Ficus benjamin

Ficus is one of the most common indoor plants. To date, a fairly large number of varieties of ficus are known, their main feature is unpretentious care and easy reproduction. Even an inexperienced florist can independently plant ficuses.

Recently, this kind of indoor flower, such as Benjamin's ficus, has begun to enjoy increasing popularity. Outwardly, it looks like a sprawling and fairly large bush that requires very simple care. The reproduction of this type of ficus can take place in several ways, due to which it is possible to choose for itself the more suitable one - by seeds or cuttings.

How to propagate the ficus Benjamin?

One of the most common breeding species of Benjamin Ficus is grafting. In this case, you will need to prepare the cuttings - with a sharp knife you need to cut off the top of the plant. Semi-wooded twigs are suitable, the length of which should be about 15 cm. It is necessary to make a cut diagonally, and it is strictly forbidden to use scissors or other blunt objects, since they will greatly heel the shoots, which in turn will slow down the rooting process.

All large leaves should be removed from the cuttings, otherwise strong evaporation of moisture will occur, which cannot be allowed. On one handle can leave 3 leaves, but no more. In place of the slice, the milky sap will stand out, which freezes very quickly. It will have to be removed, otherwise it will create a cork effect, which will prevent the development of the root system. You can remove the juice simply by washing it out with running water, or by placing the cutting in a jar of water that changes every 2-3 hours. As soon as the juice no longer stands out, it is necessary to leave the root in the open air for several hours and let it dry.

Rooting ficus in warm water will take quite a long time and you need to add a tablet of activated carbon to the liquid to prevent the process of rotting from starting. It is also necessary to ensure that the leaves of the cutting do not touch the water.

After a few weeks, the first growths will begin to appear, and with time, the roots will sprout. After the formation of roots of the stalk can be transplanted into the ground. For this, it is desirable to use a special substrate for indoor flowers, which can be purchased at any store for gardeners.

Propagation by cuttings can be carried out in another way, planting them directly into the ground. For this, cuttings are prepared in advance, as described above. Peat, vermiculite, perlite, wet sand should be used as a substrate. As soon as the milky sap is removed from the cuttings and the cuts are dry, you need to sprinkle it with a small amount of crushed coal, and then place it in the ground.

After planting, the ficus stalk needs to be covered with a jar or plastic bottle, thanks to which ideal conditions will be created for accelerated rooting. For this purpose, special mini-greenhouses can be used.

You need to constantly ensure that the earth is always a little wet and occasionally aerate the cutting when removing the jar. This can prevent the beginning of the process of decay. The ideal option would be if the earth remains slightly warm. To this end, a container with a ficus should be put on a warm battery. As soon as the first leaves begin to appear, it means that the cutting is fully rooted and you can begin to gradually accustom the plant to new conditions - periodically removing the jar and each time increasing the duration of the airing of the ficus.

In home-made ways to self-propagate a plant with seeds is rather difficult, but quite possible. First you need to take the seeds of Benjamin Ficus and pre-treated with special means that stimulate growth and fungicides. In the next stage, the seeds are laid out on a light and fairly moist substrate.

Capacity, in which the seeds will be planted, you must cover the film and put in a greenhouse. In order for the seeds of ficus to germinate, you need to constantly maintain the correct temperature, which should be in the range of 25-30 degrees. As soon as the first shoots begin to appear, it is necessary to provide the plant with bright light. If this is not done, very soon the ficus will start to wither heavily and will die as a result.

Ficus Benjamin - unpretentious plant. Care, transplanting and reproduction it will not cause difficulties even for a novice grower. This home flower, at the same time, looks very impressive. They can decorate not only window sills in the apartment, but also in the office.