Ficus Moklamé has a compact crown and unpretentiousness in care. But still there are a number of features in the conditions of the maintenance of this plant, you need to know about them.
What does Ficus Moclamé look like to which family
Ficus Moklame (Latin ficus Microcarpa Moclame) belongs to the Mulberry family. This is a dwarf plant species that is often used in home interiors and landscape design. The main difference from other representatives of ficuses is that this species has an air root, and the leaves are more circular in shape. At home, Moklam grows a little more than 1 m.
Ficus Moclamé
Briefly about the history of the appearance
The homeland of this species of ficus is considered to be warm countries with a humid climate. In the natural environment, the plant grows quite tall.
Ficus Moclama home care
In order for a plant to grow and develop well, it needs to create optimal conditions.
Temperature
In summer, ficus feels best at a temperature of + 24 ... +30 degrees. In winter, it can be lowered to +15 degrees. The main thing is to prevent overcooling of the pot. If it blows from the windows in winter, then the container with the flower should be rearranged in a warm place.
Additional Information! If the container is on a cold floor, it should be moved to a thick stand so that the roots do not freeze.
Lighting
Ficus Mikrokarp Moklame does not like when it is often rearranged to new places and the lighting is changed, so you should choose the ideal place for the flower in advance. The plant prefers diffused light.
In winter, the flower will need additional lighting. Every evening for several hours you need to turn on fluorescent lamps.
Watering
Watering should be moderate. In summer, the soil is irrigated no more than 2-3 times a week. In winter, the number of watering is reduced.
Spraying
In summer, care for the flower should not be the same as in winter. As often as possible, foliage should be sprayed and dusted. Especially if the container is standing on a window with open windows.
Humidity
The air in the room should be humidified within 50-70%. If it is too dry, you can put a plate with wet expanded clay next to the flower. In winter, humidity is increased by hanging wet towels on the batteries.
Priming
Ficus prefers neutral or slightly acidic soil.
Necessary soil composition:
- coarse sand;
- turf land;
- leaf soil.
All ingredients must be taken in equal quantities.
Top dressing
Ficus Moklama needs fertilizer in summer and spring. In winter, you need to give the flower a rest. In spring, you can make universal fertilizer for indoor plants. In summer, nitrogen-containing substances are used.
Features of winter care, rest period
In winter, you need to reduce the amount of irrigation. Water the soil when it is completely dry. Also in the winter, they do not make any fertilizers and put lamps for additional lighting.
When and how it blooms
Like most varieties of ficus, the Moclamé variety does not bloom.
Pruning
When grown in a house, ficus needs pruning to form a crown. Otherwise, he will grow very tall.
Ficus pruning
Procedure for cropping:
- Wait until the main stem grows to 20 cm.
- Then crop the central shoot.
- Trim lateral shoots after they grow above the center.
For pruning, only sharpened pruning shears should be used so that no creases remain on the cut sites. It must also be sanitized first.
How Ficus Moklama propagates
The process of plant propagation is simple. For breeding ficus seeds, cuttings or aerial layering are used.
Seed germination
Seeds are sown in the ground in late February - mid-April.
Sowing process:
- Spread planting material on the surface of moistened soil.
- Sprinkle lightly with soil.
- Cover the container with a bag and put in a warm place.
- Water the soil several times a week and ventilate it.
When the first shoots appear, the film is removed. The pick is carried out after the first pair of full leaves has blossomed.
On a note! Seedlings are transplanted into pots when it grows up.
Rooting cuttings
The easiest way to grow a new plant from cuttings. As cuttings, the use of lignified shoots, 10-15 cm long, is used.
Description of the cuttings:
- Cut the underside of the handle at an angle of 45 degrees.
- Rinse out the resulting juice.
- Break the lower leaves and shoots.
- Put the stalk in water so that the leaves do not touch it. Otherwise, they will begin to rot.
- Add 1 tablet of activated carbon to the water.
After about 2-3 weeks, the first roots should appear. After this, you can plant the stalk in the ground. The plant is transplanted into a permanent pot after 3 months.
Propagation by cuttings
Air lay
Propagation process by air layering:
- On the adult ficus, choose a lignified shoot.
- Select a site and cut off all the leaves from it.
- Make an annular incision above and below this place.
- Remove the bark.
- Sprinkle the selected place with crushed charcoal or Kornevin.
- Put the moss on the bag and wrap it around the plot. Commit the package.
After some time, the roots should appear. After that, the package is carefully removed, and the layering is planted in the ground.
Transfer
Reasons for the transplant:
- The root system has grown greatly.
- The roots are visible from the pot.
- The root system began to rot.
- The pot has become too small.
The transplant is carried out in spring or summer. Once a year, the ficus is transplanted into a larger pot so that the flower can grow further.
Possible problems in growing and disease
During the cultivation of ficus Moklama, you can encounter a number of problems caused by pests, diseases or improper care.
Flower drops buds and leaves
Leaves may fall for natural reasons. But if they fall en masse, then you need to look for a problem. This may be due to rearrangement of the pot, drafts or sudden changes in temperature.
Important! The cause of dropping buds and leaves may be waterlogged soil. In this case, the leaves first begin to get wet.
Leaves turn pale
Foliage can begin to turn pale due to poor lighting, constant overflow of soil and chlorosis.
Note! From chlorosis, treatment with Ferrovit and Ferrilen helps.
You can prepare a medicine for chlorosis yourself. This will require citric acid, iron sulfate and boiled cooled water. Dissolve 4 g of citric acid and 2.5 g of vitriol in water. Stir the solution thoroughly. Spray them with diseased plants. The solution is stored for 2 weeks.
The tips dry on the leaves
The tips of the leaves usually begin to dry in the winter when they turn on the heating. This is due to a sharp decrease in humidity. It is necessary to move the pot away from the battery and put a container with wet expanded clay next to it.
The tips of the foliage are dry
Lower leaves fall off
The lower leaves usually fall during a change of leaf mass. But it can also be due to improper watering, lack of fertilizer, temperature changes and drafts.
Pests
Common pests of ficus are scabbard, spider mite and mealybug. If insects are found, the leaves of the plant should be wiped with a soapy solution and treated with Actellik. When a spider mite appears, an additional humidity should be increased.
Important! Pests should be disposed of as soon as they are discovered.
Other problems
Other growing problems:
- Fungal diseases due to cold watering.
- The appearance of brown spots due to dry air.
- Growth retardation due to lack of nutrients.
- Ficus may lose its decorative effect due to the lack of trimmings.
Signs and superstitions
It is believed that the ficus in the house brings good luck to its owner or mistress. It is believed that the plant helps to improve the material condition of the owner.
Ficus Moklamé in the interior
Ficus Moklame is a very beautiful plant that will look harmoniously in any interior. The flower is very unpretentious and, if properly looked after, it will grow for a long time.
