How to water a ficus: my own observations and advice from gardeners

For those who have decided to decorate their apartment with ficus, I will immediately note that this plant is special: if the variety is not dwarf, then over time the flower will require a lot of space. From my own experience I was convinced that you will need to study all the intricacies of care. It is important to know how to water a ficus, feed it, and how to keep the air in the room moist at any time of the year.

Content:

• What soil did I use to replant the ficus?
• General rules for watering depending on the season
• What microclimate is desirable to create indoors?
• What are the dangers of excessive soil moisture?
• How do I know that a plant needs watering?
• What kind of water do I use for irrigation?
• Application of mineral fertilizers during watering

What soil did I use to replant the ficus?

They usually write about ficuses that they are not capricious and do not require special care. This is only partly true; if you do not follow the recommendations, the plant will be stunted and weak, and will develop slowly.

When I was given a rubber ficus, the first thing I wanted to do was transplant it into a beautiful pot. I had to clarify the issue with the soil. I used, in accordance with the recommendations, a special primer, purchased. It is quite loose and the amount of moisture that can accumulate in the pot depends on this factor. The mixture should be moisture-absorbing and have good aeration.

If you use store-bought universal soil, you will need to add vermiculite and sand, sphagnum moss, coconut fiber, and other rippers. If you prepare the mixture yourself, you can use high-moor peat as a base.

The bottom of the pot must be lined with drainage.

General rules for watering depending on the season

When studying the rules of watering ficus, I came across a very fair statement: watering ficus should be classified as regular, seasonal, thorough.

Given the importance of the procedure, we will consider each type of irrigation in more detail. Regularity means that water is added strictly according to schedule, on a certain day of the week. In addition, once a month the ficus is given a bath day. The plant is bathed in the shower; the water temperature should be at room temperature. Do not forget that the soil in the pot must be covered with polyethylene before starting the procedure.

I included weekly dusting of the leaves in my regular hygiene routine. To clean the surface of the sheets, I use a damp soft cloth. Flower growers claim that the pores on clean leaves are open, this fact helps prevent the development of many diseases.

About seasonality. Particular attention to the maintenance of the plant is required both in winter and summer. Watering in winter can be done less frequently, it is recommended once every two weeks. But I chose the option of watering after 10 days. Because very hot central heating radiators dry out the air too much, the soil also dries out too quickly.

A great danger for the plant is the option of heating the room using electric heating devices, which also “eat up” the oxygen in the room.

At any air temperature, I advise you to use warm, settled water for irrigation.

Let's watch a useful video about that. how to water a ficus:

What microclimate is desirable to create indoors?

From my own experience I was convinced that proper watering alone is not enough. To ensure an attractive appearance of the bush, it is important to maintain both water and thermal conditions in the room. Insufficiently humid air, low temperature, or too high, improper watering can cause not only plant disease, but also its death.

To create suitable conditions, I became familiar with the climate parameters of the natural zone in which ficus trees grow. These are the tropics with humid air and stable, without changes, temperature. In summer it should be from +27 C to +30 C, in winter - from + 20 C to + 22 C. The minimum permissible temperature is + 14 C.

There was no problem with the summer temperature, but in winter our apartment is a little warmer, on average + 25. As far as I felt, my pet does not suffer from excess heat. Of course, air humidity during this period must be monitored carefully. Both in summer and winter, I spray the leaves with water from a spray bottle twice a day. I always keep a container with moistened sea pebbles near flower pots.

The ficus pot should be placed away from windows that are opened for ventilation in winter; drafts are an extremely harmful phenomenon; prolonged ventilation in cold weather can cause leaves to fall off.

I’m very glad that this didn’t happen to me, but I read that leaves can only fall from the side that was “grabbed” by the draft and cold.

Let's watch a useful video about ficus trees:

What are the dangers of excessive soil moisture?

If the plant simply needs increased air humidity, then problems may arise with watering. In tropical forests it does not rain all the time; the soil periodically dries out. But the precipitation is abundant, it moisturizes the soil very well, and the plants have enough moisture for a long time.

Too frequent, unsystematic watering can lead to the development of mold in the pot, and the roots can suffer from putrefactive processes.

Dealing with such problems is difficult; you will need:

• carefully examine all the roots;
• detect and remove rotten ones, disinfect all remaining ones;
• transplant the plant into a new disinfected substrate.

The bush takes root slowly after this procedure. My advice is not to overwater the ficus, it is extremely harmful for it!

How do I know that a plant needs watering?

The ficus should be watered as the soil dries out; if the dry layer is 3-4 cm, then it’s time to water the plant.

Applying too much water to a ficus is harmful, but a lack of moisture and drying out of the soil will lead to the plant dropping its leaves.

The fact that the plant is constantly lacking moisture can be guessed by the appearance of spider mites.

Ficus does not require bright sunlight; if the plant is located in a shaded and not too hot place, then the evaporation of moisture from the soil occurs slowly. The watering schedule should be adjusted to take this factor into account.

Another unpleasant symptom of poor soil moisture is the drying out of young shoots. Such branches will no longer be restored.

What kind of water do I use for irrigation?

The water should be warm; cooling may cause stress to the roots, and the development and growth of the plant will slow down.

To water the ficus, I use only settled water.I get it from the water supply system. If possible, I use rainwater, or melt water if there is snow in winter.

Before use, I carefully drain the settled water, do not shake it, sediment should not rise from the bottom.

Application of mineral fertilizers during watering

Like any plant, ficus needs periodic feeding. Since its crown is quite lush and dense, fertilizers should be applied liberally, although not often. I use complex mineral fertilizers. I fertilize only in spring and summer.

I add them in after watering. I follow the frequency of fertilizing that is recommended on the fertilizer packaging.

Growing ficus for four years showed that the most important aspects of care are proper watering and maintaining air humidity.