Product Description:
Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) is a fantastic ‘fake’ perennial climbing hedge plant, as it looks like a hedge when grown up walls. It’s young leaves are heart shaped and grow quickly, making it an ideal plant to use to cover up any unsightly walls or large open garden spaces. It is shade tolerant and extremely hard wearing once established. The creeping fig is an evergreen climbing species which you might have seen crawling up the walls of large mansions or a quaint house in the country. Indoors they’re best grown in a hanging basket, or given something to attach to and climb.
Light:
Creeping fig plants prefer a bright spot in your home but do not like direct sunlight. In general, you should aim to give your plant six to eight hours of diffused, indirect light each day. They can also survive in low light conditions for a bit of time, but will definitely grow more slowly and potentially drop some of their leaves.
Soil:
Creeping fig plants can grow in myriad soil types, so long as they’re well-draining. Typically, you can opt for any store-bought, soil-based potting mix. To aid in drainage and prevent root rot, opt to plant your creeping fig in a pot that boasts ample drainage holes at its base.
Water:
Keep your plant steadily moist, but don’t allow it to sit in water. The soil should be allowed to dry out before watering again.
Temperature and Humidity:
True to its tropical roots, creeping fig prefers a warm, moist environment. Temperatures indoors should be kept around 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and never allowed to dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant prefers above-average humidity levels as well, so consider keeping it in an already-humid part of your home (like a kitchen or bathroom), or invest in a space humidifier.
Fertilizer:
While creeping fig doesn’t need to be fertilized in order to thrive, you can feed it to help with its growth rate. If you choose to feed your plant, opt for a weak liquid fertilizer and feed once a month throughout the spring, summer, and fall, decreasing to every other month in the winter.
Propagating Creeping Fig:
Creeping fig is easy to propagate through stem cuttings. To do so, remove cuttings in early spring when the plant begins to start growing again. Pot them cut-side down in a small pot filled with sterile potting mix. Keep the container warm with high ambient humidity in a bright (but not sunny) location. When new growth begins to emerge, you can relocate to a more permanent container.
Potting and Re-Potting:
The creeping fig does like to be pot bound to a certain degree. However, it likes to spread it’s roots just like it does outdoors and in it’s natural habitat, so you are best to re-pot it every two years and cut back roots which are outside the main root section. If you’re increasing the pot size and want the plant to grow more you do not need to cut back any roots. Cutting back roots should be done during spring when pruning is done.
Pruning:
As mentioned above these can be pruned back as much as you like during spring, which keeps the plant looking in good shape. You can easily cut a third of the plant back. See re-potting about the roots.
