How to properly propagate ficus
Today, almost every apartment has such a plant as ficus. The first question facing a person who has just acquired it is how to plant a ficus? Home care is not difficult, so even a beginner in floriculture can cope with reproduction. So, it's time to talk step by step about how to plant a ficus at home so as not to harm it.
How to propagate ficus at home
General Provisions
How to propagate ficus? There is a certain technology. Ficus reproduces at home using several methods:
- cuttings;
- sprouts with leaves;
- air outlets;
- seeds.
How the ficus reproduces will depend on its variety. However, there are general rules that are the same for all species. Reproduction of ficus at home is carried out in the spring, when the juice is just beginning to move. Growing in open sunlight threatens the plant with burns. The degree of illumination should be different for each grade.
It is only necessary to cut off branches with a pruner or a sharp knife. The blade must be decontaminated. Before putting the cut off branch into the water, wipe off the milky juice with a wet sponge and leave to dry for some time in the fresh air. Only after the release of liquid has ceased, the stalk can be placed in a glass of water. Reproduction of ficus by cuttings implies pruning only woody branches: from still green shoots, the root system will not be able to develop.
Cuttings
Reproduction of ficus by cuttings is the most popular method among gardeners, because it is distinguished by its ease of implementation and a high degree of successful rooting after. For trimming, a sharp, disinfected blade must be prepared. All manipulations should be carried out in a warm room with sufficiently good lighting. The cut must be made as far as possible from the top of the sprout, however, the first bud should be at least 10 mm from the cut. The length of the branch itself should be approximately 16 cm.
It is recommended to wash off the white milky juice immediately. Reproduction of ficus by cutting for a large-leaved plant also includes cutting the leaves to half. Before placing the sprouts in water, they put activated charcoal in it to disinfect the cut site. To speed up rooting, you can place the trimmed stalk in a greenhouse.
The container with the handle is covered with a jar on top and placed in a warm place. When the roots appear, the jar is removed and the cutting is planted in the soil. During the adaptation period, the plants can be covered with polyethylene.
Propagation by cuttings is the easiest way, because no special care is required for the sprouts themselves after pruning. After circumcision, you just need to regularly change the water in the vessel. Within a month, the root system will be visible at the cutting. After the roots appear, the sprouts are planted in small pots. If they are too large, the root system will start to rot.
Air layers and sprouts with leaves
Reproduction of ficus at home by cuttings includes cultivation by cuttings with leaves. From the upper edge of the cutting to the cut point should be the same as in the first case, 16 cm. The branches are planted directly into the ground and placed in a separate room with a certain temperature regime and appropriate humidity. The leaves are folded into a tube and tied with a soft thread so as not to injure.
After 30 days, the shoots already have a fairly powerful rhizome. In a similar way, a leaf is used for reproduction of ficus, this method of vegetation is especially relevant if a large-leaved plant variety grows at home. It is not necessary to cut branches at home. You can propagate ficus with air layers. To do this, find a suitable woody twig and cut off all the leaves from it.
A circular incision is made on the trunk itself at the junction. Milky juice should be removed with a wet cotton swab, avoiding contact with the poison on exposed skin. A chip is inserted into the incision itself, and around it is treated with moss and wrapped in polyethylene. The film must be airtight so that moisture does not evaporate from the cut. However, there must be enough air under the film to prevent decay.
Leaving involves observing the diversion. When the moss is covered with roots, the sprout can be planted in another pot. All kinds of stimulants can be used to accelerate growth.
Sowing seeds
Reproduction of ficuses can be carried out by seeds. The fresher they are, the more likely they are to germinate. Seeds can be planted at any time of the year, if possible, to supplement future sprouts. The best planting time is from February to April.
The soil in the container for planting is not poured to the top, but 3-5 cm lower. The soil is well moistened and tamped by hand or with a plank. Seeds should be spread evenly in rows. To do this, use a thin stick moistened with water. Each seed is glued to a stick and only after that it is introduced into the ground.
If a fine-structured soil is used, a small layer is poured over the seeds. To create the necessary moisture, the pots should be covered with glass or plastic. Depending on the type of plant, it is necessary to additionally cover the pot with paper. The first shoots will appear in 10-60 days.
Seedling care includes:
- airing every 4 days;
- transfer to a lighter room when the first shoots appear.
Initially, the sprouts are completely different from ficuses. Growth is very slow. The leaf appears only after 1.5 months. Young shoots are planted only after 3 months. During transplanting, you need to make sure that the neck of the rhizome is at the same level as before.
Transplant
One of the important factors of favorable further development and growth is plant transplantation. There are several signs by which you can determine that it is time to transplant a flower:
- at the bottom of the pot, roots protrude from the ventilation holes;
- the soil dries out too quickly after watering;
- in the upper part of the soil, a plexus of roots is visible.
How often the transplant will be carried out directly depends on the age of the plant. If these are young trees, then the pot should be changed once a year, for older plants it is recommended to change the pot no more than once every 2 years. The procedure is carried out in early spring. When deciding to use a cut-off top to multiply flowers in the house, it is preliminarily kept in water until the roots appear.
Experienced flower growers say that indoor ficus can be planted without roots in the ground. However, this procedure requires certain skills, so it is better to use the exact method and do everything right. When the sprout sprouts, it will take root in the soil much faster and the plant will develop much better.
The pot is changed by the transfer method.Drainage is laid out in a prepared pot with ventilation holes on the bottom. Then the universal mixture is poured into about half, the flower is carefully taken out of the old pot along with the earthen coco. It is not necessary to pre-fill the plant before transplanting. Then they put the rhizome in a new container and cover the plant around the ground in such a way that the neck of the rhizome is not buried, but is in the same place, otherwise the flower may die.
Features of breeding different varieties
Indoor ficuses are classified into many types. Caring for each of them implies a separate vegetative reproduction. It is necessary not only to create comfortable conditions, but also to be able to properly plant the ficus. Benjamina is a variegated representative, which is suitable for all types of vegetation described above. This type includes such varieties as:
- starlight;
- kinky;
- Natalie and others.
The easiest way to propagate these plants is by cuttings. Also, when forming the crown of a young plant, you can tear off the top and use it for further breeding.
The broadleaf rubber plant reproduces by air vents or cuttings. Cutting off a leaf from such plants is impractical: it will not be able to become a full-fledged plant, even if the root system develops. The most popular varieties of this species are Belize, Abidjan, Robusta, Tineke, etc. Shrub ficus is propagated by cuttings. The brightest representative of dwarf ficuses is anuk.
Conclusions, generalization
Caring for a ficus is a simple matter, but it requires observance of some nuances. In order for plants to always please the eye and arouse the envy of guests, you need not only to create comfortable conditions for growth, but also to learn how to properly transplant plants and propagate them.
Often when pruning young tree-shaped ficuses, people do not know what to do with the top. You should wipe off the milky juice and put the shoot to dry, then hold it in water until the roots appear, and you can safely plant it in the ground. Propagation by cuttings does not require any effort at all. Caring for a cut sprout means only changing the water regularly throughout the month. It is this period that will be needed to form the root system.
The breeding method by air vents is much more complicated and requires certain skills. You can learn more about this method and others by watching the video "all methods of ficus propagation." The video will tell you a step-by-step transplant scheme. Another breeding method is seeds. This vegetation process is the longest and most laborious. Ficus can be propagated in various ways, and the method of flower propagation will directly depend on the variety.