The ficus "Benjamin" - a view that combines unpretentious content and special decoration.
Therefore, it is popular with amateur flower growers, who are happy to reproduce it. How to plant a ficus "Benjamin" at home?
Breeding methods
How to reproduce the ficus "Benjamin" at home? Like most members of the family, the Benjamin ficus can be propagated in the following ways:
Cuttings
From the top of the shoot a sharp knife is cut off 15-17 centimeters in length. Cut the workpiece to a sharp angle.
The best shoots are semi-woody. Young, not mature, not fit.
Three sheets are left on the blank, the rest are removed. On the handle do shallow cuts to increase the surface of root formation.
Next stage - getting rid of the milky juice. It quickly hardens and clogs the cut, through which the roots do not break through.
To avoid this, the stalk is installed in the water and kept so about 8 o'clock.
Water changes every two to three hours. Then the workpiece is removed and dried.
The slice is treated with a composition to stimulate rooting.
Rooting should be carried out in a container, at the bottom of which a layer of wet cotton wool is laid.
You can do this in warm water, but with this method there is a risk that the cutting will rot. To prevent this, some charcoal can be added to the water.
Keep the planted billet in a lit place, but do not let the sun hit - the cutting will wither in such conditions.
In 10-14 days you will see whipped white roots. Now the shoots of the ficus "Benjamin" can be planted in the soil.
The composition for planting cuttings with roots is as follows: leafy ground, peat, sand in equal parts.
You can root cuttings in the soil substrate. After removing the juice and drying, the billet is immersed in peat or in special ground for cacti. on 2 buds, roots will appear near them.
For germination it is necessary to create greenhouse conditions, covering the pot with a transparent cap.
Landing airing, so that the bottom of the workpiece is not rotten. The substrate should be warm, it is desirable to warm it artificially.
After 1.5-2 months small pieces of paper will appear on the blank. This suggests that the stalk is rooted.
But do not rush to open it. It is necessary to accustom a sprout to air gradually, opening a greenhouse not several hours a day.
Layering
The fastest way to get a full copy 50-60 centimeters high in a few months.
Cuttings are grown on the trunk of the ficus "Benjamin". From the site 10-15 centimeters, located below the crown 60-70 centimeters, cut off all the leaves and cut out the ring-shaped bark.
The cleaned area is moistened with a root or heteroauxin, wrapped in moistened sphagnum moss and a polyethylene transparent film.
The design is fixed with wire or tape. To preserve moisture with a syringe, add a little liquid under the film.
After 35-50 days a powerful root system forms on the trunk. The branches are cut from the main stem and planted in a separate pot.
In this case, the growth of lateral shoots begins on the maternal ficus, and it also does not lose its decorative effect.
From seed
How to propagate the ficus "Benjamin" at home from seed?
This is the longest and most time-consuming process. But flower growers argue that it will allow him to get the most robust, viable and especially ornamental plant.
Ficus seeds do not ripen at home, as the pollination does not occur indoors. Seeds must be purchased in special stores.
Before you buy, make sure that the conditions of storage of goods are observed in the outlet.
Ficus seeds are sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. There is a risk to buy material that is not suitable for planting.
Acquired seeds are disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, soaked for an hour in a growth stimulator.
At the bottom of the dishes stack drainage layer 2 cmsoil is poured over it.
The substrate for seeding is steam sterilized for an hour.
Ready land for ficus or a mixture of peat, sand and hardwood turf(1:1:1).
Moisten the soil before planting, you can do it by immersion.
In a flat bowl poured soil layer height of 10-12 centimeters.
Soil height should be below the edge of the tank. by 4-5 cm
Lightly tamp the substrate, do not firmly, it will cause stagnant moisture.
Spread the seeds evenly over the surface. They are very small, so use a pair of tweezers or a moistened tip of the wand, to which a seed is glued to transfer it to the ground.
Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of soil of five millimeters and moisten with an atomizer.
The container is covered with glass or film and put in a warm and bright place for germination.
Important: Do not allow direct sunlight on the dishes - the seeds will die from overheating.
The best time for crops is spring, when there is enough light. If planting ficus in the fall or winter, shoots will stretch from lack of light.
Glass with dishes in the process of germination periodically (approximately twice a day for 10-15 minutes) removed for airing.
As soon as shoots appear, they need to be hardened, removing the glass and leaving it outdoors for a short time first. Gradually increase the time.
About a month and a half later, the first true leaf appears in the seedlings. But do not rush to dive sprouts at once. Do it in 3 months.
Ensure that the seedlings have enough light, otherwise they will become elongated and frail
Important: when picking, make sure that the root neck is not buried in the soil, it should remain at the same level as when sprouting.Ficus sprouts are planted in a separate pot when they are reached. heights of 10-15 cm.
From sheet
This method is only called leaf.
In fact, for breeding it is necessary to cut off a part of the stem with a single leaf.
Only from such a blank can you get a full-fledged plant with a trunk.
It is a mistake to believe that it is possible to grow a new ficus from a leaf that has fallen off by chance or from drying out.
Leaf stalk is cut with a sharp knife with a piece of shoot about 5-6 cm
The slice must be slightly split, put in a glass with water for a day to let the milky juice flow.
In addition, small cuts need to be made on the handle - the roots will sprout from them. Then another day put the workpiece in a solution of root-forming.
Important: procedures carried out in warm water and air temperature not below 20 degreesotherwise the leaf will rot.
The prepared sheet is rolled up and fixed with an elastic band. The cutting is placed in the prepared substrate to the base of the leaf.
Planting is covered with a transparent cap to create greenhouse conditions and put in a warm, well-lit place.
About a month later, a young leaf of ficus will appear from the ground, which means that rooting has taken place successfully.
Observing the rules of reproduction, you will receive beautiful specimens of ficus "Benjamin" for interior decoration.
A photo
The photo captures the process of rooting ficus "Benjamin":
- Features care at home.
- Diseases and pests, as well as ways to combat them.
- Rules transplants houseplants.
- Useful and dangerous properties of plants for the home.
