HanifMR.com - The Weeping Fig, often called Ficus, is extremely popular as a houseplant but sometimes difficult. Here you can read what you need to consider during care.

The Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina) iStock/katerynap

Characteristics

The Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina) Characteristics Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay

Origin

The Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina) is often referred to as "Benjamini" or simply as Ficus and is one of the most popular indoor plants. There are hundreds of Ficus species, such as the rubber tree (Ficus Elastica) or the violin box tree (Ficus Lyrata), which are also common as indoor plants. But when one speaks of his "ficus" among indoor plant fans, it is usually clear that the Weeping Fig is meant. It is also very popular as an office plant.

The homeland of the Weeping Fig is in the subtropical and tropical regions of East Asia, Oceania, and Australia. Its range extends from Nepal through India, Bangladesh, and southern China to Malaysia. There are also natural populations in the Solomon Islands and northern Australia. In the meantime, however, the Ficus is widespread in the tropics and subtropics around the globe as an ornamental plant. It has grown wild in many places as a so-called neophyte. In warm countries, it is often grown as a small street tree or as a hedge planted. It is very easy on pruning and is therefore ideally suited for topiary pruning. Also, as a bonsai, the tree is often cultivated, but mainly small-leaved, weaker-growing varieties such as' Nana 'or Natasja'.

Weeping fig 'Natasja' as bonsai. iStock/mtreasure

Growth

The botanical species named Benjamina (biblical: "the youngest") is no coincidence because, with a height of a good ten meters and a width of eight meters, the Weeping Fig is a rather small representative of the genus Ficus. The leaves are also relatively small. The young twigs covered with smooth, ocher-yellow bark are noticeably thin and hang clearly over the tips. As a free-growing tree, the plant can reach a trunk diameter of 50 centimeters in its home and forms a densely branched broad oval crown.

Leaves

The striking light gray bark peeling off in older trees and the elliptical, long, pointed leaves probably inspired the botanists to use the German name Weeping Fig. As with most tropical trees, the foliage is evergreen, and the leaves have a strikingly smooth, shiny surface. They are alternate, and the new leaf buds are remarkably thin, long, and pointed.

In addition to varieties with different leaf sizes, there are now many variegated ornamental forms with white-green or yellow-green foliage. Depending on the variety, the leaves are marbled, veined or edged white, yellow or light green.

Blossoms

As a ficus owner, you rarely enjoy the blossoms in Germany - only in the light and warm winter garden do the houseplants sometimes form blossoms in the leaf axils. The small, spherical inflorescences are composed of separate-sex flowers and look like fruits because of their spherical appearance.

Fruit

The flowers have only turned into fruits when they are about the size of a sloe and take on an orange-red color. From a botanical point of view, these are so-called collective fruits. However, like all parts of the Weeping Fig plant, they are slightly poisonous. Their consumption can cause nausea, diarrhea, and cramping stomach pain.

Location

As a typical forest edge and clearing tree, Ficus Benjamina needs a bright, 22 to 28 degree warm, but not too sunny location during the growing season. Especially with the variegated species, leaf burns occasionally occur in the blazing midday sun, for example, when they are kept outdoors on the terrace in summer. Nevertheless, they need more direct sunlight than the green-leaved species so that the brightly colored leaves can color themselves well. In winter, the temperature should be lowered to around 18 degrees - this way, the plants can cope better with the lower amount of light.

When the site conditions are unfavorable, weeping figs quickly shed their leaves. Flora Press/MAP

The Ficus sometimes reacts somewhat sensitively to changing location conditions such as strong temperature fluctuations, drafts, or the ground's cold and sheds some of its leaves. On this point, the variegated leaves are somewhat more problematic than the green-leaved varieties. Even with a lack of light, leaves usually fall off. Weeping Figs, on the other hand, tolerate dry heating air relatively well.

Substrate

Commercially available houseplant soils are not very suitable as a substrate: They are usually far too humus-rich and therefore not structurally stable in the long term. The manufacturers tend to be sparing when putting together the soil recipes with the important mineral components - these are comparatively expensive depending on the starting material and cause higher transport costs due to their high weight. Therefore, Indoor plant professionals mix their soil by adding about a third to half of the purchased indoor plant soil with mineral additives such as building sand, weed-free garden soil, buy lava chippings, and enrich clay granules. The Ficus also needs a corresponding mineral content, which may partly be a bit coarse-grained. The pH value for the Ficus is optimally between 6.5 and 7.

Watering

If you consider the site and soil conditions, a Ficus is very easy to care for. Provide your Benjamini regularly with water during the growing season, but let the ball surface dry well now and then before you water the Ficus again. You can determine the right time with the so-called finger test: If the soil in the top of the pot still feels slightly damp, you should wait to water it. A trivet under the planter is also recommended, as Weeping Figs are sensitive to waterlogging. Excess water in the cachepot often goes unnoticed. It is best to use rainwater at room temperature or stale tap water that is not too lime-rich for watering.

Fertilize Weeping Fig

You should fertilize your Ficus from March to September about every two to three weeks with a liquid green plant fertilizer, administered according to the dosage recommendation on the bottle with the irrigation water. If possible, use a branded product because studies show time and again that cheap fertilizers from the discounter sometimes have major deficiencies in terms of their nutritional composition. In winter, fertilization every six to eight weeks is completely sufficient.

Repot

It is best to repot a newly purchased Weeping Fig into better soil because the substrate in the sales containers is usually of very poor quality. Otherwise, the Ficus can be moved into a slightly larger pot every two to four years in March, depending on size and vigor. The diameter of the jar should be no more than six centimeters larger than the old one.

'Twilight' is one of the most famous variegated leaves of the weeping fig. Flora Press/Visions

Cut

If it gets too big, you can use scissors to cut your Weeping Fig to the size you want at any time. But be careful with the white, sticky, milky sap: Like the rubber tree (Ficus elastica) grown as a supplier of natural rubber, the Weeping Fig also exudes latex, which contains latex, when the bark is damaged. That's why latex allergy sufferers shouldn't bring Benjamini into their homes. But the milky juice can not only trigger allergies, but it can also ruin clothing and the floor.

It is best to take pruning measures outdoors on the lawn, then shower the plant with room temperature water from a large watering can, and let the milky juice dry for a few hours before you bring your Ficus back into the house.

Other Care

A lukewarm shower is good for Ficus two to three times a year. To do this, place it in the bathtub and wrap the ball of the pot in foil so that it does not get wet. Then shower your Benjamini with lukewarm water to remove the dust from the leaves. In addition, you should occasionally spray the tree from all sides with rainwater at room temperature and turn the pot regularly on the windowsill so that the Weeping Fig does not grow one-sided towards the light. Multicolored varieties sometimes form single shoots with single-colored green leaves. These must be cut out of the crown immediately, as they are more vigorous than the other branches. The colorful foliage would otherwise fade into the background over the years.

Propagate Weeping Fig

It is very easy to propagate the Weeping Fig by cuttings. Usually, you put two or three shoot tips that were previously defoliated down in a pot with potting soil and covered it with foil to hold up to the humidity. However, in the case of the green-leaved species, the rooting in the water glass on the windowsill also works very well without any protection against evaporation. As soon as the first roots appear, the cuttings are planted in potting soil and pruned a little so that they branch out well and form a dense crown.

Propagating weeping figs by cuttings is very easy. MSG/Martin Staffler

Diseases and Pests

The most common pests on the Ficus are scale insects. You can often only track them through the leaves stuck with honeydew because they know how to camouflage themselves very well. Infested plants should be isolated from other houseplants immediately and treated with a rapeseed oil preparation such as "Pest-Free Natures". Alternatively, plant protection sticks can be used during the vegetation period, which are stuck into the ground and whose active ingredient reaches all plant parts with the sap flow. All other pests and diseases hardly play a role in the robust weeping fig.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Which soil is suitable for Ficus Benjamina?

  Conventional houseplant soil has to be enriched by around a third with mineral additives such as building sand, weed-free garden soil, lava chippings, and clay granules.

• How often do you have to water Ficus Benjamina?

  Ficus Benjamina should be watered regularly, especially during the growing season. The surface of the root ball may also dry out a little in between. It is best to check whether it is time to give a new dose of water with a finger test.

  When to cut a ficus

  If a ficus is too big or individual branches have dried up, the Ficus can be cut. The optimal time for pruning is in winter or early spring.

• Why does Ficus Benjamina lose leaves?

  If the site conditions are not ideal, the Ficus will lose its leaves. The houseplant is very sensitive to fluctuating temperatures, drafts, lack of light, or the ground's cold.
• How do you properly care for Ficus Benjamina?

  In addition to the right location and substrate, the Ficus needs regular watering to thrive. In addition, you should fertilize the room tree between March and September. To do this, a liquid green plant fertilizer is added to the irrigation water about every three weeks. In winter, a six- to eight-week rhythm is completely sufficient.