Most figs are grown in the tropics and sub-tropics, where vegetation all the plants continued throughout the year. Our climate means that part of the seasonal fluctuations, because the ficus in the winter requires a thorough, comprehensive care, which includes a number of features. In particular, it concerns such factors as temperature, food and water mode, and humidity. If you change one factor - must be changed and others. But about all in order.
For the plant to survive the winter without illness or any other damage to itself, you have to provide him with adequate care.
Compensate the lack of sun
It is known that ficus - heat-loving plant that prefers to grow in well-lit area. In autumn and winter care ficus complicated precisely because of the lack of heat and light. In winter, use as additional lighting and fluorescent lamps, mercury and sodium and metal halide instruments, paying attention to their range.
For example, if a small ficus, there will be small enough compact fluorescent lamp base is - E27 and power of about 25W. Secure such coverage should be at a height of twenty centimeters from the leaves of a tree, about six to eight hours in the morning or in the evening. Typically, the additional light source need ficus variegated shapes.
Necessary humidity
To properly care for winter rubber plant, it is necessary to comply with the optimal parameters of humidity. For ficus necessary humidity of 60-70%, but in winter, in areas where there is central heating, humidity is extremely low - an average of 35%. For such plants, it is unacceptable.
To increase humidity, do not forget in the daily care of the tree include spraying, using warm water. You can use special moisturizers and trays filled with expanded clay. For this purpose today are selling beautiful decorative fountains, which can create Ficus ideal humidity, and at the same time beautify the decor of the room. But filled with liquids should be placed on the radiators. If the plant is small, it is better to put in a mini-greenhouse.
If poorly lit room in the winter, it is hot and humidity figures do not reach the standards may lose ficus leaves or yellowing. In particular, it concerns the ficus Benjamin - the most popular varieties of domestic plants of this kind. In order to prevent the death of a tree, ensure it initially complete care.
We are struggling with a cold
It is important to ensure that in the winter, the ficus is not peremerzal. The main source of hypothermia tree, of course, is the low temperature, less than fifteen degrees. For tropical species of ficus, it is unacceptable. It is recommended not to buy winter rubber plants and carry them down the street in a period of time, otherwise the tree supercooled and quickly die.
Afraid ficus well ventilated and drafts. To ensure good care of the plant, put a pot with a tree as far as possible from open vents and doors, that is, in a quiet place where no one will ficus worry. Windows is recommended to warm to if the ficus is on the windowsill, it is not proskvozilo.
In winter you need to put under the pot ficus special insulating material. It can be a felt or a wooden die. As an alternative, suitable paper and plastic. Please note that the planters of ceramic freeze much stronger than plastic, but it is important for the soil - it also does not have to be cooled.
In a warm room ficus leaves quickly evaporate water than in cold. At the same time, strong soil prevents hypothermia earthen coma and root system to absorb all the nutrients from the outside. In addition, moisture and it becomes unavailable to the plant. All this can lead to the rapid demise of ficus, so it's important to properly care for the soil and roots, especially when indoors and outside cold.
Make sure that the krona ficus does not touch the window glass. Even small local frostbite can lead to loss or deformation of leaves, and later to their complete withering away and rot. Just set aside a pot of the tree away from the window - the farther the better.
In considering how to properly take care of the ficus in the cold season, one can not be said about the water used for watering plants. Many people make the same mistake: collect water from the tap and pour her a plant. Remember - do not in any case not worth it! Water for irrigation have to be above thirty degrees, and always defended. Watering Ficus is necessary only in case of need, both in summer and winter.
Winter Care includes pest control that periodically hit the rubber plants. Typically, this is Jose scale, aphids and mites. In addition, because of the irregular conditions of ficus quickly exposed to infection diseases. For example, excessively dry place can lead to multiplication of the mite, but the wrong moisture and coolness - the ideal environment for fungal diseases. It is important to periodically inspect the greens, using a magnifying glass - it will help to timely detect possible diseases and pests.
The above requirements are very important to observe if you are engaged in cultivation of exotic wood such as ficus. It is worth noting that the ficus is not the most finicky plant - care for not too difficult and not pulling a significant cash outlay, because you can safely supplement your home ficus flower garden.
Contents:
Botanical portrait
Conditions of detention
Nursing
Ficus Ali - one of the numerous varieties of ficus home. Like all the rubber plants, it is quite unpretentious, but has its own characteristics. In fact, many, choosing this plant, did not even realize that this is the ficus. After all, it looks very peculiar and is represented by several varieties. Let's know more about Ficus Ali. What is the sort of conditions in which it must grow what care to provide to the plant?
Botanical portrait
Ficus Ali - a group of varieties, also known as Ficus Binnendiyka (lat. Ficus binnendijkii). It belongs to the genus Ficus, whose homeland - South East Asia. His name was named discovered and described his nineteenth-century botanist Simon Binnendiyka. This ficus is high (up to twenty meters) evergreen tree with light gray bark, a decorated light strokes. True, young ficus bark painted in a dark brown color.
Distinguished this group graded the size and shape of the leaves. This narrow-leaved plant with drooping branches. The leaves of ficus Ali may be monochrome or colorful, but all varieties are long and narrow. The leaves can reach a length of thirty centimeters, while their width is less than seven centimeters. Along the sheet at its center passes relief vein, making a concave leaf. Since the lateral veins of the leaves are almost invisible, foliage Ficus Ali recalls bent along the fold narrow strips of green paper or half the opened pea pods.
The main varieties of ficus Ali:
Amstel Gold is brightly colored leaves;
Alii different sheet width greater than that of other varieties;
Amstel King features the broad leaves (seven centimeters);
Amstel Queen across the width of the leaves - an intermediate grade between the two previous ones.
Conditions of detention
As we have already said, for the good growth of any houseplants need to create a comfortable environment. For variegated varieties, it is desirable to choose a well-lit place. A ficus with green leaves more suitable location in partial shade. It is important to choose the right pet for your green permanent place, as it responds to the permutation painful.
The temperature in the room where the growing Ficus must be maintained at 20-25 degrees and 16-20 degrees in the summer - in the cold season. Noteworthy is a pattern: light Ficus require the more than heat in the room. Is responding to this houseplant extreme temperatures and overcooling of the soil in a flower pot. Therefore, do not put a flower on the cold floor or on a windowsill (in the winter), and it should be protected from the flow of hot and cold air coming from the radiators and heaters, air conditioners and fans, and to protect the flower from drafts. In this room, where growing Ficus, have to be ventilated.
Special requirements for humidity at the ficus is not Ali. This sort of feels great in areas with moderate humidity, but on hot days requires spraying. Spray should be not only the plant itself, but also the air around him, and for this you need to take a little warm water to defend.
For the cultivation of figs require special pochvosmes designed specifically for these plants or trees. It can be found in flower shops or make pochvosmes own. Very young plants suitable soil consisting of equal amounts of humus, peat and sand. Adult specimens pochvosmes up sheet and sod land (in two parts) and sand (one part), or from one part peat and compost, and two pieces of leaf; can also be used an equal amount of sand, peat, leaf and turf ground.
Nursing
The primary care ficus Ali is reduced to regular watering, fertilizing, and timely transplant. The need for watering can be determined as the soil in the pot - it must dry at a depth of about three to five centimeters. If the surface layer of the soil crumbles easily in the hand and does not stick, the Ficus watered. Water poured on top of an earthen clod small amounts in several stages. Half an hour later dripped-off water is drained into the sump and sump bottom of the pot and wipe dry.
Feed rubber plants must be periodically - once every two weeks or every ten days. It should alternate between the mineral and organic fertilizers. Note that in a period of rest (winter) in the plant does not need dressing. The solution was to make fertilizer at the root, by pouring it on the ground, trying not to touch the stems that can get burns from drugs. You can also add fertilizer to the water. Valid and foliar feeding (on the sheet), but specifically designed for that purpose preparations.
Care ficus transplant implies that domestic flower as it grows. The signal for the need for a transplant is the proliferation of the root system when the roots entwine almost clod of earth in the pot. In this condition the soil in the intervals between watering begins to dry out more quickly.
For transplant take pot having a diameter of two to three centimeters larger than the old tank. Young rubber plants are transplanted each year, and plants have reached the age of four, less frequently (every two to three years). When transplanting young figs soil in the pot is almost entirely changed, and adult specimens rolled over into a new container, keeping the earthen room.
When the plant reaches such an impressive size that transplant (transship) it becomes very difficult, once a year, just pour fresh soil. After transplant the plants do not fertilize within one to two weeks, and the procedure itself is carried out only in the active period for the flower - spring or summer.
If you care for the plant will be carried out according to the rules and conditions of his detention will be quite comfortable for the flower, your Ficus Ali will please you for many years without causing virtually no hassle. It is not for nothing that rubber plants are among the most hardy and disease-resistant green pets. However, this is only possible when caring attitude to flower. Good luck!
