Without a doubt, ficuses are one of the easiest plants to maintain and quite resistant, ideal for beginners. Moreover, there are many of them and you can find the one you like the most. Such is the case of ficus elastic. Their care is not complicated at all, quite the contrary.
But what are they? And how is the elastic ficus? If you’re wondering, we’ll tell you about him and the care he needs.
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How is the elastic ficus
Elastic ficus is also known as rubber tree or rubber tree. It’s a tree that grows in its natural habitat between 20 and 30 meters highalthough when grown in a pot it hardly exceeds one meter.
It has an irregular trunk that can reach a thickness of 2 m. But the most striking are the large leaves that it develops, of a glossy dark green color. Of course, since the branches are neither too thick nor too strong, they tend to fall under the weight of the leaves. For this reason, it is always recommended to put a stake on it so that the branches do not break or its appearance is disfigured.
Fast growing, this tree, native to tropical Asia, is one of the most popular as a houseplant, but the truth is that it can also be kept outdoors if the necessary care is taken.
It’s not usual, but you should know that bears fruit, they are similar to figs, but in taste they are nothing alike. In fact, it is better not to eat them.
Ficus elastica: main care
Now that you know a little more about rubber ficus, let’s dive right into the care you need to give it for it to be successful. More specifically, they are the following:
Location and lighting
As we mentioned earlier, this factory does not have a specific location. As long as you can give the rest of the care, It doesn’t matter whether you are indoors or outdoors.
what you owe attention is to light. He needs as much light as it is something he loves and is also looking for. So, if inside the house you can provide good lighting, then you will be fine. And if so, you won’t have a problem.
Of course, although it tolerates direct sun, in the hours of greatest incidence it can have problems because it could burn them. In addition, we recommend that you rotate the pot so that all the leaves are fed and it can offer a better appearance.
Temperature
love someone average temperature between 16 and 21 degrees. It tolerates both tropical and Mediterranean climates. But what it can’t stand is frost.
It has trouble adapting to temperatures, so you have to have be very careful because any sudden change it will make you suffer and it is harmful. To give you an idea, if you have it in a pot outside and put it inside the house, its leaves will drop due to this change in temperature. Therefore, it’s very tricky in that sense, and you should try to keep it constant.
The first year is the most complicated because it is the one where he must adapt to the changes in temperature of his new environment. After that, you are more likely to advance.
Irrigation
With the elastic ficus, one of the most important care is that of irrigation. You should know that tolerate drought, it is therefore plants that “less than more” is preferable.
Alone when you see that the substrate is completely dry you can water it. In addition, it doesn’t need a lot of humidity either, as it adapts well to dry climates. For this reason, it is better to water little, although several times over time, than to overdo it and drown it (as this will affect root rot).
As for humidity, it does not require you to maintain constant humidity, it easily adapts to the climate.
If you overwater, the plant will tell you, as the lower leaves will turn yellow and drop off. When this happens, stop watering until you notice the soil is very dry.
An emergency action if the soil is too soggy is to remove it from the pot, scoop out the soil (which will come out easily as it is very wet) and put new dry soil over it. This, although it puts stress on the plant, can save it by preventing the roots from rotting due to being in wet soil for a long time.
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Once a month during its growing season (from spring to summer) it is convenient for you to pay for it. The best is liquid fertilizer that you mix with the irrigation water.
In winter, it is better to let it rest with fertilizer, so it will be about 3 months without it.
Now, if you see that it is a little weak, you can fertilize it, instead of once a month, every 3 weeks. Do not exceed the dose recommended by the manufacturer.
earth
You should know that in this sense, the elastic ficus does not need a lot of substrate. He goes well with anyone.
However, among your care you must keep it in mind, because If you give him soil with lots of nutrients and drainage, he will thank you a lot more. In this sense, opt for peat with coconut fiber, vermiculite or perlite.
Another option is to use compost or earthworm humus, but always mixed with some drainage.
Cut
Pruning is necessary to remove leaves and branches that appear diseased, dead, etc. Indeed, it is advisable to prune the young shoots so that they generate new branches because it is difficult for it.
Some experts point out that It is good to pinch it to stimulate the appearance of new branches.
It should be done in spring and summer, when it tolerates pruning best. But if in winter or autumn there is a branch in poor condition, as long as it is not too drastic pruning, it will be able to tolerate it.
Plagues and diseases
In this aspect, you should be more careful. In the case of parasites, there are two very important things to keep in mind: red spider, which can seriously damage the ficus; and the cochinealwhich will feed on the sap of the plant.
Fortunately, both can be treated.
Regarding the diseases, these can be given by:
- lack of lighting, which will cause the leaves to fall off and lose its strength (the solution is to give it more light).
- over wateringwhich will rot the roots and cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off.
- unsuitable terraincausing massive leaf drop and leaf color change.
Is the care of elastic ficus more clear to you?