Ficus rubbery Ficus elastica

Mulberry family. Homeland - tropical Asia (from northeast India and south to Indonesia).

They are broad-leaved evergreen shrubs or trees. In nature, some specimens of Ficus elastic or rubber-bearing can reach colossal sizes: 30-40 m high, growing at the same time, a huge number of air roots that form buttresses (props) - descend to the ground like trunks, sometimes fuse together, sometimes, directed with the help of people, form continuous canopies or suspension bridges. In indoor conditions, ficus elastic usually grows, without pruning, as much as the ceiling height allows - 2.5-3m, in the future, if it is not cut off, it will simply change direction and grow along the ceiling. In room conditions, many varieties of rubber ficus require support.

Young leaves at the top of the shoots are tubular twisted in pink-red stipules (cap or cover). Stipule after opening the leaf, dries and falls away. The fully formed leaves are oblong-oval or elliptical to the touch, stiff, leathery, glossy with a small pointed tip at the apex. The tip is bent down. The edge of the leaf is also slightly bent inward. The leaves of the natural species Ficus elastic are dark green above, matte green below, with a pronounced powerful light green central vein. Petiole from 4 to 10 cm.

The bark of young shoots is light pink, smooth. In middle-aged plants, the trunk and lateral shoots (branches) have light green, rough bark with noticeable lentils (small brown depressions). The bark of adult (old) plants is brown and rough enough to touch.

Varieties and varieties of green-leaved ficusa

Ficus elastica cv. 'Decora '- the leaves are very wide, leathery, glossy, large - up to 30 cm long, the edge of the leaf and the tip are bent down. Leaves are a rich green color (not dark) and light green on the back. The petiole is colored red, the central vein is red to about the middle of the leaf, gradually turning cream, then light green. Often this variety is mistaken for the species Ficus elastica.

Ficus elastica cv. 'Black Prince'Ficus elastica' Black Prince '- has large leathery leaves up to 30 cm long and 17-18 cm wide, the surface of the leaf is glossy, deep dark green with a reddish tint, with a pronounced central vein of red. The stipule of the young leaf is bright red, the petioles are green with a reddish tint.

Ficus elastica cv. 'Robusta'Ficus elastica' Robusta '- very similar to the variety' Decora'from which it differs even wider, sometimes almost oval leaves and intensely green color. Castings have slightly turned inward edges, the central vein is light green, and only at the very beginning can it have a slightly reddish color.

Ficus elastica cv. 'Melany '- the leaves are wide, leathery, glossy, rich dark green (sometimes with a reddish, even burgundy tint (depending on illumination)), the tips of the leaves are slightly bent back. Unlike ficus' Robusta ', it grows in a compact bush, 60-80 cm high.

Ficus elastica cv. 'Abidjan'Ficus elastica' Abidjan '- the leaves are very broad. Young plates are dark red, almost beet-colored. Over time, this coloration partially disappears, and the leaves become more green. Young plants of this variety are often confused with "Ficus elastica cv." 'Black Prince ', but Abidjan is considerably larger.

Varieties and varieties of ficusa with variegated leaves

Ficus elastica cv. 'Tineke'Ficus elastica' Tineke '- the size of the leaf is average - about 18-22cm long and 15cm wide. Along the edge of the leaf are gray-green and cream spots and irregularly shaped edging. The central vein is cream, pink at the base of the young leaves. Young leaves have pink petioles, while adults have cream or light green petioles. Stipules are pink.

Ficus elastica cv. 'Belize'Ficus elastica' Belize '- the leaves are broad, about 23-25 cm long and 13-15 cm wide, with a pink tinge and large spots of pale yellow, gray-green and dark green with a pronounced pink-red midrib. The surface of the leaf may be slightly wavy. Petioles are pink. The younger the leaves, the more pronounced the pink shade of the leaves. In the old lower leaves, the petioles and veins are rather cream, and the pink shade of the leaf is only guessed.

Ficus elastica cv. 'Brazil'Ficus elastica' Brazil.' It is very similar to the variety 'Belize', the leaves are also with gray-green, yellow-green, light green spots and cream edging, but the internodes (the distance between the leaves) are noticeably shorter, and the leaves themselves are somewhat smaller, 18-20 cm long, so the variety looks more compact and more leafy.

Ficus elastica cv. 'Schriveriana'Ficus elastica' Sriveriana '- has a middle leaf, about 23-25cm long, 17-18cm wide. The color of the leaves is light green, with spots and strokes of dark green, cream and gray (marble pattern). The central vein is light green, petioles and stipules pink.

Some confusion is possible when determining ficus elastic varieties. Firstly, supplier firms often call the same ficus variety by different trade names, for example, under the name Ficus elastica variegata, they can sell almost any variegated variety. Secondly, in conditions of different illumination, ficus leaves, especially with dark leaves, change the intensity of color. For example, the Robusta variety can be very similar to the Black Prince variety, and the Brasil variety to Belize. The difference should be sought not only in the color, but also in the shape of the leaf, for example, in Robust they are larger and wider than in Prince, as well as in the color of petioles, stipules (cover of a young leaf), the compactness of the bush and the tendency to branch.

Ficus elastica - care and cultivation

Temperature: moderate, optimal in the range of 20-25 ° C, in winter it is possible to contain at lower temperatures of about 12-14 ° C, with a sharp limitation of irrigation. Ficus elastica does not like root hypothermia very much.

Lighting: Ficus rubbery prefers bright diffused light with some direct sun. In nature, ficuses grow in open areas under full sunlight, but for them this is a natural environment from the moment the seed germinates, in our apartments, out of habit after winter, ficus can get burns. Therefore, in the period from 11 to 16 hours it should be under shade, in other hours the sun is only welcome, especially with variegated varieties.

Watering: Ficus rubber-bearing drought-resistant, for the next watering the soil must necessarily dry out at least 1/2 of the height of the pot. Most often, this type of ficus suffers precisely from overflow. If you doubt whether it is time to water or not, it is better to wait a day or two, and determine the dryness of the soil by touch.

Fertilizer feeding: from March to August, once every three to four weeks you can feed fertilizers. A month after transplantation, it is worth feeding the ficus rubber fertilizer with a greater proportion of phosphorus, for the better development of the root system, which is quite small in potted ficus and grows slowly. Subsequent feeding should be carried out with ordinary fertilizer for ornamental and deciduous plants.

Air humidity: if the ficus is not near the central heating batteries and the temperature in the room is not higher than 25 ° C, then spraying is not required. However, you should periodically wipe the leaves with a damp sponge to erase the dust.

How to transplant ficus

Ficus elastica is transplanted in spring as needed. When it arises: young, fast-growing plants master the pot in about a year, i.e. approximately up to 5-6 years of age, it is better to replant every year. Older plants, if desired, can also be transplanted every year, but, as a rule, they grow before planting in large containers or buckets and it is technically difficult to transplant them - large branches can be injured (petioles are quite fragile). Therefore, if it is difficult for you to transplant rubber ficus, just loosen the earth, remove the top layer of the earth and replace it with fresh soil.

Land for ficus

We compose the soil mixture so that it meets the following requirements:

• loose, porous
• nutritious
• well-permeable moisture (after watering it wetting in 2-3 seconds)
• acidity: slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (pH 5.5-7.5)

You can use universal soils from the store, but their problem is that they are made of the cheapest material: peat filled with mineral fertilizers. In such soil there is little humus, a lot of fibers, often disgusting wettability. Therefore, it is better to make the soil for ficus yourself, recipes for soil mixtures:

• 1 part of sod land, 1 part of sheet land, 1 part of peat land, 1 part of fine gravel (3-4 mm) and 1 part of well-decomposed compost
• 2 parts of store soil for ficuses (palm trees, monsters, dracens, crotons or universal), 1 part of compost (humus soil), 1 part of fine gravel (3-4 mm) and 1 part of well-decomposed compost

You need to know that ficus rubbery does not tolerate alkaline and too acidic substrates. The pot is suitable from any material, but not too spacious, the root system of ficus rubber of any variety is small, it is genetically determined. If you see a plant for the first time, you may be surprised how with a large green mass there can be such a small root system. Increasing the pot is required only when the roots fill the entire pot or begin to germinate into drainage holes.

How to transplant ficus rubbery if it is very large

Select a flowerpot or a container of a suitable size, approximately for a ficus rubber with a height of about 2.5 m (under the ceiling) you need a container of about 25-30 liters. This does not mean that it has such a large root, perhaps it has not grown to such a volume, but smaller containers will be unstable. Next, prepare the drain. If there are no drainage holes in the new container, then a lot of drainage is needed for the height to be about 10 cm. If there are drainage holes, a smaller volume of drainage is possible. If you have a wooden tub as a landing container, pick up a large-volume garbage bag for it, otherwise the tree will quickly rot. In the bag at the bottom you need to make holes, if they are on the bottom of the tub, if they are not there - drill 4-5 holes with a drill for 10-12 mm.

Prepare the soil mixture in the required volume. Now you need to think about how to put, tilt the ficus so as not to injure the branches. Everything that can be tied (side shoots). You can put the ficus trunk on the table, composed stools, but best of all, call an assistant who will help hold the crown with your hands so that the leaves do not touch any surface.

2-3 hours before transplantation, you need to pour copious ficus to moisten all the soil. This will make it easier to remove it from the old pot. To make it easier to pull the earth from the walls of the pot with a long knife, if the pot is very large - use a saw blade on metal. You can pull the ficus by the barrel. If the plant is healthy, then the trunk of large ficus elastic will easily undergo such a procedure. If you poured your ficus or dried it hard, then at the moment when you pull it out, its roots will partially break.

So, we pull the ficus out of the pot, slowly, without jerking, we rake out all the yielding earth with a scoop. If the ficus does not lend itself in any way (the roots literally stick to the walls of the container), then pour abundantly again and leave for another 3-4 hours. We try again. Do not shake or dig out of the pot - the larger the tree, the more difficult it is to endure root injuries. Put it in a new container and cover with fresh earth. Since we watered before the transplant, you don't need to water for several days after.

FAQs about ficus

How to breed ficus

Rubbery ficus cuttings are usually rooted in water or moist vermiculite. Sometimes cuttings do not root well, rot, in this case it is necessary to add pieces of wood or activated carbon to the water, and make sure that the water in the jar has a temperature of about 21-24 ° C. Another way to root cuttings in moss.

Cuttings 10-15 cm long are cut in spring, it is important that the cuttings have one or 2 medium-sized leaves, no more. Then the milky juice is allowed to drain, washed with water, powdered with a root stimulant and placed in a pot with wet sphagnum moss (you can mix moss in half with sand or vermiculite).

The pot is wrapped in cling film (so that the moss does not dry out too quickly), and then placed in a warm, bright place. You can put a pot with moss and a handle in a bag, the edges of which cannot be tied. It takes several months to take root.

In addition, rubber-bearing ficus is propagated by air extraction. This method is more suitable in cases where the lower part of the trunk is very exposed, and the tops are well leafy.

Growing problems

The leaves of this ficus dry and curl. The reason for this is the too small pot in which the roots dry out.

Interestingly, in stores, plants live in such pots for a very long time, and do not wither, all because in the store plants are crowded, sprinkled several times a day and watered daily.

They can also suffer from waterlogging if water remains in the trays, but they can remain healthy, because the large root mass in the pot and huge drainage holes do not allow moisture to linger in the ground for a long time.

Most often, elastic ficuses suffer from too diligent watering. This is due to the stereotype of the moisture-loving ficus, people argue: "since they come from the tropics, then they must love moisture." But it is somehow forgotten that growing in indoor conditions, in a closed loop and in a pot, is very different from natural conditions.

The root system of ficuses in the natural environment is quite aggressive - it grows widely, lying in the upper layers of the soil, while neither asphalt paths nor the foundation of houses interfere with it - the roots simply break open obstacles and grow further.

In a confined pot space, ficus is offered a strictly limited amount of nutrients, the water after watering can dry out for a long time, especially if the drainage holes are clogged with dense lying earth, or too small, and the amount of sunlight and fresh air is limited.

Therefore, it is necessary to water the ficus elastic, like any other ficus, adjusted for temperature, indoor air humidity, pot volume and soil composition. The higher the temperature and the lower the humidity, the faster the soil dries. The larger the volume of the pot, the denser, heavier the soil - the longer the earth dries.

The leaves of this ficus are not healthy, if you look closely, there are no spots on them, but they hang, according to the author of the photograph, the ground in the pot was very damp, and mold even grew on the surface. But if you don't have mold in your flower pot, hanging leaves are the first sign of severe overdrinking or waterlogging of the ground. What exactly happened can be determined by touching the ground with a finger at a depth of 7-8 cm.

And one more tip: do not put expanded clay or decorative pebbles on the surface of the earth in a pot - they interfere with the rapid drying of the earth and aeration of the soil!

With ficus elastica, the problem of watering can be associated with the huge leaf mass of adults and old specimens. It seems that many wide large leaves are a large evaporating surface, which means that again a lot of water is needed. But leathery covers protect ficus leaves not only from heavy raindrops, but also from high evaporation.

If a single heavy watering does not harm, then systematic waterlogging of the soil, when its upper layers do not have time to dry out, leads to the appearance of bacterial spots and fungal infections.

Such spots are not just a signal of waterlogging, it is already a disease. Spots appear first on the lower leaves, but gradually spread to the upper ones.

Pests of ficus

Ficus elastica can be affected by thrips, shields, mite. It is worth looking for pests if there is discoloration of the leaves, gradual yellowing, depressed spots, punctures, strokes on the leaves appear. To see in more detail, use a magnifying glass - you need to look at both sides of the sheet.

Read more about houseplant pests in the 'pests' section

It is almost impossible to do without chemicals, more precisely, insecticides, when pests appear on plants. Of all the known remedies, the most effective systemic drugs are Aktara and Confidor (against aphids, scale insects, thrips and soil pests). Only acaricides are effective for tick control.