Without a doubt, ficus are one of the easiest plants to care for and quite resistant, ideal for beginners. In addition, there are many different ones and you can find the one you like the most. Such is the case of elastic ficus. Her care is not complicated at all, quite the opposite.
But what are they? And how is the elastic ficus? If you are wondering, then we will tell you about him and the care he needs.
How is the elastic ficus
The elastic ficus is also known as the rubber tree, or rubber tree. Is a tree that grows in its natural habitat between 20 and 30 meters high, although when grown in a pot it barely exceeds a meter.
It has an irregular trunk that can grow in thickness up to 2m. But the most striking are the large leaves that it develops, of a shiny dark green color. Of course, because the branches are not too thick or strong, they tend to fall under the weight of the leaves. For this reason, it is always recommended to put a tutor 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 appreciated as an indoor plant, but the truth is that it can also be kept outdoors if the necessary care is provided.
It is 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 what the elastic ficus is like, we are going to focus directly on what care you have to provide for it to succeed. Specifically, they are the following:
Location and lighting
As we have mentioned before, this plant does not have a specific location. As long as you can give the rest of the care, It doesn't matter whether you're indoors or outdoors.
What you do owe pay attention is to the light. It needs as much light as possible because it is something that it loves and that it is also looking for. So if inside the house you can offer good lighting, it will be fine. And if it were too, 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 nourished and it can offer a better appearance.
Temperature
loves one average temperature between 16 and 21 degrees. It tolerates both a tropical and a Mediterranean climate. But what it does not support is frost.
It has a hard time adapting to temperatures, so you have to have be very careful because any sudden change it will make you suffer and that is harmful. To give you an idea, if you have it in a pot outside and put it inside the house, its leaves will fall due to that change in temperature. Therefore, it is very delicate in this sense, and you should try to keep it constant.
The first year is the most complicated because it is when he must adapt to the changes in temperature of his new environment. After this you have more chances to get ahead.
Irrigation
With the elastic ficus, one of the most important care is that of irrigation. You should know that tolerate drought, so it is of the plants that "less than more" is better.
Solo when you see that the substrate is completely dry you can water it In addition, it does not need a lot of humidity either because it adapts well to dry climates. For this reason, it is better to water little, although more times over time than to overdo it and drown it (because it will affect root rot).
As for humidity, it does not require you to maintain a constant humidity, it adapts to the climate easily.
If you over-water, the plant will tell you, because it will cause the lower leaves to turn yellow and drop off. When that happens, don't water again until you notice that the soil is very dry.
An emergency action if the soil is too soaked is to remove it from the pot, remove the soil (which will come out easily as it is very wet) and put new dry soil on it. This, although it puts stress on the plant, can save it by preventing the roots from rotting due to being in the moist soil for a long time.
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Once a month in its growing season (from spring to summer) it is convenient that you pay it. The best is the 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, elastic ficus does not need much in terms of substrate. It fits well with anyone.
However, among your care you should keep it in mind, because If you give him a soil with a lot of nutrients and drainage, he will thank you much 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.
Pruning
Pruning is necessary to remove leaves and branches that appear diseased, dead, etc. In fact, it is convenient to prune the young shoots so that it generates new branches since it is difficult for it.
Some experts point out that It is good to pinch it to stimulate the appearance of new branches.
You have to do it in spring and summer, which is when it best tolerates pruning. But if in winter or autumn there is a branch in poor condition, as long as it is not too drastic a pruning, it will be able to tolerate it.
Plagues and diseases
In this aspect, you should be more careful. In the case of pests, there are two very important things to keep in mind: la Red spider, which can severely damage the ficus; and the cochineal, which will feed on the sap of the plant.
Fortunately, both can be treated.
With respect to diseases, these can be given by:
- lack of lighting, which will make the leaves fall off and lose strength (the solution is to give it more light).
- Excess irrigation, which will rot the roots and cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off.
- unsuitable land, causing a massive fall of the leaves and a change of color in them.
Is the care of the elastic ficus clearer for you?