Ficus have always been and still are quite popularindoor plant. The popularity of ficuses is explained not only by their impressive, and sometimes exotic and even elegant appearance, but also by relative unpretentiousness, resistance to diseases and a variety of species and varieties. Nevertheless, different types of figs differ in their requirements for care and maintenance. Therefore, it is necessary to learn more about what kind of ficus grows in your house and how to take care of it. And the subject of our conversation today will be the ficus of Kinki, also known as the fig tree. Let's try to find out what features this plant differs from its counterparts, what care it takes and what problems may arise when growing this home flower. 
Botanical description
Ficus Kinki is nothing other thana variety of the famous and very popular ficus of Benjamin. This dwarf variety, which is not only the size, but also the color of the leaves. The leaves of the ficus Kinki are motley, light green, framed with a salad or cream border; Small and narrow (their length is about 4 cm). Stalk of ficus Kinki lignified, erect, branches - drooping. The birthplace of the ficus of Benjamin Kinki is the tropical regions of West Africa, Australia and Asia. It belongs to the mulberry family. Excellent pruning and shaping the crown. Appreciated for its small size and special decorativeness. Relatively exacting to care. 
Conditions of detention
First of all for this miniature ficusyou need to create comfortable conditions of detention. And these conditions should be as close as possible to the natural - tropical. Ficus of Benjamin Kinky refers to photophilous plants, so keep it only in a well-lit room. It is desirable that the light is scattered. Although ficuses easily tolerate direct sunlight, in the hot summer months they should be shaded from scorching rays. In addition, the ficuses react painfully to hot air streams, 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 be at least 15 degrees Celsius. Keep in mind that for a plant it is desirable to immediately choose a permanent place, since the ficus also reacts to the rearrangement painfully. If the pot with the flower is moved from place to place, then the leaves on the ficus can begin to fall off. The leaves also fall from the cold air currents. Therefore, this miniature ficus must also be protected from drafts. To the humidity of the air, this plant has no special requirements. It easily tolerates dry apartment air and perfectly feels in a room with high humidity. Nevertheless, try not to create extreme conditions for your green pet and maintain a moderate level of humidity in the room. Protect the plant from the hot air streams of heating devices and from time to time spray the plant and wipe its leaves - this is what it takes for a comfortable existence. 
Care
One of the main advantages of this miniaturevariegated trees - relative unpretentiousness in care. Fikusu Kinki does not need your increased attention and extra care. Regular, timely watering, transplanting as needed, periodic top dressing - this is exactly what the care for a simple plant is. True, in the aesthetic purposes the tree must be cut, forming the crown. But we'll talk about this a little later. So, caring for the plant at home.
- Watering
The only requirement for watering is caution. When watering, make sure that the soil in the pot is not too wet. Small tanks, in which house ficuses grow, contribute to the slow evaporation of moisture from the soil, and overmoistening of the soil in the pot can cause decay of the roots, as well as the occurrence of fungal diseases. However, the drying 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 of this plant should be moderate, without overmoistening of the soil and without its drying between waterings.
- Feeding
Like all house plants, Kinky Ficusneed to periodically feed. The fact is that the soil in the pot is eventually depleted, and the plant begins to experience a shortage of minerals. However, an excessive amount of minerals in the soil is also undesirable. In this case, the plant also sometimes discards the leaves. Therefore, you need to fertilize the ficus according to a certain scheme. It's time for active fertilizing - the plant's output from the state of rest. 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, reducing them to naught and continuing care without any additional dressing.
- Transfer
Transplantation is also a necessary part of carefor the Kinki ficus. How often should this be done? The first transplant should be performed immediately after the acquisition of the plant. Substrates in which indoor flowers are sold are not suitable for their constant cultivation. Therefore, immediately after buying the flower should be transplanted into a permanent pot, completely replacing the ground. If the plant remains in the store substrate, it starts to ache, die and discards the leaves. For the first and subsequent transplants, you must choose ceramic or plastic pots and fill them with soil prepared for growing ficuses. The pot should be not very large and not too spacious. Ficuses are transplanted as needed, when they grow too much. Therefore, the frequency of transplantation depends only on the rate of growth of the ficus and the intensity of growth of its root system. The transplantation can be carried out by the method of transshipment, moving the plant into a new pot, keeping the old earthen lump. In this case, new soil is filled with a space between a clod of earth and a flower pot. The fresh earth is also poured onto the drainage layer and to the surface of the old earthen coma.
Trimming
Trimming the fig treecrown formation. Note that this procedure for the plant is painless. Usually the ficus of this variety is planted on several plants 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 effective, but also the trunk looks very unusual - a few intertwined lignified stems that eventually grow together at the base. If your ficus grows alone, it makes it possible to form a plant in the form of a miniature tree. The Crown will, of course, not be so fluffy, but a solitary dwarfish ficus looks very elegant. In any case, the crown of the tree can be fearlessly formed, cutting off excess branches and leaves and giving it the desired shape. As you can see, Kinki ficus is not really as demanding as it might seem. By and large it can be called an almost ideal houseplant, as caring for it is very simple. The main thing is not to forget that plants are also alive and need care and attention. By the way, they say that this home ficus has an amazing positive energy. So if you need an elegant, effective and unpretentious indoor flower that can improve your mood, then give preference to the dwarf figurine of Benjamin Kinki. You will not go wrong!
