Ficus care

In the world, there are more than 830 species of ficus that grow in tropical forests in the form of shrubs, lianas and trees. But for breeding in indoor conditions only about twenty-five varieties of this plant are used.

Common types of indoor ficuses:
Ficus elastica. The most unpretentious species and therefore the most common.
Ficus Benjamin (Ficus benjamina). This species is leading by the variety of color, shape and size of the leaves. He is very demanding of himself, he needs special watering, he does not like rearranging from place to place.
Ficus carica. Fruit plant, which with proper care can bring delicious fig fruits. The most successful for growing at home are varieties Kadotsky, Dagestan violet, Kadata and others.
Ficus binnendijk (Ficus binnendijkii). The leaves of this species are reminiscent of willow trees, which is why the people often call it "ficus quail".
Ficus lyrate (Ficus Lyrata). At home, it reaches 3-5 meters in height. The plant loves loneliness and bad neighbors with other flowers.

Plant transplantation
Ficus needs a transplant as the root system develops. Plants older than four years are transplanted every two to three years, young every year.
It is better to make a transplant in summer or in spring. The plant must be watered, then carefully removed from the pot with a clod of earth, slightly shaking roots off the ground and set in a pot of larger diameter. In the pot, the drain is pre-packed and sprinkled with fresh earth. The plant on the sides is covered with earth, compacting it. A very large specimen of the ficus can not be transplanted, so it is possible to change the top layer of the soil every year.