In nature, Benjamin's ficus grows in China, India, Southeast Asia and even in Australia. We have a beautiful plant with glossy variegated or dark green leaves that is grown only indoors. Benjamin's ficus is rather capricious, but if you take care of it according to all the rules, it will grow into a huge tree and will delight you with its lush crown
It is necessary
- - ficus seedling;
- - a pot;
- - expanded clay;
- - ready-made soil for ficuses;
- - special complex fertilizer for ficuses.
Instructions
Step 1
For Benjamin's ficus, you need to choose a permanent place, since it is not recommended to rearrange it, the plant does not like it and it can shed its foliage. The temperature should not be lower than 15 ° C, the ficus does not like hypothermia. The ideal room temperature is 23-25 ° C. It should be taken into account that the place for the ficus is well ventilated, but there are no drafts. The plant is photophilous, but does not tolerate direct sunlight.
Step 2
Ficus propagates by cuttings. Cut the stalk 7-10 cm long. To get rid of the milky juice that it starts to release, put it in water for a couple of hours, then change it to fresh water and leave it for a few more hours. You will need to change the water several times a day. When all the milky juice comes out, put the stalk (its lower part) in clean water. In a few weeks, the roots will appear.
Step 3
Plant a cutting. Pick up a pot with a diameter of 10 cm. Pour expanded clay drainage at the bottom, then fill it with special ready-made soil for ficuses. Make a hole in the ground and place the rooted stalk in it. Sprinkle with soil, compact and water.
Step 4
Plant care consists of watering, feeding and replanting. Watering frequency depends on room humidity and temperature. Water the plant after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried. You can check this in the following way. Stick a pencil (or any other stick) into the ground and pull it out. If the wet earth stuck to it at a distance of 2-3 cm from the surface, then the ficus needs to be watered.
Step 5
The plant responds very well to spraying. Do it between waterings, especially if the indoor air is dry.
Step 6
Feed the ficus in spring and summer every 2-3 weeks with special complex fertilizers. In autumn and winter, one top dressing per month is enough.
Step 7
Ficus Benjamin grows quite quickly and in a few years can grow up to 2-3 meters in height, so it needs to be periodically transplanted into a larger pot. An indicator for transplantation is the roots that crawl out of the holes at the bottom of the pot.
Step 8
Pick up a container 3-4 cm in diameter and deeper than the previous pot. Pour expanded clay drainage on the bottom and fill the pot 1/3 full of soil. Remove the ficus from the old cramped pot, shake off the soil and rinse the roots, cut off any rotten and damaged ones.
Step 9
Place the plant in a pot, straighten the roots, cover with soil and water at room temperature. Transplanting is stressful for the ficus, so it can shed its leaves, but soon, under favorable conditions, it will grow lush foliage.
Step 10
Ficus can be given absolutely any shape by cutting and pinching the tree. Pruning should be done only in the spring - this will induce the plant to release new shoots, as a result of which the crown will become much more magnificent and beautiful. Before work, disinfect the pruner with a solution of potassium permanganate. After pruning, sprinkle with crushed charcoal or activated charcoal.
