Ficus "Elastika" or Ficus Rubuston is very fond of flower growers. You probably paid attention, visiting your friends at home, that this flower is found almost in each of them. Why do they favor him? For a beautiful view, fleshy glossy leaves are completely green or with a yellow border, no need for special care.
And yet, no matter how unpretentious the plant is, you need to know some subtleties of growing. Ficus Elastika is no exception. How to grow this beautiful flower at home?
Ficus elastika - reproduction and care
You can propagate this plant in two ways. The first, if you want to get a full plant, like the first ficus, you can make a selection. The second way is by means of cuttings. In this case, even one leaf is enough. He is put in a container with warm water and waiting for the appearance of roots. Then boldly put the shank in the ground.
Transplantation of the ficus Elastic is also a simple matter. Adult plants are transplanted every two or three years, and young - every year. The main thing is not to damage the roots in the process.
The soil mixture for ficus should consist of sand, needles, leaf land, peat and turf in equal proportions.
The plant can even reach a considerable height at home, but you can form the ficus and cut it to the desired size. Cut the top leaves, and cut places must be treated with charcoal.
Irrigation of the rubber-like ficus practically does not differ from the watering of other indoor plants. Do not overmoisten and dry the ground in the pot. Watering is carried out with complete drying of the soil. Water should be warm and steady.
The temperature for the ficus should be within + 18-23 ° C. The air in the room must be moist - overdried air has a harmful effect on the plant.
Ficus is very fond of water treatments. It can and even needs to be sprayed daily from an atomizer or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. But during the "bathing" it is better to cover the ground with polyethylene in order to avoid overmoistening of the soil.
So that the leaves of the elastic are even more glossy, they can be polished. For example, non-alcoholic beer. Ficus does not like strong heat and direct sunlight. Best of all, they grow in winter gardens, offices, window sills on the west or east side. Varieties with yellow edging of the leaves require more light.
Diseases and pests of the ficus "Elastika"
Most often, from the pests, the plant is attacked by spider mites, thrips and scutes. The latter are best collected with a wet sponge, the rest - sprayed with a solution of "Fitoverma" .
If the ficus falls on the bottom leaves and the trunk is exposed, this indicates a lack of moisture in the room, lean irrigation or lack of nutrients. The plant needs to be put in a more lit place,
If the leaves just dropped, it means the room is very hot and dry. It is necessary to spray the plant daily. If the leaves fall off massively, it is necessary to exclude drafts, rearrange the plant in a warmer place, wrap the pot to maintain soil temperature. Sprinkle the ficus with warm water. Also, the leaves can fall off heavily due to abundant watering - you need to immediately transplant it into another land, after removing the rotten roots.
The appearance on the leaves of brown spots indicates the sun burns received - the ficus needs to be urgently pritenit. If spots appear on the edge of the leaves, this indicates overfeeding - you need to stop feeding for a while or fertilize in less concentration.
In general, the ficus of Elast is quite unpretentious in care. It should be remembered that the plant grows very fast, so you need to cut it off on time and periodically rotate the pot 90 degrees so that the crown is formed evenly.