not like frequent transplants, so you need to change the pot of the plant as needed, you can see how to transplant the plant here.

For beginner gardeners, it is more expedient to breed Benjamin's ficus with germinated cuttings in water. In order to make your task easier, we have prepared for you a few videos below, where you can see in detail how to propagate this beautiful plant and what you need for its further cultivation, you can see in the article on ficus care.

Ficus Benjamin - reproduction | Exemplary Manor

Ficus Benjamin has become a frequent decoration of modern homes, and often those who do not have such a plant in their house wonder how it reproduces. The most well-known methods of propagation of this plant are seed propagation and cuttings.

How to propagate ficus benjamin

Since the plant does not bloom under indoor growing conditions, and, therefore, does not produce seeds, the seed propagation of this plant causes certain difficulties for us.

Harvested cuttings

So in our conditions, propagation by cuttings is ideal.

Ficus Benjamin: propagation by cuttings

Before proceeding with cuttings, make sure that the mother plant, that is, the plant from which you will take cuttings, is absolutely healthy. Further, it should be borne in mind that the most favorable time for grafting a plant is the time period of spring or early summer, in winter or autumn it is best not to resort to this procedure. By propagating the plant at this time, you will ensure that young plants, having taken root, will be able to get stronger and endure the autumn-winter period well.

Procurement of cuttings

Correct cutting

Most of the existing types of ficus can be propagated by cuttings. harvesting cuttings consists in cutting them from the mother plant. Prepare a sharp knife and carefully at a 45 ° angle cut the apical semi-woody twigs 12 to 15 cm long.

You should not cut the cuttings with blunt tools, and make the cut even, as this will contribute to poor survival of the cuttings and slow down their rooting.

Preparation of cuttings

Sprouting cuttings in water

After the cuttings are cut from the mother plant, all excess leaves, especially large ones, must be removed from them. This is done so that the plant can give all its strength to the formation of roots. The second step will be to get rid of the milky juice in the place of the lower cut, it should either be washed off immediately, or the cuttings should be placed in a jar of water until the juice ceases to stand out. Water should be changed periodically, about once every one and a half to two hours. The juice is removed from the cut, because, when it hardens, it forms a dense film and interferes with the formation of the root system on the cut.

Callus formation

After the leaves are removed and the juice is washed off, you need to spread the cuttings on a clean surface and dry them slightly for two to three hours.

Sprouting cuttings in water

It is best to germinate the cuttings in warm water, so they will germinate faster and take root. But in warm water, rotting processes can begin, in order to avoid this, activated carbon should be added to the water. It will be enough just one tablet per half-liter jar. The cuttings are immersed in water, so that the water does not touch the left leaves. A container with cuttings is placed on a well-lit windowsill, but so that the plants do not fall under direct sunlight.

The stalk is ready for planting

If you notice that the water has evaporated, simply add the required amount of water to the jar.

You can create a mini greenhouse around the container with the cuttings, so the germination of the cuttings will be faster. To create a greenhouse, simply place the container with the cuttings in a plastic bag and tie it up. But it should be remembered that the greenhouse should be periodically ventilated in order to avoid the appearance of mold and rot.

Approximately two to three weeks after the start of germination, light growths will appear on the stems of the cuttings, this is a callus, from which roots are subsequently formed.

Planting cuttings in the ground

As soon as the roots grow to a length of 1-2 cm, the plants can be planted in the ground. How to grow plants properly, read the article: Ficus Benjamin: cultivation and care

Sprouting cuttings in the ground

In addition to germinating cuttings in a container with water, they can be germinated immediately in the ground.

For such germination, you need to prepare a special substrate. Take sand, peat and perlite in equal proportions, mix well and the substrate is ready. The substrate is poured into seedling boxes or any other container for germinating cuttings and watered well.

Germination of cuttings in the ground

The cuttings are prepared, as in the previous case, removing excess leaves and washing off the milky juice from the tip of the cutting. After drying the cuttings, their sections must be disinfected by sprinkling them with crushed charcoal. Then you can plant the cuttings. If you have soaked the soil, let the excess water drain. The soil should be well drenched, but not wet to the point of mud. The cuttings are immersed in a moist substrate, deepening one or two buds.

After the cuttings are planted, create the greenhouse conditions for the plants, for this, as in the previous case, put the container with the cuttings in a plastic bag and tie it. Do not forget to air the greenhouse from time to time. You can replace the plastic bag by simply covering the plants with a glass jar, but this is optional.

For better root formation and faster survival, you can water the plants with a root stimulator from time to time, but do not abuse this.

Creating a greenhouse

Whether plants have taken root or not is determined by observing the appearance of new young leaves. As soon as they appeared, the plant took root. But after the appearance of young leaves, you should not immediately remove the greenhouse, you need to gradually accustom young plants to environmental conditions. To do this, every day they begin to open the greenhouse, and leave the plants without shelter, each time increasing the time, and so on until the plants are hardened. After the hardening period has passed, you can transplant the plants to a permanent place, but you should not immediately take too large a pot.

Ficus Benjamin. Growing at home and care

In this article, Sovetland.ru will tell you how to properly grow the Benjamin ficus plant loved by many at home and how to care for it.

A little about Benjamin's ficus

One of the most popular houseplants is Benjamin's ficus. Under natural conditions, this plant can be found in Australia and Asian countries - Thailand, India, China. Reaching a height of up to 20 meters, the ficus is famous for its wide beautiful crown. Ficus is the symbol of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.

Why is Benjamin's ficus so attractive? Rough, uneven bark, glossy leaves and aerial roots that protrude above ground level - together they present a truly bewitching picture in an exquisite oriental style. Ficus is also used to form bonsai - an oriental work of art.

In our climatic conditions, this handsome man of Asian origin can reach a height of up to 3 meters. In order for the ficus to constantly delight you with its chic green crown and attract all the eyes of the guests to itself, it needs proper and timely care.

How to care for Ficus Benjamin

Transfer

Reproduction of ficuses is carried out by cuttings in the ground or water. An important point to be noted: Benjamin's ficus is a rubber plant, which means that in order for the juice released on the cut to not interfere with rooting, the freshly cut branch must be held for several minutes under running water, which will remove unnecessary plant juice.

Oddly enough, but such a large plant has a root system of only 10-15 cm in diameter, so it makes no sense to choose a large pot for a ficus.

After planting a cutting or transplanting an already adult plant, the bowl with ficus must be placed in a warm place with high humidity. It is better not to put a plant near the battery.

If you transplanted Benjamin's ficus, and he abruptly began to drop leaves - you should not be upset, the plant always needs a period of adaptation and recovery after transplantation.

top dressing

Ficus should be fed every 2 weeks with standard fertilizers intended for indoor plants. After transplantation, ficuses are fed after 5-6 weeks.

Choosing the right ficus pot

If additional top dressing is required, then spraying with a sufficiently powerful tool - Epin can be used.

In winter, ficus Benjamin does not need to be fed.

Ficus Benjamin can be watered only with warm water - 35-50 degrees, not often, so that the plant simply does not flood. The leaves of the tree need to be moistened by sprinkling with warm boiled water (then there are no stains on the leaves). Dusty leaves lose their natural shine, and the overall appearance becomes unattractive. If possible, wipe the leaves of young plants with a damp sponge. A warm shower is an essential part of proper ficus care. It is recommended to rinse the plant once every two to three weeks.

Creation of comfortable conditions

The optimal location of the ficus is in bright and diffused light. It tolerates weak shading well, but bright sunlight for ficus is detrimental.

In summer, a comfortable temperature for ficus is 17-20 ° C. The temperature in the autumn-winter period should not be below 18°C. The temperature and lighting in the room must be constant, otherwise their fluctuation can lead to yellowing and leaf fall. It is possible to rearrange the ficus to a new place only as a last resort.

Diseases dangerous for ficus Benjamin

One of the common pests that are dangerous for ficuses is the scale insect. This insect lives on the back of the leaf, looks like brown spots that can be easily picked off with a fingernail.

The shield does not appear from anywhere. This means that if new plants are placed in quarantine, excluding their contact with old-timers, then the appearance of scale insects can be avoided.

If the infection did occur, then you will have to make a lot of efforts to get rid of this pest. There are two main methods of struggle: special poisons and laundry soap.

Of the poisonous preparations, Aktelik is the most effective, but the plant can only be treated with it on the street. 1 ml of substance per liter of water, spray branches, leaves and soil.

Re-treatment after 2 weeks.

If you need to get rid of the scale insect in the winter, then laundry soap can be used as a means of struggle. Grind, pour warm water, stir. Moisten a cotton swab in the resulting solution and wipe each leaf and each twig.

After 1.5-2 hours, wash off the soap under warm running water. During this procedure, it is recommended to cover the ground with polyethylene to avoid alkali and soil erosion. Re-treatment after 2 weeks.

crown formation

A plant with a dense, evenly shaped hat always looks impressive. Ficus in this regard is like plasticine - in the hands of a skilled grower, it will take on any shape. You can curl 3 ficuses into one trunk with a pigtail, bend 2 plants into an arch, give the shape of a heart, or grow a ficus with a spiral trunk. The formation of the crown must begin from the very moment of planting. To give the ficus a certain height, you need to pinch the top of the plant, then the crown will grow in breadth.

As you know, ficus is one of the most spectacular plants for home and office. But he is rather capricious and an incorrectly chosen place or watering regimen will almost certainly affect the state of the flower, it can get sick. The ficus pot also matters and directly affects the growth rate.

How to choose a pot for ficus?

For young plants, standard pots are quite suitable, but adults need large tubs with a volume of several tens of liters. It is worth choosing a container taking into account the shape, size and type of plant.

1. What shape is needed for a ficus pot? For most representatives of this species, the standard model, in which the height is approximately equal to the diameter, is quite suitable. For example, such a pot is suitable for ficus Benjamin. The only exceptions are those plants that are grown using the bonsai technique. Then you need to pick up flat pots or bowls, in which the height of the sides is not more than 10 cm. In this case, for ficus Benjamin, you need a pot in the form of a bowl or container, preferably made of clay and without a glossy finish.
2. The size of the ficus pot is selected depending on the development and size of the root system. Ideally, the container should have a good drainage hole, from the roots to the walls of the pot should be at least 2 cm. The new pot should be only 2-3 cm wider than the old one. If you pick up too much capacity, this can lead to root rot or even death of the plant. And for some species, space is generally contraindicated.
3. What pot is needed for ficus in terms of material? Everything is simple here. For this plant, a container made of plastic, clay or ceramics is quite suitable. There is only one condition: the plant should not be exposed to chemical attack from the material. An ideal pot for a ficus no older than one year is made of uncoated clay; for an older plant, a tub of wood or plastic is quite suitable.

   What pot is needed for growing ficus

ficus benjamina

One of the most common houseplants is Ficus Benjamina. Among ficuses, this is the most popular species. In nature, it is found in China, India, Australia, as well as in the Philippines, Hawaii.

Ficus are evergreen shrubs and trees. In nature, they grow to a height of up to 20 meters. In a humid tropical climate, numerous aerial roots extend from its trunk and branches, which become an additional support and often form a multi-stemmed banyan tree.

At home, ficus benjamin can be quite large - the entire height of the room, with the help of trimming, its crown can be shaped as needed. White milky juice stands out on the cut.

Like other ficuses, the leaves of this species are shiny, leathery, on short petioles. The color is dark green, there are many variegated forms - they have leaves with spots of white or yellowish milky color.

Ficus benjamin has small leaf blades, 6-10 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, pointed at the ends. The stems are drooping, the plant branches well.

Young shoots of this type of ficus are very flexible. Often several cuttings are planted in one pot, as they grow, the stems are twisted into a pigtail. The contiguous stems grow together over time and form beautiful growths.

In areas with a tropical climate, ficus benjamin is actively used for landscaping, creating garden sculptural forms and sheared hedges.

Ficus benjamina does not require special care and is quite suitable for growing as a bonsai.

In recent decades, many new varieties of this ficus have been bred. They differ in the shape, size and color of the leaves.

Ficus benjamin ‘Kinky’

Ficus benjamin ‘Starlight’

At home, ficus benjamin does not bloom and does not bear fruit.

Ficus benjamin care is not difficult. You just need to remember well that this plant does not tolerate cold drafts. At the ficus, the leaves begin to fall, and this leaf fall can last for a long time.

Ficus is a light-loving plant, variegated forms are especially sensitive to light. In autumn and winter, it is better to keep it on the south window. But at the same time, even in a fairly shaded place, Benjamin's green-leaved ficus grows and develops normally, but its crown will be so lush. The most suitable windows are east and west. In summer, this ficus can grow on a balcony or veranda.

The plant is thermophilic. Watering at high air temperatures is plentiful. A large mass of leaves evaporates a lot of moisture and needs to be replenished. In winter, the ficus can be in a cool room (temperature not lower than 10 degrees). It needs to be watered less.

Spraying is helpful. Water for spraying and irrigation is taken a little lukewarm

A newly transplanted ficus should be watered carefully, it can easily rot the roots in moist soil. But when the ficus roots reach the walls of the pot and wrap around an earthen ball, then excess moisture is not terrible for him - all excess water quickly flows out of the pot.

Ficus is transplanted when its roots completely fill the pot. The new container should be only slightly larger than the previous one. Good drainage is a must.

Ficus benjamin at home grows quite quickly, so the soil must be sufficiently nutritious.

How to choose a pot and transplant ficus at home

Fertilizers for ornamental plants are regularly applied in spring and summer.

An earthen mixture for ficus is made up of 2 parts of leafy soil and 1 part of peat and humus each. The top layer of the earth is replaced when a white crust appears on it - a salt coating.

Ficus benjamin itself has a beautiful crown, branches well, many varieties do not require any special shaping. But if the ficus has lost some of the leaves, its trunk is bare, you can stimulate the formation of new shoots and leaves by pruning. Pruning should be done in February, before the start of spring growth. The younger the ficus tree, the easier it is to form pruning.

Pruned shoots are used for propagation. You can root cuttings in water during the warm season. Roots appear in 3-4 weeks. In some varieties, rooting is poor, it is advisable to use root stimulants.

One of the common pests of ficuses is an insect - a scale insect. The infected plant gradually weakens and sheds leaves. It is almost impossible to manually clean the leaves; insecticide treatment is needed.

Ficus Benjamin reacts to all the errors of home care in the same way - sheds leaves.

The most common reason for ficus leaves to fall is a cold draft. A window open in winter can cause the death of a plant. Cold window sills are also dangerous for the plant - cold, wet earth can destroy ficus roots.

Leaf fall can occur from a lack of moisture in the air and in the soil. Often the leaves of ficus benjamin begin to crumble a little in the spring with the onset of warm sunny days. Thus, the plant suggests that it needs to be watered more.

Ficus turns yellow

The first reason that can cause yellowing of the leaves is a violation of watering.

The leaves turn yellow if the plant has not been watered for a long time, while they fall off one by one. In ficuses with large leaves, when dried, the lower leaves turn yellow first of all, in small-leaved ones - in different parts of the crown.

With waterlogging, excessive watering, ficus leaves also turn yellow, but the main difference is this: when dry, the leaves turn yellow slowly and fall off one at a time, when overflowing, they turn yellow faster and fall off en masse: in large-leaved 2-4 pieces at a time, in small-leaved ones - 20 each -30 leaves per day.

Do not rely on your own memory, but dig up the earth and touch it in the depths of the pot.

To avoid waterlogging the soil: if water remains in the pan after watering, it must be drained. In winter, water less often than in spring and summer.

Make good drainage when transplanting in a pot. If there is no expanded clay, then they put a broken red brick - it collects excess water well.

What pot is needed for ficus?

Add pieces of birch charcoal to the soil - they prevent the processes of decay. And add a few tablespoons of vermiculite to the soil.

Ficus diseases

New leaves become smaller, old ones turn yellow and fall off - the plant does not have enough nutrients, it needs to be transplanted into nutrient soil.

Yellow spots appear on the leaves or the edges of the leaves turn yellow, the leaves fall prematurely - with excessive watering.

Watering should be moderate, i.e. the soil should have time to dry out.

Also, with excessive watering, the leaves wilt, become lifeless and fall off.

Dry shriveled leaves in ficuses - more often in ampelous forms - too dry air, overdrying of the soil, sunburn.

Sudden fall of leaves - in different species it can be caused by different reasons - waterlogging of the soil in rubber-bearing and lyre-shaped ficuses, lack of light or a sharp change in climate in ficus benjamin.

Also, this phenomenon can be caused by watering with cold water, low room temperature, lack of light, excess nutrients in the soil, or a cold draft. Good results in such cases are obtained by spraying with Epin's solution.

Falling of the lower leaves - it is believed that the fall of the lower leaves in tree-like forms of ficuses is a natural phenomenon (very typical for ficuses in room conditions), but this is not entirely true, the lower leaves naturally fall off periodically during aging, but the trunk, nevertheless, should not be completely naked. Baring of the trunk occurs due to untimely transplantation, transplantation into poor soil, lack of top dressing, violation of temperature and light conditions.

Brown spots on the tips and edges of the leaves - If the room temperature is too high, the air is dry, or when overfertilizing.

For lyre-shaped ficus and dwarf ficus, overdrying of the soil is dangerous. If you forget them during the watering of the leaves and the shoots dry.

The loss of variegated leaf color in many species of ficus occurs due to lack of light or sunlight.

In some varieties, it is almost impossible to completely restore variegation, for example, the Safari variety very often turns into an ordinary green ficus.

Ficus pests

It is rather difficult to detect any pest on variegated ficuses - their traces are masked by the natural color of the leaves. Therefore, if the ficus began to shed its leaves, take a magnifying glass and carefully inspect them on both sides.

Scale insects: look like brown plaques on the surface of leaves, petioles and stems, suck out cell sap. Leaves lose color, dry and fall off.

Control measures. For mechanical cleaning of pests, the leaves are wiped with a soapy sponge. Then spray the plant with Actellik solution (1-2 ml per liter of water) or water and spray with Actara solution.

Spider mite: small discolored spots appear on the leaves at first, if you look at the leaf clearance, pinpoint punctures are visible. Gradually, the leaves turn yellow and dry out. With a strong lesion, a cobweb is visible in the internodes and on the back of the leaves.

Control measures. You can use drugs such as Fitoverm, Aktofit, Agravertin, Akarin - at the rate of 10 ml per 1 liter of water, or Vertimek (1 ml per 1 liter of water). The treatment must be repeated after 3-5 days - if the weather is hot or warm (26-24 degrees) and after 7 days if the air temperature is 20 degrees or lower, since these drugs do not kill tick eggs.

Thrips - high temperature and low humidity contribute to the appearance. On the underside of the leaf, thrips lays numerous colonies, and light dots appear on the upper side of the leaf. As a result, the upper side of the leaf becomes grayish-brown with a silvery sheen.

Control measures. The plant should be sprayed, if necessary, repeatedly with insecticides (fitoverm, decis, actellik, inta-vir).

Read more about pests of indoor plants in the section "pests"

Ficus fertilizer

General rule: fertilizing with fertilizers for decorative and deciduous plants at a dose recommended by the manufacturer.

Do not feed overdried plants, those that were flooded froze

Do not feed ficuses for a month after transplanting, during the winter months and very hot days in summer. Do not over-fertilize.

Ficuses need to be fed from April to August, once every two weeks with special fertilizer for indoor plants.

Suitable fertilizers such as "Giant", "Ideal", "Uniflor growth", "Rainbow" and others.

Ficus tiny must be fed carefully, as it, despite the fact that it grows quickly when too large doses of fertilizer are applied, loses leaves.

Read more about houseplant fertilizers in the Fertilizers section.

Learning to identify ficuses (photos, descriptions of varieties and species)

Brief description of the plant

Ficus is an evergreen tree belonging to the mulberry family. It is widely distributed in India, Nepal, Japan, Burma, China and Ceylon. The following types are most often grown in rooms:

Ficus tiny - a plant with a climbing stem and thin, wire-like branches. The leaves are small, asymmetrical, thin. Young ones are heart-shaped, old leaves are oval. The plant can become a wonderful decoration for almost any room: an apartment, a large hall, an office, a winter garden;

Ficus Benjamin has drooping shoots and dense green leaves. Some varieties of this species have leaves with yellow and white spots;

Ficus rubbery - a plant with large smooth green leaves;

Ficus pandurata has large leaves shaped like a guitar.

There are many ampelous forms, for example, rooting ficus with variegated leaves and dwarf ficus, characterized by small leaves.

Light-loving plant.

Moderate watering is sufficient.

Top dressing is necessary 1 time per month.

Accommodation

All varieties of ficus are unpretentious and undemanding to lighting and air humidity.

In which pot to plant ficus: the secrets of the right choice

In spring and autumn, ficus requires abundant watering.

Apmel forms require support - a wooden lattice or wire. Without it, the shoots will hang down.

Care

In summer, the plant needs abundant watering; in winter, watering should be reduced. In the warm season, the leaves and the air in the room must be sprayed regularly. The plant should be fed once a month with mineral fertilizers.

reproduction

Young ficus can be grown from apical cuttings. To do this, it is necessary to cut off the stalk, on which at least two or three buds have formed, dry it a little, plant it for rooting in wet sand, and after a while transplant it into the soil.

Pests and diseases

Scale insects and spider mites cause great harm to the plant. Excess moisture, lack of lighting, and drafts can cause leaves to turn yellow or fall off.

Any home plant needs care, without which it will not be able to grow normally. The transplant is part of this care. To approach the matter responsibly, you need to study the features of a particular flower, its requirements for the volume and composition of the soil. Let's talk about transplanting homemade ficuses.

Transplanting houseplants is necessary for several reasons. Firstly, over time, the flower becomes crowded in an old pot. The root system grows simultaneously with the growth of the plant itself. The appearance of roots from the drainage hole can serve as a signal for the need for a ficus transplant.

It is also necessary to transplant the plant due to the fact that over time the soil is depleted, there are no nutrients left in it at all and the flower stops growing. In the water with which we water our ficuses, there are various impurities and salts, which after a certain time spoil the substrate and begin to harm the roots.

The transfer may be forced. The plant must be urgently freed from the old soil if:

• the pot suddenly broke;
• the earth acquired an unpleasant musty smell;
• there is a suspicion of root rot or the appearance of pests.

Important! If urgent measures are not taken, the ficus may die.

The best time to transplant ficuses is early spring. Even if the plant does not require a dormant period in winter, all its vital processes slow down, it receives little light and therefore hardly vegetates. In the spring, the phase of active growth begins and it is necessary to transplant the ficus even before the start of these processes, then the transplant will be the least traumatic.

You can transplant a flower in the fall, while there are warm sunny days. Then the injured roots will be able to recover before the start of the difficult winter period. Autumn transplantation is most often resorted to because of an urgent need. The plant may grow too large over the summer, or the soil in the pot may become compacted and caked and needs to be replaced immediately.

How often should ficuses be transplanted?

• Young specimens of large species grow rapidly, so they require an annual transplant.
• Adult plants are transplanted less often - once every 2-3 years or even less often.

Experts advise once again not to disturb adult ficuses, the roots do not like it when they are injured by a transplant. If the plant is sitting in a huge pot or tub, you can simply replace the topsoil.

Ficus is a tropical plant, so it is important for it that the root system does not overcool. Given this, it is better to choose a plastic pot for your green pet. Glass and ceramic containers are not suitable; in winter, their walls on the windowsill become too cold and the roots will freeze.

If you are confused by the unpresentable appearance of a plastic pot, you can pick up a beautiful glass planter for it - then the flower will also serve as an interior decoration. The advantage of this approach is that a boring planter can be replaced with another at any time.

Pots with automatic watering have become an innovation in home floriculture. They are quite expensive, but allow you to forget about watering for 2-3 weeks. A special indicator shows the liquid level at the bottom. All that is required from the plant owner is to add 1-2 glasses of water to the tank in a timely manner. This is very convenient for those who have a lot of plants in the house or when the owner of the apartment often goes on vacation and business trips.

The size of a ficus pot depends on the volume of its root system. The new container should be 2-3 cm wider and 3 cm higher than the previous one. Ficuses definitely need a drainage layer, so the pot should be quite high.

The soil should be nutritious and loose at the same time. According to the composition for ficuses, the following mixture is recommended:

• 2 parts of leaf land;
• 2 parts of sod land;
• 1 part peat;
• 1 part coarse sand.

Expanded clay or brick chips are used as drainage.

Note: instead of sand, agroperlite can be added to the soil, it absorbs excess moisture, and then slowly gives it to the roots of the plant. Agroperlite also increases the air permeability of the soil. It is inexpensive and is sold in any flower shop.

You can also purchase ready-made soil for ficuses. It takes into account all the needs of this particular type of plant.

1. It is better not to water the plant before transplanting, as it is easier to remove it from the old pot. The walls of a plastic or shipping container should be lightly crushed so that the soil falls behind them more easily.
2. It is better to cover the place for work with old newspapers or film - this will facilitate subsequent cleaning.
3. The next step is to prepare the soil, a new pot, a watering can with water, a small spatula or a scoop.
4. A layer of drainage 3-5 cm thick is poured at the bottom of the container, depending on the size of the pot.
5. About 1/3 of the soil is poured onto the drainage layer, leveled with a spatula.
6. The ficus is carefully removed from the pot, keeping the earthen ball, and placed in a new pot.
7. The voids along the edges of the pot are covered with fresh soil, after which the soil is lightly tamped.
8. The newly planted ficus is abundantly watered with settled warm water. After the first watering, be sure to arrange a light drying.

On a note! If the root system has been damaged as a result of improper care, it is cleaned from the ground as much as possible, inspected and removed all damaged areas. After this, the places of the cuts are powdered with charcoal.

Reproduction of ficus by a shoot can be combined with spring pruning. This procedure will help to perform two tasks at once: to give the necessary shape to the crown of the mother plant and to obtain planting material. A spring cutting is more likely to take root well before the onset of autumn.

Only mature, semi-lignified shoots are suitable for propagation by a shoot. A shoot taken from the crown of the ficus will be stronger and more viable, since in the upper part of the crown all metabolic processes are more active. You also need to pay attention to the presence of a healthy leaf bud at the top of the shoot.

For self-planting, shoots are taken 12-15 cm long with two or three internodes. The stalk is cut off only with a sharp tool so as not to crumple the tissue of the tree (cambium). The cut is made 5 mm below the internode at an angle of 45 °, the wound on the tree is sprinkled with crushed coal.

Then the cuttings are washed under running water or soaked for a short time to get rid of the milky juice. If this is not done, a film may form on the cut, which will prevent the growth of roots. The leaves are treated differently, depending on the type of ficus.

In varieties with small leaves, the lower part of the cutting is bare, leaving only a few upper leaves. If the shoot is large-leaved, part of the leaf is cut off, and the remaining portion of the leaf plate is twisted into a tube and secured with an elastic band to prevent excessive evaporation of moisture.

To stimulate root growth, cuttings can be treated with special preparations for root formation and cross-shaped notches can be made on the cut. Rooting is carried out in two ways: in water and substrate. Everyone chooses the most convenient way for himself.

When the cutting is placed in a glass of water for rooting, it is necessary to ensure that the leaves remain in the air, otherwise they will quickly rot. From above, you can cover the stalk with a bag to reduce the evaporation of moisture. When the water level decreases, it is gradually added.

After about a week, the appearance of callus can be observed on the cut. It looks like the appearance of a light growth at the end of the cutting. Soon the roots will grow. When their size reaches 2-3 centimeters, the shoot is planted in its own pot. At first, you can keep it in a greenhouse to facilitate the rooting process.

A small plastic cup or small pot is suitable for rooting a ficus shoot in the substrate. The substrate is best disinfected. After calcining it in the oven or spilling it with a solution of potassium permanganate. For rooting, a mixture of 2 parts of peat, 2 parts of washed sand and 1 part of vermiculite is most suitable. It is better to mix the components in advance so that the soil can acquire the necessary structure in 2-3 days.

The milky juice is washed off the cuttings and the cut is powdered with "Kornevin" or crushed coal. The cutting is planted in the ground so that the lower node remains above the surface. Rooting is possible only at high humidity and a temperature of 28-30 ° C, so for ficus it is necessary to build a greenhouse.

The shelter is raised twice a day for ventilation. The necessary temperature conditions can be provided by a special heated mat designed for plants or a nearby battery. On average, it will take a month for the roots to appear.

Please note that the rooted shoot is not planted in too much land. The size of the pot at each stage of growth should correspond to the volume of the ficus root system.

No matter how carefully you transplant, it is still a traumatic operation for the plant. In ficus, growth may stop, the leaves will partially fly around. This is normal and you shouldn't panic. It is better to reduce watering in the first days after transplantation, but spray the crown more often. After a slight drying, the plant is watered again.

Feeding is temporarily suspended for two reasons. First, there are enough nutrients in fresh soil. The stock of microelements in the soil is enough for the plant for 1.5-2 months. Secondly, it is necessary that the wounds on the roots completely heal before fertilizers begin to flow to the root system. After 2 months, you can return to the usual feeding regime - 1 time in two weeks.

1. Ficus requirements for soil composition are not taken into account. Each type of plant has its own needs, determined by nature. It is imperative to select soil with the correct acidity (neutral or slightly acidic soil is necessary for ficuses), a certain combination of components. Some flowers like heavier soil, others need light and breathable soil. If you doubt that you can properly compose the soil mixture, it is better to buy a special substrate specifically for ficuses.
2. When planting, some neglect the laying of the drainage layer. and completely in vain. Drainage will allow the roots to not sit "in the swamp" in case of accidental overflow. The roots of many plants, including ficuses, are sensitive to excess moisture and easily rot in damp soil.
3. The wrong pot. Do not try to take a large pot right away in order to avoid transplants for a long time. The soil not mastered by the roots easily turns sour, acquires an unpleasant odor, the plant does not feel well in such conditions. As a result, you still have to make a transplant.
4. Transfer at the wrong time. Experienced flower growers always coordinate their plantings with the lunar calendar. It is believed that if a plant is transplanted on a growing moon, it will grow faster and get sick less.

Ficus transplant: video

If you do everything according to the rules, the ficus will delight you with a lush green crown and decorate your home with its presence. Possessing a large green mass, these plants actively enrich the air with oxygen and purify it from harmful impurities. Signs say that a well-groomed ficus in the house will bring prosperity, prosperity and comfort to its owners.

Ficus Benjamin is one of the most common and popular indoor plants, which has high decorative qualities and is able to delight its owners with green foliage throughout the year.

However, its cultivation is a rather laborious process, especially in the first months after planting, but if you know all the nuances and subtleties of plant care, this process will become simple and easy.

A little about ficus

Ficus Benjamin (the photo is in the review) is an evergreen plant of the Mulberry family. Under natural conditions, it can be found in the tropics and subtropics of China, India, Australia, Asia, and the Philippines.

In nature, this is a large bush or tree up to 10-20 m high, in room conditions it can grow up to 1.5-3 m. The crown of Benjamin's ficus is wide and very beautiful. The trunk of the plant is gray with small strokes. Branches are inclined down. Ficus Benjamin leaves are dense, glossy, oval with an elongated tip. Color from light green to very dark. The central vein is not clearly expressed.

Indoor varieties

Ficus Benjamin has a huge variety of varieties that differ in size, shape and color of leaves, stem shape. Let's consider some of them.

• Exotic. The leaves are flat and soft, the color is rich green, length - up to 8 cm, width - up to 3.5 cm. Internodes up to 4 cm. The bush grows quickly.
• Daniel. The leaves are dark green, plain, glossy, dense and flat, the edges are straight. It grows very quickly - it grows by almost 30 cm per season.
• Monique. It differs in more delicate, thin, hanging branches and light, elongated, slightly wavy leaves along the edge.
• Nicole. The leaves are more elongated, with a light edge.
• Safari. The variety is distinguished by a tricolor color and obvious spotting.
• Baroque. It is considered the most unusual, original and difficult to grow variety. Each leaf of this very miniature plant is twisted in the form of a spiral.

Location in the house

Before you bring this plant into the house, you need to decide on its location - Benjamin's ficus, the photo of which is provided in the article, is very difficult to change places, and after moving it most often sheds foliage. If this trouble happens shortly after the purchase, then you should not be scared and upset, because this is normal. Providing proper care to the plant will help it adapt. The place in the room must be chosen well-lit, but without direct sunlight. The plant does not like drafts and cold. The air temperature should not be lower than 15°C, relative humidity - 50-70%.

Features of care

In order for Benjamin's ficus to constantly delight with its green chic crown and attract all the eyes of guests, it needs to provide timely and proper care. It is not super complicated, but it is still necessary for the plant to provide certain conditions.

Lighting and temperature

Depending on the color of the foliage, the optimal area for the location of the plant is selected, taking into account the lighting. For dark green ficuses, light partial shade and diffused light are suitable, and bushes with variegated light leaves, on the contrary, are very demanding on the intensity of lighting, but areas with direct sunlight should be avoided.

Ficus Benjamin is a heat-loving plant, in summer the optimum temperature should be 25-30 ° C, in winter not lower than 18 ° C. When the temperature is insufficient, the leaves are shed.

Watering

In summer, watering ficus Benjamin should be moderate, as the surface of the top layer of the earth dries up. Recommended abundant spraying in the morning and evening, washing the leaves.

Water the plant for uniform moistening in several stages, draining excess water from the pan that has passed through the drainage.

In winter, watering is reduced. Water is used settled or filtered, the soil is loosened before watering.

Ficus should be watered carefully, because with an excess of soil moisture, its root system is prone to decay. The soil should dry out between waterings.

Plant nutrition

For the normal growth of the plant, the formation of a lush and dense crown of a saturated color, it is important to take care of complete feeding. For this, universal flower fertilizers are used. They are introduced from spring to late autumn. At the same time, mineral and organic varieties alternate.

The introduction of concentrated dressings is carried out when watering the plant. The dosage is calculated depending on the growth rate: the faster the ficus grows, the more often it needs to be fed.

crown formation

By pinching, pruning, weaving branches and trunks, a plant can easily be given a varied look.

There are some of the most common ways to form a ficus crown, including:

• single and multi-tier stem;
• bonsai;
• domed and spherical crown;
• various sculptures.

The formation of a tree is best done in the spring. It is easiest to form a young plant, because it is actively and rapidly growing. Pruning helps awaken dormant buds, from which new shoots then grow and the plant becomes more magnificent. In addition, with the help of pruning, you can ennoble a strongly overgrown and unattractive ficus. Secateurs before this procedure must be disinfected with alcohol or a weak solution.

In the plant to be pruned, it is necessary to determine the main bush, it is impossible to cut it by more than 20 cm, but the side branches are cut according to creative need and desire. Slices after trimming must be treated with crushed coal.

A standard plant can be formed from a ficus by removing the lower branches and forming a dense crown with pruning.

The intertwined trunks of several plants can look very interesting and impressive. To obtain such a decorative effect, several young ficuses are planted in one pot and, as they grow, their trunks are intertwined, braided into a pigtail or other shape.

Ficus Benjamin: transplant

Looking at how the plant grows and becomes prettier, one should not forget that not only the number of branches and leaves is added. Month after month, the ficus increases the volume of the root system, and the soil, even with constant top dressing, begins to gradually become impoverished.

Ficus Benjamin transplantation will help to correct this situation.

It is usually done when the roots of the plant are thickly braided with an earthen ball, and they emerge from the drainage hole. But it is better not to allow this and perform a planned transplant.

Before transplanting ficus Benjamin into another pot, you must select a suitable container. The younger the plant, the more actively it increases the root mass, so it is transplanted annually into pots, 2-3 cm larger in diameter than before. Adult ficuses are transplanted 2-3 times less often. At home, this is carried out in spring or autumn.

The best soil for ficus is ready-made universal, bought in a specialized store. But you can make your own mixture at home, consisting of equal parts of leafy and soddy soil, sand and grassroots peat. Drainage must be laid at the bottom of the tank.

Ficus Benjamin transplantation is carried out as follows: after watering, the plant is removed from the old pot, the old earth is removed, the flower is carefully transferred to a new container and sprinkled with fresh soil.

After transplantation, the plant adapts and it may begin to shed its leaves. There is no need to worry about this, the ficus will soon develop rapidly again.

Reproduction of ficus Benjamin at home

The most favorable time for the reproduction of ficus is spring and early summer. This is due to the fact that during this period there is an active growth of foliage and roots.

Reproduction of Benjamin's ficus at home is best done using cuttings, since the cuttings give good roots both in soil and in water. The second method is seed, but it is used extremely rarely.

How to root ficus Benjamin?

The upper cuttings, on which there are leaves, are cut off and placed in a container with water. The leaves should not get wet, otherwise rotting may occur. As the water evaporates, it should be topped up periodically. After 2-3 weeks, callus tissue will appear on the stems in the form of growths. After some time, roots form at this place, after which the cutting is planted in the soil substrate.

If the cutting is planted in the ground, it can be covered with a jar to create the effect of greenhouse conditions. Before you root Benjamin's ficus, you need to prepare the ground. It is advisable to disinfect it by heating in a steam bath for 30 minutes.

Problems in growing ficus

Ficus Benjamin has some growing difficulties that you need to pay attention to:

• Dry leaf tips in winter indicate a lack of indoor air humidity. Most often this is due to turning off the heating. In this case, it is necessary to increase the frequency of spraying and organize artificial lighting. This will help the flower wait for spring.
• If a plant suddenly begins shedding leaves, this should alert its owner. So the flower can respond to sudden changes in the conditions of detention, for example, to a decrease in temperature, the appearance of a draft, a change of place, abundant watering in winter, when, on the contrary, it was necessary to reduce the amount of moisture.
• The change of season in any plant causes yellowing and shedding of leaves. Ficus is also no exception. But if Benjamin's ficus turns yellow at another time - what to do? There are two main reasons why this happens: the first is an excess of water that can kill the plant, the second is too low a temperature. These causes must be eliminated.
• If the flower does not grow and develop for a long time, you need to evaluate whether the size of the pot is chosen correctly. If the pot is too large for the size of the plant, the roots will begin to wither, stop growing and die. On the contrary, tight capacity prevents the formation and development of the crown.

If, after correcting errors in the care and maintenance of the flower, there is no improvement, you need to pay attention to the presence of diseases and pests.

Diseases and pests of ficus

Among the most common diseases that affect Benjamin's ficus, the following can be noted:

• Anthracnose. Dark brown spots develop into ulcers. If left untreated, the ficus will die. Control methods: removal of affected leaves, fungicide treatment, reduction of spraying and watering, frequent airing.
• Cerskoporosis. Small black dots appear on the back of the leaf. Treatment - as with anthracnose.
• Dropsy. With this disease, cork growths form on the back of the leaf. Treatment: remove affected leaves and provide proper care.

The main pests of Benjamin's ficus are spider mites, thrips and aphids.

The most dangerous among them is the spider mite. The pest damages the flower very quickly and adapts to many chemicals. That is why the fight against it should be started at the first signs of the disease. To destroy this pest, you can use folk methods, for example, garlic tincture, leaf treatment with laundry soap, or apply an insecticide.