2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Perhaps this is the only type of ficus that many Russians have known since childhood. Its tall, erect stem-trunk adorned the reception rooms of state institutions and the apartments of lovers of home exoticism. The large oval leaves looked more like plastic bowls that gleamed under the beams of electric bulbs than the soft foliage of familiar home-grown plants. And, for sure, few people knew that he was "rubbery"
Alien from Sumatra
By what unknown routes the rubber-bearing Ficus got to our frosty lands from the Equator itself, history is silent. After all, he was born on the island of Sumatra, an island that occupies the sixth position among the largest islands of our planet. The Equator itself divides the island into two parts, and in the tropical rainforests of the island, one of the main types of vegetation is rubber ficus.
The plant's Latin name, "Ficus elastica", sounds like Ficus elastic. This is due to the natural elastic rubber, which is contained in the milky juice of the plant (by the way, in the milky juice of our dandelion, mercilessly exterminated by gardeners, there is also rubber).
Habit
Ficus rubber is a very unpretentious creation of nature. In tropical forests, it grows up to 40 meters in height. In India, its flexibility and endurance is used for the construction of suspension bridges, for which they do not cut wood, do not arrange complex structures, but simply grow a bridge from a living growing tree.
Large leaves are attached to the stem with strong stalks. The surface of the leaves is leathery, glossy, from light green to dark green in color. There are varieties with variegated leaves, for example, the Tineke variety, which has a creamy pattern on its green leaves. The central vein on young leaves protrudes prominently above the surface, eventually acquiring a red color.
The milky juice running through the "veins" of the stems and leaves of the ficus gives a person not only rubber, but can cause allergies, causing reddening of the human skin.
Under indoor conditions, the original species of the plant is not grown. For this, there are special varieties, for example, "Robusta", "Decor", variegated "Tineke".
Growing
Ficus rubber requires a large pot, which stands all year round in one well-lit place of the room, without going for walks in the open air. Although, if possible, in the summer, the pot can be taken out to the balcony or terrace, directly under the direct hot rays of the sun. With a lack of light, the shoots weaken, which affects the thickness and brightness of the color of the leaves.
In mild climates, ficus can grow outdoors all year round. So, if you have a small house in the central regions of southern Italy, then you can safely plant ficus in the garden. True, if suddenly the weather begins to be capricious, and the thermometer drops below plus five (5) degrees, then the trunk of the ficus should be insulated and the peri-stem circle should be mulched better. If your little house is located much to the north-east, then all that remains is to admire the leathery large leaves of the ficus, sitting in a cozy armchair by the warm fireplace.
The soil for ficus consists of a mixture of fertile soil, deciduous humus and peat, which are taken in equal proportions.
In the summer, twice a month, it is advisable to feed the plant with complex fertilizer, adding 20 grams to a bucket of water for the next irrigation. Or sprinkle one teaspoon of granular fertilizer (for example, nitrophoska) on the soil surface of a pot with a diameter of 16-18 centimeters.
A tropical creature needs moist air, and therefore requires frequent morning spraying of the leaves in the summer. Watering in summer is plentiful and daily. In winter, less water is required, so the ficus is watered once a week, or even once every two to three weeks, depending on the air temperature in the room.
To maintain the appearance, the leaves are wiped with a damp soft cloth from annoying dust, damaged and dry leaves are removed. At the end of winter, stems that grow too quickly can be shortened.
Ficus is affected by fungal diseases, mealybug, fig wax false shield.
Reproduction and transplantation
Propagated in two ways: cuttings and air layers.
Cuttings are harvested in May-June.
Air layering is obtained by making an incision in the stems that are bare at the base.
A transplant in a larger container is carried out in the spring every two to three years.
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