Caring for ficus kinki at home. We grow a miniature tree in the apartment - ficus Kinki

Ficus Kinki is one of the varieties of Ficus Benjamin and belongs to the mulberry family. It is a dwarf variety, leaves up to 4 cm in length, variegated with a salad or cream-colored edging. Ficus Kinki is widespread in the tropics of Australia, Africa and South-East Asia. Valued for its compact size and decorative appearance.

• Ficus Green Kinky. A variety with single-color green leaves. Outwardly it resembles the Natasha variety.
• Ficus benjamina mix. The most popular type. This variety name means that several different species were planted in one pot.

You can see all the varieties in more detail in the photo.

Ficus Kinki belongs to light-loving crops. It is recommended to grow in a well-lit room. The plant tolerates bright sun well, but on especially hot days the flower should be shaded. For the ficus Kinki, the flow of hot air is destructive, so you should not place the flower close heating devices. For the plant it is necessary to select in advance permanent place and, if possible, do not move or disturb the flower at all. If you constantly move a pot of ficus Kinki, the plant sheds its leaves. Suitable temperature ranges around 20-25 degrees.

Watering

The main rule in watering is not to over-moisten the soil, otherwise the flower may die. Ficus Kinki is quite small in size, so the moisture in the pot evaporates slowly. Stagnation of water can lead to rotting of the roots. Watering should be moderate, the soil should not be cracked or wet, like a swamp.

Ficus Kinki has no requirements for air humidity. The plant copes well with dry air. It is recommended to periodically remove dust from the leaves with a damp sponge and give the flower a warm shower once every 3 months. The most obvious advantage of such a variegated tree is its relative unpretentiousness. Caring for the Kinki ficus at home consists primarily of timely watering.

Soil and fertilizing

The soil should be loose and fertile. At a flower shop you can purchase ready-made soil for ficus plants or create a substrate yourself. To prepare the substrate you need to take the following components:

• peat (1 part);
• leaf soil (1 part);
• sand (1 part);
• drainage from small stones.

Over time, any soil becomes depleted, and it is necessary to fertilize the Kinki ficus between March and September. Feeding a flower during active growth requires comprehensive and mineral fertilizers. Usually the flower is fertilized once every 30 days.

Transfer

What to do immediately after purchasing a ficus Kinki? After you have purchased a flower, you need to replant it immediately, because the plant is sold in small pots. Also, the soil in which the flower is sold is not used for permanent cultivation. Ficus Benjamin Kinki is transplanted into a pot 3-4 cm larger than the previous one and the old soil is completely replaced. It is better to choose a ceramic or plastic pot. You need to place a few stones at the bottom of the pot to good drainage, and then the finished soil. Ficus Kinki is placed in the middle of the pot and the remaining soil is poured on top. Next, carefully compact the soil so that the soil tightly envelops the plant, and water it. IN further flower replanted annually.

Trimming

The plant is pruned to form a crown. The flower tolerates this procedure very well. You need to trim the crown so as to give the plant the look you want. Also for spectacular appearance you can plant 3 ficuses in one pot, and then get one voluminous ficus with a lush crown. In this case, the trunks of several trees may intertwine with each other over time.

Reproduction

Ficus Kinki propagation is carried out using apical cuttings. A suitable shoot must be cut with a sharp knife. The length of the shoot must be at least 10 cm, and it must have at least 1-2 leaves. A milky sap forms on the cut of the cutting, which needs to be washed off. warm water, and then dry the shoot. The prepared cutting is rooted in a nutrient mixture and covered with glass or a bag to create greenhouse conditions. The shoots are placed in a warm and bright place. The first roots will begin to form in 2 weeks. 1 month after planting the cuttings, they can be planted in permanent pots with a diameter of 8-10 cm.

Diseases and pests

The most common diseases of ficus Kinki are fungal infections.

• Powdery mildew is a plaque light color. The disease spreads on leaves during very high humidity and dampness. All affected leaves should be removed and the flower treated with a fungicide solution.
• Root rot occurs due to harmful bacteria that occur when the soil is over-moistened. In case of root rot, all rotten roots should be removed and the soil replaced with new one.

If the leaves of the Kinki ficus fall off, then there are three main reasons for leaf fall:

• Frequently moving plants from one place to another. It is not recommended to disturb the flower unnecessarily.
• If the plant drops all its leaves, then this reaction may indicate a lack of lighting.
• If a flower has dropped its leaves after purchase, this may mean that the plant is adapting to new conditions.

Ficuses are very popular indoor plants from the Mulberry family, which are also quite unpretentious in care. IN wildlife the genus includes more than 800 species of shrubs and woody plants. Among everything species diversity Ficus Benjamin is especially popular, as is its dwarf form, Ficus Kinki.

The plant is dwarf variety the well-known Ficus Benjamin. The height of the ficus Kinki is 35 – 40 cm. Distinctive feature representative of the tropical climate of Africa, Australia and Asia, in addition to size, there is also a light green color of small, narrow leaf blades with a light green edging. The lush crown, consisting of drooping shoots, tolerates cutting perfectly, thanks to which it is possible to form a beautiful standard tree With high degree decorativeness.

Caring for Ficus Benjamin Kinki at home

An undemanding plant due to its tropical origin needs to be respected certain rules when growing.

Temperature features, lighting, humidity, location

The heat-loving plant feels comfortable at room temperature in the range of 20 – 24°C, which is winter time can fall no more than 4 - 6°.

Carefully! The critical minimum is 12°C.

A representative of the tropics needs a high level of humidity. In hot weather, spraying is carried out daily with settled, soft water.

The absence of lime in it will avoid problems with marks on sheet plates. In winter, when the temperature drops, the procedure is not carried out.

Advice! As a hygienic water procedure, it is recommended to organize monthly exotic plants a warm shower, which is also a preventive measure to combat pests such as aphids and spider mites.

Caring for Ficus Kinki at home is not difficult, but it is important to remember that it does not like frequent rearrangements. Therefore, the flower must immediately select a permanent place near windows in the eastern or western directions, where it comes from. a large number of bright soft light necessary to maintain the variegated colors of the leaves.

Attention! Ficus is a plant with long daylight hours, so in winter it should be provided with additional light sources in the form of fluorescent lamps.

Soil requirements

To ensure the splendor of a decorative and bright crown, it is necessary to choose the right substrate, which must be loose and have good air and water permeability. To prepare the soil mixture, peat, turf soil and sand are used in equal parts. If you don’t have the ingredients or time to prepare the soil, you can purchase a ready-made substrate for ficuses, enriched with all the necessary nutrients, in a specialized store.

Watering and fertilizing

A competent watering regime is one of the key components that allows you to decorate the interior of a room with a beautiful and healthy plant. Moisturizing should be plentiful and regular. However, before each new portion of warm and settled water, it is necessary to control the moisture level of the earthen ball - the soil surface should have time to dry out by 2 phalanges of a finger.

Dwarf ficus with variegated foliage requires systematic feeding, which should include nitrogen in a lower concentration than for monochromatic varieties. When organizing additional food It is necessary to be guided by a frequency of 2 – 3 times a month. In winter, feeding stops, except in cases where the ficus is provided with long daylight hours and high temperatures. In such conditions, fertilizing is carried out monthly at half the concentration.

Pruning and crown formation

Pruning, which the Kinki ficus tolerates painlessly, is of a formative nature and, as a rule, is carried out in the spring. In the fall, you can carry out sanitary and corrective pruning, during which diseased and damaged branches are removed and shoots that stand out from the general crown are shortened.

To form a thick “cap” of variegated greenery, several plants can be planted in one pot, which, intertwined, with age form a very decorative and quite durable trunk that can withstand the weight of the green mass.

Transplanting a plant

The first transplant is carried out after acquiring the culture, when the ficus has undergone acclimatization. Subsequent procedures are carried out as the root system grows. Roots appearing in the drainage holes are a signal of encouragement to action.

The procedure is carried out as follows:

1. Select ceramic or plastic pot, the value of which will slightly exceed root system plants.
2. A drainage layer of gravel, expanded clay or small clay is placed at the bottom broken bricks.
3. Then the ficus is rolled over, preserving the old clod of earth, which will reduce stress for the plant.
4. The remaining space is filled with fresh substrate, which is slightly compacted and moistened.

Disease and pest control

Among the most common harmful organisms that are observed on ficus are:

• Powdery mildew. Fungal disease, which develops intensively with excessive air humidity. To combat it, you should resort to spraying with a fungicidal preparation and reduce the humidity.
• Root rot. Excessive watering causes a disease that affects the roots, the diseased parts of which should be removed for control purposes. The flower needs to be transplanted into a fresh substrate.
• Spider mites, scale insects, and aphids are sucking pests that attack the plant at low air humidity. As a protective measure, it is recommended to treat the shoots with an insecticide.

Plant propagation

Ficus Benjamin Kinki is propagated at home by vegetative methods, among which the most popular are cuttings and propagation by air layering.

Cuttings

During the procedure carried out in spring - summer, the following manipulations are performed:

1. Cuttings 10 cm long are prepared from apical shoots.
2. The milky juice is washed off with water, after which planting material slightly air dried.
3. The cuttings are buried 2 cm into the sand and peat substrate and covered with bottles.
4. The caps are periodically removed to ventilate and moisten the soil.
5. When rooting occurs, as evidenced by new leaves, young specimens are planted in individual containers.

Reproduction by layering

The method, carried out in the summer season, is ideal for rejuvenating the crop when:

1. An incision is made around the shoot.
2. The damaged area is wrapped in moistened moss and fixed with film or thick tape, which helps keep the sphagnum moist during root formation.
3. When the moss is full aerial roots, the shoot is cut off and planted in a previously prepared substrate.

What problems may a grower encounter?

Violation of the basic requirements for keeping ficus in a room environment can cause a number of difficulties:

• Ficus Kinki is shedding its leaves. The problem may be a consequence of drafts, hypothermia at temperatures below 12°C, lack of lighting or excess nutrients in the substrate.
• Ficus leaves are turning yellow. The difficulty is associated with a violation of the watering regime, in which the plant experiences stress and is susceptible to the development of harmful organisms.

Signs and superstitions associated with the ficus Kinki

In different nationalities, many signs and superstitions are associated with ficus, each person decides for himself whether to believe in them or not.

The most famous:

• Ficus nourishes the owner vitality and vivacity, therefore it is a wonderful gift.
• The plant drives away evil forces, possessing great strength and power.
• A representative of tropical flora symbolizes discord in the house and gives rise to gossip around people living next to it.
• When placing a flower in the newlyweds' bedroom, the formation of a new shoot promises the imminent appearance of the first child.

So, the ficus Kinki is an ideal indoor plant, combining the beauty of its form, the brightness of its greenery and low maintenance requirements.

The article contains up-to-date information that is directly related to this plant and allows you to better understand whether it is worth buying it and for whom it might be best choice. The article about all its features is also useful.

Ficus Kinki description and what to do after purchase, is it perennial or annual, poisonous or not

Dwarf variety evergreen with small leaves. It has wedge-shaped leaves with a white edge. into a spacious pot and fertilized with microelements so that the ficus does not experience stress. This flower is perennial and non-poisonous. In another article you can read all its features.

Ficus Kinki in the interior of the house, where to buy and how much it costs

Ficus will get along well both on the windowsill and near the TV, so it will fit perfectly into any interior design. Bought second hand or in flower shops for 500 rubles.

Ficus Kinki propagation and care at home, how to speed up growth

The plant is heat-loving, so even in winter the temperature should not drop below +15C, but in general it should be around +25C. Does not tolerate drafts and direct sun rays.

Ficus Benjamin Kinki transplantation and pruning, to what size it grows

Grows up to 70cm in height. Replant in spring or summer every three years. It is useless to prune a lonely tree, but you can give it shape by cutting off unsightly shoots and rotten leaves.

Ficus Kinki formation bonsai

Most often it is formed into a lush ball, taking into account the fact that in a pot there are two or three plants intertwined with each other.

Will the ficus Kinki come back to life if it has partially lost its leaves?

Leaves may partially drop due to drafts or direct sunlight and, of course, due to overwatering or vice versa due to underwatering.

Therefore, by eliminating unscrupulous care for the flower and giving it a little more attention in the form of fertilizing, you can revive it back and make it densely leafy.

Ficus kinki. Care tips from professionals.

Among all varieties of ficus, it is especially popular among lovers indoor plants uses ficus kinki. He has lush crown from thin shoots and has a special energy. This plant adds strength and lifts your spirits. Valued for small sizes and special decorativeness.

The graceful Ficus kinki is a dwarf variety of the famous Ficus Benjamin. It differs not only in size, but also in the color of the leaves. The leaves of the ficus Kinki are variegated, light green, framed with a salad or cream border; small and narrow (their length is approximately 4 cm). The stem of the ficus Kinki is woody, erect, the branches are drooping.

Ficus kinki takes a long time to get used to a new place and does not like frequent movements, which can cause it to shed its leaves.

✔ Lighting.

Kinki is a light-loving plant, so it prefers bright, diffused light. The plant should be shaded from direct sunlight in the summer. It is preferable to place the ficus on an east or west window. In summer, ficus can be placed on a north window. The south window is not suitable because the sun is too bright. At low light the variegation of the leaves is lost.
In winter, additional lighting is necessary, because With little light, the plant may shed its leaves.

✔ Temperature.

In summer, the preferred temperature is 23-25 ​​degrees. In winter, when the plant is resting, the air temperature should be no lower than 16 degrees. In summer, ficus can be taken out into the garden or onto the balcony closer to the sun's rays (with shading from direct sunlight) and fresh air. Ficus kinki react painfully to hot air flows, so the flower pot should be placed away from radiators and heating devices. Leaves also fall due to cold air currents. Therefore, this miniature ficus also needs to be protected from drafts.

✔ Watering and air humidity.

From March to September, water the ficus abundantly after it dries out. upper layer substrate. In autumn winter period Watering is reduced, watered moderately, a day or two after the top layer has dried. With excessive watering, due to waterlogging, the roots of the ficus kinki may begin to rot, while the plant simultaneously sheds a large number of leaves, which lose color. However, drying out of the soil mixture is also unacceptable. If the plant for a long time is without moisture, its leaves turn yellow and fall off. Thus, watering this plant should be moderate, without waterlogging the soil and without it drying out between waterings. Soft water is required for irrigation, room temperature. Excessive watering in winter can cause the death of the plant.
The leaves can be sprayed, especially in the summer in hot, dry weather, but the ficus kinki can easily do without it; it tolerates the dry air of apartments well and feels great indoors with high humidity. But in order to wash off the dust from the leaves, you need to rinse the ficus foliage under a warm shower, while carefully protecting the soil from the stream of water.

✔ Winter care.

In winter, if there is a lack of light, it is necessary to lower the temperature slightly, to +180C. It is advisable to place the plant on a stand in winter so that the pot does not stand directly on the floor or windowsill, otherwise cold air when ventilating the room will have a detrimental effect on the roots - the plant does not tolerate cold drafts and cooling of the root system at all. With a lack of light in autumn and winter, when the entire plant or root ball cools, the ficus loses its leaves and intensive leaf fall begins. Normally this should not happen. When conditions change in better side Ficus kinki resumes growth and is covered with foliage again.

✔ Fertilizers.

The plant is fed with universal flower fertilizers from spring to autumn, once every two weeks. But the frequency and abundance of fertilizing depends on the growth rate (which, in turn, depends directly on the lighting). The more actively it grows, the more feeding it requires. When growth rates decrease, fertilizing is reduced; in winter and with heavy leaf fall, it is canceled altogether.

✔ Formation.

However, if the ficus trunk is bare, you can stimulate the formation of new shoots and leaves by pruning. To do this, you can cut off part of the shoots, completely or partially; sometimes it is enough to pinch the tips of the lower branches so that new buds begin to grow. Pruning should be done in spring - early summer. The younger the ficus tree, the easier it is to shape by pruning.

When growing it, a crown is often formed; it can be given various shapes. To keep a young plant in an upright position, sometimes several plants are planted in one pot at once, intertwining their shoots as they grow, and over time the trunks grow together and become thick enough to hold a lush crown, also forming beautiful braids, trunks and trellises. Often grown as a standard tree.

✔ Transplantation.

Young ficus trees must be replanted annually. Older plants are replanted after 1-2 years, in the spring. For tubular specimens, replanting can be replaced by annual replacement of the top layer of soil. Sometimes with very active growth it is necessary to replant twice during the summer.

Pots can be ceramic or clay, with a diameter 2-3 cm wider than the root ball, or the previous pot in which the plant grew. When transplanted carefully, without damaging the roots, the ficus tolerates replanting well. After transplanting, you must refrain from watering for 3-5 days. A newly transplanted ficus should be watered very carefully; its roots can easily rot in wet soil. After transplanting or transshipment, the plant should be placed in a slightly shaded place.

✔ Soil.

Fertile, slightly acidic or neutral: 1 part turf land, 1 part leaf soil, 1/2 part sand, you can add a little charcoal. Or 1 part turf soil, 1 part peat soil, 1 part leaf soil, 1 part sand. Good drainage is necessary.

✔ Reproduction.

This ficus is easily propagated by cuttings and produces roots in water or soil. Before rooting, it is necessary to wash off the milky juice from the lower cut of the cutting, otherwise the blood vessels will become blocked and roots may not form.
Apical cuttings 8-10 cm with at least two pairs of healthy leaves ( bottom pair should be removed), in the spring in a greenhouse (or covered with polyethylene) in a mixture of peat and perlite or earth with sand, at a temperature of 25°C. Roots form in about 1.5-2 weeks. After rooting, plant it in a pot with a diameter of about 10 cm, and cover it with polyethylene for the first few days.

Propagated by seeds in a mini greenhouse at a temperature of 25°C. When the first leaf appears, the seedlings are picked and transplanted into 7-cm pots.

Affected by scale insects, false scale insects, mealybug, whitefly, aphids, spider mites.

The plant does not like drafts. In summer, it is preferable to keep the plant on the balcony or in the garden. In summer, the plant benefits from a warm shower.

✔ Air purification.

Removes toxins from the air and increases oxygen content.

Growing difficulties:

Ficus kinki takes quite a long time to get used to the new environment. That is why decide in advance on the place where you will put it. It is highly undesirable to move the plant in the future, since any movement can lead to the leaves falling off.

Most often, leaves fall in dry air when the heating is turned on.

The cause of leaf falling can also be a lack of light, hypothermia, excessive or insufficient watering. In most cases, if the cause is eliminated, the leaves will soon grow back.

Sometimes abscission lower leaves- a natural process that occurs as the plant matures.

Leaves wither and curl due to low temperatures. The tips of the leaves turn brown in dry air conditions due to insufficient humidity.

The new shoots are thin and the leaves on them are small, either as a result of lack of light or lack of nutrition.

Leaves may turn yellow due to overwatering of the plant.

The most common reason for ficus leaves falling off is a cold draft. Open in winter a window can cause the death of a plant. Cold window sills are also dangerous for plants - cold wet ground can destroy the roots of the ficus.

Ficus Kinky or fig tree is an evergreen dwarf perennial, which at a young age is a shrub and takes the form of a tree as it develops and grows.

Photo gallery

This is one of the varieties of Ficus Benjamin, also belonging to the Mulberry family, common in Australia, West Africa and tropical areas of Southeast Asia. In the natural environment, trees reach 25–30 m, but at home their height does not exceed 35–40 cm.

The plant humidifies the air in the room and cleans it of ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and others harmful substances.

The milky sap secreted by ficus when shoots or leaves are damaged is poisonous, so you should not keep it in places accessible to children and pets, and all transplanting and propagation procedures must be carried out with gloves.

Flowering and fruiting

The straight trunk of the ficus Kinki is covered with gray bark; the wide spreading crown is formed by thin branches drooping at the ends. The light green lance-shaped leaves are small, glossy, reaching no more than 4 cm in length, their edges are decorated with a border of cream or light green color.

In the natural environment and when grown in greenhouses, ficus can form syconia - small spherical inflorescences resembling berries, inside of which there are flowers. The fruits appear only after pollination by insects that penetrate the syconia through a small hole.

Does not bloom at home.

Signs and superstitions

Ficus is surrounded by many superstitions and signs; different nationalities attribute different things to it. magical properties. The most common ones include:

• endowing the owner with vital energy, vigor and positive mood;
• ability to clear a room evil forces, but to save family members from the evil eye and damage;
• Help in finding love for single people and strengthening the relationships of married couples.

In addition, according to Feng Shui philosophy, ficus is a conductor of monetary energy that can attract wealth and material well-being to the home. To do this, it should be grown in a green flowerpot decorated with monetary symbols.

Is the plant suitable for bonsai formation?

It is not difficult to form a ficus bonsai. The main thing to do is to limit root growth by planting the seedling in a small flat container, trim the roots regularly and pinch the top of the plant when it reaches the required height.

Get beautiful and original tree possible without even performing these manipulations. To do this, it is necessary to carry out regular pruning, not only removing all old, dry branches, but also shortening young ones, giving the desired shape to the crown of the plant.

Expert opinion

Mokhov Andrey Petrovich

To enhance the bushiness and density of the ficus, it is necessary to regularly trim the apical shoots.

Also, several ficus specimens are often planted in one flowerpot at once - this allows you to get a lush crown and intertwine and splice tree trunks together, giving them the shape of a net, braid or spiral. This is possible due to the flexibility that the trunks have before they are completely lignified.

Home care

Air temperature and humidity

The room temperature that promotes the proper development and growth of ficus Kinki should be +20–25 °C in spring and summer and at least +15 °C in winter. The critical indicator is +12 °C; with further cooling, the plant dies.

The optimal humidity level is 50–70%. To prevent the air from drying out in hot weather, you should spray the tree daily and give it a warm shower once a month.

Lighting and comfortable place

In case of lack of light, the plant slows down its growth, and its foliage becomes pale, while exposure to direct sunlight threatens the appearance of burns and also loss decorative look.

The ficus should be placed where there is bright but diffuse lighting; in summer it must be shaded. Window sills of western or eastern windows are well suited for this.

The tree does not tolerate flows of too warm or cold air, so the flowerpot should not be placed near heating devices or in a draft.

Expert opinion

Mokhov Andrey Petrovich

Graduated from KubSAU, specialty: agronomy

In summer, it is allowed to keep the Kinki ficus in the garden or on the balcony, if it is protected from the wind and scorching sun.

What kind of soil is needed?

The soil should be nutritious, light, have neutral or weak acidity (pH 5.5–6.5) and good moisture and breathability.

You can use ready-made soil for palm trees or ficuses, sold in flower shops, or soil mixture, prepared independently, consisting of equal parts:

• peat;
• coarse sand;
• turf.

To minimize the risk of rotting of the root system, crushed charcoal should be added to the resulting substrate.

To disinfect the soil and get rid of mold spores, bacteria, larvae and other dangerous microorganisms that may be contained in it, it is necessary to treat it with a weak solution of manganese or steam it.

Transfer

Young specimens need annual replacement of the pot and soil; plants older than 4 years need to be replanted every 3–4 years. The optimal time for this procedure is early spring, and the signal for its implementation is:

• overgrown roots visible above the surface of the ground or from drainage holes;
• incorrectly selected or depleted soil;
• end of the adaptation period after acquisition;
• presence of pests or disease.

Transplantation should be carried out using the transshipment method, preserving the earthen lump. This method allows you to minimize the likelihood of damage to the root system.

Step-by-step instruction :

• At the bottom of a new plastic or ceramic flowerpot, with a diameter 2–4 cm larger than the previous one, lay a drainage layer of expanded clay, perlite or broken brick and sprinkle it with soil;
• water the ficus;
• take it out of the old pot and place it in the center of the new one, without disturbing the earthen lump;
• fill the empty space suitable substrate;
• water and fertilize the plant.

Expert opinion

Mokhov Andrey Petrovich

Graduated from KubSAU, specialty: agronomy

Adult specimens whose pot diameter has reached 30 cm do not need to be replanted; it is enough to replace the top layer of soil annually.

What to do immediately after buying a flower?

You can buy ficus Kinki in florist shops or order online. The cost of a specimen with a height of 27–35 cm ranges from 500 to 1 thousand rubles.

A recently purchased plant must be replanted because the transport substrate is not suitable for growing it. But this procedure should be carried out 2 weeks after purchase - during this time the ficus adapts to new conditions.

You need to immediately choose a permanent place for the flower, because it reacts negatively to movements and frequent rearrangements can cause the foliage to fall.

Reproduction

The tree propagates by seeds and cuttings. The first method takes a lot of time and rarely leads to a positive result, so it is more often used in the natural environment or by professional breeders.

At home, it is best to propagate Ficus Kinki using apical or stem cuttings. To do this you will need:

• pruner;
• polyethylene film or glass;
• container with water;
• root formation stimulators – “Epin”, “Zircon”.

Cuttings step by step:

• during the active growing season, cut cuttings at least 10 cm long, each having 3–4 leaves;
• wash off the juice that appears, dry it and treat the cut areas with a growth stimulant (Zircon, Epin);
• place the cuttings in a container with settled water, create Greenhouse effect, covering it with polyethylene or glass, and keep it in a warm, bright place;
• After about 12–14 days, roots will appear, then the seedlings need to be planted in separate containers with a diameter of 10 cm.

Young shoots need the same care as adult specimens.

Fertilizer and feeding

The soil in which the ficus grows becomes depleted over time, and it begins to experience a deficiency nutrients necessary for the development of the root system and shoots.

From the beginning of spring to September, you need to feed the tree every 14 days with complex fertilizers for indoor decorative deciduous or variegated plants (Forte, Fasco, Etisso, Uniflor), adding them to the water when watering.

With the onset of autumn, the frequency of fertilizing should be reduced, and in winter, during the dormant period, it should not be used at all.

Watering

For the Kinki ficus, drying out the earthen clod is just as dangerous as its excessive moisture: in the first case, yellowing and falling leaves are possible, in the second - rotting of the root system. Therefore, you need to water carefully, focusing on the condition of the top layer of soil and the rate at which it dries 2–3 cm deep.

On average, watering is required once every 3-4 days in spring and summer and every 2-3 months in autumn-winter.

For irrigation, you need to use settled water at room temperature.

If you are going on vacation

During a long absence, you should place the plant away from the window - in the shade, moisture evaporates more slowly.

You can also place the flowerpot on a tray with wet expanded clay, thus organizing bottom watering, or put wet sphagnum on the ground and wrap the ficus plastic bag.

Problems during cultivation

Diseases. Table

If the ficus is completely healthy, but has slowed down or completely stopped growing, the problem may be with the size of the flowerpot. The plant is not able to develop normally in a small container, it is necessary to replace it with a pot with large diameter. At the same time, in a pot that is too large, the ficus will devote all its energy to developing roots, and the crown will still not grow.

Problems with leaves

Most often, the problem with leaves is their active falling. The reasons for this always lie in mistakes made in caring for the plant, such as:

• frequent movements;
• lack of light;
• excessive watering or use for this cold water;
• nutritional deficiencies due to untimely transplantation;
• excess fertilizer;
• choosing unsuitable soil or leaving the ficus in the transport substrate;
• keeping at too high or low temperature;
• exposure to hot or cold air flows.

In such a situation, it is necessary to determine exactly where the mistakes were made and organize suitable care behind the ficus.

Pests. Table