Product Description:
Ficus trees are a common plant in the home and office, mainly because they look like a typical tree with a single trunk and a spreading canopy. For all of their popularity though, ficus plants are finicky. However, if you know how to care for a ficus tree, you’ll be better equipped with keeping it healthy and happy in your home for years.They are native throughout the tropics, including Asia, America, and Africa. These serve as decorative plants, food plants, and even religious symbols. Some types of ficus trees are also known as fig trees and produce the well-known fruit. One of the most popular living room plant for decades have been graceful ficuses or figs, with their glossy leaves and light gray trunks. Though they typically grow to about 10 feet tall indoors, in the wild, certain species can reach heights of 60 feet tall
Light:
The weeping fig needs a bright room with plenty of indirect sunlight and perhaps even a little direct sun in the morning.
Soil:
Any good, fast-draining potting soil will likely do. Weeping figs do not require soil that is especially high in nutrients or organic matter. If repotting, use a soil-based potting soil that contains perlite, sand, and vermiculite for improved drainage.
Water:
Keep the plant steadily moist, but do not allow it to sit in water or it will drop leaves and may develop root rot.
Fertilizer:
These plants are heavy feeders and need plenty of fertilizer throughout the growing season. Feed your ficus with slow-release pellets at the beginning of the growing season. They are rapid growers and will benefit from monthly fertilization in the spring and summer and once every two months in the fall and winter.
Temperature :
Ficus trees do best with nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Humidity:
Humidity is likewise another important factor. Ideally, keep humidity around 70%.Your green island ficus thrives in high humidity. And, keeping it at these levels will produce a more vibrant plant with beautiful leaves. That said, it can tolerate average household humidity. As long as you keep humidity levels at 40% or higher it will do fine.
Pruning:
Trimming ficus trees is necessary if the plant is touching the ceiling or you want to make it smaller or shape it. Timing is important: Prune when the plant is no longer actively growing. Most ficus plants are active in spring and summer, with growth diminishing in fall, and by winter the plant has gone into dormancy and is less susceptible to injury from pruning. Also, make sure to prune away dead branches and pick dead leaves to prevent the spread of diseases or fungal infections that can severely affect your plant.
Propagating:
It is best to take a cutting in the spring when you can more easily supply warmth and moisture. Ficus is rarely grown from seed and most indoor plants will never fruit or yield seed.
1-Take a 3 to 5-inch cutting that contains at least two sets of leaves from the tip of a healthy branch. Make the cut about 1/4 inch below a set of leaves. Strip off the leaves from the lower half of the cutting.
2-Embed the end of the cutting in a container filled with moistened peat moss. Cover the container with a large plastic bag, making sure the plastic does not touch the cutting (sticks or skewers can prop up the bag).
3-Set the container in a spot with bright, indirect light but out of direct sunlight. Try to keep the pot above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Mist the cutting daily to keep humidity levels high.
4-In two to four weeks, the cutting should develop sufficient roots to allow you to cut slits in the bag to allow it to acclimate to room conditions.
5- After about six weeks, transplant the cutting into a 6-inch pot and continue to grow it into a small tree.
Potting and Repotting:
A healthy ficus is a fast-growing plant and will need careful attention to its pot. If you notice your plant is growing more slowly, it is probably because of low water or low temperatures.
The repotting requirements also depend on how you are growing the plant—ficus is incredibly flexible. They can be grown as standards, topiary, braided standards, regular houseplants, and even bonsai. Take your cues from the plant and be prepared to repot annually in many circumstances. Move a weeping fig plant to a new pot in early spring, whether you’re giving a new plant a more permanent home or repotting an existing plant.
