Although Ficus Benjamin is known to be difficult to grow, it is still possible to raise a lush tree. Just follow a few simple rules, and your tree will have the best chance of lasting a long time.
Steps
Step 1. Ficus Benjamin loves indirect light, so don't place it in front of a window, or in a spot where it can receive more than an hour or two of sunshine every day
Step 2. Water only when the first 2-3 cm of soil on the surface is dry
Step 3. Fertilize lightly, using a soluble mixture
Well-decomposed manure is a good surface fertilizer, but it won't provide all the nutrients your houseplant requires. You should fertilize the plant every two weeks or once a month, in the summer, but not in the winter.
Step 4. Prune only when necessary to prevent the tree from falling
Alternatively, you can use nursery ropes and stake the tree.
Step 5. If you have a braided tree, you can decide to keep the braid or not
It is braided when it features a typical braid with 3 development lines. Prune the side branches or insert them in one of the three development lines. We recommend that you only weave new wood, which is flexible enough to be braided. Do not force the branches to avoid breaking them. To prevent new weaves from loosening, you can use nursery ropes.
Advice
- If you need to decant, expect total leaf loss. Since Ficus Benjamin doesn't like being moved, movement during a racking can shock the tree. However, it should recover with new leaf growth within two weeks.
- All Ficus Benjamin sheds their leaves from time to time. Leaf fall typically occurs in autumn, but houseplants can feel autumn at different times. This depends on the temperature in your home, etc. The fact that all the leaves have fallen does not mean that your plant is dead. Keep watering and fertilizing, and you should see new leaf growth within a week or two.
- Keep the room at a fairly constant temperature throughout the year, a little warmer during the day (ideally around 20 ° to 23 ° C) than at night (ideally around 16 ° to 18 ° C). Temperatures below about 10 ° C can kill the plant.
- If your tree is in a small pot (under 30cm), we recommend watering when the top 2-3cm of the soil is dry. A larger pot should allow the soil to dry out more.
- See also the article How to Select a Ficus Benjamina.
Warnings
- If your Ficus Benjamin gets too much sunlight, the leaves will turn light green to yellow.
- When buying a new plant, do not buy it on a very cold day - moving it from the store to the car and from the car to the house, it can kill the plant if the temperature is below 10 ° C. Also, never carry it in a pick- up open without adequate protection, the wind speed created by the guide will dry out and kill the leaves.
- Ficus Benjamin can be infested with cochineal and coccidia. Look for white tufts that look like cotton on the back of the leaves and where the branches cross - this is cochineal. Coccidia are extremely small brownish insects that make the plant sticky and give the leaves a glossy sheen. If you have one of these, you can spray the plant every three to five days with a mixture of twenty drops of dish soap (make sure it's not anti-bacterial) in a quart of water. Spray the whole plant, especially under the leaves, for four to six weeks.
- The Ficus Benjamin does not like traveling. If you need to move the plant, do it with gentle movements. It is not recommended to simply grab and push the pot.
- DO NOT overdo the water. This is the # 1 killer of most houseplants, including Ficus Benjamin.
