The ficus is a tree that is very beautiful indoors. It is a tall plant, with many leaves, and also has an exotic appearance, so it is not difficult to have a beautiful room if you place a specimen in it. But it usually doesn’t take long for problems to appear: first, the tips of the leaves turn brown, and eventually they end up falling off. Why?
Well, there are several reasons: it may be exposed to drafts generated by the air conditioner or fan, or the humidity in the air drops, or it may not get the care it really needs. So that, If you are determined to have a ficus indoors, it is important that you know what to do so that it grows well.
What does a ficus need to be healthy inside a home?
Let’s talk about this first, because it is very, very important if we want to know what care to give it. The ficus is a plant of tropical and subtropical origin (with the exception of the loaded with figs or fig tree, which grows in temperate regions of southwestern Asia), therefore, requires high air humidity. It is necessary that it stay above 40-50% throughout the year, otherwise its leaves could fall for no apparent reason.
In addition, It must be far from appliances that generate air currentssuch as the fan or the air conditioning, because otherwise, these currents will dry it even if the humidity in the room is high. In this sense, we will not have to put it in a transit area, such as a corridor for example, nor in front of a window that we usually have open all day and through which wind can enter more or less constantly.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it is a tree that needs a lot of lightand not just any light but natural. The lack of it is what makes it unable to have a good development. That is why it is not always possible to have a ficus indoors, since if we buy it and put it in a place with little light, it will be as if we were throwing money away since it will not survive long.
And now we are going to tell you what their care is.
How to take care of the ficus indoors?
Once we are more or less clear about what the most important needs of this plant are, we can start talking about the care it requires to be healthy. So, as soon as we buy it and get home, what do we have to do?
Put it in a spacious room with natural light
Being a plant that takes up a lot of space, we will have to find him a room in which he can be well; that is, one where it can be a little away from the wall and furniture without this being a problem for humans. And of course, it must be one in which there are windows through which a lot, a lot of light from the sun enters.
Change the pot from time to time throughout its life
People often make the mistake of keeping it the same for years and years. And this, really, is something that should not be done because not transplanting it will ultimately end up weakening it. You have to think that ficuses are large plants, and that they need a lot of space. They can be kept in pots, but only if they are pruned. And even so, we will have to plant our tree in a larger container every 3 or 4 springs, putting universal substrate on it.
Water it moderately
El ficus It does not tolerate much drought, but when it is kept indoors, it should not be watered frequently as it does not tolerate excess water. In fact, so that there are no problems with irrigation, it is best to check the humidity of the substrateAt least for the first few times. This can be done by inserting a stick to the bottom, since when you take it out we can see if it is dry (in which case it will come out almost clean), or wet.
Don’t forget to pay it
You have to pay the ficus indoors. Since our idea is to always have it in a pot, it is necessary that we pay it in spring and summer. For this, we can apply fertilizers for green plants such as this, or even nails like these which simply have to be introduced into the earth and watered. As the latter release the nutrients little by little, it will not be necessary to pay it every so often. But in any case, follow the instructions for use so that no problems arise.
Prune it in spring
And only if necessary; namely, if we see that it is growing a lot, or that it is even beginning to develop branches that are too long or poorly positioned, then we can prune iteither by removing said branch, or by trimming it. But for it to be done right, I recommend that you move a bit away from your plant so that you can observe it and thus have a clearer idea of how it is growing, how you want it to look, and therefore also which branch(s) you want to remove. .
Thus, you can have your ficus healthy and beautiful.
