Ficus Benjamina is a small-leaved shrub of the Mulberry family, popular among flower growers, it is not named after President Franklin, as you might think, but Jackson Benjamin Daydon, a Spanish botanist. This is a rather unpretentious representative of the South Asian flora, for whom the first three months of life in a new place are critical. If he takes root during this period, it means that there will be little trouble with him.
- Origin: Philippines, India, Malaysia, South China, Northern Australia.
- Size: depending on the variety and living conditions, the plant can stop at a height of 50 cm or fly up to 3 m.
| Average growth rate, up to 20 cm per year. | |
| At room conditions, the ficus does not bloom, but in greenhouses it can form syconia - spherical inflorescences similar to berries. | |
| The plant is easy to grow. | |
| A perennial plant that will long delight with a fancy pattern on the leaves. |
Signs and superstitions
Especially superstitious flower growers give each plant magical properties. And in this regard, ficus Benjamin has a bad reputation: he is considered a husbandman, a persecutor of men. It is believed that a woman in whose house this handsome man grows has little chance of marriage.
And if at first a man appears in the house, and then a ficus, the plant will drive away the competitor, after having spoiled his character. Only Slavs thought so negatively about the plant, and residents of other countries, for example, Thailand and China, attribute strictly opposite properties to this plant and see in it the guardian of the family and the home.
Features of growing at home. Briefly
When a new plant appears in the house, you need to know at least briefly about the basic conditions that need to be provided to it. Listed below is how to make the plant feel good.
| Temperature mode | In summer, the range from + 18 ℃ to + 25 ℃ is suitable, and in winter the temperature can be slightly reduced: to + 16 ℃. |
| Air humidity | This plant needs high humidity, therefore, in addition to watering, leaves need to be sprayed with water. In winter, when central heating radiators dry out the air, Benjamin's ficus suffers from a lack of moisture. |
| Lighting | A flower likes to be in a bright place, but prefers indirect light. In winter, with a lack of sunlight, an additional light source is recommended. |
| Watering | Regular watering is required, 2 times a week in the summer and 1 time a week in the winter. The soil should not be constantly wet, but before the next watering it is necessary that it even dries slightly. |
| Priming | The fertile mixture should contain turf soil, leafy soil, sand and some charcoal. |
| Fertilizing and fertilizers | In spring, summer and autumn, the plant should be fed with liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks. To achieve the best result, it is recommended to alternate organic and mineral types of fertilizer. |
| Ficus Benjamin transplant | Young plants need to be replanted every year, and adults can be left in the same pot with its sufficient diameter (more than 30 cm), and whether to change the topsoil (3 cm). |
| Breeding | Ficus Benjamin propagates by apical cuttings and seeds. |
| Growing Features | By trimming the shoots in one way or another, you can form a crown of any kind, for example, bushy or standard. |
Ficus Benjamin care at home. In detail
Now these and other parameters are considered in more detail.
Flowering ficus
Many flower growers do not even know how flowering Benjamin's ficus is characteristic: leaving at home does not imply the appearance of any flowers. Classic flowers with huge petals do not have to wait, because in the wild and in greenhouses this plant forms siconia - modified inflorescences, which look like spherical peas.
During flowering, the plant spends a lot of energy. If it is initially not in the best shape, it is recommended to cut off the syconia.
Temperature mode
The plant is thermophilic: feels good in the summer from +180From to +250C, and some exotic varieties with variegated leaves need an even higher temperature.
In winter, ficus loves a temperature not lower than +160C. If you want to ventilate the room where the plant is located, it is recommended that you take it to another room.
Spraying
A plant at home loves high humidity, so watering it alone is not enough: you still need to spray its leaves. The plant is especially in need of this procedure during the summer heat and the operation of central heating radiators, when the air in the room is dry.
Sufficient humidity is provided in another way: a pot with a plant is placed in a tray with wet expanded clay.
Lighting
Ficus Benjamin needs diffused lighting, quite intense, but not too much. Ideal placement - on windows facing east and smell. If the window faces south, protection from direct sunlight, for example, in the form of tulle, is necessary. When the window is directed to the north, the plant will not receive enough light, its growth may slow down.
The more light spots on variegated varieties, the more lighting they need. The reason is the low chlorophyll content in bright areas.
Watering
To support good health and long life of the plant, it is necessary to properly water it. For ficus, both overflow and underfill are equally destructive.
It is important to ensure that the soil between the irrigations is slightly dry. This is easy to verify: you just need to lower your finger into the soil to a depth of 3 cm. If the soil is dry, then it's time to water. If a thin surface layer is dry, but at a depth the soil is still wet, then it is too early to water.
Pot
When the plant is young, it grows so intensively that the pot for Benjamin's ficus needs to be changed every year. Each new pot should be 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. After four years, you no longer need to change the pots every year.
The container for the plant should be with drainage holes to prevent stagnation of moisture in the soil. As for the material, there are no special restrictions: both ceramics and plastic are suitable.
Priming
The ideal soil for this plant is fertile, neutral or slightly acidic. There are two options for a set of components. The first of them consists of the following parts:
- turf land;
- sheet earth;
- sand;
- charcoal.
The second option involves the following components:
- turf land;
- peat;
- sheet earth;
- sand.
For optimal drainage, it is recommended to cover the bottom of the pot with expanded clay.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
During the growing season (from March to the end of September) it is necessary to feed home ficus with liquid mineral fertilizers. Regularity - 1 time in 2 weeks. Alternation of organic and mineral fertilizers is allowed.
Some gardeners spray the leaves of a plant not just with water, but with a solution of fertilizers, which contain trace elements. It is important to ensure that the flower does not receive too much nitrogen, because the leaves react to its excess by the loss of variegation.
Ficus Benjamin transplant
The first 4 years the plant is young, grows intensively, therefore, an annual transplant is required. After this period, the plant can be left in the same pot, if its size is sufficient, and only the topsoil should be renewed.
A transplant should be performed when the following symptoms are found:
- the roots completely cover the lump of earth;
- immediately after watering, the soil dries quickly;
- roots peek out through drainage holes.
Transplantation is carried out by transshipment.
How to crop ficus?
This plant is often used to create fancy bonsai shapes. By trimming and pinching its crown, you can give any shape.
If you decide to form a standard bush-like shape, you need to cut the branches in the spring, leaving 15 cm of length at the main shoots and 10 cm of length at the side shoots. If the crown is too thick, it must be thinned out, removing branches that are directed inward. To create not a bushy, but a stamped shape, all side branches are removed.
Can I leave without leaving on vacation?
The maximum period during which the flower may remain without the care of the owners is 1 week. Before vacation, the plant should be placed away from the window.
To be sure that the flower will last alone, it is recommended to ask friends and neighbors to come in to see and water it.
Reproduction of ficus Benjamin
There are three breeding options for this plant.
Propagation by cuttings
- For these purposes, a semi-lignified shank is usually taken, not too young, but not very adult. It is cut with a sharp knife, and does not come off.
- The milky juice that appears on the cut must be washed off.
- To accelerate the appearance of the roots, it is recommended to cut the base of the stem.
- A stalk is successfully rooted in water, usually in 1-2 weeks.
- To create a greenhouse effect, a larger glass jar is sometimes installed above the jar with the handle.
- When the roots appeared, the stalk is planted in the soil and covered with polyethylene.
Propagation by layering
To get layering, an annular incision is made on a lignified trunk, then the bark is removed and this area is wrapped with wet sphagnum, and polyethylene on top. Over time, roots will appear through this coating. Then the top is cut off and placed in the prepared soil.
Growing Benjamin Ficus from Seeds
Some gardeners soak seeds in water for 1 day before planting, but this procedure is optional. Seeds are sown in moist soil composed of sand and peat. They need to be evenly distributed over the surface and immersed by 0.5 cm. To ensure heating, the seed container is placed on the battery if it heats up. Ventilate and spray the seeds regularly. After 1-2 months, the seeds give the first seedlings.
Among all these methods, the easiest and most effective is propagation by cuttings.
Diseases and Pests
When growing Benjamin's ficus, the following problems may occur:
The lower leaves fall. Sometimes it is a natural process when the ficus is growing up, and sometimes it is a sign of hypothermia and insufficient lighting.- Leaves ficus benjamin wither and twist. The plant is cold, it suffers from a low temperature.
- The tips of the leaves turn brown. The humidity level is very low, the air in the room is dry.
- New shoots are thin. The plant lacks lighting and nutrition.
- The leaves turn yellow. The plant is subjected to too intense watering, its root system begins to rot.
- Leaves are soft. Another sign of hypothermia of a flower.
- Yellow and brown spots on the leaves. This is how a sunburn appears on the surface of the leaves. The plant is exposed to excessive solar radiation.
The lower leaves fall. Sometimes it is a natural process when the ficus is growing up, and sometimes it is a sign of hypothermia and insufficient lighting.Also, ficus can become a victim of the following pests:
- mealybug;
- scale shield;
- spider mite.
Popular varieties with photos and names
There are several varieties of ficus Benjamin, each of them has a special appearance.
Variety exotic
This is a compact and unpretentious plant with dark green leaves with wavy edges. It is recommended to start acquaintance with the ficus of Benjamin from this variety due to its unpretentiousness.
Variety Danielle
Very similar to the exotic variety. Its leaves are quite large (6 cm) and dark green.
Variety Monique (Monique)
A very common variety, which is divided into two similar types: just Monique and Golden Monique (Golden Monique), the leaves of which are characterized by a golden hue. This variety is more moody than Daniel and Exotica.
Variety Reginald
This is the most popular variety, which is highly regarded for the variegated color of the leaves. Small light green spots are randomly scattered on a light green background. The edges of the leaves are smooth, not wavy.
Kinkye variety
The color of the leaves is characterized by a combination of a dark green background and a light green border. Leaves are rather small, do not exceed 5 cm. It is this variety that often needs pruning and shaping. From it you can create a bizarre figure.
Variety Nicole (Nikole)
Winner for the uniqueness of the pattern. The light green edging here is much wider than that of Kinki. Such a contrast of dark and light shades looks attractive.
Variety Starlight (Starlight)
The leaves of this plant are almost completely white, it looks very impressive. Due to the lack of chlorophyll, the plant needs intense lighting.
Variety Barok (Barok)
Its small leaves curiously curl, which gives the plant a very unusual look.
Among this variety, it is not easy to choose exactly the sort of ficus Benjamin that will become a new best friend. It is recommended to prepare for the purchase, learn as much as possible about the characteristics and requirements of the type that you like externally. A healthy and happy ficus will not only decorate the room, but also purify the air, filling it with useful substances!
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