Ficus, types and variety of names. The real homeland of the ficus - a houseplant. Caring for the ficus: the necessary soil composition, conditions for growth and flowering

The homeland of the ficus plant... Ficus plants are very popular in indoor plant growing due to the decorative nature of their leaves. These plants belong to the mulberry genus – Moraceae. The homeland of ficus is Southeast Asia, the islands of Java, Ceylon and Barneo, as well as the tropics and subtropics of Australia.

Ficus plants are so diverse in size, shape and color of leaves that home plant lovers will never cease to admire them. These members of the mulberry family can be tree-like, vine-shaped, or shrubby. A distinctive feature of these plants is the obligatory presence of sticky milky juice on the fracture or cut.

In their natural habitat, most ficuses are evergreens, but sometimes there are deciduous species: Ali, Natasha, Viandi, Elastica. These species shed their leaves in October and new ones begin to grow starting in February.

Ficus trees have a very diverse shape and color of leaves, and the size of the plants is simply amazing in their contrast. Miniature ficuses - small-leaved Pumila and ivy-shaped Hederacea - are used as ground cover. The largest leaf of these little ones barely reaches a size of 1.5 cm. The largest Bengal ficus Banyan reaches a height of 30 m, and its crown is very spreading, up to 5 thousand meters in diameter.

There is a well-known fig tree in nature, the fruits of which are loved by many. But not everyone knows that this tree belongs to the mulberry family and bears the proud name Ficus Carica. The homeland of the ficus carica plant is ancient Mesopotamia, that is, the modern territory of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Whatever ficus you choose, the homeland of the plant leaves an imprint on its appearance, the size and color of the leaves and the growing conditions at home or in greenhouses. And only by strictly following all the tips and rules for caring for these beautiful plants will they allow you to admire their beautiful and interesting shapes and colorful shiny leaves. For perfect care, ficus plants will reward you with the same perfect flowering - beautiful hollow round or pear-shaped inflorescences with many small and fragrant flowers inside.

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 conditions of care. 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.

Choosing a place for ficus

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 lower than 50%, and the 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.

Watering and feeding Ficus Benjamin

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.

Transplanting a plant

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 into 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.

Reproduction of Ficus Benjamin

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 of clean water until the 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.

Pots with a diameter of 10 cm and any universal soil are suitable for planting cuttings. 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.

Problems in caring for Ficus Benjamin

Foliage is the main indicator of plant health. The most common problems that affect such indoor flowers are described below.

• The leaves fall and the tips dry out: the reason is that the air in the room is too dry. Solved by spraying;
• The leaves of the plant curl and wither: this indicates a lack of heat for the ficus. If it is near a wall or glass, move it away. Increase the temperature in the room as a whole;
• New shoots, thinned and too small leaves: lack of light or nutrition. Feed the plant and place it in a more sunny area;
• The lower leaves fly off: this is not a problem, but a natural result of plant growth;
• Remember to periodically inspect the plant for pests. Ficus leaves are loved by spider mites and shield aphids. They can be destroyed using ready-made insecticides.

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: Mulberry (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 and summer (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 widespread 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 cultivation, ficus trees almost never bloom. Plants contain milky sap.

Among the representatives of the genus there are fruit crops, but these are mainly park and deciduous ornamental plants, suitable for cultivation in greenhouses of botanical gardens, winter gardens and rooms.

Ficuses are stable in indoor conditions, 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 caprifiga, it emerges from it, showered with pollen, penetrates the syconipus with long-columnar female flowers to lay eggs and at the same time pollinates them.

Content Features:

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 a dwarf tree and is perfect for bonsai composition.
It has a number of varieties that differ in leaf color.
Redjinald- 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 in low light. 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 indoor conditions, the most common varieties are 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 Southern 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.

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Ficus: A plant for creating a warm family environment



Indoor ficus is a small tree with dense, glossy, dark green leaves. It loves sunshine, 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 benjamina: care, reasons for leaf falling



What is Benjamin's ficus?

Ficus comes from Asia. There are more than a thousand species of ficus, and the most common was once the rubber ficus. But in recent years it has been replaced by Ficus Benjamin 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 benjamina looks very beautiful - the openwork crown of small variegated leaves makes this plant very decorative and allows it to fit into any interior.



How to choose a place for Ficus Benjamin?

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.

The optimal room temperature for growing Ficus Benjamin is from 18 to 24 °C. In winter, as a rule, the temperature should be 3-4 °C lower.

Do not place your Ficus Benjamin near a heating radiator or in a draft.

How to water ficus benjamina?

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.



Why does Ficus benjamina shed its leaves?

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 a too dark 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 places and is able to 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:

• rubber ficus (aka elastica) has yellowish stripes and spots on fairly large leaves;
• Benjamin's ficus, on the contrary, grows with small graceful leaves, often variegatedly colored;
• ficus lyreate is famous for its large leaves of a specific shape, the size of which reaches half a meter;
• dwarf ficus grows very quickly, but does not tolerate dry soil and low humidity levels.
• Ficus Banyan (sacred) is famous for its large, heart-shaped leaves with yellow veins and fruits that have antibacterial properties.

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 with organic, mineral or complex fertilizers twice a month, but you should still carefully fertilize ficuses in winter and generally avoid 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

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Mulberry family. This is one of the most common indoor plants.

In nature, ficuses are trees and shrubs; they grow in dense forests under rain, wind and sun, and are very hardy. But at home, ficuses are much more tender - they do not tolerate drafts, waterlogging of the soil and direct bright sun. Ficus variegated varieties are more light-loving; they require shading only during the hottest time of the day, from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In winter, ficuses tolerate room temperature well, but need good lighting, so if the pots with plants do not fit on the windowsill and are moved into the room, you need to arrange lighting using fluorescent or LED lamps. And variegated forms, for example Ficus benjamina, can stand on a southern windowsill all winter. With a lack of lighting in winter, weak shoots are formed, internodes lengthen, there are few leaves, branches reach towards the light and the crown looks one-sided.

Ficus trees propagate by cuttings. You can get as many cuttings from a shoot as there are leaves on it. The cutting for propagation should consist of one leaf with an intact eye and half of the lower internode without an eye. After cutting the cutting, it is immersed in warm water to stop the secretion of milky juice. For better rooting, a cut or split is made at the bottom of the cutting (for cuttings with hard wood, a cross shape, for cuttings with soft wood, one cut). It is better to root cuttings with soil heating and covering the cutting with a plastic bag.

For all ficus plants, the best soil mixture is 2 parts leaf soil, 1 part peat soil and 1 part humus. Ficuses do not like to be planted in a container much larger than their root system, so they are replanted when the roots are expected to fill the entire pot or tub. At the same time, ficus plants grow quite quickly, therefore, the soil when replanting must be nutritious, in addition, fertilizer fertilizing is carried out in spring and summer (they respond well to fertilizing with organic fertilizers; rotted cow manure or “Giant” fertilizer are good for this). Ficus plants can also be fed with fertilizers such as "Rainbow" and "Palm". Old specimens of large ficuses are replanted very rarely - after 5-6 years. But every year you need to replace the top layer of soil with a new one. You should also replace the top layer of soil if a white crust appears on it - salt deposits.

Types of ficus

The first place of honor among the various types of ficus is occupied by Ficus rubber or Ficus elastica. Also very popular are Ficus benjamina, Ficus lyre-shaped, Ficus bengal, Ficus dwarf, etc. The secret of such popularity is the unpretentiousness of ficuses in general and the individual beauty of each species:

• ficus elastica - a large monumental plant, very shade-tolerant;
• ficus benjamina is a miniature tree in shape, easy to shape by pruning, merging trunks, its branches bend easily and accept any shape;
• ficus lyreate - a proud solitary plant with shiny leathery leaves;
• ficus Ali (binnendika) - its appearance resembles a willow tree, it never grows and also branches well;
• dwarf ficus is an excellent ground cover or hanging plant.

Ficus rubber plant Ficus elastica

It has several varieties, differing in the shape and color of the leaves. Particularly impressive are varieties with yellow spots and stripes on the leaves. Some varieties branch well and have a fairly compact shape, others are reluctant to form side shoots and tend to grow upward.

At home, rubber ficus is undemanding to air humidity and tolerant of lack of light. We advise you to pay special attention to proper watering and care of growing shoots, which can reach several meters and bend bizarrely. The crown must be formed in a timely manner by tying the stems or periodically cutting them and rooting them.

Caring for ficus rubber

Ficus elastica is not demanding in care, it is important to choose the right place, especially for large specimens - so that it is light and does not fry from radiators; Do not water excessively and periodically wipe the leaves from dust.

Temperature

Preferably moderate, not lower than 18°C. They like to “keep their feet warm” - do not place a pot of ficus on a cold windowsill, marble or tiled floor, etc. In a room with above-moderate temperatures, the leaves begin to droop down.

Lighting

All varieties of Ficus elastica prefer a bright place, with protection from direct sunlight during the midday hours. Variegated forms need a lighter and warmer place than forms with dark leaves.

Watering

Ficus rubber prefers moderate watering and does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. Water at room temperature, preferably settled. Fertilizer feeding from March to August every two weeks.

Ficus benjamina Ficus benjamina

Small-leaved compact tree with a dense crown. The branches of Ficus benjamina in old plants, 8-10 years old, droop and give the tree a special attractiveness. At home it grows up to 1.5-2 m in height.

Caring for ficus benjamina

Temperature

Moderate, optimal within 20-25°C, in winter it is possible to keep it at lower temperatures of about 16-18°C, with limited watering, limit 10°C for dry keeping.

Lighting

Ficus benjamina loves light, especially variegated varieties, but with protection from direct sunlight in the afternoon. In spring and summer, an eastern window is suitable, where the sun comes in the morning or evening. But in central Russia for the period from September to January, a southern or southwestern window is ideal for him. If there is a lack of light in winter, the ficus may leaf out.

Watering

Ficus benjamina has moisture-storing thickenings on the roots, so it does not tolerate waterlogging; it must be dried well before the next watering. If the roots of a ficus dry out for a very long time after watering, rotting may begin: the plant simultaneously sheds a large number of leaves, some lose color and become yellow, others fly off while still green.

Ficus Ali (binnendijkii) Ficus binnendijkii "Alii"

Ali is the most popular variety of ficus binnendijkii, which is also found under the name “ficus willow”. The leaves of this ficus are indeed reminiscent of willow in shape, but this is a popular name, not a botanical one.

With good care, Ficus Ali at home reaches 1.5 m in height and about 70-80 cm in diameter. You should not place this ficus on the floor: firstly, it is dark, the lower part of the trunk will begin to become exposed, and secondly, it is always colder on the floor, the soil in the pot takes longer to dry and the roots can rot if you water too much.

Caring for Ficus Ali

Temperature

Moderate, optimal within 20-25°C, in winter it is possible to keep it at lower temperatures of about 16-18°C, with limited watering, limit 13°C for dry keeping. With sudden changes in temperature, it can shed its leaves.

Lighting

Bright diffused light, light partial shade. With an acute lack of light, the shoots stretch out and the leaves thin out. Direct sunlight on hot afternoons can cause burns. The green-leaved Ficus Ali is more shade-tolerant than many other ficus species. But variegated varieties like "Amstel Gold" need more intense lighting, with some sunlight in the morning or evening.

Watering

In summer, water the ficus moderately; the top layer of soil should dry well to a depth of approximately 1/2 the height of the pot. In winter, when light and temperature decrease, watering is limited, allowing the soil to dry out almost completely.

Ficus lirata

Ficus lirata - distinguished by its large leaves, similar in shape to an inverted violin. Its leaves reach a length of 50-60 cm. It loves solitude, do not place it close to other plants.

This ficus is not often seen in flower shops, but it is wonderful - the leaves are leathery, directed upwards, and have an interesting shape. The ficus itself grows slowly, and with good care it does not become exposed from below. A real decoration for a spacious office or hall. Ficus lyreate does not branch well at home, often grows in one trunk, and at the age of 4-5 years it can produce lateral shoots.

Caring for ficus lyreate

Temperature

In summer it is an ordinary indoor one, does not like extreme heat, in winter it is optimal 18-20°C, limit 12°C. Doesn't like the soil to cool after watering!

Lighting

A bright place, with protection from direct sunlight in spring and summer from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Watering

Moderate, the soil should have time to dry out before the next watering. Water at room temperature, well settled. Fertilizer feeding from April to August every two weeks.

Ficus dwarf Ficus pumila

A fast-growing, small-leaved ficus, completely unlike all other types of ficus. You can grow it as an ampel plant, you can tie it to a support so that it stretches upward.

The main care for ficus consists of tying up a support, timely replanting and watering, and fertilizing with fertilizers. Ficus responds well to a hot shower as a preventive measure against ticks.

Caring for ficus pumila

Temperature

Moderate, optimal within 20-25°C, in winter it is possible to keep it at lower temperatures of about 12-14°C, with limited watering, limit 8°C for dry keeping. Although in natural conditions the tiny ficus can withstand lower temperatures and even slight frosts, when growing at home you should not risk it - protect the plants from drafts.

Lighting

Ficus pumila grows well in bright, indirect light with some sunlight. East and west windows are suitable; shading is required only during midday hours. It also grows well in artificial light. Variegated ficus is more light-loving. If the ficus does not have enough light, it can grow new shoots without leaves.

Watering

Quite abundant in summer, this is a rare ficus that does not tolerate complete drying of the soil; it should always be slightly damp, but have time to dry out on top by about a quarter of the height of the pot before the next watering. In winter, the ficus is watered less often, with the soil drying to half the height of the pot.

Ficus turns yellow

The first reason that can cause yellowing of leaves is improper watering.

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

When overmoistened or overwatered, ficus leaves also turn yellow, but the main difference is this: when overdried, the leaves turn yellow slowly and fall off one at a time; when overwatered, they turn yellow faster and fall off en masse: in large-leaved leaves there are 2-4 pieces at a time, in small-leaved leaves - 20 each. -30 leaves per day.

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

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

When replanting in a pot, ensure good drainage. If there is no expanded clay, then lay broken red brick - it collects excess water well. Add pieces of birch coal to the soil - they prevent rotting processes. 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 replanted in nutritious soil.

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

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

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

Dry, wrinkled leaves on ficus plants - more often in ampelous forms - too dry air, dry soil, sunburn.

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

This phenomenon can also be caused by watering with cold water, low room temperature, lack of light, excess nutrients in the soil or a cold draft. In such cases, spraying with Epin solution gives good results.

Falling of the lower leaves - it is believed that the falling of the lower leaves in tree-like forms of ficus is a natural phenomenon (very typical for ficuses in indoor conditions), but this is not entirely true, the lower leaves, naturally, periodically fall off with aging, but the trunk, nevertheless, should not be completely naked. Bareness of the trunk occurs due to untimely replanting, replanting in poor soil, lack of fertilizing, violation of temperature and light conditions.

Brown spots on the tips and edges of leaves - When the room temperature is too high, the air is dry, or when overfeeding with fertilizers.

For ficus lyreate and ficus dwarf, overdrying of the soil is dangerous. If you forget to water them, the leaves and shoots dry out.

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

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

Ficus Pests

It is quite difficult to detect any pest on variegated ficus trees - their traces are masked by the natural coloring of the leaves. Therefore, if the ficus has begun to shed its leaves, take a magnifying glass and carefully examine them on both sides.

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

Control measures. To mechanically clean 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 Aktar solution.

Spider mites: initially, small discolored spots appear on the leaves; if you look at the leaf opening, pinholes are visible. Gradually the leaves turn yellow and dry out. With severe damage, cobwebs are visible in the internodes and on the back of the leaves.

Control measures. You can use drugs such as Fitoverm, Actofit, 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 - the appearance is promoted by high temperature and low humidity. 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: fertilize with fertilizers for decorative deciduous plants in the dose recommended by the manufacturer.

Do not feed overdried plants; those that have been flooded are frozen

Do not feed ficus trees for a month after transplantation, during the winter months and on very hot days in the summer. Do not increase the dose of fertilizers.

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

Such fertilizers as “Giant”, “Ideal”, “Uniflor Rost”, “Rainbow” and others are suitable.

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

Read more about fertilizers for indoor plants in the fertilizer section

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. In winter apartments they are 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 lyre -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 ficus genus, 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 a good mood, especially on gray winter days. Its maximum size 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. An important feature when planting is the presence of good drainage. Ficuses are afraid of stagnant water. The volume of the bowl is replaced with a larger one according to the 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) are 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 the moisture to stagnate, otherwise the consequences will arise immediately - a sudden drop of a large number of 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. A simple and affordable way is cuttings. Tree-like and ampelous ficuses easily reproduce in this vegetative way. 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 woody forms, it is advisable to roll large leaves into a tube and tie them 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.

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 different types of ficus in the world that they can easily be confused. The difficulty in identification also lies in the fact that the same type of ficus can be found under different names, or, conversely, two different ficuses 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 species, 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 of a large 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, the yellow ficus 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