HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A FICUS TREE (INDOOR AND OUTSIDE)
Tag phrases: Ficus tree, dying Ficus tree, pruning, growing Ficus tree indoors, small trees as houseplants, Ficus tree care for winter,
Ficus Benjamina is also known as weeping fig, Ficus tree or Benjamin fig. It is sold in most American stores as Ficus
When taking care of a Ficus plant, these are the common problems that I identified many of us face;
1. Knowing the right amount of water (you either are under watering It or over watering it)
2. Low humidity
3. Knowing the right amount of light
4. Repotting and relocating the Ficus
5. Change in temperatures
6. Pests.
There are several other problems, but in most environments, these are the hardest things that one should put into consideration when taking care of their Ficus tree.
Light and soil
Make sure the Ficus is planted in a well-drained pot. Use loamy soil and add vermiculite or perlite for drainage. Use three parts of loam soil; 1-part peat and 1-part sand for a well-drained mixture. Make sure you plant the Ficus in a deep pot with a-holes at the bottom to allow proper drainage of water.
Ficus need light so they can stay green. Hence place the Ficus tree close to the window in a room that gets bright light in the summer or moderate light in the winter. Occasionally move the plant to prevent the plant from growing on one side.
Watering the Ficus
In the summer, water the tree once every week. Pour water into the tree until it drains from the bottom of the pot. If the excess water flows into the lid of the pot, drain it away so that the roots of the Ficus do not soak in water. Allow the soil to dry before you water the plant again.
If you notice a change in the colors of the leaf; maybe yellow, then increase the number of times you water the plan. For some Ficus trees, yellow leaves might be an indication of overwatering. If you notice the soil is always wet at the time the leaves are turning yellow, then decrease the amount of water. Check the root ball of the Ficus tree at least once a month. If the roots are dry, increase the watering, If the roots are wet and soggy, reduce on the watering.
Pruning a Ficus
How to prune a Ficus tree is a significant way to keep the Ficus tree healthy. If it is growing inside your house, always keep it small and shape it nicely. However, you can always prune it even when it is growing out of your house to keep it beautiful and attractive. Whenever you are pruning the tree, use sterilized tools. Prune the tree in the winter or early spring before the new growth starts to appear. Make small cuts above the leaf node or on a branching stem. Prune out all dead branches any time of the year to allow for new fresh growth. Cut outside the branch collar to avoid damaging the trunk. This activity should be carried out at least once every year to help the Ficus tree builder fuller canopies.
Fertilizing the Ficus tree
During the summer, ensure to fertilize the Ficus tree. Use the general-purpose fertilizers diluted to half strength and fertilize once in a month until the active growth period ends. You do not need to fertilize the Ficus tree during the winter. In the summer, take the tree out of vacation so it can absorb proper light. During the winter, place it back inside the house
Avoid diseases from attacking your Ficus tree
If the tree is not treated well, it will be diseased and can die out. For outdoor Ficus trees, many diseases such as anthracnose or branch die-backs can attack the plant whenever there is over watering. Overheard watering refers to making the leaves wet regularly. To reduce the potential for diseases, add water at the base, directly into the soil. Also, maintain the soil moisture — try to regulate it (not too wet and not too dry).
Leaf drop
Ficus trees react to changes in weather. When leaves turn yellow, they fall off during certain seasons and flourish in other seasons. Whenever you relocate the fiscus tree from one place to another; with totally different weather, expect the leaves to drop off. As soon as they get used to the adjustment, the leaves will grow back. However, if there are falling leaves and there are no signs of, moving the plant, it might have reacted to changes in the light conditions as the seasons change. Sometimes, it can be the watering of the plants. These different habits tend to force the Ficus tree to wither its leaves. For these changes, ensure to reduce the cases through which the plant leaves drop
How to propagate a Ficus tree
How to propagate a fig tree using Air layering
Propagating a fig tree is healthy. It allows the tree to grow more buds and more leaves and will enable it to look fresh. However, air layering is one of the most challenging ways of propagating. It should be done mostly in the spring when the plant is growing.
Air layering is the best methods of propagating Ficus trees because it produces a more substantial plant faster than other methods. The plant develops while it is still attached to the mother plant. It takes about 1 to 2months for the roots of the new plant to form. These are the essential steps to propagate a Ficus tree using air layering.
1. Choose a spot where leaf buds are actively growing. This is usually in the middle of the branch
2. Cut the leaf buds off and peel off the surrounding bark on the branch
3. Brush rooting hormones in the plain spot on the branch and cover it in sphagnum moss that is moistened ahead of time
4. Wrap plastic around the branch to hold the moss in place
5. Secure it at both ends. Within one month, you will see new roots growing from where the leaf buds were.
6. When new roots appear, sever the branch from the tree below the plastic
7. Unwrap the plastic and carefully plant the roots in a container and water well.
8. There you will have a new fig tree.
Other ways of propagating the fig tree are;
Stem cutting: Stem cutting is the most common method of propagating shrub plants. Small plants grow from the cutting, each with a new root system. Put the cutting into a well-draining potting soil and cover with clear plastic. This will create a greenhouse that allows the stem to grow new roots in a vase of water.
Tissue culture: This form of propagation produces bushy Ficus plants. When the plugs are cut, they contain several erect Ficus stems that create many new plants for commercial use. This process is done in a sterile lap and protects new plants from spreading the mosaic virus.
And seeds: Ficus seeds are mostly found in tropical areas. If you are to grow the plant as a house plant, it will not produce proper seeds. Before you can propagate the seeds, they should be fertilized by parasitic fig wasps that are also found in tropical areas. The seeds then are placed in humid sphagnum moss and kept moist until germination. Most people who use seed propagation are looking for new hybrid plants.
How to save a dying Ficus tree
If your tree is dying out and all the pointers above have failed you, you can always try these new methods.
1. Test the limbs of the Ficus to see if they are indeed dead. To check if they are gone, try to snap off or scratch the bark with your fingernail to see if it peels off to reveal fresh green underneath or it is dried out.
2. Cut off all the dead leaves and dry limbs using shears.
3. Remove the Ficus from the pot, wash the pot with mild soap water
4. Remove all the old soil from the Ficus roots before planting it again in the pot
5. Pour fresh soil into the pot and place the Ficus back into the pot
6. Water the plant and add more soil until the roots are entirely covered
7. Add eggshells to prevent any soil erosion in the house from the pot and