Externally, Ficus Benjamin resembles small tree. The short trunk is covered with gray-beige bark.
Benjamin's crown is lush and branched.
About the tropical past indoor plant resemble aerial roots or their rudiments (in natural environment habitat, they absorb water from the air).
The color of the leaves ranges from solid green or light to variegated with a wide variety of “graphics” of the pattern.
REFERENCE: Flower shops often offer customers three plants at once, planted in one pot, with woven trunks.
Original option - this cannot be done with any other representatives of indoor flora. However, you can also purchase a single Ficus Benjamina plant.
If you need to landscape a winter garden or greenhouse, it is difficult to choose something better than ficus.
The rich, glossy foliage combines well with other indoor plants and does not require any special, labor-intensive care.
Homeland of indoor Benjamin - rainforests Asia. This member of the mulberry family is found today in China, India, Australia, Hawaii and the Philippines.
In its natural habitat it stretches up to 25 meters in height. While his indoor relative reaches a little over a meter, and it takes him about ten years to do this.
REFERENCE: Residents of Thailand expressed their respect for the plant by calling Ficus Benjamin the symbol tree of the country's capital, Bangkok.
A houseplant quickly becomes lush and branches well, so the formation of a plant crown is one of the main directions in plant care. The shape of the “haircut” can be chosen from several options:
By the way, the “bonsai” haircut works well due to the fact that the ficus shoots do not lose their elasticity for a very long time and allow you to perform all the necessary manipulations with them.
ATTENTION: It is advisable to trim the crown during accelerated growth - in spring or at the very beginning of summer.
It should also be borne in mind that the younger the plant, the easier it is to trim.
You also need to know a number of rules: use only sterile instruments, protect the bark from damage, and do not pick off the leaves by hand.
It is worth adhering to the principle of measuring seven times before using scissors or pruners: so as not to spoil the appearance of the plant.
Try to mentally keep in mind the result you are striving for, and cut off only those branches that do not fit into the ideal image created by your imagination.
You can weave a braid or spiral from semi-lignified stems, as specialized stores offer, on your own, but not before the lower part of the plants, with which you begin weaving, reaches a length of thirteen centimeters.
As it grows further, turn after turn is added, and the braid itself (so that it does not unravel) is held in place with electrical tape or woolen thread. By the way, the plant only benefits from such a “braid” - the stems become stronger.
Benjamin's roots are generally very strong. It is no coincidence that in their homeland the plant takes measures to protect sidewalks and underground communications from the destructive effects of its roots.
For house plant It is important to choose the right pot. It should not be too large or wide - in this way the ficus will grow slowly, mastering the underground space centimeter by centimeter. But there is no need for cramped space - the root system should be comfortable.
ADVICE: Replanting may be necessary only when the roots fill the entire pot. This is a signal that a larger container is needed.
Aerial roots, characteristic of ficuses growing in the natural environment, are observed quite rarely in indoor plants: there is simply no special need for them; the efforts of the traditional root system are enough to extract water and nutrients from the soil.
The plant blooms only in natural conditions and in greenhouses, the climate and conditions of which are close to natural.
However, there are no rules without exceptions: according to flower growers, their home ficus trees sometimes bloomed.
Kinds
Experts have brought out a great variety of different ones. The differences between them usually lie in the color, shape and size of the leaves.:
Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out regularly, every two to three weeks, but not all year round, and from the beginning of spring to September.
For example, it is considered a sure sign that Benjamin attracts wealth and prosperity to the house.
There is also an opinion that the plant can extinguish negative emotions and fill the house with happiness.
It is difficult to say whether this is true or not, but the fact that ficus neutralizes formaldehyde, one of the most dangerous substances that pollute the air in residential premises, has been proven by scientific research.
Having purchased such a beautiful one, you probably won’t regret it.
Ficus are again gaining wild popularity, especially as indoor plants - for their originality and ease of care. But many of us know little about ficus trees. Let's get to know them better.
The genus Ficus belongs to the Mulberry family (Moraceae). Other well-known plants belong to the same family, for example, mulberry, paper tree, breadfruit, maclura, and dorsthenia brasiliensis. Ficus was isolated by C. Linnaeus in 1753. Now up to 1000 species are known, which are distributed in the equatorial and subequatorial zone in the area from approximately 35 o north to 35 o south latitude - in Africa, America, Asia, Australia.
There are so many in the world different types ficus trees, that they can easily be confused. Another difficulty in identification lies in the fact that the same type of ficus can be found under different names, or, conversely, two different ficus trees may have the same name. To avoid such confusion, it is customary to put at the end of each Latin name the name of the scientist who first described this type, often in an abbreviated version.
If other plants can be recognized by their leaves, then this number will not work for ficuses), because very often the leaf blade of a ficus within one variety can change more than between varieties. This feature is called heterophyly, a prominent representative of which can be called ficus varifolia, or deltoid. Therefore, when determining a particular type of ficus, attention is paid to the color of the bark, the size and color of the syconia, the nature of the venation of the leaf blades, and the general appearance of the plants.
Each type of ficus has its own habitat on Earth. For example, in the Amazon River basin there are species of ficus that cannot be seen anywhere else.
Ficus trees, growing in equatorial humid forests, have an evergreen crown with hard shiny leaves, adorning powerful columnar trunks, at the base of which are flat, plank-shaped roots, which also rise several meters above the ground. In the equatorial climate, where it is always warm and very humid, plants grow all year round. U evergreen ficus, for example, ficus auricularis, ficus craterifolia, the old leaves do not have time to turn yellow and fall off before new, young leaves bloom again. That's why they appear evergreen.
In mountainous areas of the tropics, at altitudes above 1.5 kilometers above sea level, they grow ficus with densely pubescent leaves, for example, ficus Hirta. The pubescence protects the ficus from hypothermia. Ficus cherry-shaped has pubescence in the form of short bristly hairs, almost invisible, but because of their presence the leaf blade of the ficus appears rough.
In the subequatorial zone, where periods of drought occur that can last several months, semi-deciduous(ficus cape, or Sur, ficus sacred, ficus racemosus) and deciduous ficus. Ficus erecta is considered completely deciduous. Even those plants that grow far from their homeland shed their old leaves every year in October, and new leaves appear only in January.
Ficus ficus (Ficus infectoria) leaves fall twice a year: in autumn and spring. Its young leaves begin to bloom at the ends of the shoots, when the old leaves have not all fallen off.
On the rocky slopes of the mountains of the Mediterranean, Iran, and Central Asia, the ficus carica (Ficus carica), better known as the fig or fig tree, grows. This is a deciduous ficus, which freezes over after severe frosts, but quickly recovers in the form of root shoots.
Semi-deciduous ficus rough (Ficus aspera), sheds only part of its leaves.
Among the ficus trees there are not only trees, but also shrubs, for example, scaly ficus (Ficus ramentacea), as well as large vines, a typical representative of which is the hairy ficus (Ficus villosa).
There is a lot growing on the island of New Guinea low growing ficus in the form of small climbing vines that cling to support with their aerial roots. One of them, the tiny ficus (Ficus pumila), is called the “climber from East Asia” and is used to decorate the walls of houses in tropical countries. In indoor conditions, such ficuses are used as hanging or ground cover plants.
There are ficus trees that begin their lives as epiphytes on other trees, then as they grow they turn into banyan trees or strangler ficus trees. The rubber ficus (Ficus elastica), golden ficus (Ficus aurea), and tall ficus (Ficus altissima) behave as epiphytes.
Ficus stranglers belong to the category of natural wonders. Tropical plant researchers J. Corner and A. Fedorov described the approximate life cycle of strangling ficus. Birds or insects carry ficus seeds to the top big tree. The seeds germinate, and initially the ficus receives nutrients from the air and water through its aerial roots. Gradually the roots wrap around the trunk of the tree on which they grow. As soon as the aerial roots of the ficus reach the ground, they quickly take root and begin to rapidly grow in thickness. Some roots grow together, envelop and compress the entire tree trunk. The tree dies, turning into humus, but continues to serve as food for the ficus for a long time. When the tree finally disappears, in its place there remains a strong frame-trunk made of intertwined and fused roots of the strangler ficus.
Another, no less exotic form of ficus life is banyan, which got its name in honor of the sacred tree of India - the Bengal ficus (Ficus benghalensis). Strangler ficus trees turn into banyan trees in the later stages of growth. Over time, aerial roots hang in garlands on the horizontal branches of an adult tree, which, upon reaching the ground, take root, thicken and turn into additional trunks. Sometimes such offspring trunks are separated from the mother plant. But multi-stemmed groves of trees often grow. In the Calcutta Botanical Garden (India), the “Great Banyan” grows, which has up to 1000 root suckers. This tree is 160 years old and it takes 10-15 minutes to walk around it. Other large banyan trees cover an area of up to 2 hectares.
However, not every plant in this group of ficus trees turns into banyan trees. This is facilitated or hindered by the natural conditions in which ficus trees grow. For example, ficus yellow in the arid regions of Africa grows like an ordinary tree, without even growing to its maximum size.
In Malaysia and New Guinea there are earthen ficus, in which shoots develop in the lower part of the trunk, underground. Having bent down and reaching the ground, the shoots penetrate the surface layers of the soil, forming inflorescences there, which over time become infructescences. Ground ficuses include long-horned ficus (Ficus uncinatavar. strigose).
There are even succulent ficus. Such ficuses grow in arid areas. And in order not to lack moisture, they store it in a thickened trunk. These ficus trees include the Palmer ficus (Ficus palmeri).
Ficus flowering- This is another of the wonders in the plant world. The fruit of the ficus is called a fig. In fact, sweet berries with an abundance of small seeds are infructescence. They are usually pear-shaped with a hole at the top. Scientifically, ficus fruits are called syconia. They are lined inside with flower petals, but you can see the petals only by breaking the fruit in half. In general, ficus flowers have three types of flowers: male, consisting of stamens; female, consisting of pistils; and another type of inflorescence with long pistils, which turn into a sweet fruit. In wild ficus, all three inflorescences are on one tree. Only in cultivated forms of fig trees are the inflorescences that form the fruit found on female trees and are called figs. Male infructescences (caprifigi) always remain hard and inedible.
Ficus pollination occurs with the help of insects. There is a species of wasp that pollinates only ficus trees. Some ficus wasps are used as incubators for breeding offspring. Flying into one or another inflorescence, wasps transfer pollen from the stamens to the pistils. Wasp larvae overwinter in male inflorescences - caprifigs. However, new parthenocarpic varieties of figs have been developed—infructescences develop without pollination and seed setting.
Ficus has another wonderful property - caulifloria, due to which its inflorescences, and then fruits, develop directly on the trunk.
No matter how attached ficuses are to their habitat, humans successfully interfere with the life of ficuses. Now many beautiful varieties and forms of ficus have been developed to suit every taste. Some species of ficus were transplanted from their usual habitat to other places, and they successfully took root in the new place. Now ficus trees decorate not only city streets and parks in areas with warm climates, but also our homes.
When writing this article, materials from https://ru.wikipedia.org were used;
Literature: In Chekurova “Ficuses”.
Image source: www.tropicaldesigns.com, www.happyho.ru, http://biodiversity.sci.kagoshima-u.ac.jp, https://www.flickr.com - Brian Chiu, Black Diamond Images, Joel Abroad , Hans Hillewaert, Reuben C. J. Lim, *L, S.J. & Jessie Quinney Library, Tim Waters, rosch2012, Pedro García
A beautiful tree with evergreen leaves that is hard to miss is Ficus benjamina. Lovers of indoor plants know that it can decorate any room, but in order for the tree to remain beautiful, it is necessary to comply with the care conditions. Some may say that they are quite complex and this flower has a capricious character, but now we will tell you how to care for Ficus Benjamin, and you will see that in fact caring for it at home is not so difficult.
Considering that any indoor plants do not like rearrangements, it is advisable to choose a place before the flower appears at home. This will make caring for the plant easier. Where the Benjamin ficus will be located should not be too dark or light, or cold. Of course, like all indoor plants, ficus benjamina does not like drafts.
The temperature should not fall below 15 degrees, and it is advisable that the room is well ventilated. Direct sunlight can lead to the death of the ficus, but the lighting should be quite bright, especially if your specimen has variegated leaves.
Care also includes control of air humidity: it should not be below 50%, and optimal indicator is 70%. If the air is too dry, it is necessary to spray the leaves with a spray bottle and at least once a month bathe the whole Ficus Benjamin (if its size allows) in the shower. After bathing, give the plant a chance to dry completely, otherwise it may freeze.
It is difficult to imagine proper care without a watering schedule. But you have to water indoor plants without it, because different times of the year require different watering intervals. Ficus Benjamin should be watered only when the earthen ball has already dried out enough after the previous watering, but excessive drought should not be allowed. Check the soil - if it is dry by about 1/5 of the pot, then you can safely begin water procedures.
Considering the size that Benjamin's ficus reaches, it is better to water it in several stages so that the earthen ball is well saturated with moisture. The water that remains in the pan after watering must be drained (about 30 minutes after watering: this time is enough for the soil to absorb all the necessary moisture).
It is worth noting that proper care without fertilizer is unlikely to work. Ready-made mixtures can be used as plant nutrition. Calculate the dosage based on the instructions. Typically, Ficus Benjamin begins to fertilize the ficus in early spring and continues throughout the summer (once every two weeks).
During the dormant period, you should not overload the soil with fertilizers. This can only contribute to the development of various fungi, which subsequently serve as sources of numerous diseases. You can use foliar fertilizer, but be sure to stick to the dosage, otherwise Benjamin's ficus will easily shed its leaves.
How to understand that a plant needs a transplant? If you find that the intervals between watering your ficus are becoming shorter and shorter, and roots have begun to peek through the drainage holes, then the time has come. Typically, young indoor plants are replanted every year, choosing a pot 2 cm larger than the previous one.
Upon reaching the age of 5, Ficus Benjamin is replanted every two years. And long-lived ficus trees of impressive size do not need to be completely replanted, but only partially replace the soil.
Transplantation is carried out mainly at the moment when the plant is going through an active period. Spring and summer, in principle, are ideal for relocating ficus. Two days before transplanting, the plant must be well watered. To replant, remove the plant from the pot and carefully shake off all the soil from the roots.
Be sure to add a layer of drainage to the pot where the plant will be located and place the ficus there. Add soil to the sides, compacting it a little. Water and leave to take root. Post-transplant care is normal.
The period of active growth of ficus is excellent for propagating it. The main method of propagation is cuttings. You should not try to root young tops; choose those branches where the tissue is already quite woody. Cut the cuttings from 7 to 10 cm in size and be sure to remove the milky juice that has released. You can simply immediately place the cuttings in a container of water, and after some time change it. This procedure must be repeated every three hours throughout the day.
When you have already gotten rid of the juice, leave the cuttings in a jar with clean water until roots appear. It usually takes about two weeks until small roots appear, after which the cuttings are ready for rooting in the ground. When you place the cuttings in water, it is very important to tear off all the lower leaves so that they do not decompose in the humid environment.
For planting cuttings, pots with a diameter of 10 cm and any universal primer. Do not forget about drainage; a layer of expanded clay is a must. Planting young plants differs little from further transplantation, which we have already written about.
Foliage is the main indicator of plant health. The most common problems that affect such indoor flowers are described below.
That's all the basic rules for caring for ficus at home. Don’t be afraid to shape its crown and regularly trim off excess shoots, the plant will only benefit from this. Do not take it out onto the balcony in January and do not place it in drafts, then it will decorate your apartment for a very long time!
Article date: 11/07/2007
Family: Mulberries (Moraceae).
Homeland: tropical areas.
Bloom: depending on the type.
Height: average.
Light: bright diffused.
Temperature: in the spring-summer period 23-25?, in winter most species need a temperature of 12-15?, but they tolerate wintering well in the warmth of a living room.
Watering: abundant in spring and summer. In autumn, watering is reduced; in winter, watering is moderate.
Air humidity: The plant can tolerate dry air, but responds well to spraying.
Feeding: mineral and organic liquid fertilizers in spring summer time(2 times a month) promote rapid plant growth.
Trimming: A number of ficus species are excellent for formative pruning.
Rest period: in winter. Plants are kept in a bright room and watered moderately.
Transfer: Young ficus trees need to be replanted annually. Older plants are replanted after 1-2 years, in March. For tubular specimens, replanting can be replaced by annual replacement of the top layer of soil.
Reproduction: mostly by cuttings, less often by seeds. It is permissible to propagate plants by air layering.
Genus Ficus ( Ficus L.) has up to 900 plant species and belongs to the mulberry family. Ficuses are common in tropical and subtropical zones.
Evergreens, trees and shrubs, less often with falling leaves, as well as vines. Leaves are alternate, entire or lobed, glossy or pubescent. Ficus inflorescences (syconia) have a unique structure. They are an overgrown axis, capitate or pear-shaped, hollow inside and with a hole at the top. The flowers are located on the inner surface of the inflorescence wall and are pollinated by insects. After pollination, numerous small fruits develop from the flowers - drupes, which, with the overgrown dry or succulent wall of the inflorescence, form the infructescence. In indoor culture, ficus trees almost never bloom. Plants contain milky sap.
Among the representatives of the genus there are fruit crops, however, these are mainly park and deciduous ornamental plants, suitable for cultivation in greenhouses of botanical gardens, in winter gardens and rooms.
Ficuses are resistant to conditions indoors, suitable for residential and office premises, winter gardens. Ficus trees are very beautiful in the interior. Climbing and creeping are spectacular in hanging ceramic vases. They grow quickly and are relatively undemanding to light.
Fig tree, or Fig tree (Ficus carica L.)- photo. It grows on carbonate soils on rocky mountain slopes in the Mediterranean region, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, India, Afghanistan, Asia Minor, Iran. Deciduous trees 8–10 (up to 12) m tall. The leaves are broadly ovate, 3–5 (up to 7) palmate-lobed, 10–15 (up to 35) cm long and 6–12 cm wide, heart-shaped at the base (they fall off in the winter).
Inflorescences- syconia, rounded pear-shaped, hollow, develop on the branches of a tree. In syconia, 3 types of flowers are laid and developed: male, female with short columns and female with long columns. Female flowers with long columns develop into juicy fruits - infructescences, commonly known as figs, fig, or fig- photo of fruits. Dioecious, less often monoecious (in cultivation in a number of varieties).
Valuable fruit plant. Cultivated in cool, bright rooms. It bears fruit in the rooms. The method of pollination of fig flowers in nature is very interesting. Pollination is carried out by a small wasp - a blastophage. Male and female short-columnar flowers, called caprifigae, are hard, develop stamens and undergo the blastophagous development cycle. The final stage in the development and activity of the blastophage is that, being fertilized in the caprifuge, it emerges from it, showered with pollen, penetrates the syconype with long-columnar female flowers for laying eggs and at the same time pollinating them.
During the growing season, water generously with soft, settled water as the top layer of the substrate dries, and fertilize with organic and mineral fertilizers, every 3 weeks. In autumn (usually in October), the plant sheds its leaves, so watering is reduced (watered only when the soil begins to dry out). In autumn and winter they are kept in a cool room, at a temperature of no more than 10°C, but it is advisable to lower the temperature to 6°C. After the dormant period, watering is increased; plants are placed closer to the light. Fertilizing is applied after the leaves appear. Figs bear fruit from the age of 3–4 years.
Propagated by cuttings from fruit-bearing trees in spring and summer. Cuttings are rooted in sand. After rooting, they are planted in 7-centimeter pots. The earth mixture is made up of turf soil - 2 parts, humus - 1 part, sand - 0.5 parts. Young plants are transferred twice - into 9- and 11-centimeter pots. When the plants reach 15–20 cm in height, the top is pinched to stimulate the development of shoots, which are later also cut to 1/3 of the length; On young plants, only 3–4 developed branches are left, the rest are removed.
Ficus bengal (Ficus benghalensis L.). Synonyms: F. Indian (F. indica L.). Grows in monsoon forests and on the lower slopes of mountains in India and Sri Lanka. Evergreens, trees up to 30 m tall, forming large branches and aerial roots. The leaves are oval, 10–20 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, leathery, rounded at the base, smooth, obtuse at the top. Highly decorative look.
Ficus benjamina (Ficus benjamina L.). It grows in tropical rain forests, at the foot of mountains, rising to a height of 300 m above sea level, in tropical Asia. Evergreens, trees 15 - 18 (up to 30) m tall, with branched, hanging thin branches; form aerial roots. The leaves are oval-ovate, 5 - 12 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, rounded at the base, dense, almost leathery, glossy, slightly wavy at the edges, 1.5–2.5 cm long. The petiole is long. Popular ornamental plant. This species can be grown as bonsai, it is perfect for bonsai composition.
It has a number of varieties that differ in leaf color.
Redjinald- The leaves are light olive with dark green spots along the midrib.
In varieties Natasja And Wiandi The leaves are small, slightly folded and curved outward.
Varieties Bushy King, Variegata, Golden King, Starlight variegated with white, cream, yellowish spots or border.
Extraordinarily good Curly with white leaves, on which cream and green spots are randomly scattered.
Toolittle- a small tree with original small arched leaves.
Variety Kiki- a lush bush with many erect shoots, densely foliated, elongated-lanceolate with a pointed apex, dense, leathery leaves. The color of the leaf blade is very impressive: small white spots seem to be splashed on a dark green background.
One of the most popular varieties Monique. The leaves are bright green, the edges are wavy, this feature intensifies with age, as well as with insufficient lighting. With a light intensity of at least 3000 lux, the leaves acquire a beautiful dark green color. There is a form with white spots on the leaves.
Variety Monique Gold with green leaves decorated with pale green and yellowish spots.
Ficus Binnendijka (Ficus binnendijkii Mikel). In its homeland (Java) it is an evergreen, large tree. IN room conditions most common varieties Alii And Amstel Gueen. In appearance they resemble willows.
In the variety Alii thin shoots are densely leafy with linear, entire leaves with a pointed apex. The plate is 17-20 cm long, leathery, shiny, dark green - photo. Amstel Queen- photo - distinguished by larger leaves, the length of which reaches 30 cm. Altissima has elongated oval leaves, with a slightly serrated edge, the color is dark green, young leaves have gray-green spots, old leaves have a creamy-white edge, the veins are white.
Ficus goblet (Ficus craterostoma Warb. ex Mildbr. & Burret). An evergreen tree from the subtropics of Eastern and South Africa. The leaves are obovate, the apex is cut off, 7-8 cm long and 4-5 cm wide, leathery, shiny, bright or dark green. More often found in greenhouses of botanical gardens than among amateur gardeners.
www.floralworld.ru
Indoor ficus is a small tree with dense, glossy, dark green leaves. He likes sunlight, fresh air and plenty of water. It grows quite quickly, but lives quite long compared to other indoor plants.
Ficus has the ability to create a family atmosphere– inspires goodwill and helps people become more attentive and patient with each other. Ficus is especially useful for homes with “domestic tyrants,” since it draws out aggression from a person and teaches them to cope with their inherent temper. The plant can instill a dose of optimism in even the most hopeless pessimist. Ficus weans people from the need to share their problems with everyone around them, and also eradicates the need for pity.
ivona.bigmir.net
Ficus comes from Asia. There are more than a thousand species of ficus, and the most common was once the rubber ficus. But in last years it is replaced by ficus benjamina with smaller, slightly wavy leaves.
Ficus benjamina is a small evergreen tree with thin drooping shoots and small numerous leaves of different colors and shapes. At home, with proper care, such a ficus can grow up to 2 meters.
Ficus Benjamin looks very beautiful - an openwork crown of small variegated leaves makes this plant very decorative and allows it to fit into any interior.
Variegated ficuses are more demanding of light, but direct sunlight is only useful in the morning and evening. And ficus trees with dark green leaves can grow well in partial shade.
Optimal room temperature for growing ficus benjamina - from 18 to 24 °C. In winter, as a rule, the temperature should be 3-4 °C lower.
Do not place your ficus benjamina near heating battery, and also in a draft.
Watering the ficus, especially in winter, requires moderate moisture - you can neither overwater nor dry out the earthen lump, otherwise the plant will immediately begin to hurt.
In summer, watering should be more frequent. Remember that ficus trees suffer more from overwatering than from underwatering. You only need to water with warm, soft water.
Do not forget to spray the plant: in summer, spraying is required 2-3 times a week, and in winter, once a week is enough. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth from time to time.
If your plant begins to shed its leaves, inspect it carefully. If there are no suspicious spots or signs of pest damage on the leaves, and if the plant has not been accidentally overdried or over-fertilized, then there should not be much concern. Ficus benjamina tolerates shedding leaves easily and will restore the loss fairly quickly in the spring.
But keep in mind: ficus loves consistency in lighting, temperature and habitat. In autumn, growing conditions change, days become shorter, light levels drop sharply, and temperatures drop. Because of such stress, the ficus sheds a lot of leaves. He no longer needs some of them for photosynthesis and water evaporation.
You can reduce leaf fall by placing the pot in the brightest and coolest place. In this case, you need to pay attention to how the plant was oriented towards the light before. It is better not to turn Ficus Benjamin, this can also cause leaves to fall off. To avoid mistakes, make a mark on the surface of the pot facing the stream of light. And when rearranging the ficus, they always focus on it.
From November to February, it is generally advisable to retire the plant, reduce watering and not feed it.
If the loss of leaves is caused by disease or death of roots from an overdose of fertilizers or drying out of the soil, extreme measures are required: treatment with fungicides or replanting with a complete replacement of the soil with a new one.
— Large plants during the growth period need to be fed weekly with regular flower fertilizer, and small ones - once every 2-3 weeks. In winter, you should completely abandon fertilizers.
- If the plant stands in too dark a place in winter, leaves may also begin to fall. Loss of foliage also occurs with large specimens if the ends of the shoots are in the dark. Ficus plants require even lighting.
— Ficus trees should be replanted only as needed, after the roots fill the entire flower container.
www.wild-mistress.ru
Ficus? one of the most popular indoor plants. This evergreen tropical shrub with deciduous leaves takes a worthy place in homes and offices. Caring for ficus is very simple. One of its undoubted advantages is that this indoor flower can be kept even in shaded areas and can tolerate dry air, although in good sunlight the ficus grows much faster. It is necessary to water the ficus very abundantly; drying out of the soil can lead to its death.
Ficus? A very unpretentious indoor plant that does not require special care, but looks very impressive. There are a huge number of different varieties and subspecies of ficus, but the most common are the following varieties:
Ficus trees can only be propagated by cuttings. To do this, they are rooted in disinfected sand and only after calli have formed are placed in the soil. When it comes to fertilizers, there is complete freedom of action. You can feed your pet organic, mineral or complex fertilizers twice a month, however, you should still carefully fertilize the ficuses in winter period and generally exclude feeding in the first few weeks after transplantation.
Ficus trees are often attacked by thrips colonies. You can recognize this by the silvery coating on the leaves. Immediately spray the houseplant with such preparations as Fitoverm, Actellik, Intavir. If your pet is infested with scale insects, which appear in the form of brown plaques on the surface of the leaves, sucking cell sap from the plant, use Actellik solution. Usually three approaches are enough.
It is better to fight the mealybug, which reveals its presence in the form of white fluff or cotton wool on the surface of the leaves, armed with Confidor solution. It is recommended to repeat the procedure twice until the pests are completely destroyed. Spider mites can be washed off the leaves with a soap solution or, if this remedy does not help, use any insecticidal preparations. Can springtails be defeated by physical methods? Immerse the pot in water and carefully collect the floating insects.
www.salonzvetov.ru
The flora of the Earth is incredibly diverse, awe-inspiring with its fabulous beauty, surprising in the number of species, names, shapes, and colors.
Among this splendor and abundance of plants, ficus stands out, the types and names of which amount to about a thousand different names. Let's take a closer look at this many-sided plant, find out its properties and the possibilities of using it to decorate various interiors.
All ficuses, regardless of the type, belong to heat-loving plants and have a predominant distribution in the Mediterranean countries, on the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, countries of West Africa, Latin America. Some varieties of ficus can be found in Crimea, Central Asia, and the countries of Transcaucasia.
Ficus is a very interesting and ancient plant. Mummy tombs have survived to this day. Ancient Egypt made from African ficus. And who doesn’t know the fig or fig tree, also known as the fig tree, which has the status of a sacred tree for Muslims.
Ficus belongs to the mulberry family and has up to 800 species. Over the course of its many thousands of years of existence, this common plant has acquired a wide variety of life forms: from giant trees to very small dwarf plants.
It was also always called the “rubber tree.” This is explained simply. The jelly secreted from the stem and leaves of the ficus tree consists of 15 percent rubber. This is why ficus is used in industry.
The fruits of some types of ficus, for example, figs, contain about 75% sugars and have long been used by humans as a delicacy. In their natural habitat, the fruits of other varieties of ficus are the main part of the food of forest inhabitants.
In African countries and Mexico, rural residents use ficus leaves to cover the roofs of houses in the construction of houses.
If speak about homemade ficus, then everyone has known since childhood this common plant, which has a strong trunk and large, juicy green leaves. In the past, ficus decorated the window sills of almost every home, personifying order, stability, peace, and the correct way of life. And even, at one time, it was synonymous with philistinism.
In recent years, ficus has again begun to experience a huge surge of interest in it from gardeners, thanks to its extraordinary diversity, beauty, and unpretentiousness. This plant has become one of the main decorative elements, especially country houses, where it became possible to provide this handsome man with sufficient space and the necessary lighting.
At home, the plant brings many benefits, purifying the air in the room and creating coziness. This versatile plant has a lot of other beneficial properties, sometimes unexpected and extremely interesting.
So, let's get to know ficus trees better.
The origin of the Bengal ficus leads us to the shores of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh. This is one of the representatives of the mulberry world, absolutely fantastic, from the point of view of an inhabitant of the northern hemisphere of the Earth, ficus banyan. Banyan refers to the unique life form of this plant. This amazing tree resembles a fairy-tale giant and, rather, looks like a dense forest consisting of many trunks.
How does this process happen?
The tree trunk is formed by shoots from which aerial roots emerge. The roots initially have a small thickness; as they develop, they begin to reach the ground, take root, and then they rapidly develop and increase in diameter to several meters. New trunks give rise to new shoots, and this process does not stop, repeating itself again and again. Over time, one tree gradually turns into a real fairy-tale forest, occupying an area of several hectares.
The most impressive tree of the family is considered to be the Great Banyan of India. botanical garden, numbering about three thousand trunks.
In the interior of a city apartment, this tree will look much more modest, but if you decide to keep such a ficus within your home walls, you need to create a number of conditions for it. And, if you are not embarrassed by the size of the Bengal ficus, and it can grow up to three meters high, then, following all the rules of care, you can relax under the crown of a wonderful tree and enjoy the fresh air.
It could be a completely miniature bonsai.
It's tropical beautiful plant, native to India, West Africa in nature it reaches a height of 30 m. It got its name because of the bizarre shape of the patterned leaves, reminiscent of a lyre - an ancient musical instrument.
Feels great at home, growing up to two meters. Of course, if you have enough area with good lighting. And subject to maintenance high humidity and temperature, you have every chance to grow a tall, elegant, handsome man.
But we must remember that ficus lyre prefers loneliness. Therefore, it will feel uncomfortable in the vicinity of other plants. This type of ficus requires constant spraying, wiping the leaves with a damp cloth, and a shower. Sometimes you have to use a humidifier.
In a word, this type of ficus is a difficult specimen and requires increased attention and rules of care.
Among the giant ficuses, which have an impressive size and height, tiny ficuses, which have another name - pumila, attract attention.
These ornamental plants, native to China, Taiwan, and Japan, are evergreen, creeping vines. They have small, beautiful leaves of a dark green hue, sometimes, depending on the variety, with a white border. The ficus stem produces shoots, which over time form aerial roots that can cling to any support and walls.
Therefore, dwarf ficuses are often used to frame any surfaces. The houses and gazebos entwined with a thick web of green carpet look very beautiful. Pumila is also planted as an additional decoration in the same pot with another type of ficus, and together they look great.
It is also possible to grow dwarf ficus at home, like any other type of plant, observing the necessary conditions. The plant needs abundant watering, and it also likes diffused light with a small amount of direct sunlight. And it feels great near windows facing west and east.
The dwarf ficus is replanted annually in the spring using standard ficus soil.
The birthplace of this plant is considered to be India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. The name of this plant speaks for itself. The rubber-bearing large-leaved ficus contains a large percentage of rubber in the juice released from the surface of the leaves. That is why it was previously grown on an industrial scale for the production of rubber. But this juice is not simple - it causes allergic reaction, dermatitis if it gets on the skin, since it contains alkaloids and enzymes.
In nature rubber ficus grows up to 30-40 meters in height. Its “rubber” properties, trunk and dense roots are used by residents southern countries, making hanging bridges from these plants. Such a structure made of living wood can withstand more than a dozen people, as well as floods.
Rubber-bearing ficuses can create banyan trees in their natural habitat, turning into entire groves.
At home, the rubber-bearing ficus is also bred and brings benefits to its owners, first of all, by purifying the air from harmful impurities. Also likes a warm, humid atmosphere, good lighting, but not in direct sunlight.
If you do not forget to feed the ficus, water it on time, replant young plants every year and adult ficuses every 2-3 years, then your pet will delight you with its lush green appearance for a long time, bringing a feeling of peace and order to your home.
If we talk about the country of origin of this type of ficus, then it will be Burma, Nepal, and some areas of Indochina. In nature, like many of its compatriots, it is distinguished by its gigantic size and grows up to 30 meters in height, has a thick green crown with large leaves.
The sacred ficus can begin its life as an epiphytic plant, fixing itself on other trees or in the recesses of buildings. Then, like many representatives of ficus, it begins to take root aerially, then becomes fixed in the soil and turns into a trunk, which is a support for the young plant. And when further development often turns into a banyan tree.
This type of ficus has distinctive feature, called "guttation". At high humidity Droplets of moisture form at the tips of the leaves of this plant, creating a weeping effect of the plant.
Buddhists consider this type of ficus to be a sacred plant, hence its name. According to legend, an ancient Buddhist prince achieved enlightenment under this wonderful plant and became Buddha. Since then, there has been a tradition of planting ficus sacred near temples, and pilgrims with enviable consistency decorate the plant with multi-colored ribbons.
It is grown at home with the same requirements for the maintenance of the entire ficus family.
This type of ficus is extremely popular among gardeners because of its decorative qualities and simple process growing and caring for it.
In nature, like all its relatives, it grows in the warm countries of Asia and northern Australia. Loves moist habitats and natural conditions can grow to a respectable size of 30 m in height. It can form the banyan trees already familiar to us, but in countries with a drier climate it remains a single-trunked tree.
In its natural habitat, it is often used in the form of “live” hedges and to create topiary forms, when geometric cutting is applied to plants to give them certain shapes.
It looks very attractive on the windowsills of apartments, hanging the branches a little down, for which it received the name “crying ficus”. The leaves, depending on the variety, vary in size (from 3 to 10 cm), shape and color shades. But regardless of the variety, a milky sap is released from the surface of the ficus leaves, which can cause an allergic reaction.
, like no other, has a large number of varieties. They differ in size from small plants up to 4-meter heroes, leaf shape and color. May be trees or shrubs.
Among all the diversity, ficus varieties stand out for their special unpretentiousness:
And many other varieties, each of which has its own characteristics and charm.
Ficus benjamina adapts well to the home interior, is heat-loving, and requires watering only when the top layer of soil dries out. In winter, water less often, but keep an eye on the roots, preventing them from drying out.
The types of ficus do not end there, the story can be continued for a long time, but you have met the most common inhabitants of our window sills. In future publications I will try to talk about the rules of caring for them, about possible diseases or which can settle on these majestic plants.
Genus Ficus – Ficus
Family: Mulberry (Moraceae).
Homeland: Mediterranean, Western Asia, North-West India.
Plants of this genus number in nature, according to various sources, from 900 to 1000 species, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Among the life forms there are trees (with plank-shaped roots), shrubs, and vines. Among the ficus trees, there are also ficus “stranglers”: at first these plants develop as epiphytes on other trees, where their seeds are carried by animals. But some time passes, the aerial roots of young ficus trees sink lower and lower, grow into the ground, thicken, entwine and squeeze the trunk of the host tree, which gradually dies.
Another life form is named after the ficus bengalensis, or banyan tree. It is also characteristic of the rubber plant in its natural environment. Aerial roots begin to develop on the horizontal branches of the tree. Growing into the ground, the roots thicken so much that they look like additional trunks. Over time, one plant forms a whole grove.
Several types of ficus are grown indoors. Let's look at them.
Ficus Ali -Ficus ali
Outwardly, it looks nothing like any other ficus. The leaves are somewhat reminiscent of oleander leaves. Shade-tolerant. This is a tall species.
Ficus benjamina -Ficus benjamina
This type of ficus and its numerous varieties are very popular and promising for keeping in rooms and office premises. These bushy plants, with abundant drooping foliage, dark green and variegated, reach 1.5 m in height.
Ficus carica (fig, fig tree) –Ficus carica
The fig, or fig tree, is well known to us for its tasty fruits. And its fruits are those small grains that are well felt when chewed. The plant captivates with its large palmate-lobed leaves and picturesque appearance. In autumn the leaves fall. In places of natural growth, plants bloom three times a year, in temperate climates in spring and autumn.
Location. Light, however, not sunny. Later, when the leaves have grown, it is sunny and warm.
During the period of active growth, the plants are watered abundantly and fed weekly with liquid fertilizer until August.
Wintering. Figs should be moved indoors a little later than other potted plants, as they tolerate light frosts. On winter apartments kept at a temperature of 2–8 °C in a light, or in extreme cases also a dark place. Watering is very moderate.
Ficus is tiny, or dwarf –Ficus pumila
The ampelous forms of this species love pruning. Well suited for florariums. Can be grown as a vine and guided along a support. Demanding on humidity. Variegated forms need more lighting.
Ficus lyreformes –Ficus lyrata
Spectacular appearance with large, hard, embossed leaves. Suitable for spacious sunny winter gardens, reaches a height of up to 2 meters or more, and can also grow in rooms when young.
Ficus rooting -Ficus radicans
Ampelous shape, leaves larger than those of ficus dwarf, with wavy edges. Variety F. radicans – F. variegata– has a cream border along the edges of the leaf blade.
Ficus elastica –Ficus elastica
One of 1000 species of the genus ficus, which is also called: elastic ficus, rubber ficus, rubber tree. The recognized head of all ficuses is a plant of impressive size (up to 2 m in height) with aerial supporting roots.
It has carelessly spreading, slightly drooping branches with large dark green shiny leaves, bright brown uneven bark, especially at the base, on the top and side shoots young, not yet unfolded leaves are visible, hidden in a pink cover.
Well-placed variegated ficus plants in flowerpots that match the style will add a unique stylish touch to any type of interior.
A variety of ficus elastica is Ficus elastica Tineke. At first glance, it seems that this is not a living plant, but a skillfully made and painted plastic dummy, the color of the leaves of this ficus seems so unnatural. Such a plant can be an excellent gift that will always create good mood, especially on gray winter days. Maximum size it is about 180 cm.
The plant is light-loving, drought-resistant, heat-loving and requires special care. Prefers bright, diffused lighting, without direct sunlight during the period of their activity (March-September).
Features of care
The soil. For adult specimens, an earth mixture in equal proportions of turf, leaf soil, humus, peat and sand is suitable.
Transfer. Young specimens and rooted cuttings can be replanted in soil that does not contain turf soil and humus. Important Feature when planting, ensure good drainage. Ficuses are afraid of stagnant water. The volume of the bowl is replaced by a larger one general principle: as the plant grows. It is better to carry out transplantation work in the spring. In winter, when transplanting, ficus may shed its leaves. Ampelous species do not need large bowls and grow well even on the surface of the soil of their large relatives (for example, ficus Benjamin variegated grows well on the surface of the soil, the dwarf ficus - the sunny variety) or other plants.
Temperature. Moderate, in winter not lower than 12 °C, except for figs, in summer – 19–24 °C. When summer temperatures rise above 24 °C, an intensive spraying regime should be introduced.
Lighting. Mature tree-like specimens tolerate bright light well. But penumbra doesn’t bother them either. Other types prefer a bright, but not sunny location. We can say that most ficuses (non-variegated forms) - shade-tolerant plants. They do not like changing places, i.e. rearranging, moving, and cannot stand drafts.
Watering and air humidity. At any time of the year, water carefully: not allowing the earthen clod to dry out, and not allowing moisture to stagnate, otherwise the consequences will arise immediately - a sharp drop large quantity leaves. Watering should be done with warm water if possible. In summer, ficus should be actively sprayed, especially ampelous forms, in winter - if the air is extremely dry and the room temperature exceeds 22 °C. Plants with large leaves, in addition to spraying, are regularly washed to remove dust and inspected to prevent the appearance of pests.
Fertilizer. In the spring and summer, the plant needs regular application of complex fertilizer once every two weeks.
Trimming. They easily tolerate pruning and require crown formation.
Reproduction. Simple and affordable way– cuttings. Easy to reproduce like this vegetative way tree-like and ampelous ficuses. The only difference is that ampelous ficuses (ivy-shaped and tiny) take root faster than shrub and tree-like forms. No greenhouse boxes with peat, sand or covering material are needed. In an ordinary container with water, after two to three weeks the ficus will develop adventitious roots. To propagate woody ficuses, you can take both apical sections and sections from the middle part with one node, but better - with two or three. The main thing is that the cuttings are not the youngest, but already semi-lignified. The cut is made with a sharp knife, the lowest leaf is removed from the cut, the milky sap is washed off with warm water, then the cut is slightly dried and again placed in warm water for rooting. Of course, if you are used to rooting in a loose substrate, please do so, but this method is more labor-intensive and there is no way to monitor the rooting process, as, for example, in water. For wood forms it is advisable to twist large leaves into a tube and tie it to reduce evaporation, and bury the cutting itself obliquely into the substrate by one knot. So, in the summer there are no obstacles to propagating ficuses by cuttings.
This text is an introductory fragment.
