Ficus is a fairly popular indoor plant. Most often in homes and offices you can find Benjamin's ficus. It does not require special growing conditions, which is why it is so loved. But in order to maintain its decorative qualities, you need to provide it with full nutrition. Properly selected fertilizers for Benjamin's ficus and timely top dressing will help preserve the beauty of the plant.
Conditions for proper development
Ficus Benjamin feels good in a spacious pot. This does not mean that you need to immediately plant it in a flowerpot, you just need a pot where the plant will freely take root. At the same time, ficus does not like frequent transplants and changes of residence, this he needs constancy. He reacts to all changes in protest - dumps foliage.
Watering the plant needs moderate, always warm, settled water. Excess moisture and low temperatures cause root decay. Therefore, excess water, which is glass in the pan, must be drained immediately.
The shower for Benjamin's ficus should also be warm, and then wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. Otherwise, dusty stains will remain on the leaves, and the plant does not like this.
Nutrition needed by the ficus and signs of lack thereof
To know exactly what fertilizers are needed for Benjamin's ficus, you need to figure out what ficus eats.
For the proper development of the plant, he needs various macro- and microelements. There are 13 of them, the main one is nitrogen. It is nitrogen that forms the green mass, is responsible for the saturated color of the leaves. Thanks to him, photosynthetic processes proceed normally.
Also ficus needs:
- In phosphorus, due to which the root system of a plant grows and develops and resistance to diseases increases.
- Potassium, thanks to which the plant tolerates short-term droughts well.
- Calcium, which improves the metabolic processes of the flower.
These are the main elements; magnesium, manganese, sulfur, iron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, cobalt, and boron can be noted as additional elements.
When the soil begins to miss some nutrients, the flower goes hungry. This can be seen by the following signs:
- Growth slows down and then completely stops.
- The stems stretch and become thin.
- Leaves become pale, yellow spots appear.
- The elasticity of the leaves is lost, they can dry out and die.
- The plant's immune system begins to work poorly, therefore, susceptibility to diseases increases.
- Low pest resistance.
Feeding Benjamin's ficus should be carried out regularly until the above symptoms begin to appear.
The ficus will also respond to excessive fertilizer application: it will discard the foliage, and the soil will be covered with white coating.
How to properly feed Benjamin's ficus
Fertilizers are needed for the active growth and development of the plant. This is especially important during the growing season.
In the summer, the flower needs to be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. After that, the growth of deciduous mass will go. Such top dressing is also suitable in order to rehabilitate a damaged plant.
Since this flower is quite high (at home it grows up to 3 meters), fertilizers for the ficus of Benjamin should be varied. In specialized stores, you can buy ready-made fertilizers or prepare them yourself at home.
Before top dressing, you need to make sure that the ficus does not become crowded in the pot. As a rule, it is transplanted once every 4 years, when the roots completely entangle the soil in a pot. It is best to transplant ficus in spring or autumn when it is warm.
It is not necessary to prepare the soil for transplanting yourself; it is easier to purchase a special soil mixture for ficus in the store. In a special soil, the plant will take root faster.
Fertilizers for Benjamin's ficus will depend on several factors: soil, plant age, season. For example, if the substrate does not contain land, it means that there are absolutely no nutrients in it, and in this case, feeding is carried out all year round. Conventional land mixtures are periodically fed with organic or mineral fertilizers. As a rule, top dressing is carried out in the summer, every two weeks.
How often to feed ficus
Feeding Benjamin's ficus at home is not as common as other home flowers. But at the same time, the amount of nutrients should be enough for a good nutrition.
The larger the crown of the plant, the more nutrients it will need. In about two months, the ficus completely depletes the soil.
Intensive dressing will be required during the active growth of the plant - in the spring-summer period.
The last time dressing ficus at home is carried out in late September. When colds come, ficus goes into a state of rest, all processes slow down. The need for food is reduced, it is not necessary to fertilize it during this period.
If the room where the ficus is grown is warm and light enough, top dressing can be continued, but you need to reduce the rate and frequency.
What fertilizers for ficus Benjamin are
By origin, fertilizers are divided into two large types: mineral and organic.
Mineral fertilizers are inorganic compounds that are produced industrially. They have a very high concentration of nutrients, which means they will give a positive effect faster.
Organic fertilizers are decomposing residues of the vital activity of plant and animal organisms. They nourish plants well, improve soil, improve the functioning of beneficial microorganisms, but their effect is slower.
The best fertilizer for Benjamin's ficus is the alternation of mineral and organic fertilizers. This approach will provide the flower with the right nutrition for full development.
Mineral fertilizers
To date, there are not a few different fertilizers specifically for the ficus Benjamin. They contain minerals in the right ratio.
All drugs vary in the form of release:
- Dry - in powder, in tablets, in granules. From them prepare solutions or lay in the soil. In the latter case, they gradually dissolve when watering.
- Liquid - with the help of them they carry out root and foliar treatment of plants. They are distinguished by their quick action.
- Sticks - they are loved for prolonged action (up to several months). Placed next to a flower in a pot. Save time on plant care.
Organic fertilizer
Organics also vary in properties and composition. Today, organic fertilizers can be purchased in specialized stores for gardeners. The drugs are sold in dried and compressed form, do not have an unpleasant odor. It is very convenient to use them, these are excellent fertilizers for Benjamin's ficus at home.
The most popular Ficus fertilizers that are easy to use at home.
- Humus of animal origin is a natural source of nitrogen. It is this top dressing that is used for Benjamin's ficus for leaf density. Most nutrients are found in bird droppings. Products from bird droppings are superior even to manure. They act very quickly, almost like mineral fertilizers. It must be remembered that bird droppings are used only in the form of a solution. You can feed Benjamin's ficus with humus from cattle manure, horses, pigs, etc. It is also used as a solution.
- Vegetable humus - in this case, plant residues decompose. This fertilizer has many essential trace elements, it also makes a solution.
- Nettle. Nettle dressing contains elements such as nitrogen, potassium and magnesium. It is used to strengthen the root system, accelerate the development of plants, improve soil conditions. Leaves and stems must be prepared in advance, until seeds appear on the nettle. Fill the nettle half of the plastic bottle, pour water and leave to ferment for 2 weeks. The result is a dark green liquid, which is diluted with water for use. You need to water the ficus with a solution in a ratio of 1:10, and spray it - 1:20. Proportions can not be violated, since you can burn leaves and roots.
- Wood ash. It contains a lot of different elements, including potassium and phosphorus. From ashes for ficus make infusion: 1 tsp. ash pour 1 liter of boiling water and insist for 7 days. This infusion is watered with a flower. Also, to protect the plant from pests, you can powder the leaves with ash.
- Succinic acid. If Benjamin's ficus discards leaves, fertilizer is usually not required for it, it is a flower’s reaction to external stimuli, such as a frequent transplant, change of residence or improper care. If there is no change in the life of the flower, you can feed it with a crystalline colorless substance - succinic acid. It promotes flower growth, increases its vitality, improves soil microflora. For top dressing, you first need to prepare a concentrate: 1 g of succinic acid is dissolved in 1 liter of water. For spraying the leaves, this concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1, for root watering - in a ratio of 1: 4. It is recommended to feed ficus with succinic acid once a year, the finished concentrated liquid is stored for no more than 3 days.
Thus, fertilizers for Benjamin's ficus at home can be completely different, the main thing is to accurately observe the proportions when using them.
Root dressing
Root dressing - this is watering the plant with nutrient solutions, is the most common way. But in order not to harm the plant, this procedure must be carried out wisely. It will benefit the flower if you adhere to the following rules:
- Read the manufacturer's instructions and follow them exactly. Dosage can be adjusted according to the appearance of the ficus.
- Sick plants do not need to be fed - in this state they do not absorb nutrients. The flower must first be treated with fungicides and wait until it fully heals.
- It is not recommended to feed ficus immediately after transplantation, you need to wait 20-30 days for the plant to adapt and repair damaged roots.
- To prevent burns of the root system of the ficus, all dressings are applied only to moist soil.
Fertilizers for root top dressing can be different: both dry and liquid. It is important that the composition is evenly distributed throughout the pot so that all roots get food.
Foliar top dressing
Ficus also likes foliar top dressing. Through the leaves, useful substances are quickly absorbed by plants. Often, foliar treatment is used in emergency cases when the roots cannot take food from the ground. This procedure works very quickly, and the result is immediately visible. But solutions for spraying leaves are very weak, so they can not completely replace the main top dressing.
To maximize the effect of processing, it is important to carry it out correctly. Leaves need to be sprayed with a spray gun, always on both sides. Below the leaflet there are more stomata, through which fertilizer will be absorbed.
It is very important to properly prepare the solution for processing, that is, do not exceed the recommended dosages. Fertilizer can burn the leaves, then the ficus will become sick and die.
Conclusion
In order for Benjamin's ficus to feel comfortable at home, grow and fully develop, it is important to provide him with adequate nutrition. To do this, you need to use organic and mineral fertilizers in combination with proven folk remedies. Ficus responds well not only to regular feeding, but also to competent care - in this case, he will delight the household with his magnificent crown. Top dressing for ficus Benjamin for the density of leaves must be comprehensive, then the result will not be long in coming.