Features of planting and caring for Natasha ficus at home, growing
Ficus of the Natasha variety requires competent care at home. After all, this thermophilic plant is not adapted to our climate. It is grown in a room, it needs timely watering and feeding. The ficus should receive enough light, and the temperature of its contents should not fall below 15 degrees Celsius. The plant can stand on a windowsill or in front of a window on the floor.
Description and peculiarities of the plant
Ficus Benjamin Natasha is a heat-loving plant that is grown indoors in pots. Its height is about 50-100 centimeters. The plant can be in the form of a bush or a short tree. Natasha has thin twigs, glossy lanceolate leaves. The size of the leaves is 3 centimeters. The color of the foliage depends on the lighting. In the shade, they darken.
Conditions of detention
Ficus Natasha will normally only grow at a temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius. This thermophilic plant will die at negative temperatures. In winter, it can stay in a room with a temperature above 15 degrees Celsius.
Seat selection
Ficus can be placed on the windowsill. He likes the light very much. Daylight hours should be 10-12 hours. In summer, in hot weather, it is advisable to shade the plant with a curtain. The leaves can turn yellow in the sun. True, such a tree is usually placed on the ground. The main thing is that it is in front of the window and has lighting for 10 hours a day.
Priming
The ficus prefers a soft and loose substrate. The soil mixture should consist of peat, sand, compost, leaves, garden soil and grass. All components are taken in equal proportions. The plant is planted in a spacious pot. Drainage from small stones of expanded clay is placed at the bottom of the container.
top dresser
Plants are fed in spring or summer. Fertilizer (nitrogenous substances) is applied to the soil once every 2 weeks. In late autumn and winter, feeding is not carried out.
watering
The ficus needs regular, but moderate watering. In summer, it is watered every two days. Before watering, make sure the topsoil is slightly dry. In the heat, foliage is sprayed from a spray bottle. In spring and autumn, watering is carried out every 2 days. In winter, the ficus can be watered less often - 1-2 times a week. Water that flows into the sump after watering should be drained immediately.
How to transplant correctly
Ficus Natasha does not tolerate transplantation well. It is a huge stress for the plant. Once every 3-5 years, Natasha can be transplanted into a larger pot. The transplant is carried out in early spring. Ficusa completely changes substrate. When transplanting, the root system is examined.If rot is detected, the roots are cut, cleaned, wounds are disinfected with crushed charcoal. The soil mixture before transplanting Natasha is disinfected or calcined in the oven (furnace).
How to form the crown correctly
The plant needs crown formation. This procedure is carried out at the very beginning of the growth of the ficus. Desirable end of February. If it is supposed to grow a bush, its top is cut off to a height of 15-17 centimeters. After such pruning, the plant begins to form numerous side shoots. They are also cut at a height of 15 centimeters. If you want to get a stem (a small tree on a thin trunk with a lush crown), the top is cut off at a height of 35-70 centimeters. The lower part of the trunk is cleaned of side shoots.
The branches that make up the crown are pinched so that they form a round, lush cushion of leaves.
You can get a tree in another way. For example, from the lower three branches, 30 centimeters long, weave a pigtail. All side shoots on them should be removed. Leave only the upper branches. The pigtail itself can be wrapped in burlap for some time. Once the stems have grown together, the burlap or strings can be removed.
Breeding methods
Ficus propagates in several ways. True, at home Natasha reproduces only by cuttings.
Seeds
Ficus seeds can be purchased at a flower or garden store. Before planting, they must be placed in a nutrient solution for 1 hour. Seeds are sown on a moist substrate consisting of peat and sand and covered with foil. The seedlings are regularly ventilated and irrigated.When 2-3 leaves appear on the shoots, they are transplanted into separate containers.
Cuttings
Cuttings obtained after pruning ficus in early spring can be used for propagation. True, the length of the twig should be 8-12 centimeters. Each cutting should have at least two leaves. For reproduction take only a semi-lignified twig. It should be placed in a glass of water, after washing it off from the juice, or stuck in a moist substrate, covered with a transparent vial. You can throw an activated carbon tablet in the glass. It is advisable to change the water from time to time.
When the roots appear, the seedling should be planted in a fertile substrate.
Fertilization and feeding
A shoot planted in a substrate can be fertilized when it reaches 15-20 centimeters. For feeding, a universal fertilizer is used. True, the dosage should be minimal, otherwise the fertilizer sprout will burn.
watering
The seedling is watered regularly. For irrigation use soft settled water. The plant does not tolerate excess moisture. Water it sparingly, every 2-3 days.
Solve possible problems during growth
The plant needs warmth, regular watering and timely feeding. If the ficus is poorly cared for, its foliage can turn yellow, and if not properly cared for, it will get sick and die.
Care errors
If the leaves fall off, it means that the air is too dry, the plant lacks nutrients and moisture. If the edges of the leaf plates turn yellow, after which the tree drops the leaves, this means that the plant is suffering from waterlogging. Such problems will not arise if the watering is organized correctly.
pests
The Ficus Natasha can be affected by insects. When pests are found, they are collected by hand or sprayed with insecticides.
Shield
They are small brownish insects with a shield on their back. Scale insects settle in colonies on the plant and feed on its juice. They are removed by hand with a cotton swab soaked in soapy water. Insecticides are used to control insects (Actellik).
Spider
A small red insect, weaving a cobweb on leaves and stems. It feeds on the sap of plants, yellow spots on the leaves testify to its vital activity. Spraying with a solution containing an acaricide (Kleschevit, Fitoverm) is spared from the tick.
Thrips
Oblong brown insects that live in the soil and damage the roots of plants. Insecticides save from thrips (Aktara, Fitoverm). If pests are found, it is advisable to transplant the plant into fresh soil. Before transplanting, a new soil mixture should be disinfected or calcined in an oven (stove).
cochineal
A small, shaggy white insect that colonizes the plant. It feeds on leaf juice. Pests should be picked up by hand using a damp cotton swab. To combat insects, insecticides are used (Aktara, Aktellik).
Nematodes
They are tiny worms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. They settle inside the roots, stems or leaves of a plant, feed on its juices. Nematocides (Karbofos, Phosphamide, Chloropicrin) save from nematodes.
Aphid
Tiny greenish or yellowish insects that colonize the plant. They feed on the sap of the leaves.If insects are found, you need to take a cotton swab dipped in soapy water and wipe the areas on which the aphid is located. Spraying with insecticides (Biotlin, Tanrek) is spared from the pest.
Diseases
If the plant is flooded with water and rarely fed, it can get sick. If spotted leaves or foci of rot are found, urgent action is needed. First, all diseased parts of the plant must be removed. It is advisable to transplant the ficus itself into a new, healthy soil mixture; first it is necessary to inspect its roots, eliminate all rotten places.
gray rot
A fungal disease that thrives with high humidity in weakened plants. Gray mold appears on the leaves. The area under the bloom turns brown. The affected leaf should be removed. The plant itself is sprayed with a fungicidal solution (Fitosporin).
Anthracnose
This is a fungal disease in which rust-like spots appear on the leaves. Subsequently, they fall out, holes are formed. Anthracnose is treated with copper-based fungicides.
Root rot
At high soil humidity, fungi can grow, causing root rot. The affected area darkens, begins to soften and break down. The diseased plant wilts and withers, as if it lacks moisture. In this case, the ficus must be transplanted into a new substrate. Before transplanting, it is recommended to inspect the roots, remove rotten roots, disinfect wounds with crushed charcoal.
sooty mushroom
Fungal disease that appears with high soil moisture and a lack of nutrients. The leaves are covered with a bloom that looks like black soot.If the watering is damaged, it is necessary to reduce, remove diseased leaves. Ficus can be sprayed with a fungicide solution (Strobi, Skor).
Additional tips and tricks
In winter, it is advisable to reduce the amount of watering and completely stop feeding. The optimum storage temperature in winter is 20 degrees Celsius. Daylight hours must be at least 10 hours. If necessary, the plant is illuminated with fluorescent or LED lamps.
Ficus Natasha does not like to be moved to different places. The plant should not stand in the shade or in a draft. If Natasha doesn't like something, she'll throw the leaves away. Certainly, there is no need to worry about this. It is advisable to bring the plant closer to the window, provide it with an optimum temperature, timely watering and feeding.