We grow rubber ficus at home

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In any apartment it becomes more comfortable with fresh flowers. But any plant requires attention and proper maintenance. Therefore, people give preference to those plants that are the least demanding to care for. One of these flowers is ficus elastica. It will not only become a decoration of the house, but, according to experts in the field of feng shui, it will bring positive energy to the family.

Ficus Rubber

The appearance of rubber ficus

Immediately, we will make a reservation that you can meet with different names of this plant: rubbery, rubbery or elastic. Both names can be applied and are correct. Theoretically, rubber ficus, which is home to India and Indonesia, can grow up to 30 m in height.Since it is not possible to keep a plant of this size at home, you will have to devote time to such procedures as pruning and shaping. Rubber ficus grows not only in height, but also in width. On its trunk and branches, so-called aerial roots appear, which, reaching the ground, begin to receive nutrients from it.

The leaves of the rubber ficus are large, elliptical with pointed ends. Each leaf is painted in a rich and deep green color. A feature of the plant is that the leaves have a glossy surface. Often, near young leaves, which are rolled into a tube, there is a stipule of a reddish color. But as soon as the young leaf opens, the stipule falls off.

Many are interested in the question of how the rubber-bearing ficus blooms, and whether it blooms at all. This plant blooms, but only if it has been pollinated by certain insects. Accordingly, with room maintenance, flowering is almost impossible. But this is also a small loss, since the flower that appears after pollination has no unusual beauty, as can be judged from its photo.

Plant features

A feature of rubber ficus is the chemical composition of its milky juice. It contains rubber that can be used to make rubber. As a matter of fact, it was thanks to this feature that at one time this plant gained wide popularity. Now it is kept mainly for beauty.

It is also worth noting that in rubbery ficus, milky juice contains substances that can cause irritation on the skin or even an allergic reaction. Therefore, a procedure such as pruning a ficus or its transplant should be carried out extremely carefully. It is advisable to wear gloves on your hands. Despite the fact that for humans, milky juice is to some extent dangerous, the plant needs it in order to heal wounds inflicted by people.

Despite the fact that in the wild, the height of a rubber-bearing ficus reaches 30 meters, in an apartment it rarely grows above 200 cm.To get a taller plant that will decorate a greenhouse or winter garden, you need to properly monitor it and create certain conditions for the ficus ...

Conditions for keeping ficus

Home care for rubber ficus involves maintaining a certain temperature and light conditions. You also need to properly organize watering. When choosing a place for a plant, we take into account that the flower is photophilous. But, at the same time, direct sunlight negatively affects his health. If the leaves of the rubber plant turn yellow or brown spots appear, then first of all look for direct sunlight.

A shaded area, as too sunny, is not the best for rubbery ficus. With a lack of light, its leaves will begin to fade and fall off. In addition, a flower in partial shade will grow very slowly. Ideally, a diffused solar set should not fall on the plant.

As for the temperature regime, neither heat nor cold is critical for rubbery ficus. True, we are not talking about prolonged heat or cold. The optimal temperature is 230C. In winter, the air temperature can drop to 15-180C. It will not harm the plant. But below 150C, the thermometer should not fall.

Watering features

Caring for a rubbery ficus involves watering the flower. The plant is not moisture-loving. Water the ficus as needed. The topsoil should not be constantly wet. After the top 2-4 cm of the soil has dried, we water it. On average, watering in the hot period is carried out no more than 2 times a week, in the cold - 1 time per week. If the rubber plant begins to shed its leaves, then most likely you overdid it with watering.

In addition to watering, caring for the rubber plant involves spraying a flowerpot and wiping the leaves. In summer, due to low air humidity, this should be done at least once every 2 weeks. In winter, this procedure can be omitted.

It is also advisable to periodically arrange bath procedures, namely a shower. To do this, put the plant in the bathroom, cover the soil with a plastic bag, and turn on the water. The water temperature should be 18-200C.

The plant does not tolerate the neighborhood with heating devices.

Feeding ficus

In a conversation about how to care for rubber ficus at home, one cannot but make a reservation about feeding. Even if the soil is selected correctly, and what kind of soil is needed for the ficus, we will talk later, the plant needs to be fertilized periodically.

The flower needs mineral and organic fertilizers, the purchase of which is best done in specialized stores. When choosing organic fertilizers, attention should be paid to those that contain nitrogen. At the same time, we do not use organic matter and mineral fertilizers to feed rubber-bearing ficus. We just alternate these 2 types of fertilizers. We carry out top dressing 2 times a month, regardless of the season.

It is advisable to use formulations that are sold in specialized stores for feeding rubber ficus. The seller consultant will help you make the right choice.

In order for the leaves of the rubber plant to shine, it is not necessary to use any chemistry. It is enough to wipe them with a cotton swab soaked in non-alcoholic beer.

Ficus transplant

The transplant of rubber ficus should be carried out annually when it comes to a young plant, and at least once every 3 years when it comes to an adult plant. It is necessary to transplant the ficus as it grows. If the roots become cramped in the pot, then this is negatively reflected in the appearance of the flowerpot.It is also necessary to transplant ficus if the soil is excessively depleted and cannot give the plant all the substances necessary for life. And the depletion of the soil can be judged by how it absorbs water during watering. If a few moments after watering all the water is in the sump, then the soil needs to be replaced with a new one.

To make the plant feel comfortable, you need to choose the right soil. You can buy a ready-made substrate in a specialized store, or you can make it yourself. To prepare the soil at home, we need river sand, turf and peat land. All components are taken in equal amounts. During transplantation of rubber ficus, it is important not to damage its root system. It is necessary to carefully remove the plant, without shaking out the old soil from its roots. We carefully transfer the flower to a new pot, at the bottom of which a drainage layer has already been installed. Then, fill all the voids with new soil and water the plant. The new pot should be 5-6 cm larger both in width and height.

Before transplanting rubbery ficus, assess its condition. If the flowerpot is old and the transplant can negatively affect its condition, it is advisable to just partially replace the soil. To do this, remove the top layer 5-7 cm thick, and fill the plant with new soil.

Reproduction of ficus

The flower propagates quite simply, so there is no point in looking for photos or video instructions on this topic. It is quite possible to dilute it at home, and not buy it in the store. Reproduction of rubbery ficus can be done in several ways:

• cuttings;
• reproduction by layering;
• leaf propagation.

Consider how you can multiply rubber-bearing ficus in each way separately.

Cuttings

For propagation of rubber ficus by cuttings, you need to take part of the stem from an existing plant. It is best to pinch the top. Pinching is done with a sharp object (knife, blade). A part of the stem is taken, on average, 12 cm long. After pruning, and it must be done obliquely, we remove almost all the leaves. You need to pinch the part of the stem on which there are at least 2 leaves. If there are more leaves, then we leave only a couple of leaves located at the top of the cutting. Pruning must be done carefully so that the milky juice does not get on the skin. Then, thoroughly rinse the cut site under running water. After the milky juice has ceased to stand out, we place the stalk in a container of water. A glass or any other similar container is perfect.

To make the water evaporate as slowly as possible, we roll up the leaves that remain on the top of the cutting into a tube. You can fix the leaves with thin rubber bands. After the roots appear, we plant the cutting in the ground. You can plant a cutting immediately after pruning. In this case, it will take root faster. But, in the soil it is difficult to see whether the root system has appeared on the cuttings or not. When rooting into the soil on top of the cutting, you need to stretch the film. Rooting of the cuttings is fast enough.

Before planting the cuttings in the soil, you can treat the lower cut with drugs that stimulate the regrowth of roots. It is better to cut ficus in spring.

Reproduction by layering

Regardless of the variety of rubber ficus, it can be propagated by layering. But the easiest way to propagate in this way is a variegated variety of rubber ficus. We make an incision in the place where the aerial roots should grow. The depth of the cut should be one third of the volume of the trunk. In order to prevent the stem from growing together, insert a piece of a toothpick or a match into the place of the incision. Then, wrap this place with moss and close it with a piece of bag. The entire structure can be secured with tape. It remains to wait for the flowerpot to take root and plant it in the soil.

Leaf propagation

In this case, you should cut off not only the leaf, but also a small part of the stem with it.It turns out, as it were, small cuttings. You need to choose a healthy-looking, preferably young leaf. Whatever type of rubber ficus you try to propagate, the leaf alone will never sprout, even though it gives roots and there is an opportunity to root it.

By and large, leaf propagation is not much different from cuttings. The leaf, as in the case of grafting, we plant it in the ground, after which we roll it up into a tube. We equip a mini greenhouse, covering the container with a film, and wait for the appearance of shoots.

Pruning and shaping the crown

In order for the plant to really become a decoration at home, you need to devote time to the formation of the crown of the rubber ficus. But before talking about the formation of rubber ficus, you should learn about pruning it. Pruning is done to keep the plant from growing. It is also needed to rejuvenate the plant. In addition, pruning contributes to the formation of a thicker ficus crown. At the desired height, we cut off the top of the plant, which is fashionable to use as a cutting for its propagation.

To give the ficus the shape of a shrub, we plant the root top in a pot next to the parent plant. But we place it so that the plants grow beautifully, and do not crowd out each other. As a rule, 5 internodes are cut off. Therefore, before cutting off the top of the rubber-bearing ficus, count 5 internodes and see how much this plant height suits you. Ficus pruning is done only in early spring. If you do this at a different time, not the side shoots will begin to grow, but the top.

Before you form the crown of the plant, you need to imagine what shape you would like to see. If a lush bush is supposed, then at least 2 ficus should be planted in one pot. Do not be afraid that the bush will be too large. In addition, plants can always be planted. We form a bush during growth. To do this, turn the pot so that the plants grow equally in all directions. Periodically pruning to branch out the flowerpot. As the ficus begins to bush, we correct the shape of the crown.

You can make a ficus branch in different ways. One of the ways to achieve the appearance of lateral processes involves bending the top of the ficus to the ground. In this case, the bud, which is at the highest point, gives rise to an escape. After the emergence of the shoot, we return the trunk to its original position. If necessary, the trunk must be tied up.

Diseases and pests

Ficus cannot be called painful plants. It resists well both diseases and pests. However, from time to time, problems may arise that you need to be prepared for.

Ficus can be attacked by pests such as scale insects or spider mites. At the same time, the leaves dry and curl. If the sheet is twisted, then you need to unfold it and carefully examine it. Parasites are visible to the naked eye. When they appear, you need to immediately take measures so that you do not have to reanimate the flower later.

In addition to insecticides, which are in specialized stores, you can use tobacco dust diluted with soapy water to control pests. Add 4 tablespoons of tobacco dust to a liter of soapy water. With a cotton swab dipped in this liquid, wash all the leaves. After 2 hours, wash off the solution from the leaves of the ficus. Make sure there are no parasites left on the leaves of the plant after rinsing.

An adult bush is less susceptible to pest attack than a young one.

We will not deal with the description of diseases in detail. Let's just say that the ficus is most susceptible to fungal diseases. Step-by-step treatment is as follows:

• remove all damaged parts of the flowerpot (you need to inspect and, if necessary, trim the roots);
• we treat the ficus with a fungicide.

Since the fungus can live in the ground, it will not be superfluous to transplant the plant, completely replacing the soil.

Problems associated with improper care

Signs of disease are yellowing and shedding of leaves. Often the plant is sick due to improper care. It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of why the leaves of the rubber plant turn yellow. The reason may be either over-watering or lack of moisture, lack of light, or inappropriate regimen. Also, leaves can turn yellow from an overabundance of fertilizers or an excessive amount of salt in the soil, an unsuitable pot size and rotting roots. And the presence of drafts leads to the fact that dark spots first appear on the leaves, and then they turn black. Ficus leaves also darken at low temperatures.

It often happens that the ficus looks quite healthy, its leaves do not curl and do not change color to yellow, brown or brown spots do not appear and there are no other signs of the disease, but the flower has stopped growing. The reason that the ficus does not grow may be a lack of light or minerals. A pot that is too tight can also inhibit growth.

If the ficus has dropped its leaves or other symptoms of disease are found, you need to react without delay. Moreover, it will not be difficult to eliminate most of the problems at home. The first step is to change the conditions of detention. If the condition of the flowerpot did not improve, you should look for pests or determine the disease, and start treating it. If you delay the treatment, it will be difficult to save the flowerpot.

Useful properties and harm of ficus

If we talk about the dangers and benefits of rubber ficus, then we can come to the conclusion that the plant, when properly handled, is not dangerous. Despite the fact that the ficus is poisonous and can cause allergies, in the absence of contact with the sap of the plant, problems will not arise. There are various signs and superstitions that say, for example, that the ficus is able to drive men away from women. Therefore, in a house where there is an unmarried girl, it is undesirable to put a plant. But only the Slavs had a negative attitude towards this flower. The rest of the peoples have long kept ficuses of various varieties in their apartments, which absolutely did not prevent girls from getting married and building happy families.

Regardless of what kind of ficus we are talking about, and today there are so many of them that the table of contents of the book on the varieties of ficus takes several pages, this flower deserves attention. The beneficial properties of ficus, and it doesn't matter whether it is Belize or Abidjan, can be used in the treatment of certain diseases. This is not to say that the houseplant is actively used in traditional medicine, but folk healers often resort to its help. It is believed that the medicinal properties of the plant help get rid of mastopathy and reduce benign tumors. The use of ficus tinctures is justified in the treatment of hematomas, osteochondrosis, radiculitis, hemorrhoids and arthritis.