Rubber Ficus: Reproduction and Care

Among the whole variety of indoor plants, the ficus rubber is the most widely known . Care and reproduction will not cause difficulties for even novice plant breeders and forgetful people, and large shiny leaves will decorate any interior. In addition, this plant grows very quickly in size and very unpretentious. So for most lovers of indoor gardens is not an obstacle to its cultivation, even the absence of flowering. No, of course, like any plant, ficus blossoms, but only after reaching a rather respectable age.

Varieties of rubber-figured ficus

There are a lot of species in this plant. However, in our homes most often observed such varieties:

• Robusta . Wide dark green leaves. In the content is absolutely not exacting.
• Belize . Leaves are three-colored: in the middle there is a green tone, at the edges - pink and white. In principle, too, unpretentious, but lighting requires more.
• Thineke . Variegated: the center is green, the edges are in pistachio and white irregular spots. Capricious than Belize and Robusta.
• Abidjan . The leaves are a beautiful thick burgundy color. Easy to adapt, not "harmful."
• Black Prince. It is interesting almost black color of leaves. It is undemanding.
• Melanie . Leaves are smaller, densely green, often forms bushes.

All variegated varieties are more whimsical than grades with even coloring.

Light preferences

Despite the undemanding nature of the rubber-figged ficus, the reproduction and well-being of the plant still depend on the lighting. The light should be indirect, diffused, sufficiently bright. If you need to slow down the growth, you can move the pot a little farther from the window. The half-shadow of the ficus is also suitable. What is really dangerous for him is the direct rays of the afternoon. Because of the wide leaf plates, the plant easily gets burns. If desired, you can put a rubber-ficus and farther into the far corner of the room. But such a restriction will lead to yellowing and subsequent discarding of the leaves, thanks to which the flower is valued.

Temperature conditions

The plant does not require any additional equipment to maintain the desired temperature - it is suitable for ordinary room conditions. True, indicators below plus 10 or above 35 degrees should be avoided with all the forces. This is not the temperature that the rubber ficus needs. Reproduction of it outside of this range is completely impossible. Worms are not good for the ficus, so it's best to keep it away from the windows and air conditioners.

With regard to humidity

Regular moisturizing for elastic is not necessary. Once a week, you can sprinkle it or wipe the "burdock" leaves with a damp rag. In general, these activities are aimed at removing dust. Water procedures become important only if the air is too dry. Then the ground should be covered before using the atomizer, so as not to overhydrate it. To improve the decorativeness of some florists polish the leaves. Avoid unnecessary chemistry! Gorgeous shine is obtained when polishing ordinary non-alcoholic beer.

How much ficus do you need water

Irrigation need systematic, but not excessive. In a hot season enough two times a week, in winter - and even less often, only when the earth dries. Otherwise, the leaves will begin to darken and fade, and the roots may rot. Short droughts, which can happen to forgetful owners, ficus are not terrible. If you notice that the ground is very dry, put the pot in the water - through the drain holes the soil draws in the right moisture. Fill the plant from above will still be incorrect.

Mandatory trimming

There are two purposes for which the rubber-ficus is cut: propagation by cuttings and restriction of growth. And if you are still managing only one such plant and are not going to land the second, you still have to take a knife in your hand. At home, the ficus is swinging up to thirty meters, in the gardens of the non-native climate - up to ten. In the apartment, the flower will grow until it rests on the ceiling. In addition, if you do not trim, the ficus will not branch, which does not look very nice. Prishchipka must be carried in gloves, tk. The juice of the plant is toxic. It is usually produced in early March. If the ficus has not yet outgrown the permitted height, a point of growth is simply plucked out. If it is too high - a trunk of centimeters is cut by a knife five above the marked branch. Remember, the trunk after this will never grow! Drain the juice should be gently wiped off with a wet, not wrung rag. Do not sprinkle anything or lubricate the "wound". We feed three ficus in a week to maintain our strength.

The disadvantage of the plant is that it is very reluctant to branch. Some specimens persistently throw the branch out of the branch near the cropped top without forming a crown. In this case, you can try to outwit the rubber-figged ficus: reproduction by cut cuttings will give you planting material, which is placed in one pot with a capricious plant. The result is a beautiful and lush grove.

When to transplant

In the annual transplant the plant does not need. In addition, this frequency provokes accelerated growth, and in an apartment this is superfluous. The most important thing that you should consider when planning to transplant the rubber-figged ficus: reproduction and change of "residence" should be separated in time. If you spend one year and then both, your pet can die from exhaustion. It is better to limit yourself to a forced transplant, when the pot became small to the plant. Not too large specimens are moved by rolling with an obligatory layer of drainage. Large only change the top layer of the soil.

Ficus of rubber: reproduction by layers

Sooner or later, many desire to acquire another plant, the same as what they have on the windowsill. Note to those who are trying to get another ficus rubber: leaf reproduction is impossible for him. Interestingly, the leaf will release a root and after a transplant to the ground it will be quite long. However, he will not give a stem, as a result of which he will not enjoy a full-fledged tree or longevity. One of the ways to get a young ficus rubber is breeding with air layers. For their formation, the selected segment of the stem is fenced with a polyethylene "skirt", fixed with threads or paper tape. A shallow scratch is cut in two centimeters above and sanded with sand so that it does not heal. Above is placed moist peat, turns into a "skirt", and the second edge of it is also fixed. When the roots break through the peat, the stem is cut below the harness and planted in a pot designed for it.

Cutting

The method described above is not the easiest of those that can be obtained by a new rubber plant. Reproduction (photo convincingly proves this) is most successfully and simply produced by the cuttings method. In addition, it takes much less effort and does not require special skills. In principle, the reproduction of the ficus of the rubbery cuttings does not differ much from the dilution of other indoor plants. They are engaged in it in the end of spring - in the beginning of summer. The ficus of the ficus is cut off with a disinfected sharp knife and placed in water until the juice ceases to flow. Then it is moved to the growth stimulator for a day and again put in water until the appearance of rootlets - for a week or two. When the roots are lengthened, the reproduction of the ficus of the rubbery cuttings goes into the final stage. Drainage and substrate are poured into the pot - loose, light, peat-based with the addition of coarse sand. If the room is cool, then for guaranteed survival it is useful to build a greenhouse from a plastic bag or cut plastic bottle with holes for ventilation.