Exotic and evergreen Robust ficus is always appropriate in any interior. Its large glossy leaves are dark green and attract the eye. Botanists do not know the origin of this plant for sure, but the peculiarities of caring for Robusta's ficus at home make it clear that his native land is warm southern regions. Do not expect that the regular watering of the plant will be enough. Care for him is fraught with a number of difficulties, so you need to know about them before buying a fig.
Features of care
The first thing that is necessary to provide a ficus is a permanent place, well protected both from drafts and from direct sun rays. The ideal solution may be a window sill on the west or east side. Here the ficus will be removed from maximum illumination. However, avoid the proximity of radiators and other heaters. Streams of heated air will lead to the fact that the leaves will first lose their shine and elasticity, and then start to fall off.
If you purchased a plant planted in a plastic shipping pot, do not rush to immediately transplant Robust's ficus into another container. The plant needs adaptation to new conditions. You can transplant the ficus of Robust after two or three weeks have passed. For this purpose, a special primer is best suited, but if it is not available, you can use the universal one. Do not be frightened if, in a few days after the transplant, your handsome man starts actively dropping leaves. The fact is that this is inevitable in the process of adaptation. Help the plant can be sprayed with a slightly concentrated solution of growth stimulants.
As for watering, he is at the forefront of the list of requirements that must be met by those who decided to grow Robust Ficus at home. If you compare this plant with other common species of ficuses, then its leaves are more juicy, and, therefore, more than others need replenishment of moisture reserves. But there is no clear watering schedule, because both the temperature and the humidity in the room are important. The most reliable way to check whether there is a need to water the plant is to check the dryness of the soil at the depth of one phalanx of the finger. If the substrate is dry, boldly water the ficus. There was dirt on the finger? Then it's worth to wait a bit with watering. By the way, it is better to take water for this purpose (12 hours will be enough).
Courting is necessary both for the very ficus of Robusta, and for the soil in which it grows. From time to time it must be loosened (two or three times a month). Due to this procedure, the substrate is saturated with oxygen. And do not forget to wipe the leaves of the ficus from the dust with a damp soft napkin!
But the formation of the crown of the ficus of Robusta is carried out in the spring. Pinch the tip is necessary in order for the side buds in the leaf axils to become more active. The increased growth of lateral shoots will allow the plant to grow evenly, and the trunk will not stretch and become bare. Before cutting off the tip of Robust's ficus,
Diseases and pests
Most of the diseases of the Robusta ficus is a consequence of improper care. Overflow leads to the fact that the plant drops leaves, and new ones grow small, deformed, turn yellow. The soil is covered with a whitish coating.
Of pests for ficus are a danger of spider mite , mealybug , aphids and scab. In these cases, treatment with an insecticide is indispensable.