What 3 things can you do in winter with Ficus shedding leaves
Fiery fireworks, fellow flower growers!
Today on the agenda - Benjamin's ficuses, declaring owners on strike during the cold seasons. Every winter, indoor plant lovers are upset when they see another batch of dried leaves on the windowsill. Let's talk about 3 things that will save the day.
1. Leave the plant alone
The worst thing to do now is to stir up an already tired flower. We are talking about feeding, pruning and spraying. All these actions are absolutely useless and do not help Benjamin's ficus in any way in winter:
- Now the sun is shining very weakly and little. Such conditions are unfavorable for the ficus born in the south. Poor lighting is so disliked by the plant that it hibernates until spring. Ficus ceases to actively conduct its business and generous feeding will cause bewilderment. All he needs is a standard 1 fertilizer once a month.
- Spraying doesn't do any good. In the homeland of ficuses, it is now a dry season, and wetting the leaves does not lead to anything good . If a florist claiming the benefits of the procedure stops using a spray bottle, I assure you that he will not notice any difference.
- But the top of careless care is to cut the ficuses now, in winter. Not only that stimulating growth during the dormant period due to low light forces the plant to wear out. New branches will grow as bald - the lighting has not changed.
There is no way to give the flower more light - just do nothing and wait for spring. Then nature will do everything for you. The fact that ficus sheds 3-8 leaves every day is normal! There is no sun.
2. Water less often
Comrade, let me remind you that the ficuses are now in the dry season according to the schedule. Add to this that the plant sleeps due to low light (it barely develops), and it simply does not need our constant watering.
Water the ficus only after the pot is dry by a third. It is a big mistake to think that the leaves are falling because the ground dries up from above. Trust me: Benjamin grew up in an environment with occasional droughts. The fact that we will water it every 3 days will not make it easier for him.
3. Take emergency measures if the ficus has become completely bald
If the ficus has lost a good half of its leaves and looks like dry sticks, then there may be several reasons:
- Someone forgot to close the window or thought "After 5 minutes of airing, nothing will happen anyway." Get months-long ficus recovery.
- Ficus stands somewhere in the back of the room. Comrade, remember: a plant is not decorative furniture that can be used to decorate a far corner. Benjamins are living organisms with their own needs for light.
- It is eaten by a spider mite or scale insect. A variant that can be corrected by treatment with serious drugs - acaricides and insecticides. Just please: show civic awareness and do not use grandma's recipes with garlic and kerosene.
- Ficus was still poured, because "the flower is thirsty." Here you need to understand that the bay is not abundant watering. This is already rotting roots and a riot of fungi inside the pot due to constant moisture. The only way out will be only transplanting into new soil with a complete replacement of the soil. Afterwards, it is useful to spill the pot with "Fitosporin" so as not to dilute the old, harmful microflora. Its remains are still on the roots of the drenched ficus.
Prune the plant back in the spring and it will quickly grow into a lush ball. If you like ficuses and the article was useful - put, comrades, "Thumbs up" in response.