Secrets of reproduction of ficus "Benjamin" at home

Ficus rubber or elastica is a common decorative deciduous houseplant. Its main value lies in its spectacular glossy leaves and undemanding growing conditions.

One of the easiest ways to get young plants is to propagate the rubbery ficus with leaves. This culture does not have a pronounced dormant period, so the procedure can be carried out throughout the year.

Ficus rubber

This type of ficus with large leathery leaves was grown by our great-grandmothers. One of the most common varieties of rubber ficus is the robusta ficus. He is unpretentious, feels great in room conditions. For a lush plant, shaping the crown in the spring. To make the lateral buds grow, we cut off the tops. We use the resulting cuttings for propagation of ficus.

This type of ficus is interesting for the unusual color of the leaves.

Photo

The photo shows the rooting process of the ficus "Benjamin":

Now that you have learned about all the nuances of breeding ficus "Benjamin" and want to do it, read our other articles about this plant:

• Features of home care.
• Diseases and pests, as well as ways to deal with them.
• Houseplant transplant rules.
• Useful and dangerous properties of the plant for the home.

Care

• Ficus rubbery should be kept in good light. Otherwise, the shoots stretch out, weaken, and the leaves turn pale.

Ficuses love large airspace.

• In the summer, it is advisable to feed it every two weeks with a solution of universal fertilizer.
• Water in the summer should be abundant daily, often spray with water, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. In winter, water less often when the topsoil dries out.

Choose a pot proportional to the size of the plant.

• Repot this type of ficus in two to three years, using a pot three to four sizes larger than the old one.

If you are ready to decorate your summer cottage with beautiful flowers, then the article on the reproduction of phlox will be of interest to you.

Exotic yucca, quite capricious, however, if you want to decorate your windowsill with this plant, then you need to read this article.

Fun facts about budgerigars, methods of breeding them at home.

Rooting method

How to root ficus? When the planting material is ready, you need to decide in what way the stepson will take root, namely:

1. With the help of water;
2. Directly into the ground.

   
   Reproduction of ficus in another way

The 100% way to grow roots on a leaf is to put it in water with a root growth stimulant to germinate them faster. After 2 weeks, white pimples of nascent roots will begin to appear on the stem.

From this moment, you can move the bush to the ground - then the delicate roots will not be damaged during planting. At the same time, there is a risk that the roots may not develop and rot. Therefore, it is more advisable to wait for the roots 1-1.5 cm long. When planting, make sure not to break the nascent root system.

A more reliable method, but more time-consuming, is to plant a freshly cut leaf immediately into the ground.Before planting, flower growers recommend keeping the cutting in water with a root growth activator for 12 hours or adding it in powder form to a pot.

Then place the stepson in soft, airy soil. When planting, the cutting is completely immersed in the ground until the dormant bud. Experts advise to gently roll the sheet into a tube, gently tie it with thread or tape so as not to damage the surface.

Insert a strong support, such as a knitting needle or a Chinese stick, inside the tube, thereby securing the correct position of the flower. The stepson is considered to have taken root when a new growth point intensifies its activity and develops.

Lyre ficus

This type of ficus resembles a rubbery one. But differs from it in leaves - they are with wavy edges, very large, shiny, dark green.

Shiny "burdocks" are characteristic of the laurel ficus.

The lyre-like ficus, like the rubbery one, is propagated by stem cuttings or a leaf with a heel (the heel is the lignified part of the stem at the base of the leaf), as well as by air layers.

Ficus lyre at home is more capricious than other ficuses. And if the conditions are not close to ideal, he simply drops the leaves. So, lyre ficus:

• Loves diffused light.
• Watering in summer is abundant, in winter it is rare.
• Loves frequent spraying.

• Absolutely does not tolerate overdrying the soil in a pot.
• In winter, the ambient temperature is 15 ° C warm. At other times - from 18 to 30 ° C.
• Transplant strictly in early spring.

Spring is the beginning of a new life.

• The new pot should not be much larger than the old one.
• The soil is a mixture of peat, sand and perlite.

Landing: step by step instructions

The signal for planting rooted cuttings or leaves in a container for constant cultivation is the formation of new leaves. Plants are planted in pots of small diameter and depth, filled with soil for ficus.

A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot: fine gravel, expanded clay or pieces of foam. There must be a hole at the bottom of the container for the outflow of excess water when watering. To prevent it from clogging up with spilled soil, a fine mesh is placed under the drainage.

The rooted workpiece is placed in a pot and gradually sprinkled with soil. The substrate is tamped by tapping on the walls of the pot. After planting the sprout, the soil is slightly moistened and the pot is set in a warm, bright place.

Flower growers - amateurs about the propagation of ficuses

When flower growers meet, the topic of the reproduction of favorite plants is always present.

Here is what an experienced ficus lover said: “When I bought my first ficus (it was a Robusta ficus), then, naturally, I wanted to multiply it. I cut off the tops. There were three of them, so I experimented. I planted two cuttings in the substrate, covering it with a plastic bag, and simply put one in the water.

In the soil, the cutting took root without problems. But in the water he began to rot. I had to clean the stalk from rot and plant it in the soil. For comparison, I took a photo of rooting cuttings in soil and in water. And I made a conclusion - it is better to root the cuttings of ficus in a loose, light substrate. "

Another florist shared his experience in caring for plants:

“Often beginner growers complain that after buying a ficus, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. There may be several reasons for this:

1. The plant is being adapted to the conditions of your particular room. Help him by spraying the leaves with a mild stimulant solution (Epin, Zircon).
2. The plant was simply flooded. It is urgent to dry the soil.
3. Dry air in the room. Frequent (once or twice a day) spraying with settled water will help.
4. The result of pest activity. It is necessary to carry out treatment with appropriate preparations.
5. If the plant is exposed to direct sunlight, yellowing and leaf fall may be caused by sunburn. Shade the plant.
6. Sudden changes in temperature. Maintain a constant air temperature. "

Possible problems and methods of solving them

The rubbery species is rarely exposed to diseases and is not particularly picky about the conditions of detention, but still the plant can also suffer with improper care or the appearance of pests. Common problems with elastic care:

1. Incorrect watering, which leads to drying out or, conversely, waterlogging of the elastic. When dry, the watering regime should be normalized, and the plant will recover. If it was flooded and the roots began to rot, then you can try to save the flower by transplanting it into new soil and removing the damaged roots.
2. Yellowing of leaves due to excess light or excessive proximity of heating devices to the flower. You just need to rearrange the ficus to another place - and it regenerates itself.

   
   Yellowing of leaves

3. Ficus leaves can also turn yellow due to excess fertilizer; to remove them, it is enough to water the flower abundantly several times and reduce the dose of the drugs used in the future.
4. Elastic develops poorly and takes on an unhealthy appearance if there is an excess of salts in the soil. The problem is solved with a transplant.

Ficus can also be affected by insects, it is advisable to identify their attack on the plant at an early stage and get rid of them. Signs of damage to ficus by pests manifest themselves in different ways:

• aphids cover the leaves with sticky bunches;
• as a result of an attack of a scale insect, brown-white tubercles appear on the leaves;
• a spider mite can be seen by the appearance of a thin cobweb that envelops both the trunk and the leaves;
• mealybug is characterized by the appearance of fluffy white fibers and a sticky liquid on the leaves and stem.

To rid the elastic of pests, you need to carefully treat it with special chemicals that are sold in flower shops. You can also use folk methods of struggle:

• laundry soap;
• Toothpaste;
• garlic;
• tobacco;
• nettle;
• calendula;
• elder;
• sagebrush.

It is necessary to prepare an aqueous solution from the above plants and agents and thoroughly rinse the ficus with it to get rid of insects. The procedure is effective at the initial stage of infection and needs to be repeated several times to achieve the result.

Is it possible to plant shoots without roots?

Ficus cuttings can be placed in the ground without prior germination. It is enough just to remove the milky juice, keeping the cut for 2-3 hours in water. Several blanks are placed in a loose substrate and a greenhouse is built over them.

For proper rooting, it is necessary to ensure:

• moderate humidity;
• temperature not lower than 25 ° C;
• bright, but not scalding lighting.

New shoots on cuttings will appear in 35-45 days. During this period, the greenhouse begins to open and then is completely removed.

For your information! Transplanting a cuttings rooted in the ground is not necessary. The first replacement of soil and pot is carried out in a year, next spring.

How to prepare cuttings?

This is not difficult to do. Reproduction of ficus will be successful if you do everything carefully and follow the rules. The branch should be cut with a sharp knife, directing it at an angle to the stem. You can do this with a blade. It is better not to use scissors: they leave torn and wrinkled edges, tissues are injured, and roots form slowly. The escaping milky juice must be washed off, otherwise, after hardening, it will interfere with root formation. The length of the cutting is about 15 cm. It is better to remove the lower leaves, the remaining ones, if they are large, roll up into a tube and fix in this position. This is necessary so that the plant loses less moisture.

Views

All domestic ficuses can be divided into three large groups:

• Treelike. High, up to three meters high. The leaves are large, up to 20 cm long and up to 5 cm wide.The shape and color of the foliage depends on the specific species.
• Ampelny. Creeping liana-like plants. They are distinguished by a high growth rate and an acute reaction to a lack of water (they easily die). Representatives are mountain ficus, creeping ficus.
• Shrub. Medium height, with oblong pointed leaves 8-10 cm long. There are variegated varieties.

How to care for a young plant to live well?

You already know how to propagate ficus, it's time to talk about proper care for it after rooting. Where to start is with lighting. The plant likes a good flow of sunlight, but cannot tolerate direct UV rays. The best option in this case will be diffused light, which will not allow the young ficus to stretch and weaken, while maintaining the natural shape and color of the leaves. If there is a lack of lighting, use a seedling light. Temperature is another important factor. To alternate between active growth and dormancy, the indoor temperature should be 25–28 ° C in summer and 15–18 ° C in winter. This rule applies to all species without exception, including the ficus Benjamin.

Seedlings of young ficus

Water is the life-giving power of ficus, so keep it balanced, avoiding waterlogging and dryness. Pay special attention to watering in the summer, while wiping the ficus leaves with a damp cloth and spraying it from a spray bottle. Combine substrate moisture with top dressing. During the period of active growth (spring-summer), feed the plant every 14 days with a solution of universal fertilizer for indoor plants.

Sheet

Many people want to know how to grow ficus from a leaf. The fact is that only this part of the plant can be "borrowed" imperceptibly. There is a sign that only a "stolen" plant takes root well, so amateur flower growers carry different leaves away.

Leaf cuttings are a good method, but only for ficuses with thick, fleshy leaves and large veins. Benjamin's small-leaved ficus is so useless to propagate.

If possible, then the leaf is cut off with a part of the cutting. Then the plate is rolled up into a loose tube and tied with a thread. The stalk is rooted only in the ground.

A separate sheet must also be planted with its lower end in moist, loose soil.

Features of the

In order to propagate the ficus correctly, it will be useful to define its type, but it is not necessary. The breeding methods listed below are suitable for all species. But, based on each specific type, you can choose the one that will be most comfortable. Ficus is an indoor flower, but with its own needs. They must be taken into account in the upcoming breeding. These features include love of warmth and dislike of bright light, preference for certain soil, periods of active and resting phases.

Low temperatures are contraindicated for ficuses, therefore, the plant needs to maintain the optimal temperature and avoid sudden changes in it. This is especially true for the breeding season and winter: sprouts will not survive at low temperatures and without providing them with the necessary temperature regime, too. Winter is not suitable for breeding ficuses, since the flower is dormant, and, most likely, the plant will not give roots and will simply die.

Before carrying out a transplant, you should read the instructions step by step in order to do everything correctly and get the desired result. If all the requirements and tips are fulfilled, it will not be difficult to propagate the ficus.

Layering

This is how a flower is usually propagated, in which young shoots are poorly developed, but there are good lignified branches.

The strongest branch is selected and a ring-shaped incision is made on it, then the branch is treated with a root-stimulating agent.The place of the incision is wrapped in polyethylene and the bandage is tightly fixed.

As soon as the appearance of roots on the branch became noticeable through the film, they carefully cut it off with a sharp knife and plant it immediately in a permanent pot.

For the plant to take root, time and constant care are needed. It must be placed in a well-lit room, where there are no drafts and the optimum air temperature is constantly maintained.

The mother plant in the place of the cut must be treated with charcoal powder.

What kind of soil does he like?

Ficus Benjamin is quite picky about the composition of the substrate. Especially carefully it is necessary to select the soil for germinating cuttings and planting young plants.

Basic soil requirements:

• looseness;
• air and water permeability;
• nutritional value;
• neutral or minimal acidity.

The ideal composition for planting is a special store-bought soil with the addition of coarse river sand. If there is no opportunity to purchase a ready-made substrate, it is mixed independently from the following components:

• turf;
• peat;
• sand;
• deciduous humus.

For young plants, all components of the substrate are mixed in equal proportions. To reduce acidity, a small amount of wood ash is added to the mixture.

Nuances of the procedure

You have to act very carefully, because many ficuses can hardly tolerate even a change in lighting, they easily shed their foliage, and have fragile branches. And the less damage, the easier the plant will recover after transplanting.

It should be remembered that:

• to be taken for the reproduction of ficuses should be in the spring, when the growing season begins;
• it is best to start the procedure in the evening in order to have time to transfer the plant to a shaded place before the bright sun;
• young sprouts do not tolerate drafts and temperature changes well, so you need to choose a suitable place for them in advance.

The subtleties of watering, feeding, timely airing are important for the formation of roots and first leaves - all this must be taken into account.

Can a broken branch germinate?

A twig, accidentally broken off, may well give roots. But only if the escape:

• not too young;
• not subject to decay;
• has more than 3 leaves;
• have a kidney;
• it is timely placed in Kornevin or another activator.

The broken branch is freed from excess foliage, an oblique cut is made and placed in a container with an activator.

What if the twig does not give roots in the water?

Very often, flower growers throw out cuttings that have not given root in the water.

How can you fix the matter:

1. Having taken out the stalk, make sure that it is alive (it does not break, the bark is juicy).
2. Slightly higher than the previous cut, make another one, but at an angle, removing it to 0.5 mm.
3. Pour the activator into the container.
4. Place the stalk there.
5. Cover with transparent foil.
6. Place in a warm, draft-free place.

This should stimulate root formation and abundance well.

Can a sprout be planted without a root?

Many growers plant cuttings directly into the ground.

1. Sand with peat and humus is an excellent substrate for germination.
2. Greenhouse conditions will facilitate settling.
3. Constant hydration and feeding will give an additional chance for early germination of roots.

Such plants, having taken root, grow healthier, because they immediately take root in the soil rich in vitamins, organic matter, and minerals.

Apical cuttings

In the spring, the ficuses are pruned to form correct growth. From the apical shoots, a wonderful planting material will be obtained. But there are a number of conditions:

• Cuttings should not be less than 15 cm, each should have 3-4 full leaves.
• It is better not to use completely green shoots (and they are often found at the top of the bush). The branch has not yet gained the strength to grow and will not be able to put down roots. It is better to choose semi-lignified shoots.

Before planting a ficus with a cutting, you need to properly prepare them:

• Cut to the desired length, make an oblique cut at the bottom. The upper point of the lower cut should be as close to the kidney as possible.
• Remove the bottom sheet, cut off half of the rest.
• Put the twigs into the water. So the sticky whitish juice will not freeze in the air. Keep 3-5 hours. At this stage, you can add different phytostimulants such as "Kornevin" and similar drugs.
• Remove from the water and dry the slices for 15-20 minutes. Powder all damaged areas with coal dust. Alternatively, you can dip the slice in powdered growth promoter.

The cuttings are ready. Now they need to be rooted, and then transplanted into the ground.

From side shoots

Planting material can also be prepared from lateral semi-lignified long shoots. The branch is cut into 15-20 cm pieces, each with 4-5 leaves. They are prepared for planting in the same way as the apical ones. But stem cuttings from lateral shoots take root much more slowly, part of the planting material perishes. If you use growth stimulants - liquid and powder, then the result will be better.

Preparing for the procedure

You need to seriously prepare for creating your own winter garden of ficuses or just growing another home handsome.

Unpretentious adult plants are not young shoots, which can even be destroyed by incorrect movement when harvesting cuttings.

Ficuses are susceptible to diseases that develop due to the penetration of infection through damage at the cut sites, and transplantation with the separation of shoots can destroy both the sprout and the mother plant, which has been cared for for more than a dozen years. So any florist must carefully prepare the tool, containers for planting cuttings, pots and soil.

Required tools

In the arsenal of every fan of indoor floriculture who has ficuses in their collection, there must be:

• a sharp knife, pruner or scissors that can easily separate parts of the plant;
• a brush for disinfecting the cut site;
• powder from wood ash, activated carbon for processing cutting points;
• garden pitch;
• alcohol solution for disinfecting instruments;
• a film for bandaging at the cut site;
• rubberized gloves.

You need to take care of the place where the work will be carried out in advance. You need constant access to water, a spacious solid surface, good lighting. Nothing should interfere with the florist, therefore, all unnecessary things are removed from the working surface, leaving only the mother plant and pots with soil or nutrient solutions for sprouts.

Seat selection

The breeding procedure for ficuses can be quite time consuming and leaves behind a lot of debris.

In order not to have to wash the entire apartment, you should:

• cover the table or other surface with foil;
• put film or old newspapers on the floor;
• take care of the lighting;
• check if everything you need is at hand so that you do not have to be distracted once again.

The room should be spacious, especially if it is planned to transplant the mother plant: it is not always possible to roll the ficus without spilling the soil, without spilling water. Falling foliage, pieces of bark and cuttings, and other debris will be much easier to remove if the floor and table are covered with plastic.

Preparing the pot and soil to plant the flower

Properly prepared soil, correctly selected containers are important - half of the success depends on this.

Ceramic works well - tall, spacious flowerpots with a wide top. For young plants sprouting from a seed or leaf, not very deep containers will be required, and for cuttings - opaque glasses or bowls.

1. The pots must be new or thoroughly disinfected.
2. Bottom and side holes are required.
3. Soil - specially designed for ficuses or prepared independently from sand, peat and humus mixed in equal parts.
4. It is recommended that the pots and soil be calcined before planting to get rid of the pests.
5. Expanded clay or other drainage, previously disinfected, is poured onto the bottom of the container.

It should be noted that an unnecessarily spacious container can become a breeding ground for infection, so the sprouts are planted in containers with a diameter of about 10 cm.This will be enough in the first year of life.

Frequent mistakes

Before transplanting the ficus (by cutting, leaf, layering - it does not matter), you need to carefully process the entire inventory with any antimicrobial agent or pour boiling water over it. This will also help get rid of pest larvae when a used pot is used.

Common mistakes that beginner growers make include:

• Excessive watering. Leads to decay of roots and death of the plant.
• Fertilizer abuse. Sometimes in a grower who carefully takes care of his plants, all the bushes wither and wither, while in a stuffy office, the ficus feels great. And in this case, it is most often a banal overfeeding.
• No household humidifier or daily spraying.
• Rooting of an immature leaf - without stem and bud. Even if the bush grows out of such unusable material, it will be weak and undeveloped.