Good afternoon, my reader. Indoor ficus Benjamin in favorable conditions reaches a height of 2-3 m. The plant from Southeast Asia has a dense crown of variegated white-green leaves. However, this giant sometimes begins to shed foliage. So that the plant does not lose its decorative effect, it needs conditions close to its natural habitat.
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Why does ficus Benjamin drop leaves
At home, this culture almost never blooms. The luxurious variegated crown is the main attraction of the Benjamin ficus. Therefore, when a plant unexpectedly begins to shed its foliage, it is worth considering why this is happening.
Two or three fallen leaves should not cause panic, since this phenomenon may be associated with the natural aging process of the flower. But if the amount of litter exceeds a dozen or two, you need to sound the alarm, because this is a signal that there is a problem.
First of all, the leaves turn yellow and fall off if the rules for caring for a home flower are not followed. This situation is the easiest to fix. It is much worse if unsatisfactory plant conditions have resulted in disease or insect damage.
In any case, the indoor culture must be examined, the cause of the leaves falling off, and effective measures must be taken. The sooner attention and care is shown, the more chances that the ficus will recover and regain its attractiveness.
Diseases
Despite the fact that the plant has strong immunity, due to improper care, it can become infected with fungal infections. Most often it is anthracnose or cercospora, which first appear as brown spots on the leaf blades.
The disease progresses rapidly: the leaves lose their natural color, deform, dry out and fall off. Fungal infections are also dangerous because they are easily transmitted to neighboring crops. To get rid of the problem, the ficus is treated with any fungicide at hand.
Rotting of the root system can also be the reason for the shedding of leaves. Most often this happens due to waterlogging of the soil or watering the flower with too cold and hard water. In this case, the plant can only be saved by transplanting into a pot with fresh soil.
Pests
Harmful insects attack most often weakened (diseased) plants that are kept in unsatisfactory conditions. For ficus Benjamin, they pose a threat: spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs.
As soon as when examining an indoor flower, traces of pest activity are found, urgent action is needed. To save it from insects, the ficus is treated with an insecticidal preparation and quarantined away from neighboring crops.
Errors in caring for Benjamin's ficus
An exotic plant develops well and does not lose its decorative effect if ideal conditions are created for it. Asian culture does not tolerate:
- decrease in air temperature below +14 ° С;
- cold drafts;
- dry air and placement near heating appliances;
- insufficient lighting;
- watering with cold, hard water;
- exposure to direct sunlight;
- scanty or excessive feeding.
In addition, in the summer, the plant reacts negatively to the lack of moisture in the soil and low air humidity. In the hot season, the flower is watered according to its needs and is often sprayed with a spray bottle.
Growing Benjamin's indoor ficus is not so difficult if you create suitable conditions for him. With proper care, its dense crown will become a worthy decoration for your home collection of plants.
Does Benjamin's ficus grow in your house?
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