Ficus trees have always been and remain quitepopular indoor plant. The popularity of ficuses is explained not only by their impressive, and sometimes exotic and even elegant appearance, but also by their relative unpretentiousness, resistance to diseases and a variety of species and varieties. However, different types of ficuses also differ in their care and maintenance requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to learn more about what kind of ficus is growing in your home and how to care for it. And the subject of our conversation today will be the Kinki ficus, also known as the fig tree. Let's try to find out what features distinguish this plant from its fellows, what kind of care it requires and what problems may arise when growing this house flower.
Botanical description
Ficus Kinki is nothing more thanvariety (sort) of the well-known and very popular Ficus Benjamina. This is a dwarf variety, distinguished not only by its size, but also by the color of its leaves. The leaves of the Ficus Kinki are variegated, light green, framed by a salad or cream border; small and narrow (their length is about 4 cm). The stem of the Ficus Kinki is woody, erect, the branches are drooping. The homeland of the Ficus Benjamina Kinki is the tropical regions of West Africa, Australia and Asia. It belongs to the mulberry family. It lends itself well to pruning and crown shaping. It is valued for its small size and special decorative effect. Relatively demanding in terms of care.
Conditions of detention
First of all, for this miniature ficusit is necessary to create comfortable conditions for keeping. And these conditions should be as close as possible to natural - tropical. Ficus Benjamin Kinki is a light-loving plant, so it should be kept only in a well-lit room. It is desirable that the light be diffused. Although ficuses easily tolerate direct sunlight, in the hot summer months they should be shaded from the scorching rays. In addition, ficuses react painfully to hot air flows, although they are heat-loving plants. Therefore, the flower pot should be placed away from radiators and heating devices. At the same time, the minimum temperature at which the ficus feels good should not be lower than 15 degrees Celsius. Keep in mind that it is advisable to immediately choose a permanent place for the plant, since the ficus also reacts painfully to rearrangement. If the flower pot is moved from place to place, the leaves on the ficus may begin to fall off. Leaves also fall off from cold air currents. Therefore, this miniature ficus also needs to be protected from drafts. This plant has no special requirements for air humidity. It easily tolerates dry apartment air and feels great in a room with high humidity. However, try not to create extreme conditions for your green pet and maintain a moderate level of humidity in the room. Protect the plant from hot air flows from heating devices and spray the plant and wipe its leaves from time to time - this is what it needs for a comfortable existence.
Care
One of the main advantages of this miniaturevariegated tree - relatively unpretentious in care. Ficus Kinki does not require your increased attention and especially careful care. Regular, timely watering, replanting as needed, periodic fertilizing - this is exactly what caring for an unpretentious plant consists of. True, for aesthetic purposes, the tree must be trimmed, forming a crown. But we will talk about this a little later. So, caring for the plant at home.
- Watering
The only requirement for watering iscaution. When watering, it is necessary to ensure that the soil in the pot is not over-moistened. Small containers in which indoor ficuses grow contribute to the slow evaporation of moisture from the soil, and over-moistening of the soil in the pot can cause root rot, as well as the occurrence of fungal diseases. However, drying out of the soil mixture is also unacceptable. If the plant is without moisture for a long time, its leaves turn yellow and fall off. Thus, watering this plant should be moderate, without over-moistening the soil and without drying it out between waterings.
- Feeding
Like all house plants, the Kinki ficusit is necessary to periodically feed it. The fact is that the soil in the pot becomes depleted over time, and the plant begins to experience a deficiency of minerals. At the same time, an excess of minerals in the soil is also undesirable. In this case, the plant also sometimes sheds its leaves. Therefore, it is necessary to fertilize the ficus according to a certain scheme. The best time for active feeding is when the plant comes out of dormancy. This happens with the onset of spring, when the ficus starts to grow after winter rest. From this time until the beginning of autumn, you need to feed your home ficus with complex or special fertilizers once or twice a month. With the onset of autumn, feeding is gradually reduced, bringing it to nothing and continuing care without feeding.
- Transfer
Transplantation is also a necessary partCaring for the Kinky Ficus. How often should this be done? The first transplant should be done immediately after purchasing the plant. The substrates in which indoor flowers are sold are not suitable for their permanent cultivation. Therefore, immediately after purchase, the flower should be transplanted into a permanent pot, completely replacing the soil. If the plant remains in the store substrate, it begins to get sick, wither and shed its leaves. For the first and subsequent transplants, you need to choose ceramic or plastic pots and fill them with a soil mixture intended for growing ficuses. The pot should not be very large and not too spacious. Ficuses are transplanted as needed, when they grow too much. Therefore, the frequency of transplants depends only on the growth rate of the ficus and the intensity of its root system growth. Transplantation can be done by transshipment, moving the plant to a new pot, preserving the old earthen lump. In this case, the space between the earthen lump and the flower pot is filled with new soil mixture. Fresh soil is also poured onto the drainage layer and onto the surface of the old soil lump.
Trimming
Ficus Kinki is pruned for the purpose ofcrown formation. Note that this procedure is painless for the plant. Usually, several ficus plants of this variety are planted in one pot. This allows you to form a tree with a lush crown. In this case, not only the crown of the ficus becomes spectacular, but the trunk also looks very unusual - several intertwined lignified stems that can grow together at the base over time. If your ficus grows alone, this makes it possible to form the plant in the form of a miniature tree. Its crown, of course, will not be as lush, but a single dwarf ficus looks very elegant. In any case, the crown of the tree can be fearlessly formed by cutting off excess branches and leaves and giving it the desired shape. As you can see, the Kinki ficus is actually not as demanding as it may seem. By and large, it can be called an almost ideal houseplant, since it is very easy to care for. The main thing is do not forget that plants are also alive and need care and attention. By the way, they say that this particular house ficus has amazing positive energy. So if you need an elegant, spectacular and unpretentious indoor flower that can improve your mood, then give preference to the dwarf ficus Benjamin Kinky. You will not be mistaken!
