Ficus pumila flower - description and home care

Ficus pumila is an evergreen ornamental houseplant. Differs in wide distribution due to its unpretentiousness.

What does the ficus pumila look like and which family it belongs to

Ficus pumila is a dwarf plant belonging to the mulberry family. It is characterized by its small size, the presence of rapidly growing, thin stems. The leaf plates have an oval shape, rich in bright green color.

There are the following, the most common varieties:

Sunny - is distinguished by the rim of white-colored creams, framing the leaf plates. Ficus Sunny - home care is the simplest, which explains the great popularity of this variety.
Dorte - there is no border on the leaves of this plant. Its distinctive feature is white specks located over the entire surface of the leaf plates and chaotic light green blotches.
White Sunny is famous for its unusual leaves decorated with a light border resembling a dotted line.

Ficus pumila is grown in pots or pots

Regardless of the specific variety, ficus pumila is characterized by the following medicinal properties:

increased oxygen production;
air purification from dust, harmful impurities and compounds;
creation of a favorable microclimate.

Additional Information! In folk medicine, the products made on the basis of this plant are used to treat articular pathologies and hemorrhoidal diseases.

The homeland of the pumila is Southeast Asia. The dwarf ficus came to European countries thanks to Karl Thunberg, a biologist from Sweden who collects various flora samples for further study and reproduction in artificial conditions.

Features of caring for a plant at home

Ficus pumila - home care is simple and does not take much time. In order for the plant to feel comfortable and pleasing to the eye, it is necessary to provide it with the proper temperature regime, watering and lighting.

Temperature

Ficus Kinki - description and care of the house

The optimal temperature regime for this plant varies from +18 to +25 ℃. In winter, it is recommended to lower the temperature indicators to 12-14 ℃ above zero.

Lighting

Dwarf ficus is considered a fairly shade-tolerant plant. However, the pumila will feel as comfortable as possible in diffused sunlight.

Important! A lack of light can adversely affect the decorative properties of the plant - a change in the color of leaf platinum, leaf fall. To compensate for the lack of ultraviolet lighting, you can use fluorescent lamps for these purposes.

Watering

Ficus pumila needs regular watering. It is strictly forbidden to allow the soil to dry out. This is due to the poorly developed root system of the plant, which does not allow it to extract the remaining moisture from the bottom of the flowerpot.

On a note! For irrigation, use purified water, preferably warm or room temperature.

Spraying

Spraying a dwarf ficus is necessary in cases where the air humidity in the house is insufficient.For these purposes, warm water is drawn into the sprayer, after which each leaf platinum of the plant is carefully processed. This procedure is carried out several times throughout the week.

In addition to feeding the plant, the correct microclimate is important.

Humidity

Casting plants are distinguished by their ability to quickly evaporate moisture. It is especially important to maintain optimal air humidity when growing ficus on a vertical support, since otherwise its root system will not be able to gain a foothold. Dry air increases the likelihood of a spider mite attack.

Priming

The ideal option for growing dwarf ficus will be a substrate for ornamental plants with neutral acidity values or a universal soil, which can be purchased in specialized stores.

Interesting information! You can prepare the soil yourself by combining sand, compost, peat and garden soil in a 2: 1 ratio, and then mix thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Top dressing

For a given plant, an excess of fertilizers is considered more dangerous than their deficiency. It is recommended to apply top dressing in spring and summer 2 times a month. In winter and autumn, it will be enough to fertilize the ficus pumila once a month.

It is not at all difficult to care for a dwarf ficus, and with sufficient care, it will delight the owners with bright foliage and a lush crown.

Features of winter care (during the rest period)

Ficus lyre - home care

The autumn and winter months are the dormant period of the ficus pumila. At this time, it is recommended to lower the air temperature and reduce the amount of feeding. The plant should also be watered less than once for 2-3 days (depending on the state of the soil). Adequate lighting must be maintained in winter. Since daylight hours are significantly reduced at this time of the year, artificial backlights will definitely be required.

When and how it blooms

Ficus Natasha - description of the flower and home care rules

Ficus pumila does not bloom at home. Under natural conditions, it forms syconia - a kind of inflorescences, from which yellow fruits are subsequently formed. The flowering period is in the summer months.

Pruning

Dwarf ficus tolerates pruning very well. This procedure is recommended for the purpose of correcting the crown, giving it a beautiful shape. The plant is pruned at the end of February or at the beginning of March.

How ficus pumila reproduces

Ficus pumila is a plant that propagates exclusively in a vegetative way, namely by rooting cuttings.

For these purposes, cuttings are used that remain when trimming the crown of the pumila. They must be placed in a container with water or a moistened substrate. When the plant has roots, it can be transplanted into a regular flowerpot.

What does a dwarf ficus stalk look like?

Additional Information! Reproduction by germinating seeds is possible exclusively in open soil or in greenhouse conditions where dwarf ficus bears fruit.

Transfer

It is recommended to transplant dwarf ficuses in the spring. Experts advise doing this every year, since the root system of this plant quickly absorbs nutrients from the soil.

Adult ficuses (from 5 years old and older) should not be disturbed with frequent transplants, it will be enough to carry out the manipulation 1 time for 2-3 years.

Drainage must be laid out on the bottom of the pot, then specially prepared soil. The roots of the plant are gently sunk into the soil. At the end of the transplant, it is recommended to water the plant with warm water.

Possible growing problems and diseases

Like other indoor plants, the ficus pumila can get sick and be attacked by various pests. It is important to know how diseases manifest themselves and what needs to be done to protect pumila from extremely adverse consequences and even death.

Drops buds and leaves

Falling leaf plates and drying out of shoots - often indicate insufficient moisture in the soil. You can help the plant simply by increasing the frequency of watering. If the leaves first turn yellow and only then crumble, then the reason lies in the decay of the root system. Regular flooding of the plant, drafts, lack of lighting and low air temperature can provoke this problem.

Leaves turn pale

Blanching of the leaf plates of the ficus pumila, in most cases, is due to insufficient lighting. The problem can be solved by increasing the length of daylight hours by using artificial light lamps.

Pumila leaves turn pale with a lack of light

The tips of the leaves dry

In most cases, the drying tips of the leaf plates of the dwarf ficus occur when the air humidity is insufficient. You can help the plant by spraying it daily with warm water. This procedure is carried out 2-3 times throughout the day.

The lower leaves fall

Falling of the lower leaves can be caused by too frequent watering, lack of lighting and heat in the room. No special treatment is required, it is enough just to eliminate the provoking factors.