Ficus Ginseng - home care

Ficus Ginseng is a miniature plant culture with unusual roots and a spreading crown. This plant is loved by many gardeners due to the fact that it has a good immunity to seasonal diseases, and also impresses with its vitality. Ficus can withstand strong gusts of wind, excessively humid weather. Caring for him at home will not bring any hassle.

What does ficus Ginseng look like?

Ficus Ginseng, also known as Ficus Ginseng or Microcarpa, belongs to the Mulberry family. The plant is presented in the form of an evergreen tree that reaches a height of 25 meters. Distinctive features of the culture are a spreading bright green crown, a powerful and thick trunk, hanging aerial roots.

Ficus Ginseng in a pot

Common varieties

In the field of indoor floriculture, the following varieties of ficuses are most common:

• ficus rubber;
• ficus lyre;
• ficus Dwarf;
• ficus Mountain.

Healing properties

In addition to its beautiful appearance, the culture is known for its medicinal properties. The leaves of the inflorescence are used to treat benign tumors, skin diseases. Decoctions based on the bark or foliage of the tree also help to cope with diseases of the stomach and lungs.

History of appearance

Ficus Microcarpa came to Russia from Indonesia and Taiwan. The best oriental breeders worked on its breeding. The plant is considered predominantly tropical and subtropical. However, due to unpretentious care, the tree began to grow in many parts of the world, including in Russia.

Ficus Microcarpa Ginseng - home care

In order for a tree to grow and not undergo the development of diseases, it is necessary to provide it with decent growing conditions. All the rules are presented below. If you do not follow them, the ficus will grow, but you should not expect great decorativeness from it.

Temperature and lighting

Ficus Ginseng is considered a thermophilic crop. therefore, growing it in the north of the country will be problematic. In summer, the optimum temperature for plant growth is considered to be from +18 to +25 degrees Celsius. In winter, the minimum threshold for the development of culture is at least +15 degrees.

The plant adapts to natural and artificial light. For the full development of ficus, moderate light is needed, otherwise the leaves can be scorched. Gardeners recommend placing a pot with a tree in the western part of the house, where there is partial shade.

Watering and spraying

The tree loves moderate watering. In winter, ficus Ginseng should be watered no more than 1 time per week. With a greater flow of water, its root system may begin to rot.

In summer, the frequency of procedures is increased up to 2-3 times a week. It is worth remembering that the culture must be watered with warm filtered water.

Due to the fact that the culture in its natural environment grows in tropical countries, its foliage needs constant moisture.In Russia, it can be done artificially by spraying ficus leaves with plain water through a spray bottle. The procedure is carried out every day, they try to do it in the evening.

Ficus Ginseng loves moderate humidity, so its indicator in the room should be above 60%.

Soil and dressing

The plant grows well in fertile soil equipped with organic fertilizers. It is recommended to equip the soil 2-3 times a month with coarse sand, peat mixture, wood ash.

You need to actively fertilize the tree in the summer, during the flowering period. Top dressing is applied 2-3 times a month. Gardeners can alternate the application of organic fertilizers with mineral fertilizers.

Features of winter care

The difference in winter care is only in the reduction of watering procedures and fertilizing by 2 times. During cold weather, the plant can also not be pruned.

Considering that the plant is mainly grown in pots, it is not necessary to cover it from the cold. If the container with ficus was taken out into the garden, then at the beginning of autumn it is simply brought into the house.

When and how it blooms

At home, ficus Ginseng color is infrequent. Even less often, fruits appear on its branches. This is due to artificial growing conditions. For full flowering, it is necessary that the wasp pollinate the ficus.

• Types of flowers

Ficus flowers are small. They grow in small scattering on the branches of a plant culture. A little later, the flowers turn into fruits (syconia), which are similar in appearance to large berries.

• Flower shapes

Inflorescences are rounded with a spherical receptacle.

• Flowering period

The period of active vegetation of the crop falls in late spring.

• Changes in care during flowering

Ginseng ficus care at home varies slightly during flowering. In summer and spring, the plant needs to be watered more actively - up to 3 times a week. In addition, you will need to loosen the soil for better oxygen supply to the roots and prune dried shoots.

Pruning

In order for the crown of the plant to be branched, it must be periodically trimmed by 4-5 cm.

How ficus Ginseng reproduces

Ficus Ginseng reproduces in several ways: seed germination, cuttings, air layering.

Reproduction of culture

• Germinating seeds

In this case, the seeds of the culture are sprinkled with a peat mixture with a small amount of sphagnum, after which they are covered with a film. Seed material is watered before the first shoots appear, and then transplanted into a pot.

• Rooting cuttings

In the spring, a branch up to 15 cm long is cut off from an adult plant, it is placed in warm water for a couple of hours, and then planted in a container with soil mixed with a peat mixture. The plant culture is covered with foil and watered 1-2 times a week. When the first leaves appear on the branches, the ficus Ginseng is transplanted into a larger container.

• Air layering

In this case, the bark is cut from the tree trunk in a circle. Bare areas are covered with sphagnum, a film is laid on top. The resulting structure is moistened all the time. After a while, new shoots will appear at the cut sites, which can be cut off and transplanted into a separate container.

• Other options

Sometimes gardeners propagate the culture by root cuttings. The step-by-step process is similar to ordinary cuttings, however, the cut off shoot is planted at a deeper distance, falling asleep entirely, and the soil itself is mixed with peat and sand. Further, the sprout is looked after according to the above scheme.

Transfer

It is necessary to transplant the ficus as it grows. Young culture is transplanted into larger pots every year. Mature trees can be replanted less frequently - 2 times every 3 years.

Possible growing problems and diseases

Despite the fact that ficus Ginseng is considered an unpretentious crop, gardeners may face some problems in the process of growing it. For example, with pallor and dryness of leaves, dropping of buds, the appearance of pests.

• Drops buds and leaves

If the foliage and flowers from the branches of the tree begin to fall off, this may signal a sharp drop in temperature or excessive lighting. To get rid of the problem, you need to transfer the ficus to the shady side.

• Leaves turn pale

A change in the color of the foliage indicates a plant oversaturation with moisture. Pallor can also develop due to a lack of minerals.

• The tips of the leaves dry

Low humidity in the room, as well as the lack of timely spraying, can indicate dry leaves. A similar symptom also occurs when oversaturation with mineral components.

• The lower leaves fall

Falling leaves speaks of oversaturation of the plant with moisture, as well as the lack of fertilizing.

Dry leaf tips in ficus

Pests

During the flowering period, the culture is often attacked by aphids, spider mites. Insects appear on the branches of a tree with a decrease in its immunity. This can occur when there is a sharp change in indoor temperature. If the owner of the ficus plant noticed parasites, the plant should be immediately treated with chemical insecticides, following the instructions on the package.

Gardeners may face problems such as leaf rot, the appearance of spots and white dots on them, stunted growth, and lack of flowering. All this speaks of unfavorable growing conditions, lack of moisture, mineral components, untimely pruning and transplanting.

Signs and superstitions

Many peoples treat ficuses differently. The Chinese consider this plant to be a symbol of a strong family. In many cities in China, newlyweds are presented with this tree for family well-being. In Thailand, ficus is considered a healing and magical inflorescence that helps cleanse a person's aura and relieve him of many diseases. But on the territory of Russia, many are convinced that this culture is distinguished by negative energy and attracts misfortunes to the houses where it grows.

Various superstitions are associated with the plant

Ficus Ginseng is an evergreen plant that is distinguished by strong immunity and vitality. Despite the fact that the culture is subtropical, it is actively grown artificially in countries with a temperate climate. In order for the culture to begin to bloom in the spring-summer period, it is necessary to water it in a timely manner, feed it and transplant it into larger containers.