Description of ficus Moklame
The most popular indoor plants are ficuses. They perfectly clean the air in a home or office. Many people want to have an unusual tree at home, but not everyone can afford a large plant. Ficus Moklame is exactly what you need in such a situation.
Ficus Microcarpa Moklame
General facts
Ficus Moklame belongs to the mulberry family, grows in the tropics and subtropics. In the wild, its height reaches 25 m, at home it grows no higher than 1.5 m. Ficus Microcarpa Moklame is an epiphyte plant. Epiphytes are not parasites, they use photosynthesis for energy and vitamins, and moisture is obtained from precipitation. Microcarps put down many aerial roots, but they are very poorly developed.
The stem is gray. The foliage is in the shape of an ellipse, pointed at the tips. The color of the leaves is dark green, glossy. The name Microcarpa means "little fruit" in Greek. The tree was so nicknamed for its small fruits, the seed of which is no more than 1 cm.
How to grow
Ficus Moklame is very popular on the territory of the Russian Federation. In the East, the tree is considered a symbol of love, devotion, wisdom and fertility. In appearance, it is similar to a sacred tree. Caring for it at home is pretty simple. The main thing is to determine the place where the new tenant will live. The tree does not like rearrangements, only in the summer you can move it to an open terrace or loggia. The place should be shaded, because this specimen, like many others in the mulberry family, does not tolerate direct sunlight.
If the flower is left without the light of the sun for a long time, it can shed its leaves, which can lead to an increase in the distance of internodes. The plant is sensitive to a sharp change in lighting mode. For example, when a tree is transferred from a light greenhouse to shops for sale or to a buyer's home. Given these features, growers try to adapt the plant by growing for a couple of months, using bright illumination, and then rearranging it to a darker place. In winter, fluorescent lamps are used for additional glow.
The temperature regime in the summer period should be observed within the range of 25-30 ° С, in the winter - from 16 to 20 ° С. Hypothermia of the soil must not be allowed. Ficus responds to hypothermia by dropping foliage. Humidity should be 70%. On hot days, the plant is sprayed with settled soft water at room temperature. The watering schedule is directly dependent on external factors and the plant itself:
- the age of the tree;
- stage of development;
- plant condition;
- dimensions of the pot;
- temperature and humidity;
- season.
Mockmark needs moderate watering. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil, it should not turn into a lump. In winter, watering should be reduced a little. Ficus is transplanted to Moklame immediately after purchase, and later, as needed, when the roots crawl out into the drainage holes.For planting, use universal soil for indoor plants or independently combined fried earth mixture of peat, deciduous humus and sand.
Reproduction
Reproduction takes place by cuttings or seeds. Pruning is carried out in the spring, when the sap has already begun to move in the trunk. Choose a suitable woody stalk of about 16 cm with two to three eyes. The cutting is done with a sharp blade at an angle. The processing of plants must be carried out, observing all precautions, because the juice that the plant secretes provokes irritation, and if it enters the digestive system, it can cause intoxication.
The stalk at the cut site is treated with a swab dipped in warm water and laid out to dry for a couple of hours. Then it is placed in water with the addition of activated carbon. There should be a distance of 10 mm from the cut point to the first eyelet. Those that are closer should be removed. If a stalk with leaves is used, it is necessary to put the shoot in the water so that liquid does not get on the lower leaves, otherwise they will turn black. After 14-21 days, roots appear and the plant can be planted in the ground.
A method of planting cuttings in moist soil is possible. A mini greenhouse is suitable for such purposes. With this method, it is very important to provide high humidity. In order for the plant to quickly get used to the room regime, it is necessary to often open the greenhouse. The seed propagation method is rarely used. The seed is pretreated with insecticides and growth stimulants. Sowing is done in loose moist soil. The soil should always remain moist, but not waterlogged.
How to form a crown
In order to be able to correctly form a beautiful crown, it is necessary to study the features of the development of the plant. Apical buds develop faster than others and, having reached a certain growth phase, slow down the overall growth of the tree. At home, it is customary to cut off the upper kidney in order to activate the growth of the lateral ones.
Ficus Microcarpa Moklame itself is prone to branching. This feature allows bonsai to be formed by pruning. To make the flower look like a bush, pinch off about 10 cm of the top. When axillary shoots have reached the same height, they should also be pruned. Each slice is rubbed and sprinkled with charcoal.
To ensure uniform growth and development of branches in all directions, the tree should be regularly rotated around its axis by 90 ° C. To form a bonsai, a representative with a well-formed stem is selected and all the lower shoots and leaves are cut off, leaving only the top. The cut sites are also treated with warm water and charcoal.
At home, the plant practically does not bloom. After flowering, ovaries are formed, and then the fruits of the syconia are scarlet berries. If, after flowering, the tree becomes lethargic, it is necessary to remove the syconia.
Soil for planting
The soil for planting Microcarp at home should have a low acidity. To make an earth mixture yourself, you will need to mix in equal proportions:
- turf;
- leaf humus;
- sand;
- charcoal.
After stirring until a homogeneous consistency, the soil is fried in the oven so that the plant does not become infected with parasites during planting. To ensure optimal growth and proper development, drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot. Expanded clay is placed at the bottom of the container, which is covered with a layer of sand on top.
Valuable qualities of wood
In addition to its attractive appearance, the plant has a number of useful qualities - it is widely used in folk medicine. Tinctures are great for treating diseases such as arthritis, sciatica and mastopathy.
Wood perfectly cleans the air in the room, eliminates the harmful impurities of benzene and phenol.In energy teachings, this representative is used to cleanse the aura of the room, reduce anxiety and help create a calm atmosphere.
What can hurt
Most often, ficus owners are faced with such a problem as falling foliage. This phenomenon is a consequence of improper care, excess or lack of moisture, temperature differences, insufficient lighting.
Decay of the root system occurs with excessive watering or stagnation of liquid in the pot itself. Of the pests, spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and scale insects are often attacked. In order to get rid of pests, insecticides, soapy warm water are used. Sometimes it is advisable to replace the earthen coma.
Care after purchase
This type of ficus reacts poorly to a change in habitat. In order for the tree to adapt to new conditions, it is necessary to give it a little time to get used to. On the second day after purchase, the condition of the soil is checked. If the top layer is dry, watering is minimal with a small amount of warm liquid. Often in the first days after purchase, the tree reacts by shedding part of the foliage to new conditions. You don't need to do anything. As soon as the plant adapts, it will immediately grow. It can take a month to adapt.
Occasionally, the plant is washed under the shower. Showers are arranged no more than once a month. Excess liquid from the sump should be removed. Proper care involves the introduction of mineral fertilizers every 10 days. The plant is transplanted annually in the spring or immediately after purchase, as soon as the plant has adapted to a new place. Each time they take a pot 2 cm larger than the previous one. The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method. It is not necessary to fill the earth before the procedure. You can pre-water the plant on the eve of transplanting in the evening.
Conclusion
Caring for the Microcarpa ficus at home will not be a hassle. The main thing is for the plant to successfully adapt to a new place. To grow a flower, a sufficiently illuminated place is selected, which cannot be reached by direct sunlight, otherwise the tree will get burns and shed its leaves. After purchase, partial leaf fall is possible: this is a reaction to a change in location.
At home, a tree can reach one and a half meters in height. It is often used to form bonsai. To do this, cut off all the lower foliage and shoots, leaving only the top to form a lush crown. The plant is often attacked by insect pests. To prevent infection, it is necessary to use store-bought transplant soil and carry out preventive spraying with fungicides.
Reproduction takes place by cuttings or seeds, pre-treated with fungicides and a growth accelerator. Gloves should be used when working with the plant, because the juice released from the crown is poisonous. For all its toxicity, ficus is widely used for medicinal purposes. Tinctures are used to treat arthritis and mastopathy. The plant is transplanted taking into account its age.
Young trees are replanted annually in spring. For older representatives, transplanting every couple of years or replacing part of the soil mixture is recommended. The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method. Drainage is placed in a new pot, on top - a layer of sand, then a layer of soil. Then they take out the ficus from the old pot and put it in a new one, sprinkle it with earth.
It is important to ensure that the root collar always remains in the same place. Proper care and knowledge of the features of this species will help you get a beautiful houseplant. It is simply impossible to take your eyes off the photo with the image of ficus microcarp. The plant has a beneficial effect on the atmosphere in the house, making it calm and positive. In the countries of the East, ficus is considered a symbol of love, fidelity, peace and prosperity.