Ficuses are considered one of the most common plants grown at home. They are very beautiful. There are over a thousand types of ficuses. Representatives of the mulberry family, they came to us from distant tropical latitudes. Ficus is native to New Guinea, Southeast Asia and the Solomon Islands. These are mainly evergreens, with the exception of deciduous varieties - fig trees.
Ficuses are both trees and shrubs. Their leaves are usually entire. Their length reaches 70 cm. The leaves, as a rule, are painted in a delicate green color, although there are also species with a two-tone color.
Ficus varieties Benjamin
It is considered the "hit" of indoor floriculture. Ficus Benjamin is very often used in landscaping. Under natural conditions, this tall evergreen plant reaches a height of up to twenty meters. Most often it is found in the subtropical regions of China, India, Australia.
This ficus got its name in honor of the famous English scientist Benjamin Jackson, although there is a version that he was so called thanks tothe benzoin it contains. On the windowsills in apartments, lovers of home floriculture grow a variety of subspecies of Benjamin's ficus - Danielle, Monique, Nicole, etc. They all need certain care conditions that you need to know. It should be borne in mind that these representatives of the mulberry family practically do not bloom at home. But if a miracle happens and the pet pleases its owner with buds, they are unlikely to make a big impression. The flowers of this plant are small and inconspicuous.
In this article we will talk about how to grow ficus Danielle at home, about caring for it.
Description
Glittering dark green leaves of this Ficus Benjamin variety are up to eight centimeters long. With proper care, Ficus Daniel looks like a very he althy and viable plant. In nature, it is an evergreen tall tree with a highly developed aerial root system.
Ficus Daniel, the photo of which is presented below, is considered a fairly common indoor plant that grows rapidly, while not requiring special care skills from a person. It is ideal for growing in a spacious room with high ceilings. Ficus Daniel is especially popular with lovers of bulky houseplants.
Its original form is a small shrub. The plant has a thin vertical stem, from which flexible branches extend to the side. The leaves have a glossy surface. They haveoval shape with a pointed tip. The color of the leaves, depending on the age of the ficus Daniel, changes from light green to dark. The plant is easy to shape: from its young branches, experienced growers weave braids and spirals, make circles, various shapes. This property increases interest in ficus Danielle.
Home care
Those who are going to buy this wonderful plant, considered the green symbol of Bangkok, do not worry. Caring for ficus Benjamin Daniel is simple. It is enough to follow simple complex rules, water and feed in a timely manner, and then this indoor pet will delight its owners with incredible beauty, giving only positive emotions. After the purchase, do not immediately transplant it. It is worth giving him about a month to acclimatize, because store conditions are sometimes very different from home.
Features of cultivation
This variety of ficus, as well as all its "brothers", belongs to light-loving plants. At the same time, the sun's rays are categorically contraindicated for this southern culture. Therefore, when choosing a place for it, you should stop at a light and slightly shaded area in the apartment, where there is a large amount of diffused light. For ficus Daniel, the southeast, east or southwest sides of the house are ideal. In summer, it is recommended to take it out to the balcony, loggia or garden so that it “breathes fresh air”. In this case, the rule of the "shadow side" should be observed.
It is very important to place a culture pot in the apartment in this way,so that it is not in a draft. Due to the rapid growth of ficus Daniel very soon reaches a large size and will no longer fit on the windowsill.
Lighting and temperature conditions
The plant needs bright but diffused light. It is better to place it on the east or southeast window. In the summer months, the pot should not be placed under the direct rays of the sun. In the very heat, ficus definitely needs shading.
The best summer temperature range is considered to be between twenty and twenty-five degrees Celsius. As for the winter period, the readings on the thermometer should not go below 15 degrees.
Ground requirements
The optimal soil substrate for ficus Daniel is considered to be slightly acidic or neutral soil, rather loose, nutritious and moisture-intensive. You can also use store-bought soil for ficuses, although many growers prepare the soil themselves by mixing equal volumes of soddy and leafy soil with the addition of coarse-grained sand in half. Experts recommend adding a small amount of bone meal as well.
Rules for boarding and transfers
The container for planting ficus Daniel must meet certain requirements: regardless of the shape, its vertical size must be a quarter or at least a third of the plant's growth. Another prerequisite is the presence of a normal drainage hole. For ficus, stagnant water in a pot will become extremely unfavorable. This can lead to root rot.system, so the container material is also better to choose porous. It can be, for example, ceramics without a continuous glazed layer.
At the bottom of the container, be sure to place a drainage layer of expanded clay, small pebbles or ceramic cullet.
In the process of planting ficus in the main pot, as the soil falls asleep, it is necessary to monitor not only the filling of voids between the root processes, but also to ensure that the root neck is not deeper, but flush with the ground. If we are talking about a large plant, you need to take care of the support that supports its trunk.
Young ficuses should be transplanted every year. This should be done either in spring or summer. Mature plants are transshipped every few years. The signal for transplantation is the strong interweaving of the earthy coma with the root system.
Fertilizers
From April to September twice a month, ficus require top dressing. Fertilizers should be alternated, applying universal and mineral complexes with a high content of the nitrogen component. The dressing solution should not fall on the leaves and buds. In winter, no fertilizer is required.
Cutting
With proper care, Benjamin Daniel's ficus grows strongly at home. Therefore, it needs pruning from time to time, which the plant tolerates quite easily, forming new shoots and branches after it.
In addition, the stems of young plants are quite flexible. Therefore, out of severalficuses planted in one pot can form a wicker or trellis stem system. Pruning is done in early spring. The milky juice secreted in this case is washed off. Due to its good growth and very active branching, starting after pruning, Ficus Daniel is considered an excellent material used to create a crown of various sculptural forms, as well as to form spectacular bonsai trees.
Diseases and pests
All ficus pathologies are the result of improper care for it. Drafts, insufficient or, conversely, too abundant watering, lack of light or direct sunlight, dry indoor air or constant movement of the pot - all these are the reasons that prevent the he althy and comfortable development of Benjamin Daniel's ficus.
The most common diseases are aphids and scale insects, as well as spider mites.
In order to notice the disease in time and start fighting it, you should periodically inspect the inside of the leaf. At the initial stage, the disease can be stopped by wiping the foliage with a mild soap solution. Well, more complex and neglected cases should be treated with chemicals that are sold in specialized stores.
