Features of lyre ficus

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Lyre ficus is an evergreen tree. Belongs to the mulberry family, which includes over 1000 species. Lyre ficus differs from other relatives in its large dimensions. It is not recommended to place it next to other indoor plants.

Ficus lyre

Description of external data

Ficus lyrata is so named because of the shape of the leaves, which resemble lyre in structure. Light green streaks are clearly visible against a monochromatic darker background. The birthplace of the tree is African rainforests. In its natural environment, it can grow on forest edges, reaching 12 m in height, or in the most often, like an eliphite. At home, lyre ficus reaches a size of 2.5 m. Aerial roots are rare or absent. This variety does not belong to banyans, like many other ficuses. The stem is erect with roughness, painted gray-brown.

The highlight of the lyre ficus is its leafy part. The leaves are large, violin-shaped, wrinkled, dense in structure, slightly wavy edges. The size of the leaves reaches 50 cm in length and 25 cm in width. The base of the leaf is narrowed, the apex is truncated or rounded.

The flowers of the plant are inconspicuous. After flowering, the fruits of siconia are formed, painted in a green tint with darker blotches. When breeding at home, it is very difficult to achieve flowering even in an adult representative. The most popular are the varieties of ficus, which are presented below.

• Bambino;
• Compact;
• Phyllis Craig;
• Resa;
• Rer.

How to care

You need to take care of the plant correctly. Ficus Lirata is distinguished by its exactingness to the conditions of detention. The key to proper growth and development is the creation of conditions as close to natural as possible. The plant will respond to any discomfort by dropping the deciduous part. Caring for the lyre ficus involves its location in a bright room. The plant must be protected from direct contact with the sun. The best option is to be located on the east or west side, but not on the window itself, but in the room. If there is not enough light for the ficus, foliage growth will slow down.

Ficus lyre care:

• indoor temperature in summer - 20-25 ° С, in winter - 15-20 ° С;
• as a result of a change in temperature, brown spots may appear on the leaves;
• it is necessary to provide increased humidity by constantly spraying the flower;
• water only with settled water at room temperature;
• freezing of the soil must not be allowed, otherwise the plant may die.

Watering does not imply a certain cyclicality, because it will directly depend on the conditions in which the plant is kept. Watering the tree should be when the outer layer of the soil is slightly dry. In the cold season, watering is reduced.

Home care involves replenishing with minerals. Use universal vitaminized fertilizers for indoor flowers.The dosage for ficus lyre should be half that described in the instructions.

How to plant and propagate

Ficuses are transplanted in mid-April. During transplantation, it is necessary to cut off all the roots that have begun to grow upward, as well as broken and rotten ones. You can cut off no more than a third of the rhizome. The new container for the plant should be two fingers larger than the previous one. The plant is large and massive, so heavy pots should be selected for transplanting, clay vessels are a good option, they are sufficiently stable.

Reproduction of lyre ficus is mainly carried out by cuttings. The procedure will require a sharp knife or pruner. A sprout about 16 cm long with at least two buds is picked up. The distance from the cut to the first kidney is about 10 mm. Cutting will be successful only if you pick up a stiff sprout: young green shoots are not able to develop a strong rhizome.

After trimming, the cut point on the handle is treated with warm water to remove the milky juice, and put to dry a little. Then put in a glass of water, after dissolving a tablet of activated carbon in it for disinfection. After a couple of weeks, when the roots appear, you can plant the plant in a pot. Do not take too large a container at once.

For planting, use universal soil or a mixture of peat, sand and deciduous humus prepared independently. A self-prepared mixture must be pre-fried in the oven to avoid infection of the roots with parasites. You can propagate ficus lyre using a sheet. This means using the cuttings not with eyes, but with fully formed leaves. There should be 2 of them.

Trimming is carried out in the same way as in the previous version, only the cut itself is made in the stem internode. Both sheets must be rolled up and tied with a soft thread so as not to injure. Further care for the future lyre-shaped ficus is identical to the method with cuttings.

When to prune a bush

The formation of the crown of a lyre ficus at home is carried out in the spring. Pruning is necessary to regulate the growth of the plant. The upper hardened lining is cut into 4-5 internodes. Top propagation is not practiced, because a green sprout is not able to form a powerful root system. Trimming the air roots is carried out as needed, regardless of the season. It is important not to forget about the safety rules when working with a flower. Milky juice causes an allergic reaction when it enters the dermis.

After trimming, the cutting site should be processed. The juice that gets on the leaves must be washed off immediately with a cotton swab dipped in warm water, otherwise it will not work after drying without damaging the foliage. The cut site is covered with charcoal to avoid infection and moisture loss.

What can hurt

Most often, the plant is attacked by pests, such as:

• mealybug;
• shield;
• ticks.

The structural features of the stem part greatly complicate pest control. The scales of the bark and the relief of the foliage allow insects to go unnoticed. During processing, you should carefully go through all the places where pests can hide. The second difficulty lies in the plant's sensitivity to the chemical composition of many fungicides and even fertilizers. Processing begins with one sheet. In a day, if there are no chemical burns, you can carry out a complete treatment of the entire tree.

Diseases of lyre ficus are most often the result of improper care:

• brown twisted leaves - the result of waterlogging of the soil or an excess of sunlight;
• the fall of an excessive amount of leaves from the bottom of the bush indicates a lack of moisture;
• slow growth or its complete stop is a consequence of a lack of vitamins, soil salinization, root rot as a result of too frequent watering;
• falling off of a part of the foliage occurs when changing habitat, for example, after purchase;
• yellowing and sagging of the leaf is the result of stagnant water in the pot with excessive watering.

Diseases of fungal origin are often observed. They appear as brown and green-gray spots on foliage. If the plant is not treated in time, the leaves die off and crumble. Prevention of fungal diseases is proper care. All manipulations during circumcision should be carried out only with sterile instruments.

When planting, a self-prepared soil mixture must undergo preliminary heat treatment. The leaves must be kept clean. The recommended plant conditions should not be neglected.

Conclusion

Lyre ficus is highly prized for its unusual appearance. Unlike other varieties, the lyre representative has overall dimensions. One of the compact varieties of lyrata is Bambino. It is a miniature variety with densely planted leaves up to 25 cm in length.

Ficuses have long become popular inhabitants of apartments and offices. The plant perfectly cleans the indoor air. A photo depicting ficus Lear is simply mesmerizing with its beauty. The tall, beautiful stem is framed by large green leaves of a dark green shade on the outside and lighter on the inside. The veins are pronounced, colored light green or yellow-green. It is quite difficult to grow a plant at home. This representative is much more demanding in care compared to other varieties.

Reproduction is carried out by cuttings. With improper care, the tree reacts by changing the color of the foliage or dropping it. The difficulty of the move lies in the fact that the flower reacts negatively to many fertilizers. The tree is often overpowered by insect pests. It will be quite difficult to remove them, because the plant does not tolerate contact with many fungicides. The second nuance that complicates the fight against insects is the structure of the bark and leaves. The relief of the stem cover and foliage is an excellent hiding place for pests.

So that the ficus does not get sick, but pleases the eye with its lush greenery, it is necessary to adhere to all the described rules. The main thing is to create conditions close to natural. The birthplace of the tree is the subtropics, so it is extremely important to ensure optimal humidity. This does not mean that you should increase the number of waterings. The increase in moisture is achieved by spraying and rubbing the leaves with a damp sponge.