How to Care for Ficus Tree

Indoor House Plants Flowers
Care for Ficus Tree

Working in the interior landscape industry for many years, I have found that house plants are very adaptable as long as changes are made slowly. This even applies to the fickle Ficus tree. Ficus trees can be difficult to acclimate because they are quite sensitive to environmental changes. Ficus trees will often react to changes by dropping most of their still green leaves quite suddenly.

However, on the positive side, if you know that it will most likely happen (some Ficus trees barely lose a leaf), you may be a little more prepared to deal with it when it does happen.

The most common Ficus around is the Ficus Benjamina or Weeping Fig. It is the old standard but it is one of the varieties that is more likely to do the shedding that leaves it bare and may leave you weeping!

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Ficus tree house plant questions or problems? You can send a houseplant question but before you do, please finish reading this page and other house plant care information on watering your indoor house plants, how to help keep your houseplant's root system healthy, lighting for your houseplants, and basic houseplant care. These are most important for your house plant's health and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an email.

Working in the interior landscape industry, I get a lot of questions from customers about their personal houseplants. It is nice helping them keep their indoor house plants growing and healthy. That is why I started this website, to help others learn how to care for their indoor plants and flowers. So please read on!

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Ficus Benjamina is still a great plant but if taking care of a Ficus that may be somewhat difficult scares you a little, you might want to try getting hold of a Ficus Elastica, which is also called a Rubber Tree, or Ficus Lyrata, common name Fiddle Leaf Fig. Another note about Ficus benjamina, I have found that the multi-trunk bush or column form is much easier to acclimate than the single trunk, standard form of Ficus tree.

Ficus Elastica and Lyrata are usually more tolerant of changes and of the lower light levels often available in the home. They can still do the same as the Ficus Benjamina and leave you with a trunk, some branches and a lot of leaves on the floor but it is much less likely.

If you still really want a Ficus you are a brave soul! You need to have a good lighting situation for it, a minimum of 150 foot candles. I have found that Ficus trees always do better under natural light from the sun. Some sunlight through a window is not going to hurt them if they are properly watered.

Ficus Tree Care
How To Water

In bright light with some sun, which is what your tree should be in, water the soil thoroughly when it has dried down about 1/2 of its depth. You should slowly let your Ficus dry a bit more, even almost all the way. With no sun, let the soil dry down 3/4 its depth or more. Reducing the frequency of watering slowly is a good idea with Ficus benjamina. It most likely has come from a high-light greenhouse and has been accustomed to more frequent watering. Using a moisture meter to check the soil of your Ficus tree will also be helpful. This type of Ficus can eventually be allowed to dry almost completely between waterings.

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If you have a new Ficus and it starts dropping green leaves, it is most likely due to the change in environment. If you have had your tree awhile, say more than six months, and it has been fine all that time and then it starts dropping green leaves, the cause is likely over watering. Check your watering habits.

Symptoms of under watering would be yellow and/or brown leaves dropping (lots of them) and stems may start to wither. Temperatures for your Ficus should ideally be kept between 65° and 85°F, avoiding very cold drafts.

Ficus Tree or Plant Care
Other Plant Care Tips

Prune your tree as needed to shape and promote new, beautiful growth. Ficus trees are prone to insects, including scale, mealy bugs, mites and thrips. Always inspect new plants thoroughly before purchase and reject any plant that has distorted growth, discolored growth, new growth that is dying or anything that looks unusual. Check the roots too, if possible. They should be firm and healthy looking.

Notes on New Ficus Trees and Care

Helping to Acclimate Your New Ficus Tree - So you bought a nice, healthy Weeping Fig Tree and have brought it home. One thing that can cause this tree to drop green leaves is an environmental change.

• Your new Ficus tree most likely came from a plant growers greenhouse very recently. Sometimes they acclimate them under shade cloth, sometimes not. Assume that they did not and provide as similar an environment to that greenhouse environment as you can. Warm temperatures, lots of humidity and moisture and most important, lots of natural light.
• Do not immediately fertilize your Ficus tree. It should have any needed nutrients already present in the soil, enough to last a year or so.
• Place your Ficus tree near a large window or in a sunroom.
• Give it a good watering, allowing excess water to drain away.
• Reduce the watering frequency slowly. It has been used to being watered frequently while in a greenhouse.

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One other thing that I have found to make a noticeable difference with acclimating a new Ficus. Immediately thin out some of the branches. Do not cut the main trunk but anywhere there is a lot of foliage, look for any crowding and thin out by cutting back branches to the main stem or trunk.

Do this slowly as you don't want to ruin the look of your tree. Your new Ficus tree can no longer support the amount of foliage it had while in that high light greenhouse. So you need to remove some before it falls off on your floor!

When you have finished doing this, and it may take some time to do it correctly, do a little tip pruning. Go around the tree and prune back some of the new growth at the tips of the branches, cutting just above a leaf node. Just a little down the branch, not too far.

That's about it, just be consistent in your watering, slowly changing the amount and frequency of watering as your tree requires. This should help your tree adapt more quickly to its new environment. Good luck with your beautiful new tree! Hope this has been helpful to you as you care for your Ficus tree and that all of your flowers and plants are healthy and growing. More flower and plant pictures, care, and information below...

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Houseplant Care Question?

Questions about your indoor house plants or plant care problems? You can send a house plant question, free of charge, no sign ups, registration or log in required!

Before you send a houseplant care question, please be sure to read this information on watering your indoor house plants, how to help keep your your indoor house plants root system healthy and lighting for your indoor house plants and flowers. These are most important for the health of your house plants and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an indoor house plant or flower care question.

You can post comments, find answers to plant care questions, or share some of your own plant wisdom on our plant care Facebook Page, Twitter page or visit my plant care blog. You can also find plant pictures, gardening ideas, and more at our plant and flower Pinterest page.

Thanks for visiting and come back soon as houseplant care information, pictures and more are being added all of the time. I hope that your indoor tropical house plants and all of your plants and flowers are happy, green and growing because that is why I started this indoor house plant and flower care website, PlantAndFlowerInfo.com.

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