Dwarf ficus

Dwarf ficus (Ficus pumila) is a perennial herbaceous ground cover plant that belongs to the Mulberry family. In the wild, it thrives on the forest soils of Japan, Vietnam, China and Taiwan. It has woody, thin stems, on which many aerial roots are formed. With their help, a highly branching plant clings to tree trunks, germinating directly in the bark, or spreads in a thick carpet along the ground. Growing very quickly, the plant is able to completely cover an area of ​​about four square meters in a short period of time.

Description of dwarf ficus

Under natural conditions, dwarf ficus has small oval leaves (about 3 cm) with a dense leathery surface, which with age reach 5-7 cm in length.A perennial blooms with inflorescences of a light green hue, similar to berries, which over time acquire Orange color. When growing a dwarf ficus at home, flowering does not occur.

The most popular varieties of dwarf ficus that flower growers prefer to grow indoors are Sunny (with a creamy white border around the edges of the leaves), White Sunny (with a solid white border around the edges of the foliage) and Dort (with a little creamy -white spots on the leaf surface). These tiny herbaceous species can be grown in hanging planters, on a windowsill, and even in vertical columns.

Caring for a dwarf ficus at home

Location and lighting

Dwarf ficus perceives direct sunlight, slight shading or diffused light normally. The flowerpot can be placed on windows facing east, west, north and even in the center of the room away from the window. If there is not enough light for the plant, then this can be noticed by the elongated shoots and a decrease in the size of young leaves. Green species of ficus need less light than variegated ones.

Temperature

In summer, a temperature range of 18 to 25 degrees is suitable, and in cold winter, dwarf ficus can grow even when the temperature drops to 8 degrees. True, in winter, the ficus will tolerate well only with low humidity and minimal watering.

Watering

Ficus belongs to moisture-loving plants, so it needs abundant and regular watering. It is necessary to find the optimal balance so that the soil is always slightly moist, but without stagnant water. Watering should be carried out in a timely manner; the earthen lump should not be allowed to dry out. Lack and excess of moisture are equally dangerous for the life of a perennial.

It is recommended to settle the water for irrigation within one to two days. Its temperature should be at least 20-22 degrees.

Air humidity

When caring for a dwarf ficus, it is necessary to carry out daily spraying throughout the year, since the plant loves high humidity very much.It promotes the formation and development of aerial roots, which are needed to hold onto the support. If the plant is grown in a hanging pots, then water procedures can be carried out not in the form of spraying and not every day. One plentiful warm shower a week will be enough, which will wash away all the dust collected on the leaves and refresh the entire plant.

The soil

The soil should be neutral in composition with all the nutrients that indoor flowers need. You can prepare the soil mixture yourself at home by combining equal parts of peat, turf and leafy soil, as well as coarse river sand.

Top dressing and fertilizers

It is recommended to apply fertilizers 2 times a month, from early spring to late autumn. An ideal option is a ready-made liquid dressing for indoor deciduous plants.

Transfer

Obligatory annual transplantation is necessary only for young plants under the age of 4-5 years. Adult ficuses are transplanted every 3 years. A flower pot for a flower needs to be selected shallow, but large in diameter.

Reproduction of dwarf ficus

Reproduction by apical cuttings is the most effective, since they easily take root in any conditions - in water, in soil, in wet vermiculite.

Reproduction by layering will take a little more time. The bottom shoot should be attached to the soil with a wire staple in a nearby flower container and wait for strong roots to appear. Then the rooted shoot is separated from the main plant and left in a new place for further development.

Diseases and pests

Of the numerous pests for dwarf ficus, only the spider mite is dangerous, and even then only in a room with dry hot air. Low humidity and high air temperature are ideal conditions for the appearance and life of this pest. It is necessary to deal with it with ordinary water heated to a temperature of 40-45 degrees. This hot shower for leaves and shoots is the best spider mite remedy. You need to repeat it several times until the pests disappear completely.

Growing difficulties

Dwarf ficus is ill mainly due to improper care:

• Leaves fall - from low temperatures, poor lighting, excess moisture in the soil.
• Leaves turn yellow - from sour soil, due to root rot, from a lack of fertilizers.
• Leaves dry out - from dry air, lack of moisture in the soil, from direct sunlight.

In case of any significant violations of the conditions of detention, the dwarf ficus immediately reacts by dropping the leaves.