Фикус Али — одна из разновидностей numerous company of domestic ficuses. Like all ficuses, it is quite unpretentious, but has its own characteristics. By the way, many, choosing this plant, do not even immediately understand that this is a ficus. After all, it looks very peculiar and is represented by several varieties. Let's find out more about the ficus Ali. What is this variety, in what conditions should it be grown, what kind of care should be provided for the plant?
Botanical portrait
Ficus Ali is a group of varieties knownAlso known as Ficus binnendijkii. It belongs to the genus of ficuses, native to Southeast Asia. It got its name from the 19th-century botanist Simon Binnendijkii, who discovered and described it. This ficus is a tall (up to twenty meters) evergreen tree with light gray bark, decorated with light strokes. However, in young ficuses the bark is painted dark brown. This varietal group is distinguished by the size and shape of the leaves. This is a narrow-leaved plant with drooping branches. The leaves of the Ficus Ali can be single-colored or variegated, but in all varieties they are long and narrow. The leaves can reach thirty centimeters in length, while their width does not exceed seven centimeters. Along the leaf, in its center, there is a relief vein, making the leaflet concave. Since the lateral veins on the leaves are almost invisible, the foliage of the Ficus Ali resembles narrow strips of green paper bent along the fold or half-opened pea pods. The main varieties of Ficus Ali:
- Amstel Gold has variegated leaves;
- Alii has a wider leaf width than other varieties;
- Amstel King has the widest leaves (up to seven centimeters);
- Amstel Queen is an intermediate variety between the two previous ones in terms of leaf width.
Conditions of detention
As we have already said, for good growthany indoor plant needs to be provided with comfortable conditions. For variegated varieties, it is advisable to choose a well-lit place. And ficuses with green leaves are better suited to a location in partial shade. It is important to immediately choose a permanent place for your green pet, since it reacts painfully to rearrangement. The temperature in the room where the ficus grows should be maintained within 20-25 degrees Celsius in the summer and 16-20 degrees - in the cold season. The following pattern is noteworthy: the warmer the room, the more light ficuses need. This houseplant reacts painfully to sudden changes in temperature and to hypothermia of the soil in the flower pot. Therefore, you should not put the flower on a cold floor or on windowsills (in winter), and you also need to protect it from cold and hot air flows emanating from radiators and heating devices, air conditioners and fans, and protect the flower from drafts. At the same time, the room where the ficus grows must be ventilated. Ficus Ali has no special requirements for air humidity. This variety feels great in rooms with moderate humidity, but needs to be sprayed on hot days. You should spray not only the plant itself, but also the air around it, and for this you need to take slightly warm, settled water. To grow ficuses, you need a special soil mixture designed specifically for these plants or for palms. It can be found in flower shops or you can make up the soil mixture yourself. Very young plants will benefit from soil consisting of equal amounts of turf soil, sand and peat. For adult specimens, the soil mixture is made up of leaf and turf soil (two parts each) and sand (one part) or one part peat and humus and two parts of leaf soil; equal amounts of sand, peat, leaf and turf soil can also be used.
Care
Basic care for the ficus Ali comes down toregular watering, timely fertilizing and replanting. The need for watering can be determined by the condition of the soil in the pot - it should dry out to a depth of about three to five centimeters. If the surface layer of soil easily crumbles in your hands and does not stick, then the ficus is watered. Water is poured from above the earthen lump in small portions in several steps. After half an hour, the water that has flowed into the pan is drained, and the pan and the bottom of the pot are wiped dry. Ficuses need to be fed periodically - once every two weeks or every ten days. In this case, you should alternate mineral and organic fertilizers. Note that during the dormant period (winter), the plant does not need fertilizing. The fertilizer solution is applied under the root, pouring it onto the soil and trying not to touch the stems, which can get burned by the preparations. You can also add fertilizer to the water for irrigation. Foliar feeding (on the leaf) is also acceptable, but only with preparations specially designed for this purpose. Caring for ficuses also involves replanting this houseplant as it grows. A signal for the need for replanting is the growth of the root system, when the roots almost completely braid the lump of earth in the pot. In this state, the soil begins to dry out much faster between waterings. For replanting, take a pot whose diameter is two to three centimeters larger than the diameter of the old container. Young ficuses are replanted every year, and plants that have reached the age of four, less often (once every two to three years). When replanting young ficuses, the soil in the pot is changed almost completely, and adult specimens are transferred to a new container, preserving the earthen lump. If the plant reaches such an impressive size that it becomes very difficult to replant (transplant) it, then once a year just add fresh soil. After transplanting, the plants are not fertilized for one or two weeks, and the procedure itself is carried out only during the active period for the flower - in spring or summer. If the plant is cared for according to all the rules, and the conditions of its maintenance are quite comfortable for the flower, then your ficus Ali will be able to please you for many years, without causing almost any trouble. It is not for nothing that ficuses are considered one of the most unpretentious and disease-resistant green pets. However, this is only possible with a caring attitude towards the flower. Good luck!
