The benefits of indoor plants have been known to people for a long time. It is because of this that whole armadas of a wide variety of colors flaunt so often on the windowsills of apartments: violets, crotons, cacti - you can’t list everything. Small-leaved ficus is very popular with flower growers - a small but beautiful plant that delights its owner with green leaves all year round. Is everything so simple with this inhabitant of the home greenhouse?
General characteristics
Let's start with a description of this plant. Ficuses are small-leaved and large-leaved. They are found in the form of shrubs, vines, even small trees - so choosing something that is most suitable is not difficult. Both small-leaved ficus and large-leaved ficus are quite unpretentious to the environment, moreover, they tolerate pruning well, so they can easily replace capricious bonsai - creating green sculptures from them is just as easy as from whimsical Japanese tree.
Different types of ficuses differ in size, shape (it was already mentioned a little higher) and leaf color (in some species they are evenly green, insome - with white patches or edging, there are also ficuses with crimson leaves). Ficus care depends on its type. We will talk about this further.
General care rules
Flower growers note that there are not many plants as unpretentious as small-leaved ficus. Caring for it is trivially simple: water moderately in winter, keeping the plant at a temperature of + 12-14 degrees; in summer - plentifully.
The variegated-leaved ficuses prefer sunny locations and need more light than their uniform-leaf counterparts. There is no need to feed the plant all year round - once every two to three weeks during the period of active growth is enough.
Transfer
As for such a sensitive issue as transplantation, it is worth considering the age of the ficus. For young plants, this procedure should be carried out every year. For adults, one transplant every few years is enough, before that they must be pruned so that the plant does not spend extra energy on maintaining the vital activity of its dead parts.
Crushed stone will be an ideal drainage material, thanks to which the small-leaved ficus will become stable. It is worth considering that the root system needs a lot of space, so it is best to choose a spacious container for transplanting. The transplant itself takes place by the method of transshipment of the plant. Ficus can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, and air layers - it all depends on its type.
Growing a tree
But some amateurs set themselves the task of growing not a small bush, but a real tree called "small-leaved ficus". Home care for this plant in this case is a little more complicated. Instead of the usual direct light, diffused light is used (you can install original screens around the flower pot that will create such an effect). Tap water is replaced with melted water (which is much softer and, therefore, more useful for the plant), preferably warm.
In winter, ficus may need more light, so you will have to use additional light sources. To regulate humidity, growers install additional water bowls that will create a wetter climate for the plant. According to amateurs, under such conditions, the plant can grow up to 40 cm per year.
Ficus Benjamin - fussy in the world of ficuses
The most common among flower growers is Benjamin's small-leaved ficus. In nature, it is a real tree that grows up to 20 m high, but at home, its growth depends entirely on the owner. Some say that this species is one of the most capricious. The enthusiastic reviews of many owners talking about their green pets convince us that it is not so difficult to grow a beautiful tall ficus, but first you should study all the pitfalls, and then dive into the world of floriculture. So, what you need to consider when caring for ficusBenjamin?
Lighting and crown shaping
When caring for this plant, you should remember that good lighting is vital for it - otherwise the crown is unlikely to form a truly beautiful one. From time to time you need to turn the pot so that the leaves are under the sun's rays on all sides - this will help them develop evenly. New shoots grow quickly and begin to sag under the weight of the leaves, which will cause the crown to grow horizontally rather than vertically, which looks rather untidy. Therefore, it is necessary to cut the shoots (this is done with sharp scissors, pre-treated with alcohol, and only the shoots themselves need to be cut, trying not to injure the leaves), giving the crown the necessary shape. Another appearance option for ficus is a column.
To do this, several shoots are planted in one flowerpot, which over time will need to be intertwined with each other: in this case, the tree will not need additional support and will grow rapidly upwards.
Pale Leaves
And how to care for a small-leaved ficus, the same Benjamin, for example, if his leaves suddenly turned pale? Here the problem is likely to be an overabundance of light - the leaves simply burned out in direct sunlight. A little shading of the plant will solve the problem.
As mentioned above, ficuses are calm in temperate climates, but at the same time they do not tolerate heat and land. Everything forthis plant should be moderated, otherwise it will shed its leaves, which will scare its owner a lot.
Shattering leaves
Sooner or later, all ficus owners are faced with the fact that their pets begin to shed their leaves. There can be many answers to the question of why the small-leaved ficus crumbles: the reasons vary from banal aging to the dissatisfaction of the plant with any conditions of its maintenance. In the first case, you should not worry: in principle, it is normal if the ficus begins to “molt” once every two or three years. If this is not the reason for the changes, you will have to try to understand why the tree is unhappy.
Difficulties in adapting
The problem may be that the small-leaved ficus, which has just survived the transplant, is not used to the new flowerpot. For example, instead of the usual pot of breathable chamotte, in which the roots breathe better and the s alts from which are quickly removed, he received deaf plastic. In this case, subjecting the plant to a new transplant means causing additional stress. Therefore, you will have to wait a bit, giving the ficus time to adapt, and if this does not help, then return it to its usual habitat.
Lack of lighting
Another reason why the small-leaved ficus sheds its leaves may be a lack of light. The problem in this case is that artificial light is not always a full-fledged replacement for natural light, and it’s not a cheap pleasure to constantly illuminate the plant with lamps. And another difficulty may be that when transferred to a too lit placethe ficus may turn pale (the burnout of the leaves has already been mentioned a little higher). So what to do in such a situation?
Some flower growers use a rather interesting trick. Opposite the plant, they install a mirror that reflects sunlight. At the same time, direct sunlight does not fall on the flower, which can harm it even more, but it receives enough light. We must not forget that for a uniform formation of the crown, you will have to turn the plant from time to time, giving all the shoots the opportunity to absorb the much needed light.
Irrigation problems
But these are not all the reasons why small-leaved ficus can lose its beauty. The leaves of this plant fall off both during drought and excessive watering. It is optimal to water the plant 2-3 times a week in summer and 1 time per week in winter - the soil should still be a little moist before new watering. In addition, once every two weeks the ficus needs to be loosened - so the soil will breathe better and dry out. With an abundance of water, the soil will turn into a sticky lump - these are far from the most beneficial conditions for the development of a plant, as a result, the grower will first get a yellowing, and then a ficus shedding leaves. In the case of a lack of moisture, the leaves will also first turn yellow, drying out, and then completely fall off.
You also need to spray the plant regularly: dryness is the same enemy of ficus as excess heat. The frequency of spraying should coincide with the frequency of watering, although these procedures can be carried out on different days - this way the plant will be better.absorb moisture. Flower growers are advised to use settled, soft water at room temperature. Watering should not be done according to a clear schedule - it is necessary to saturate the ficus with moisture when the soil dries out. In addition, it is recommended to do this in several steps so that the soil evenly assimilates the liquid.
Water treatments
Continuing to discuss the issue of watering, I would like to talk about such a ritual, often carried out by flower growers, as “bathing plants”. In no case should you wash the leaves with a rag or something like that - the small-leaved ficus will offendedly drop leaves on such manipulations, considering the grower's actions an attempt to oversaturate it with water. If it is necessary to “rain”, the tree is brought into the bathroom, the earth is covered with a film and the leaves are simply sprayed from above with a shower. After that, for some time, the ficus remains in the bathroom, otherwise the leaves may fall off from hypothermia.
Conclusion
Yes, green plants are very useful for the home: they humidify the air, destroy harmful substances, and delight the eye. But at the same time, their content is always associated with the expenditure of effort. Therefore, approach the choice of a green friend as responsibly as the choice of a pet. And then everything will work out for you.
