Ficus elastica, which is better known as rubber ficus, is one of the most common pot crops. This plant filters the air, cleans of harmful substances and saturates it with oxygen. In addition, the ficus elastica is considered a symbol of the family hearth.
Does the rubber plant require special care, how to properly organize a place, and what kind of microclimate is needed for this plant? More about everything below.
What should be the soil for rubber plant ficus
The rubber-plant ficus is not a “capricious” plant. But he also needs to create all the necessary conditions for full development.
The ficus loves mixed soil, which ideally should consist of 4 components: peat, leaf humus, soddy soil and sand. In flower shops you can buy ready-made mixtures for planting ficuses, and you can prepare it yourself from universal soil and river sand.
Did you know? The rubber-plant ficus at home can grow up to 1 m in height. But this is nothing compared with the size of the "wild" species of ficus, the crown of which can rise 30 meters from the ground.
Optimal lighting, temperature and humidity
In order to decide where to put the rubber plant ficus, you need to know three facts about this plant.
- Direct sunlight is contraindicated to him - a ficus likes bright diffused light.
- The optimum temperature for the plant is 20-25 ° C. In the summer heat, the ficus can withstand up to 30 ° C, and in winter it can stand up to 15 ° C. But to remain in such conditions for a long time the plant can not.
- The elastic loves moderate humidity of air and soil. When there is an excess of moisture, the plant sheds foliage and slowly fades.
Watering rubber ficus
Maintaining moderate soil moisture is one of the most important rules for caring for ficus. The excess of moisture in the pot of ficus rubber prevents the correct formation of the crown and leads to a slow wilt of the rhizome - the heart of the plant. The appearance of red spots on the leaves - a sure sign of glut moisture.
In summer, water the ficus 1-2 times a week, in winter it is enough and 1 time. In order to check whether the plant needs watering, dip a finger in a pot to a depth of 2-3 cm, if the ground is dry - moisten it. Leaves also need to spray and wipe, but rather to get rid of dust than to moisturize. It is necessary to take note of those who do not know how to make a ficus branch, because this simple procedure helps to increase the number of branches and leaves.
Important! Plants also love to take a warm shower, and the ficus is no exception. Put the pot with a flower in the bathroom, cover the ground with foil and use the shower head to pour the crown with warm water.
When need feeding, and how to perform it
Ficus needs a rich in vitamins and nutrients land, so the "saturation" of the soil is an important part of the care of this indoor plant. Fertilizing the flower should begin in April, when the ficus only wakes up after the winter, and stop in September.
You can buy ready-made fertilizers for rubber ficus, but for its full growth you need to alternate between mineral and organic (nitrogen-containing) stimulants. In order not to burn the roots, before dressing the soil must be watered and then fertilized.
How to properly trim and shape the crown of rubber-rubber ficus
In order for a ficus to become a lush and branchy bush, it is necessary to prune its branches from time to time. The end of winter - the beginning of spring - the best time to form the crown, but only adult bushes that have reached 50-70 cm are subject to cutting.
If the ficus stretches up, and you do not know what to do, then just cut off the top of the bush. How much you need to cut to properly form the crown, depends on the height of the ficus. For lower bushes, it is enough to remove 3-4 internodes, for high ones - 5-7. This is quite enough to stimulate the growth of the crown of ficus, the emergence of new branches and young foliage.
Important! Do not rush to throw away extra branches. Cut the tops of the bushes can and should be rooted!
When caring for the rubber plant rubber, you need to know not only how to form the crown, but also how to stimulate the emergence of new side branches.
To make the crown lush and thick in two ways:
Change the position of the stem. So you outwit the plant: the top will become a side branch and will slow down its growth, and the side branch will become a top, and will start to grow.
Make a hole in the barrel. Using a needle or sewing, make a hole 1/3 the width of the stem. A new process will sprout through this hole.
Ficus breeding
One of the most important skills of a gardener is the ability to properly propagate a flower.
Leaf reproduction
Ficus elastica - one of the few indoor plants that are hard to grow by this method. The leaf can be put in the water, left in a warm place, and it will even give a spine, but, as a rule, it does not go further. To root, the ficus needs a trunk.
Reproduction by cuttings
This method of propagation of elastic more efficient, but also more laborious.
Ficus rubber has its own reproduction features cuttings, and doing this at home, you must do the following steps:
- Cut the stalk at an angle of 45 ° C.
- Substitute the cut place under a stream of water until all the juice is drained.
- Leave the stalk in water or soil until the root process appears.
- To speed up the process, make a mini-greenhouse - cover the pot with the primer with a film. In order for a germinated cutting to begin, it needs to be treated with “Kornevin” before planting.
Did you know? Not all ficuses can be propagated by cutting. Variegated species are accepted only by the method of air disposal. To do this, an incision is made in the trunk, a match is inserted so that the cut point does not grow together. Then the cut is covered with wet peat moss and wrapped in cling film. Part of the trunk with the appeared root is cut and planted in the ground.
Plant transplant
Like most indoor plants, the ficus should be transplanted in the spring or early summer. A new pot should be 3-4 cm wider than before.
Ficus loves a special soil for transplanting, which includes sand. Lay a drain and some fresh soil on the bottom of the pot. Remove the ficus from the pot with the soil, having previously soaked the ground with a flower, and place it in a new container. Add more soil, taking into account the fact that after the first two irrigations the land will noticeably subside. Leave the pot in a warm, humid place, away from direct sunlight.
Very soon, your ficus will recover after a transplant and go to growth.
Caring for a rubber ficus requires special knowledge, but in general, everything is quite simple. Now you know how to cut a ficus, form a crown, replant and create favorable conditions for the growth and development of a strong plant.
