Ficus De Dumbbell: reproduction, planting, care

Like a white cloud, slightly touched by greenish reflections, a cap of foliage hovers on one of the varieties ficus benjamin... White ficus or Ficus de Gantel is called one of the brightest representatives of the Mulberry family. In the wild, a ficus can reach 25 meters, but in an apartment it can grow as tall as a good basketball player.

Thanks to the color of its foliage and its friendly character, Ficus De Dumbbell is a welcome guest both in apartments and in the spacious corridors of office premises. Florists are happy to show it to guests as the flagship of their collection. But many beginners can also have such a handsome man in their home.

Content:

• Features of the variety
• How to care for ficus De Dumbbell
• Breeding methods and planting
• Diseases and pests

Features of the variety

Although his name is white ficus, sometimes this species allows from 50 to 80% green on its leaves. Ficus De Dumbtel appeared thanks to the painstaking work of breeders and now not only pleases pot plant lovers, but also positions itself well in front of interior designers.

Often ficus with such an unusual color they make the main accent in the room. Moreover, sometimes the techniques of its landing are unusual. If, say, plant Benjamin's ficus and De Dumbbell ficus in one pot, in a 1: 2 combination, and when they grow up, braid the trunks with a pigtail. Then, over time, a tree of unusual shape and color will appear. At the same time, in the room where such a white unusual flower lives, it seems to become more light.

And also this ornamental shrub gets along well with other representatives of the flora when drawing up long-lived flower arrangements.

Only when compiling such mixes should their features be taken into account so that everyone has the same habitat. Otherwise, the collapse of the entire compositional series cannot be avoided. But if you choose the right neighboring plants, then it will be a wonderful picture.

You can buy Ficus De Dumbbell in a flower shop or in a network space, but the main thing is that the plant is strong and adapted to the climate of the region of its further residence. Otherwise, it will inevitably suffer for a long time, and then wither away. And in order to avoid such problems, it is worth adhering to several rules when buying and in further care.

You can buy a flower if:

• strong and clean foliage (no residues of pest activity)
• tree trunk is not damaged
• roots do not stick out of the ground
• good quality potted soil

How to care for ficus De Dumbbell

If you observe several terms for caring for this plant, then it will be possible to live with it in peace and harmony:

1. Shine. The bright feathering of the ficus immediately suggests that this specimen requires constant publication. Moreover, it should be placed not somewhere in the backyard, but in the very first sunny rows. At the same time, avoid direct sunlight. The ficus plant is tender and does not need extra brown burns on the leaves.
2. Water. The main thing here is to know when to stop. Watering should be done as the topsoil dries up. Water must be separated and at room temperature. Good drainage will allow excess moisture to drain out so that the roots do not rot. And you should also take into account the favorite fun of ficuses, namely water procedures.Not for them sluggish spraying from a spray bottle, the bush requires careful attention to this procedure. The water should be as warm as possible, and you need to moisten the leaves, branches and even the trunk. It is good if the soil surface is covered with expanded clay or sphagnum, then it should also be sprayed. And if such a light rain is required several times a day, in the living conditions of ficus, together with central heating batteries. Then, once a week, the pet should be introduced into the shower. Well, if this is already a tall handsome man, then the crown can be wrapped in plastic and arrange a bath for him right on the spot. In winter, such procedures must be carried out with caution.
3. Temperature. Ficuses are true southerners. Warm air is an indispensable condition for their stay. But, of course, not in conditions where the bottom of the pot stands almost on the heating system, but on the crown pours, a stream of icy air from the open window. The temperature regime assumes that the heating of the soil and the plant is uniform, because, otherwise, the plant can be brought to death. The optimum temperature for ficus in summer is from 18 C to 23 C, in winter not lower than 16 C.
4. The soil. Either a ready-made mixture is purchased, or the soil mixture is prepared according to a recipe, where humus, leaf earth and peat are mixed in equal parts.
5. Top dressing. It is better to feed the plant in early March. While it is gradually waking up after a long hibernation, it is worth starting to vitaminize it. But little by little! Mineral and organic feeding worth alternating. In March, add nitrogen and urea. Closer to May, bone and fish meal. And in the summer, you can bring in some organic matter from someone's farm yard. Chalk and ash in small doses will prevent the soil from acidifying.

But any history of plant feeding is, first of all, systematic and comprehensive care. If you follow the correct diet of fertilizing and distribute it organically in the spring-summer season, then by autumn the plant will accumulate a good supply of necessary substances. What is important for the plant to survive the winter well.

Breeding methods and planting

Spring March drops can serve as a call to the fact that ficuses ready to let their offspring go free swimming. Method cuttings it is quite simple to propagate the ficus De Dumbbell in your home. The main thing is to remember that the cutting should have a leaf, an intact eye and a lower knot. After the neat cuts of the cuttings are made, it is better to lower them into the systemic preparation Fitosporin-M. This will prevent unpleasant moments that may arise during the growing process of the plant. Then, on a light windowsill, you need to place a container with water and place the cuttings there, and then cover with a film. After 1-2 weeks, the first root growth will appear.

When forming the first dwelling plant in life, you should not immediately build "mansions" for it, where it will easily get lost. The pot should be slightly smaller than the extreme points of the plant's crown. The earthen mixture should be well steamed and soaked with the aforementioned fertilizers, after a couple of days, when its microclimate has matured in the soil, you can populate the ficus De Dumbbell.

Planting such a plant is not troublesome, but this does not mean that the "baby" can be left unattended.

It should be kept for some time under the film, constantly ventilated and carried out water procedures. When transplanting an adult plant, the size of the old pot must be taken into account. Each subsequent one should be 4-5 cm larger. But adult and tall plants that simply cannot be transplanted are well tolerated when only the top layer of the soil is changed. But then they are more demanding on feeding.

Diseases and pests

If the ficus suddenly began to lose foliage, then this may be either drought, or a draft, or a lack of light. But there are diseases worse than deviations from the rules of caring for the ficus de Dumbbell.

What can harm the plant:

• The dull and faded color of the leaves, infected with brown beetles on the back side, suggests that this is a lesion with a scutellum. Ficuses are especially susceptible to this harmful parasite. Leaves can be wiped with alcohol or a piece of foam rubber soaked in softened laundry soap. Once the entire bush has been treated, you can pamper it with a warm shower.
• Mold on the leaves and trunk, settling after shaking with gray dust, suggests that this is gray rot. Brown spots begin to infect the leaves, which then completely fall off. With such a lesion, it is urgently necessary to treat the ficus De Dumbbell with fungicides. In the future, it is worthwhile to ventilate its habitats well.
• White flour bloom, this is a sign powdery mildew... The name is beautiful, the disease is unpleasant. Ficus De Dumbbell should be well soaped and rinsed with warm water.
• Fungal disease Cercospora. The seamy side of the leaves is affected by dark dots that spread in all directions. Urgently remove all diseased leaves and treat the ficus with antifungal drugs.
• Root rot. It develops when watering is regular and drainage is poor. Stagnant water has a detrimental effect on the plant, and a humid environment is an excellent place for fungi that dormant for the time being in the soil. This case is disastrous for both the ficus and the pot.
• The mealybug sucks the juice straight from the leaves. They seem to dry up and fall off. Mechanical treatment with soapy water twice a week until complete destruction of the colony.
• Small black insects, called thrips, are unpleasant things. The bugs must be removed, and the plant must be treated with chemicals Tanrek or Aktara.

Ficus De Dumbbell is decorative and unpretentious, so you should pay attention to it, even if a person does not consider himself an ardent flower grower. By the way, such recommendations apply not only to this type of ficus. It always looks harmonious next to a white ficus ficus benjamin, and the care for both varieties is almost identical.

More information can be found in the video: