Product Description:
This beautiful, reliable, and low maintained shrub should appear in every home owner’s favorite list. It belongs to the fig family Moraceae and has rounded shiny green leaves, which adds beauty to your garden. The good news is that the plant grows slowly so, it will save you time to prune all the time. The Green Island Ficus is also adaptable to various climatic regions. It can survive in areas with minimal water supply, plus it can withstand salty water. Hence, even people in the coastal regions can grow the plant without any major problems. Ficus plant can fit in any compound either indoors or outdoors. It’s adaptable to places with low or high lighting but in dry places, plant it under shade to preserve moisture.
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.
