Growing ficus at home. Reproduction of ficus by cuttings - how to cultivate a flower of family well-being

Instructions

Ficus Benjamin loves consistency: light location, regular moderate watering and spraying of leaves. Lack of light, waterlogged soil, low room temperature, drafts and even watering with cold water can cause foliage to fall.

After you bring the plant from the store, transplant it right away. Take a pot that is slightly larger in diameter. Lay expanded clay or broken bricks drainage on the bottom. Add soil to 1/3 of the pot.

Prepare the soil as follows: take ready-made soil for ficuses, mix it in equal proportions with garden soil and baking powder. Another one good mix for ficus can be made from leafy earth, humus and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Please note that the ground must be breathable. Remove damaged roots, leaves and twigs, sprinkle the cuts with wood ash. Place the plant in a pot. Top up the soil and compact it well. Pour over with warm, settled water.

A good result after stress is given by spraying with a solution of epin or ecosil. To make the plant comfortable in your home, create excellent conditions for it. Place it in a warm and bright place. Supplement with lamps daylight.

V summer time ficus grows rapidly. Feed it at this time twice a month with complex fertilizers or special fertilizers for ficuses. Before reaching the age of five, it is recommended to transplant ficus Benjamin annually when the container gets cramped. Then, less often, but you should regularly replace the top layer of soil in the pot, adding fresh substrate. Do this when a white crust (salt deposit) appears on it.

When growing ficus Benjamin some problems may arise. If the leaves appear brown spots, this is a signal that the room temperature is too high, or you have overfed it with fertilizers. With excessive watering, yellow spots or the edges of the leaf turn yellow. If the leaves are shriveled and dry, then the plant has received sunburn or the soil is dry. Take care of the ficus correctly, and it will delight you for many years beautiful view and elegant foliage.

note

In summer, you can take the ficus out to the balcony or terrace for fresh air. Ficus is sensitive to sudden changes in conditions of detention - humidity, lighting, therefore it is recommended to determine a suitable place for its location and not rearrange it. Ficus carica (Fig) is grown as a valuable fruit tree.

Helpful advice

How to care for a ficus tree? Ficus: growing and care at home ... Among the abundance of domestic plants, there are ficuses different types, we will focus only on the most unpretentious. It should be borne in mind that most of the ficuses grown in indoor conditions do not tolerate drafts, strong waterlogging and direct sunlight.

Ficus in any of the seasons perfectly coexists in a room with other indoor flowers and enlivens the atmosphere in it. Planting a ficus plant in a pot is not so difficult if you know how the plant reproduces. Ficus is very popular with flower growers, since its cultivation at home is quite within the power of even beginners in this business. It is only necessary to adhere to the stages of cultivation, while taking into account the small nuances.

Best of all, at home, these plants develop in the spring and summer period NS. First, you need to decide in what way the reproduction will take place: by a shoot, an air layer, a leaf or cuttings.

Reproduction using shoots

For this procedure, it is worth separating a process with two leaves from an adult plant. The bottom sheet should be removed immediately, and the top sheet should be cut by 1/3 and the juice that flows out should be blotted with a cloth or napkin. Then place the scion in a small container of water. A couple of activated carbon tablets should be added to the liquid.

It will be correct, as the water evaporates, to add it so that the process does not dry out. The future plant should stand in a container with liquid for about a month. Find a light and warm place, but do not place the plant in direct light. With the appearance of the first roots, you can plant the ficus in a pot.

Plant the plant in universal soil. It is inexpensive and contains all the minerals necessary for ficus.

If you do not want to keep the process of this plant in liquid for a long time, you can immediately plant it in the ground. In this case, this must be done after processing the slice. The shoot is planted in loose soil. After disembarkation, it is necessary to build at home a semblance of a mini-greenhouse from a transparent glass, a regular bag or a jar.

In such a greenhouse will keep optimum humidity and the required temperature regime for the future plant. The rooting process takes approximately 20 days. After that, the young ficus will grow. But do not rush to clean the greenhouse right away: wait for at least one new leaf to look out. Open the mini greenhouse periodically so that the plant gets used to the room conditions, and after a while, remove it completely.

Reproduction using a leaf

Ficus can grow not only with the help of shoots, but also from a leaf. However, if you just cut off a leaf from an adult plant and plant it in the ground, then it will develop, but it will not become full. indoor flower... To grow a real specimen, it is worth cutting off the leaf with a small piece of the stem. The cut must be made oblique. Take the leaf from the side stems or from the central trunk.

Juice will flow from the cut part of the stem. To remove it, place the stem under running water. After that, dry a piece of the stem and roll the sheet into a tube, tied with a thread. Then you need to take a stick and stick it through the hole in the folded sheet. Now you can plant a young plant. Just stick a stick with a piece of stem into the ground - the stem will take root by itself.

Propagation using cuttings

Favorable seasons for the propagation of this plant by cuttings at home are spring and the first half of summer. During this period, the ficus starts growing leaves and roots. For rooting purposes, take the tops of the shoots correctly: it is much easier to get a tree this way. Also, in order to reproduce this plant, you can take the middle part.

Do not cut long cuttings for planting. There are many leaves on them, so the plant will actively evaporate the liquid through them, and the stalk itself, which does not yet have roots, will wither. In order to be able to plant a cutting, it must contain about 3-4 nodes (these are the points on the shoot where the leaves begin to grow). Put it in water. The container with water, where the cuttings are located, should be placed in a bright, warm place, but not under direct rays of light.

Basically, ficus quickly puts out small roots. But it is important to use only tap water. Do not change it if the cutting feels great and does not start to rot. You can only add fresh. Planting a ficus in a pot is carried out when the roots have already developed well on the cuttings. Water the plant abundantly after planting. Carry out secondary watering when the soil in the pot dries well.

Reproduction using air layers

Also, this plant reproduces by air vents. For this procedure, make a small incision, about 1/3 of the stem, on the top of the trunk or on its lateral processes. Insert a stick into the incision so that it does not overgrow (you can use a match). It will be correct to overlay the incision with moss and tie it with cellophane over it. Moss the moss periodically to keep it wet.

In about a month, the first roots will appear. Then the stalk must be cut and planted in a pot. Cuttings planted in a pot in early spring take root faster and better.

Watering ficus

Ficus is an extremely moisture-loving plant that requires abundant regular watering. When watering the plant at home, make sure that the entire lump of soil is moistened and the water falls into the pan of the pot. In summer and winter, ficus requires a different volume of water.

In summer, the plant grows intensively. Water it once every 2-3 days during this period. In winter, the frequency of watering can be reduced to 1 time in 10-14 days. Use water for this, the temperature of which is slightly higher than room temperature (by 1-2 degrees). To prevent the water from standing in the pot and flowing into the pan, arrange drainage: you can put expanded clay, shards or pebbles on the bottom of the pot.

Chlorine and calcium salt, which is contained in tap water, is not useful for the plant. Therefore, before watering, boil the water or set it to stand.

In addition to watering, spray the plant at home. A couple of times a week, sprinkle it with water from a spray bottle or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth: this will remove dust from the leaves and increase the efficiency of photosynthesis.

Plant care and feeding

Ficus is an extremely unpretentious plant that feels great in a small shade. The optimum temperature for ficus in winter is 20 degrees Celsius; in summer, the plant can withstand higher temperatures. But do not allow the plant to be indoors at temperatures below 12 degrees.

Feed the plant in the spring and summer (until the beginning of autumn) once every 2 weeks. It is recommended to use the following products as a natural fertilizer at home:

nettle infusion;
wood ash;
mullein.

You can also buy specialized fertilizers for ficuses at a flower shop. Suitable "Rainbow", "Ideal", "Giant", "Uniflor growth" and others. Feed the plant carefully and avoid high doses of fertilizer.

Sometimes the leaves of this plant may begin to fall off. This usually happens due to a change of location or over-watering. In this case, the roots of the ficus begin to rot, and the leaves themselves lose vitality... If the soil is too damp and there is water in the pan, reduce the frequency of watering.

If you moved the ficus to another place in the room, then the plant may experience a shock at the same time, hence the dropping of leaves. Be sure to monitor the level of illumination in the apartment. With a lack of light, the plant will grow slowly. If there are drafts in the room, then this plant will also not feel very well.

Output

At home, for a comfortable existence, the ficus needs proper care and certain knowledge from the owner of the plant. However, ficuses grow successfully even in in public places, and even more so in the apartment.

So, the following conditions are the key to successful adaptation of a plant brought home:

average indoor humidity;
lack of drafts;
placing the pot away from the battery;
protection of the plant from direct sunlight.

For the proper development of a young potted plant, breathable, fertile soil, moderate watering and timely feeding are necessary.

Ficus is a well-known home plant from the mulberry family. Of more than one and a half thousand of its species, only 25 live in our home. The most favorite of them are rubber ficus, benjamin, caricum and lyre. The evergreen tree came to us from the African and American tropics. There him can be grown to gigantic sizes.

A lot has been associated with him since ancient times. folk signs. It was believed that if you put a pot of ficus in the kitchen, then the house will always be cozy, peace, understanding between household members, and they will never go hungry. And in order for a baby to appear in the family, a ficus should be placed in the bedroom.

How can you grow a ficus from a twig or leaf, shoot or cutting

Ficuses are often bought in flower shops. But young plants can be grown independently. Cuttings are most common among florists. And different ficuses need different conditions for engraftment... So, rubbery and lyre-like varieties of plants need a leaf with an intact eye on the stem segment.

Psychologists have proven that ficus at home is a guarantee of peace of mind.

Small-leaved ficus benjamin needs a 10 cm shank... And small climbing plants need a shoot with 3-4 leaves for reproduction.

Cuttings should be cut from plants in early spring. Then young ficuses will gain strength by the fall.

Cutting process spend thus:

Make a sharp instrument incisions above the kidney, or just below her.
The shoot is divided into cuttings in such a way that each of them had a leaf with an intact bud.
The escaping milky juice is allowed to drain, then wipe it off with a damp swab.
The handle is lowered for a few hours in a glass with warm water.
Before landing in the ground, cuts processed by Kornevin.
A process is lowered into a pot filled with a mixture of sand (or peat) and perlite.
Before that, his a leaf to reduce evaporation is rolled up into a tube and tied with a thread.
The plant needs a lot of heat for sufficient rooting, so it should cover it with plastic for a couple of months.
Also carry out periodic spraying and watering.

Growing from a scion in water carried out according to this technology:

Cut off part of the stem with 2 leaves, remove the lower one, and cut the upper one by a third and wipe off the released juice with a napkin.
Put the stalk in a dark container with water so that the leaves do not reach the water.
In a bowl of water put activated charcoal tablets.
Keep the scion out in the light (but not in direct sunlight) about a month. Add water as it evaporates.
After the roots appear, the process should be transplanted into the ground.

The scion can plant and straight into the ground ... This is done like this:

Pour into the pot loose and light soil.
Process the cut of the appendage in the above way and plant it in a pot.
Over it build a mini-greenhouse from glass jars or plastic cup.
Three weeks later the stalk will take root on it a young leaf will appear.
Since then, the mini-greenhouse has been periodically cleaned so that the plant gets used to normal conditions.

To grow ficus from a leaf, read the following instructions

You can grow a young plant from a leaf ... Moreover, the leaf for planting is cut with a small piece of the stem. Then they act in this way:

The bottom cut must be oblique... Leaves for transplanting are selected from the main or lateral stems.
Rinse the juice thoroughly on the cut under the tap.
After that, the sheet is rolled up with a tube and tied.
A stick a little longer than the cutting is passed through the tube and stuck into a pot of earth.

Ficus leaf juice is poisonous contact with skin causes burns. Therefore, the processing of the leaves should be done with gloves.

Conditions for growing ficus at home

Ficuses - tropical plants so they love warmth. It means that they are contraindicated strong wind, drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations... You can ventilate the room, but without drafts.

Tropican women also love light, but not direct rays. You can put a flower near the window. In case of insufficient lighting, the plant will stretch upward, not giving side shoots or twigs. The optimal temperature for him is in the summer - no higher than 25 degrees, and in winter at least 15 degrees.

Does not like a plant when it is moved from one place to another. That's why you need to choose a good place for him once and for all and don't change it.

Remember - the frequency of watering directly depends on the season!

To water"Household" should warm, settled water... They do it like this: pour water abundantly into the pot until it pours into the pan. After half an hour excess water drained from there.

In the summer heat or during heating season when the air in the room dries up, well sprinkle from a spray bottle next to the tropicana... It is useful to spray small-leaved varieties at this time, and to wash large-leaved varieties with a damp sponge. In summer, plants love a warm shower.

So that the leaves are shiny, glossy they are wiped with such a solution: add a teaspoon of mayonnaise to half a glass of warm, settled water.

Rubbing prevents pests on your ficus foliage

The older the plant, the less often it is transplanted.... Adult specimens are relocated every 3-4 years, and old ones - once every 6 years. But at the same time, the upper earthen layer is changed annually. When a salt crust appears on it, the latter should be removed and the plant should be sprinkled with fresh earth.

In spring and summer, adult ficuses are fed with organic matter every 3 weeks, while using manure or ready-made fertilizers "Giant", "Rainbow" or "Palma". And during active growth, they add more nitrogen fertilization... But they are only needed by plants that have not been transplanted for at least the last couple of months. After all, the resettlement is done in a well-fertilized land, and that's enough.

In winter, no plant nutrition is needed.... Otherwise, in conditions of insufficient lighting, it will strenuously stretch up.

V winter time saturate the plant with trace elements tea brewing will help... It is laid out in shallow holes in a pot.

Propagation by air layers

Ficus can be grown using air layering... This process consists from the next steps:

On the main or side trunks below the level of 2-3 upper leaves, an incision is made with a depth of one third of the stem diameter.
A stick is inserted into it, so as not to overgrow.
Notch location lined with wet moss and wrapped in foil.
Moss is periodically moistened preventing it from drying out.
A month after the appearance of the roots, the cutting is cut off and planted in a separate pot with earth.

Air layers are one of the most popular ways to get a ficus shoot.

The best time for transplant layering - the beginning of spring.

Useful properties of a plant, its energy

Ficus - useful and medicinal plant ... It fully performs the functions home flower filtering the air from dust and absorbing toxic substances phenol, benzene, formaldehyde. In addition, it reduces the number of harmful bacteria in the room by almost half.

In some countries, Tropicana is used in folk medicine:

With mastopathy and uterine fibroids... Infusions and decoctions are prepared from the leaves, lotions are made from gruel and they drink juice with honey.
With pneumonia and bronchitis they are boiled down and compresses are made with them, like we have from a cabbage leaf.
With hemorrhoids use ficus suppositories and apply gruel to the sore spot.
It is also used with furunculosis like we have baked onions.
For toothache rinse your mouth with juice.
Leaves applied to hematomas... Also used are the so-called ficus cakes and ficus ice.
From psoralen found in plants make shampoos, conditioners and masks for hair growth and thickness.

Is it possible to keep a ficus in an apartment

How does this flower affect the home atmosphere

Some wonder is it possible to keep ficus at home... Doesn't he have a bad influence? In some countries, it is believed that he brings happiness, good luck and prosperity to the house. Embodying a mighty tree with a source of wisdom, in the countries of the East, ficus leaves are used for incense, they are burned during meditation.

According to legends, a tropical inhabitant should be in a dwelling. to restore harmony, improving energy and getting rid of unhappiness and anxiety.

Homemade ficus is not poisonous, but on the contrary is curative... It does not harm children and animals. About 50 years ago, he was almost an indispensable attribute of every apartment. Under it, children played pirates or sailors, often using the leaves of a patient green household for their games. And pets, at times, gnawed them with vitamin deficiency.

Where is the best place to put your pet

Plant adapts perfectly in city apartments, not capricious, does not require complex care.

Lighting is one of the vital factors for a healthy ficus

But still, it must be remembered that for its healthy and well-groomed appearance, the following conditions are necessary:

Plants love bright rooms, on north side or when the windows are heavily shaded, they begin to ache and lose leaves. Variegated varieties are especially sensitive to lack of sun. Large-leaved ficuses love the morning sun. Small-leaved specimens prefer diffused lighting.
Summer to avoid overheating it is better to put green households to the balcony in a light breeze... But you need to make sure that they do not cool down at night. After all, plants do not like sharp drops temperature.
Early winter evenings they need additional artificial lighting .

Restrictions for home plant cultivation

The cases when ficus cannot be kept in the apartment not so much:

The rubbery variety gives off vapors of rubber that cause attacks of the disease in asthmatics.
Some types of plants secrete droplets of juice, which, if in contact with the skin, can provoke an attack of suffocation in asthmatics.
Allergy sufferers need to be careful when choosing a type home ficus... Not all of them are safe for this category of people.

When choosing a place for ficus in the house, take into account the microclimate and how harmoniously it will fit into the interior

Ficuses are popular indoor flowers that bring harmony and peace to the home. They are unpretentious, live long, grow quickly, but love bright rooms.... They perfectly clean the air from dust and harmful substances... Among the many domesticated species different shades, sizes and shapes, you can always choose your pet.

Ficus is one of the most common types of indoor plants, which is famous for its unpretentiousness and quick adaptation at home.

Previously, I only met in apartments rubbery ficus.

In recent decades, it has enjoyed popularity ficus benjamin... It can be grown in the form of a bush or tree, as the flower is easy to form. Ficus Benjamin is considered by many to be a family talisman, and the house in which it grows especially magnificently is considered prosperous.

Ficus Benjamin there are a great many varieties that differ both in the shape of the leaves, their color, and in size.

How to care for ficuses

Choosing a place

Caring for ficuses primarily involves choosing the right place. Benjamin's ficuses, especially variegated forms, love a lot of light, and shed their leaves in the shade, at the same time, they cannot tolerate direct sunlight.

Ideal for him would be a place about a meter away from the window, which does not shine too much of the sun. If the flower likes the chosen place, then it should be left there and not experimenting. For the summer period, you can arrange for him air baths- take out to a balcony, loggia or take out to a summer cottage.

So that the plant does not start falling leaves ahead of time, it must be regularly sprayed from a spray bottle or bathed under the shower.
In winter, with a lack of sunlight, leaf fall may also begin. To prevent this, you need to use artificial lighting using phytolamps.

Maintenance temperature and watering

Like any plant native to warm countries, ficus is quite thermophilic. Ficuses are kept in warm conditions, in summer - 25-30 degrees, in winter at least 10, for variegated forms at least 15C.
Some species, for example, deciduous figs, require cool wintering, they are kept at a temperature of at least 6C.

I brought the fig tree from Turkey, it has been growing for the 4th year, but it does not want to bloom and bear fruit yet.

Common varieties of ficuses that can be bought in stores winter in warm conditions, they need to be isolated from drafts, frost and sudden temperature changes.

Watering ficuses should be done carefully; in tree varieties, the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Watering ficus is necessary with warm, settled water.

To make sure if the flower needs watering, you need to deepen your finger into the ground a couple of centimeters, if the ground is dry, you can safely water it.

I recommend watering as follows - pour water on top until water appears in the pan, leave for 20-30 minutes, and then pour out the rest of the water from the pan.
There is another way to water, this is how I water large plants with a large pot. I water it a little from above and pour water into the pan, usually the plant drinks water in 20 minutes, after this time I pour out the rest.

In winter, watering should be careful, although due to the heating system of the apartments, the air in the apartments is dry, and sometimes it is necessary to water even more often than in summer.

When watering ficus, do not forget to regularly loosen the soil in the pot. Thanks to this, water will better and faster flow to the roots of the plant and nourish it.

Fertilization and feeding

Ficus is an unpretentious plant, it loves soil consisting of turf, peat, leafy earth and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1, or special soil from a store. Fertilizing the soil is important in the first two months of spring, when each plant starts growing. In March-April, we fertilize once, then, when summer approaches, we increase the feeding up to 3-4 times a month.
Fertilizers are used both special for ficuses and universal for decorative deciduous plants.

How to transplant ficus correctly and when to do it

For transplanting ficuses, the most optimal time is the end of February and the whole of March, i.e. when the spring sun began to play on the street. This will help the plant adapt to both the new soil and the new pot, and possibly a new location.

During the annual transplant, not only need to change the ground, but also increase the volume of the pot by 4-5 cm.

When transplanting a ficus, try not to touch its roots and do not throw clods of earth from them. Such a procedure can severely damage them, and subsequently the plant will grow poorly in a new pot. It is ideal to transplant ficus by the transfer method.

Moreover, if the diameter of the pot has reached 30 cm, then it is no longer necessary to replant it every year, but it is enough to change the top layer of the soil, and replant it every 4-5 years.

Reproduction of ficus

The ficus is propagated by cuttings, while the cutting should be at least 10-12 cm, with two or three pairs of healthy leaves. In order for the cutting to take root, it is enough to put it in water. In ficuses with large leaves, I recommend cutting the leaves in half, so that the cutting has strength for the formation of roots.

The roots will appear in 1.5-2 weeks, after which it can be safely planted in the ground. The diameter of the pot can be no more than 10 cm, for better adaptation, you can make a greenhouse in the first days using a bag, a plastic cup or half a bottle.

Difficulties in growing ficuses

Sometimes when not proper care problems arise when growing ficuses.

Leaves turned yellow, drooping - occur with excessive watering and stagnant water, which leads to decay of the roots. The first sign is a darkening of the stem, an unpleasant odor from the pot. If not a very neglected case, then you can simply stop watering and let the earthy coma dry out, and daily loosen the topsoil. In advanced cases, it will be necessary to replace the earth, pruning rotten roots, while after trimming the roots, they will need to be treated with root or charcoal, and the flower will need to be transplanted into a pot with a smaller diameter.

Brown leaves - with insufficient feeding.
The tips of the leaves are dry, brown - this happens when the air is dry; to avoid this, you need to bathe the plant in the shower, spray it or use a humidifier.
The appearance of 1-3 mm red spots on the leaves is observed under the action of the scorching sun, insufficient watering, and low air humidity. Therefore, protection from direct sunlight, proper watering, and an increase in air humidity are required.

Ficus diseases

The pests that most often affect ficuses are:
Shield- a translucent speck appears on the inner surface of the sheet Brown color.

It needs to be treated with acaricides. You can also process folk remedies... Collect the scabbards with a damp cotton swab and treat with a solution of soap and kerosene (for 1 liter of water, 40 grams of soap and 5 drops of kerosene). Or grease the leaves with onion and garlic gruel (1 teaspoon per glass of water), thus depriving the pests of the opportunity to drink the juice of the plant.

Mealybug- resembles pieces of cotton wool, a brown pest, sucks out juice, plant growth slows down. It is necessary to clean the leaves, treat it three times with soapy water or a tobacco solution.

Spider mite - if white thin threads are noticed on the branches and on the underside of the leaves, then this is a spider mite. The spider mite does not tolerate moisture, the plant must be rinsed under the shower and the leaves must be treated laundry soap... Put a plastic bag on top and create a humid greenhouse environment. You can treat the leaves with a mixture of grated onions and garlic, aged for 24 hours, one teaspoon per 1 liter of water. Spraying should be carried out three times with an interval of 7-10 days.

Thrips- settles on inside along the veins of leaves, leaves dark brown spots, spreads viruses. Repeated treatment with Aktelik, Aktara, Tanrek and complete isolation from other plants is required.

Ficus - this plant is remembered by everyone from childhood by the obligatory presence of grandmothers and other older relatives in the houses. They usually grow in large pots and even in tubs.

In modern floriculture, the popularity of ficus grows from year to year, this is also due to the fact that now more miniature and more are available for growing in a room. decorative species ficuses. It turns out that there are enough of them a large number of, even a plant like a fig is also a ficus. We will try to find out which ficuses are better to settle in a dwelling, how to grow a ficus from a shoot and how to proceed if it was not possible to root the shoot.

Description of the plant and types of ficuses for the home

Ficus is a numerous genus of plants from the Mulberry family. They are evergreen or deciduous shrubs.

V wildlife there are several hundred species of these plants. They grow mainly in warm climates with frost-free winters. V natural conditions found in the tropical countries of the Indian basin and The Pacific, in Africa, Mediterranean, Crimea and Transcaucasia.

For several centuries, ficuses have been grown indoors as pot crops.

Many of these plants have large, leathery leaves. The expression fig leaf refers specifically to the representative of the genus Ficus - fig or fig. The fruits of some ficuses - figs - are valuable food products.

Other ficuses can be valuable medicinal raw materials.

Indoor conditions are most often grown:

Ficus Benjamin, at home it grows up to three meters in height.

Ficus rubber, along with Benjamin's ficus, is most often grown in homes, has varieties with bronze and variegated leaves.

Ficus binnedyka, it has long and narrow leaves, concave in the middle.

Dwarf or tiny ficus is a climbing shrub with medium-sized, up to 5 cm in diameter, oval or heart-shaped leaves.

Ficus carica or figs - this shrub belongs to the most ancient cultivated plants, there are many legends about fig or fig, there are varieties that not only grow well in the room, but also give stable yields.

All indoor ficuses simply reproduce by shoots, this method is within the power of even a novice plant lover.

Growing a ficus from a shoot

The best time to get shoots from ficus is mid-spring. To do this, you need to have a sufficiently mature, healthy plant that can easily tolerate the cutting of several branches or shoots.

The length of the cut shoot to obtain a shoot should be up to 15 cm with at least one, or better with several buds. The processes of large-leaved specimens should have three leaves.

When cutting off a shoot from a ficus, you cannot:

use scissors
tear it off with your hands
take a dirty or dull knife

It is best to use a blade or a sharp, sharpened knife for cutting.

The cut must be made obliquely, at an angle.

Given the fact that many ficuses have large leaves, evaporation occurs through them quite intensively, and since in the absence of a root system, the moisture reserve is almost not restored, the lower leaf plate must be shortened, and the upper ones must be rolled into a vertical tube and tied with a thread.

When breeding by shoots of ficuses with small or narrow leaves, only the lower leaves can be cut off, the upper leaves can be left intact.

Milky juice can solidify at the site of the cuts. So that it does not interfere with root formation, the sprouts must be put in water for two hours, and then all the juice must be washed off.

If the method of growing in water is chosen, then it must be changed. Do not put the scion in a transparent light dish. Put either a piece of charcoal or activated charcoal tablets into the water. As it evaporates, add settled water at room temperature. After about a month, the size of the roots that appear will allow the new plant to be transplanted into the pot.

And if the ficus takes root in the ground, then it is prepared in advance. The soil should be light; for this, a third of the sand can be added to the leafy or sod land.

Dig in the prepared shoot. Cover the ground part of the ficus with a jar, film or transparent bag.

As soon as a new leaf appears on the shoot, this means that everything went well and the cutting took root.

To accelerate the appearance of roots in the shoots, it is advisable to use substances such as epin or root. If rooting will go in water, then it is better to use a liquid solution, if in the ground, then just powder the cut site.

In the future, the growth and well-being of home ficus will depend on caring for it.

Other ways to propagate ficus

Despite the high survival rate of processes in most species indoor ficuses, especially rare varieties may not give roots and a different breeding method is required. In this case, you can use the receipt of air layers.

To do this, proceed as follows:

peel off the bark on the shoot
powder the slice with epin
fix the wet moss on top
cover everything with transparent film

The width of the cut ring depends on the size of the plant, but should not be cut less than one centimeter. If the shoot is thin, then you need to proceed with caution so as not to cut it completely.

Leave the plant in this form for two to three weeks. During this time, you can remove the film and spray the moss with water without removing it from the plant.

After about a month, without unwinding the film, cut off the shoot below the winding point. Remove the film, and leave the moss through which the roots have sprouted. In this form, plant the resulting seedling in a pot of the appropriate size.

Many growers successfully propagate ficuses with a single leaf.

For this, a leaf with a petiole and a piece of bark is cut from the trunk. To do this successfully, you need to cut the leaves either from the main trunk or from fairly thick shoots.

After cutting, rinse the bark area with water. To make the leaf more stable when rooting in the soil, it can be rolled into a tube and tied with a thread so that it does not unfold. Insert a stick of the required size inside and, together with the bark on the petiole, dig everything into the ground.

Cover with a jar and wait for rooting for about one month. Reproduction of ficus with a leaf is usually used when it is impossible to do it in other ways.

In the future, the young plant is looked after, like any indoor ficus.

How to grow ficus at home

Since ancient times, many national signs have been associated with him. It was believed that if you put a pot of ficus in the kitchen, then the house will always be cozy, peace, understanding between household members, and they will never go hungry. And in order for a baby to appear in the family, a ficus should be placed in the bedroom.

How to grow ficus at home

How can you grow a ficus from a twig or leaf, shoot or cutting

Psychologists have proven that ficus at home is a guarantee of peace of mind.

Small-leaved ficus benjamin needs a 10 cm shank... And small climbing plants need a shoot with 3-4 leaves for reproduction.

Cutting process spend thus:

Make a sharp instrument incisions above the kidney, or just below her.
The shoot is divided into cuttings in such a way that each of them had a leaf with an intact bud.
The escaping milky juice is allowed to drain, then wipe it off with a damp swab.
The handle is lowered for a few hours in a glass with warm water.
Before landing in the ground, cuts processed by Kornevin.
A process is lowered into a pot filled with a mixture of sand (or peat) and perlite.
Before that, his a leaf to reduce evaporation is rolled up into a tube and tied with a thread.
The plant needs a lot of heat for sufficient rooting, so it should cover it with plastic for a couple of months.
Also carry out periodic spraying and watering.

Growing from a scion in water carried out according to this technology:

Cut off part of the stem with 2 leaves, remove the lower one, and cut the upper one by a third and wipe off the released juice with a napkin.
Put the stalk in a dark container with water so that the leaves do not reach the water.
In a bowl of water put activated charcoal tablets.
Keep the scion out in the light (but not in direct sunlight) about a month. Add water as it evaporates.
After the roots appear, the process should be transplanted into the ground.

The scion can plant and straight into the ground... This is done like this:

Pour into the pot loose and light soil.
Process the cut of the appendage in the above way and plant it in a pot.
Over it build a mini-greenhouse from a glass jar or plastic cup.
Three weeks later the stalk will take root on it a young leaf will appear.
Since then, the mini-greenhouse has been periodically cleaned so that the plant gets used to normal conditions.

To grow ficus from a leaf, read the following instructions

You can grow a young plant from a leaf... Moreover, the leaf for planting is cut with a small piece of the stem. Then they act in this way:

The bottom cut must be oblique... Leaves for transplanting are selected from the main or lateral stems.
Rinse the juice thoroughly on the cut under the tap.
After that, the sheet is rolled up with a tube and tied.
A stick a little longer than the cutting is passed through the tube and stuck into a pot of earth.

Conditions for growing ficus at home

Ficuses are tropical plants, so they love warmth. It means that strong winds, drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations are contraindicated for them... You can ventilate the room, but without drafts.

Does not like a plant when it is moved from one place to another. That's why you need to choose a good place for him once and for all and don't change it.

Remember - the frequency of watering directly depends on the season!

To water"Household" should warm, settled water... They do it like this: pour water abundantly into the pot until it pours into the pan. After half an hour, excess water is drained from there.

In the summer heat or during the heating season, when the air in the room dries up, well sprinkle from a spray bottle next to the tropicana... It is useful to spray small-leaved varieties at this time, and to wash large-leaved varieties with a damp sponge. In summer, plants love a warm shower.

For a comfortable planting of ficus

Proper care of ficus bonsai at home

Ficus bonsai is a miniature tree. This type of ficus differs precisely in that it has large developed roots and miniature leaves, which create a neat crown of the tree.

Ficus species to grow bonsai

To grow a bonsai tree, choose any kind of ficus from the presented:

benjamin,
Bengal,
microcarp,
carica or figs,
dull or retusa,
ginseng or ginseng,
rusty red
dark-leaved.

Ficus benjamin is more often chosen for bonsai., microcarpa or ginseng.

Ficus Benjamin is the most popular representative of Bonsai

Conditions and home care for Benjamin's ficus

For planting bonsai we choose special wide shallow container... We make large drainage holes in it (two times more than for ordinary indoor plants). It is better if the container is on legs, this will ensure that the water flows out.
Cover the bottom of the container with a fine mesh before planting. Add a drainage layer.

Then comes the soil itself. On this layer we place a cutting or a plant with pre-cut roots, fill it with earth to the level of the root collar. After planting, the soil must be tamped... Make sure that the ground level is always slightly below the edges of the container.

Which soil to choose?

For bonsai, you need first of all moisture-absorbing soil... Garden land is not suitable for growing this type of plant. Specialized bonsai potting soil is sold in stores. But you can make the mixture yourself.

Exemplary soil mix composition: half organic matter and half stone or sand crumbs. Leaf humus, peat, crushed pine bark or orchid substrate are used as organic matter.

How to make a beautiful crown

Ficus crown formation is a creative process. You need to cut off shoots that are knocked out of general form... Trimming should be done with a clean, sharp tool. Trim from bottom to top.

Form an unusual crown shape

Also keep in mind that plant growth slows down in autumn and winter, unlike in spring and summer. To support the shape of the crown, it is better to cut it during the period of late winter and early spring... Large wounds need to be covered with garden varnish. Unnecessary branches are cut in the fall.

At the height of summer, foliage is pruned to shape the crown and stimulate the growth of new branches. Ficuses tolerate pruning well so don't be afraid of this process.

It will be possible to form a thick strong trunk by root trimming... This should be done while the plant is still young, about once a year. In this case, the tree begins to grow not in length, but in width. One third of the roots are trimmed... This is completely harmless to the ficus, on the contrary, it helps to accelerate its growth.

How to care for a barrel

DIY homemade bonsai. It is not difficult to grow a plant of the desired shape. Trunk formation methods:

Binding the upper part of the crown of the tree to any part of it - more often to the base;
Wire wrapping- by using soft wire give the branches the desired shape.

Water the ficus abundantly, but not often. The soil should not dry out... It needs to be wet. Check the top surface of the soil. You can water from a watering can through a sieve, spray, or leave the container in a container of water for a short time. Maintain the humidity level in the room. Spray from time to time.

How to water a bonsai properly

Temperature

Bonsai feel comfortable at room temperature... In the summer, take them out into the open air, this is useful. However, the conditions need to be changed gradually.

Since bonsai grow in small containers, you can't do without feeding... During the period of rapid growth in the summer, a complex fertilizer is applied. In autumn - fertilizer with a low nitrogen content, in winter they do without feeding.

DIY Bonsai Styles

Shape your ficus tree in one of the bonsai styles:

Different options for the design of the crown

group- separately growing trees in a row
cascading bonsai- the trunk of the tree drops below the bottom of the container
literary - minimal amount branches at the top of a beautifully curved trunk
rock- roots break out of cracks in the stone
exposed roots- large roots protrude above the soil
floating tree- a lying trunk, from which several branches extend
bifurcated trunk- two different trunks grow from one root
twisted barrel- twisted trunk, branches drooping slightly or horizontally

Show your creativity, decorate trees with decorative figurines.

Transplant and disease control

Held every 2-2.5 years... When transplanting a tree, carefully clean the roots from the ground, prune it. Be sure to pour fresh drainage and soil mixture into a clean or new container (we talked about the composition above). After transplanting, the ficus must be watered abundantly and placed in a place where it will not be affected by direct sunlight.

Ficus is propagated in early spring using cuttings.

Pests

If you take care of the ficus incorrectly, the foliage loses color, turns black or falls off. It is also attacked by aphids, scale insects, mealybugs.

Reasons for shedding leaves:

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Ficus- very beautiful plant, which is adapted for growing at home. Science knows about a thousand of its species. Ficus belongs to the mulberry family of plants. Homeland - the tropics, or rather the tropical Southeast Asia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands. For the most part it is evergreen... The only exceptions are deciduous ficuses (fig tree - fig or fig tree). These plants can be both trees and shrubs. Ficus leaves are most often whole, up to 70 cm long and colored in a pleasant green color, but there are also species with bicolor leaves. The flowers are small with a simplified perianth. Each part of this plant contains the so-called milky juice.

In nature, ficuses are trees with a height of 40 meters and a diameter of up to 5 meters. Sometimes they are creeping or climbing. There are ficuses that begin their life on other trees, dropping roots to the very bottom. Then they become very strong and expand in volume, resembling columns. Ficuses need such powerful roots to hold the huge crown of the tree. Sometimes they twine around their owner (the tree on which it grows) so tightly that he dies.

Varieties of indoor ficuses.

Representatives of this plant are very different. There are bushy ficuses, and there are tree-like ones with a variety of leaf shapes and colors. You can shape a houseplant yourself, for example, if you pinch off upper part ficus, they will begin to grow side shoots and it will become a bush. Conversely, if you pinch off the side shoots, the plant will stretch upward like a tree. At home, they can reach 2 meters in height.

Plant breeders and amateurs often have these types of ficuses:

Ficus rubbery or rubbery (lat.Ficus elastica).

With proper care, this variety at home most often looks like a rather large shrub with many shoots. Its leaves are very beautiful: dense, in the form of an elongated oval with pointed tips and reaching 45 cm in length. When the leaf first appears, it has a bronze color, but over time it turns dark green.

Ficus Ali (lat.Ficus Alii).

Due to its long and narrow dark green leaves, this plant is also called Ficus salicifolia, as well as Ficus subulata, Ficus neriifolia var. regularis, etc. Its trunk is dark brown with white stripes. Ficus Ali is very hardy and undemanding, but does not like to be rearranged from place to place.

Bengal ficus (lat.Ficus bengalesis).

This plant can grow up to 3 meters in height, so it needs a spacious room to feel good. This type of ficus is very beautiful and has powerful branches, which in nature form powerful surface (aerial) roots. The leaves of this ficus are green, oval with sharp tips and reach 25 cm in length.

Ficus Benjamina (lat.Ficus benjamina).

This plant looks like a small tree or a large bush with densely growing rigid leaves with pointed tips, 3 to 8 cm long and having an oval shape. The color of the leaves of this ficus is solid green and variegated (a mixture of dark green with light tones, and sometimes even white blotches). It looks like they are covered with wax. This ficus is great for home cultivation and therefore it is very popular with breeders.

Ficus lyre (lat.Ficus lurata).

This plant is either a huge shrub or a small, weakly branched tree. Lyrate ficus has hard leaves 25 to 45 cm long, bright green in color with light veins. Their shape is guitar-like. Like many other types of ficus, the leaves of this one give the impression of being covered in wax. Because of its extraordinary beauty, it can often be found in the apartments and homes of plant lovers.

Dwarf ficus (lat.Ficus pumila).

This type of plant is ampelous or climbing. The heart-shaped matte leaves of this ficus are thin, small (only 2-5 cm long) and have a green color. The stem of this plant is thin and wiry, constantly giving new layers.

Growing and caring for ficuses.

Household ficuses are not whimsical and therefore are one of the most beloved plants grown by flower growers in apartments and houses. All they need is stable conditions: good lighting, suitable temperature, no drafts and correct watering on time.

Lighting and space for growing ficuses.
Most often, these plants are grown on a well-lit windowsill. The main thing is that the window near which it grows faces south, west or east. In summer, direct sunlight is not desirable for ficuses. If you notice that the sun is shining on the leaves of the plant, then be sure to build a shadow.

Ficuses are light-loving plants who suffer from long nights and short daylight in winter. If you have the opportunity, then highlight the plant for several additional hours a day.

Home-grown ficuses are some of the best air purifiers out there, saving us from inhaling xylene, benzene and toluene, which are very harmful to our health.

Temperature conditions for ficuses.
The normal spring and summer temperature for this plant is 23-25 0 С, and in autumn-winter period- 12-15 0 С. But don't worry, ficuses winter well even at room temperature of 20-22 0 С. The only thing he doesn't like is the drying heat from the batteries.

Watering ficuses.
In the summer, these plants love abundant watering and spraying with water at room temperature. At other times of the year, it is necessary to water them evenly, avoiding drying out or waterlogging of the soil.

If the ficus feels a lack of moisture, then its leaves will turn yellow and begin to fall off. For small-leaved plants, this is generally fatal.

With excessive watering, not only the leaves fall off, but the roots rot. This can lead to the death of the ficus.

Washing ficuses.
These plants like to periodically clean the leaves of dust and dirt by washing them under a shallow shower or from a watering can with a strainer. In summer, this must be done 2-3 times a month, and in winter - 1-2 times a month. When washing in this way, it is advisable to cover the upper open part of the pot with plastic wrap so as not to wash out the top ball of the earth.

If washing under the shower or from a watering can is not possible, then periodically wipe the ficus leaves, first with a soft dry cloth, and then with a damp cloth.

To wipe dust off these plants, some growers use a solution consisting of water and ordinary mayonnaise. After this procedure, the leaves acquire a bright rich green color. To wipe, you need to take 0.5 cups of water and dissolve 1-2 teaspoons of mayonnaise in it. Then moisten a soft cloth with the solution and wipe the leaves with it until all dust and dirt are removed.

Top dressing of ficuses.
In the summertime, feeding should be done every 10 days. For this, organic and mineral fertilizers are used alternately.

In winter, the frequency of top dressing decreases, and sometimes even comes to zero, but at the same time, for good health, ficus can be fed with tea leaves. To do this, make small holes in the soil, pour black tea leaves there and sprinkle them with earth. This will be enough for the ficuses to thrive in the winter.

Ficus soil.
These magnificent plants thrive in mildly acidic or neutral soil (pH = 6.5-7). They grow best in a specially prepared mixture consisting of equal parts deciduous, light soddy and heavy soddy soil with the addition of sand and humus. You can also add rotted manure and compost flour here.

If there is no possibility or desire to make such soil on your own, then you can purchase a ready-made one in a flower shop. In this case, be sure to check if it is suitable for ficuses.

Ficus transplant.
Old plants are rarely transplanted - once every few years. This is necessary to renew the settled and sour soil. Young ficuses, due to their constant growth and drawing out all useful substances from the ground, need an annual transplant.

At the same time, good drainage must be done at the bottom of the pot. It will protect the plant from waterlogging. For transplanting, it is advisable to use the above-mentioned soil mixture.

Reproduction of ficuses.

Most often, these plants are propagated by cuttings, seeds and layering. We will only consider the first two methods, since they are simpler and most often used.

Reproduction of ficuses by stem cuttings.
This breeding method is the most common. It is carried out as follows: in the spring, shoots with 2-3 leaves are cut off with an oblique cut under the lower node. The bottom leaf of the cutting is usually removed. After that, with warm water from the wound of a young ficus, the secreted juice is washed off and placed in water or in wet sand. Then the cutting must be abundantly sprayed and covered with a cap, which is used as a cut-off transparent plastic bottle. In this form, the ficus is placed in a shaded warm place for rooting, periodically opening it for ventilation. Do not place the cutting in the sun, as direct sunlight is harmful to it. As soon as you notice that the plant has begun to grow in size, feel free to plant it in a pot with the usual soil for ficuses. From this point on, the plant must be placed in a warm and well-lit place, for example, on a windowsill.

Cutting of ficuses can also be carried out using large sheet cut with a "heel". It is rooted in wet sand or peat, after having rolled it into a tube and placing a stick next to it for stability. Then the leaf is sprayed and covered with a flask, removing it from time to time for airing, watering and spraying. As soon as the plant takes root, it must be planted in a pot with the usual soil for ficuses.

Reproduction of ficuses by seeds.
In the spring, the seeds of this plant are laid out in flat cups - bowls, and covered with a soil mixture consisting of deciduous soil and a small part river sand... Then the crops are well watered and the cups are covered with transparent flasks, cut plastic bottles or glass. This allows the seeds to remain in a constantly moist environment. You need to air the seedlings for half an hour 1-2 times a day, removing the "covers" for this. As soon as they have the first leaves, young ficuses need to be dived, that is, transplanted into a separate pot with soil of the same composition. Then, as they grow, they are transplanted into large pots.

Ficus formation.

These plants can be grown in many shapes and sizes. The same species can grow both as a bush and as a tree. Formation usually occurs in early spring(in March).

In order for the ficus to look like a bush, it is necessary to remove its upper shoots. In this case, it will grow in width.

To make the ficus tree-shaped and grow in height, remove its lateral shoots.

Thus, breeders give them almost any shape and size.

Pests of ficuses and the fight against them.

The most common pests of ficuses are:

Spider mites are insects with a length of 0.3 mm to 2 mm with a rounded body. When they appear, you will notice the appearance of small cobwebs on the leaves and branches;
To combat these pests, it is necessary to periodically (repeatedly!) Soap the stems and leaves of the ficus, and then rinse with cool water. To prevent soap from getting into the soil, it must be covered with a film. This procedure continues until the complete destruction of insect pests.

Problems of growing ficuses and their solutions.

1. What to do if the leaves of the ficus turn yellow and fall off?
This is most often due to a lack of nutrients. To solve this problem, it is necessary to transplant the plant into new nutrient soil.

2. Have leaves fallen down, have yellow spots, yellow edges or are falling off prematurely?
This is most often due to excessively moist soil. To solve this problem, moderate watering is needed, after which the earth should have time to dry out.

3. Ficus leaves dry out and shrivel.
This is due to dry soil, too dry air or sunburn. To eliminate these problems, normalize the watering frequency, humidify the air, or remove the plant from the sun.

4. The appearance of brown spots on the edges and tips of ficus leaves.
Most often this occurs due to overfeeding the plant with fertilizers, insufficient feeding, with too dry air or elevated room temperatures.

5. Falling leaves of ficus.
There may be several reasons for this:
- frequent turning or changing the place of growth;
- drafts;
- improper lighting;
- excessive watering.
- cuttings;
- leaf (stalk with leaf);
- air layering.
- It is recommended to root rubber ficus in warm seasons - for example, in spring or early summer.
- Due to the fact that ultraviolet light has a depressing effect on young specimens, it is not recommended to grow them in direct sunlight.
- When you have a cut stalk in your hands, it is recommended to rinse the cut site with water, because after this traumatic operation, juice may begin to flow from it. Next, you need to place the shoot in fresh air to dry out the "wound".
- Ficus can propagate by cuttings, but it should be borne in mind that it is undesirable to use young shoots for these purposes, since it will not be possible to wait for the roots from them. Lignified shoots are the most suitable for cuttings.
- If you plan to propagate tree-like forms of ficuses, for example, Rubber-bearing, then planting material it is recommended to take it from the top of the trunk, or you can cut a piece of the stem, which must have at least one node.