Among the variety of indoor plants, rubber ficus is the most widely known . Care and reproduction will not cause difficulties even for beginner growers and forgetful people, and large shiny leaves will decorate any interior. In addition, this plant is growing rapidly in size and very unpretentious. So for most lovers of indoor gardens is not an obstacle to its cultivation, even the lack of flowering. No, of course, like any plant, ficus blooms, but only after reaching a fairly respectable age.
Varieties of rubbery ficus
The species of this plant is a great many. However, in our homes, the following varieties are most often observed:
- Robusta . Wide dark green leaves. The content is completely demanding.
- Belize The leaves are three-colored: in the middle is a green tone, pink and white at the edges. In principle, it is also unpretentious, but it requires more lighting.
- Tineke . Variegated: the center is green, the edges are in pistachio and white irregular spots. More capricious than Belize and Robusta.
- Abidjan Leaves a beautiful dense burgundy color. It is easily adaptable, not “harmful”.
- Black Prince. Interesting almost black leaf color. Undemanding.
- Melanie . The leaves are smaller, densely green, often forming bushes.
All variegated varieties are more capricious than varieties with a uniform color.
Light preferences
Despite the undemanding nature of rubber-bearing ficus, the reproduction and well-being of the plant still depend on lighting. The light should be indirect, diffused, bright enough. If you need to slow down growth, you can move the pot a little further from the window. Penumbra ficus is also suitable. What is really dangerous for him is direct midday rays. Due to the wide leaf blades, the plant easily gets burns. If desired, you can put rubbery ficus in the far corner of the room. But such a restriction will entail yellowing and subsequent discharge of leaves, thanks to which the flower is appreciated.
Temperature mode
The plant does not require any additional equipment to maintain the temperature it needs - normal room conditions are quite suitable for it. True, indicators below plus 10 or above 35 degrees should be avoided by all means. This is not the temperature that rubbery ficus needs. Its reproduction outside this range is completely impossible. Drafts of ficus are harmful, so it is better to place it away from window leaves and air conditioners.
As for humidity
Regular hydration for the elastic is not necessary. Once a week, you can spray it or wipe the leaves, "burdock" with a damp rag. Basically, these measures are aimed at removing dust. Water treatments only become important when the air is too dry. Then the ground must be covered before using the spray gun, so as not to waterlog it. To increase the decorativeness, some flower growers polish the leaves. Avoid unnecessary chemistry! A chic shine is obtained when polished with ordinary non-alcoholic beer.
How much ficus does water need
Watering needs systematic, but not excessive. In the hot season, twice a week is enough, 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. The short-lived droughts that can occur in forgetful hosts are not scary. If you notice that the earth is already very dry, put the pot in the water - through the drainage holes the soil will draw in the necessary moisture. Filling the plant from above will still be wrong.
Mandatory cropping
There are two purposes for which rubbery ficus is cut: propagation by cuttings and limiting growth. And if you still manage only one such plant and are not going to plant the second, you still have to take a knife in your hands. In the homeland, ficuses are extinct up to thirty meters, in gardens of a non-native climate - up to ten. In the apartment, the flower will grow until it hits the ceiling. In addition, if you do not trim, the ficus will not branch, which does not look very nice. Nipping is always carried out with gloves, as plant juice is poisonous. It is usually produced in early March. If the ficus has not yet outgrown the permissible height, the growth point is simply tweaked. If it is too high, the trunk is trimmed with a knife about five centimeters above the marked branch. Remember, the trunk will never grow after that! The leaked juice must be carefully wiped with a wet, not wrung rag. It is not necessary to sprinkle or lubricate the “wound”. Three weeks later, ficus is fed to maintain strength.
The disadvantage of the plant is that it branches very reluctantly. Some specimens persistently throw a branch after a branch near the trimmed top, without forming a crown. In this case, you can try to outwit the rubbery ficus: propagation by 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
The plant does not need an annual transplant. In addition, such a frequency provokes accelerated growth, but in an apartment it is unnecessary. The most important thing that you should take into account when planning to transplant rubber-bearing ficus: reproduction and change of “place of residence” should be separated in time. If you spend one year and both, your pet may die from exhaustion. It is better to limit yourself to a forced transplant when the pot has become crowded with the plant. Not too large specimens are moved by transshipment with a mandatory layer of drainage. Large only change the topsoil.
Ficus rubbery: propagation by layering
Sooner or later, many have the desire to get another plant, the same as what they have on the windowsill. Note to those who are trying to get another rubber-bearing ficus: leaf reproduction is impossible for him. Interestingly, the leaf will release the spine and after transplanting into the ground will exist for quite some time. However, he will not give a stem, as a result of which he will not please either a full-fledged tree or longevity. One of the ways to get young rubbery ficus is through airborne propagation. For their formation, the selected segment of the stem is enclosed by a polyethylene "skirt" fixed with thread or paper tape. A shallow scratch cuts two centimeters above and is sprinkled with sand so that it does not heal. Wet peat is placed on top, turns into a "skirt", and its second edge is also fixed. When the roots break through the peat, the stem is cut below the harness and planted in a pot intended for it.
Cuttings
The method described above is not the easiest of those with which a new rubbery ficus can be obtained. Reproduction (photos convincingly prove this) is most successfully and simply carried out by the Cherenkov method. In addition, it delivers much less trouble and does not require special skills. In principle, the propagation of rubber ficus by cuttings by cuttings is not particularly different from the cultivation of other indoor plants. They are engaged in it at the end of spring - at the beginning of summer. The ficus site that is attracted is cut off with a disinfected sharp knife and placed in water until the juice stops flowing out. Then it is transferred to a growth stimulant for a day and again placed in water until the roots appear - for a week or two. When the roots are lengthened, the propagation of the rubber ficus by the 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 over the handle from a plastic bag or a cut plastic bottle with holes made for ventilation.